Kentucky Fried Politics: A Colonel Sanders Timeline

Post 101
Post 101: Chapter 109



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

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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

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…“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



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– 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

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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

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[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.

MMrFMAn.png


[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...

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[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




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[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!
 
Post 102
Post 102: Chapter 110



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

a6D5p8J.png


[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.”

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– 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



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– 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



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– 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



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– 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

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...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




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[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.”

rfXkesA.png


[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!))
 
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Post 103
Post 103: Chapter 111



Chapter 111: December 2015 – June 2016

“The most important things are the hardest to say.”

– Stephen King (OTL/TTL)



LOCKE STEPS DOWN AS SENATE MINORITY LEADER TO BETTER FOCUS ON PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

The Washington Post, 12/1/2016



SENATOR INOUYE IS DEAD AT 91

Washington, D.C. – Longtime US Senator Daniel K. Inouye, a Democrat from Hawaii and a highly decorated World War Two combat veteran who used his status as a powerful D.C. politician and one of the longest-serving senators in U.S. history to send billions of dollars to his home state, died yesterday evening at his home in Honolul, Hawaii. He was 91. A spokesperson for Inouye said the cause of death was natural causes. …From 2005 to 2011, Inouye was the Senate’s president pro tempore, which put him third in the line of succession for the presidency. This was because he was the longest-serving incumbent Democrat, having entered the US Senate nearly 53 years ago in January 1963. Republican Bob Dole, another World War Two veteran and a longtime friend of Inouye, succeeded him as Senate’s president pro tempore, after Republicans took back the Senate in the 2010 midterms. …He is survived by his son Ken, his second wife Irene, and five grandchildren…

The Washington Post, 12/2/2015



GOVERNOR CHIN APPOINTS INOUYE’S WIDOW TO SENATE SEAT

…Irene Hirano Inouye, b. 1948, will be sworn into her late husband’s seat next week…

– The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawaiian newspaper, 12/5/2015



“Diversity of thought and culture and religion and ideas has been the strength of America.” [1]

– US Senator Gary Locke (D-WA), declared candidate for President, 12/6/2015 stump speech




ISRAELI FIRM IN GAZA EXTRACTS DRINKING WATER FROM THE AIR

…the densely populated Gaza Strip has long lacked sufficient drinking water, but a new project is helping to ease the shortage with a solar-powered process to extract potable water straight from the air. …The joint Israeli-Palestinian project is the brainchild of a Russian-Israeli billionaire, Michael Mirilashvili. The company he heads, Watergen, has developed the atmospheric water generators that can produce 5,000 to 6,000 liters (1,300 to more than 1,500 gallons) of water that can then be treated via sanitation plants to make it all drinkable… [2]

The Daily Telegraph, 12/7/2015




ROSS TOSSES BRUSH INTO RING

…“It seems people want me to run, and I don’t ever like to disappoint so many people,” said the former Vice President today in the speech with which he has launched an official late-entry campaign for President in response to a massive draft effort…

The Washington Post, 12/8/2015



LOCKE: I’m really surprised that Ross jumped in. I thought he was going to give a Shermanesque statement.

KIM: It’s going to upend the field composition significantly. Already there’s talk of two of Ross’s biggest supporters, Denise Juneau and Kwame Raoul, dropping out to get behind his candidacy.

LOCKE: Well, we’re not going to be doing that. Jumping into this race was a big decision for me and my family. I’m not going to just bow out after all that contemplation, all those nights sitting around the table weighing the risks and everything. I got in to win.

– audio-recorded conservation, Locke’16 campaign HQ in Seattle, WA; recorded 12/8/2015 (leaked 2/15/2017)



Ross – 28%

Locke – 19%

Moore – 18%

Franklin – 9%

Goldberg – 7%

Sorkin – 5%

Simpson – 2%

Others – 4%

Undecided – 8%

– Gallup poll for the 2016 Democratic Presidential nomination, published 12/11/2015



RODHAM-CLINTON BLAMES IMMIGRATION FOR SPAIN’S RIOTS, CHURCH BOMBING

…US Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton was caught on a hot mic claiming that the wave of riots that plagued Spain in 2013 and 2014, highlighted by the bombing of a historic “megachurch” in Barcelona, was due to that country’s open borders policy. “Europe must curb immigration to stop rightwing populists,” [3] the center-left politician said in a conversation with an unidentified intern or assistant. The surprisingly conservative comment came shortly after Rodham-Clinton appeared at a private fundraiser for Kelsey Grammer’s re-election bid, where other attendees also raised the suggestion that the civil disobedience and rioting that immediately followed the Unlucky Recession were due to a rise populism in Europe connected to the continent’s open-borders immigration policy more so than due to poor regulation of fiscal policies...

The Washington Post, 12/12/2015



…The White House’s grounds more recent architectural additions include expanding two hallways with wider areas for art collections under First Lady Joan Mondale in 1974, a part of the primary basement being converted into a bowling alley in 1997 for Dinger, which was in turn converted into a gym under President Jesse Jackson in 2003. Furthermore, President Denton’s controversial “mini-chapel” constructed near the East Wing in 1983 was converted in 1989 to a medical center/digital computer hub for the White House staff...

– clickopedia.co.usa



COOKING IN THE WHITE HOUSE: An American Tradition 240 Years In The Making

…While First Lady Marissa Joan Hart-Grammer releasing a cook book covering the favorite foods of the First Family this week was not a groundbreaking publication, it does remind one of other famous cooking that has occurred at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…

…The White house actually has three kitchens: a large one for the main staff, the “executive” one on the second “residential” floor, and a small auxiliary kitchen on the side, near the main kitchen. In fact, the aux kitchen was built out of a butler’s pantry in 1965 in order to allow then-President Colonel Sanders the ability to make himself a bucket of his own Kentucky Fried Chicken without bothering staff of dirtying a kitchen that was closed for the night.

But the larger private kitchen in the upstairs residence was not built by the chicken-loving Colonel – it was actually built by Mondale. It is, surprisingly, a very little-known fact that Sanders was succeeded into office by another passionate cook. While not a professional, Mondale did cook, often with his wife, to relieve stress of the office of the US President.

48x1UCC.png


[pic: imgur.com/48x1UCC.png ]

Above: President Mondale cooking a turkey in the White House auxiliary kitchen, photo undated but c. 1970s

Even now, 36 years after leaving office, Mondale's second-favorite hobby, after fishing, is cooking. As President, he would write down recipes on scraps of paper or backs of envelopes and then stuff them into a card file; now he saves it all on digital files.

“His first gastronomic success was fried fish, which he mastered while on fishing trips. Fritz loves to cook as a form of relaxation because it's so consuming," former Frist Lady Joan Mondale said in a 2012 interview. "Fran comes over with bags of groceries and they sort of go to work," she said of Mondale and his fishing partner and culinary mentor, Duluth, Minn., television station owner Fran Befera. "When the men are cooking they're on their own. It's much better that way. It's really a pleasure because it's a nontraditional activity, but more and more men are finding it a pleasure."

Joan also claimed that, as President, Walter liked to whip up a little "Fettucine a la Pimento Mondale" or "Minnesota Wild Rice" for himself, and some "Brunch Eggs a la Stan" and "Granny Mondale's Cinnamon Rolls" for their son, William.

Sometimes others joined in on Mondale’s kitchen activities in the Upstairs Residence. Second Lady Muriel Humphrey made beef soup, Betty Friedan made garlic soup, the wife of then-US Secretary of State Jimmy Carter's " 'Plains Special' Cheese Ring" and Mondale campaign chairman James A. Johnson's classic, "Hot Dogs and Tab" were all reportedly made and served to small collections of guests on the White House’s second floor by their aforementioned creators…

[snip]

…However, cooking must be done carefully. Walter Mondale has a history of hypertension and his father had heart problems. During press conferences held in the 1970s and 1980s, Joan Mondale often said was trying to steer him toward healthy food, but that she did not always succeed.

"I tried once with salt," she
explained once in 1977, "and my great secret weapon was not to put salt and pepper on the dinner table. So the first night I tried that, he said, 'Where is the salt?'

"And so I said, 'You're not supposed to have salt.' So he left the table, went to the kitchen and got it and came back. So that's how he responded to that."

Mondale has been actively involved with food for many years.

"One of the first ways that Fritz exhibited his cooking skills was, I guess, about 15 years ago when Thanksgiving came around and I was so tired I could hardly move. And he said, 'Let me make Thanksgiving dinner
,'" Joan Mondale explained at the press conference in 2011. [4]

– betterliving.co.usa, 12/19/2015 article




“Grammer For Ex-President”

“Bob’s The Best”

“Let’s Get Crazy” [5]

“Ross The Boss”

“Happy Little Times Are Here Again”

– unofficial Ross’16 slogans, c. December 2015



RENHO WINS! New C.D. Takes Control In Alliance, Trouncing S.D. Majority And Ousting PM Mizuho Fukushima

The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 1/2/2016



The Three Stooges


(2016 film)

Premiered: January 3, 2016

Genre(s): comedy/satire/slapstick

Directed by: Tom Hooper

Written by: James Bachman, Abigail Burdess and Tariq Anwar

Produced by: United Kingdom Film Council (UKFC) and Momentum Pictures

Distributed by: Momentum Pictures (UK, Australia and NZ) and Paramount Pictures (US and other territories)

Cast:

John Oliver as Moe

Andy Zaltzman as Larry

Al Murray as Curly

David Mitchell as Shemp

See Full List Here

Synopsis:

A British interpretation/version of/take on the beloved American comedy team from the 1940s sees Moe, Larry and Curly are ex-soldiers dishonorably discharged during World War Two, but upon going from trying to find jobs to inadvertently stumbling across a Nazi spy scheme, Moe sees the chance to redeem themselves and save England – and make some money along the way.

Reception:

The film opened to lukewarm reviews from critics and “fair” replies from audiences. As it barely made just over the amount of money the production company was hoping it would, it was considered a box office success, but those who worked on the film declined any interest in making any sort of sequel.

– mediarchives.co.usa



“Our government is completely illiterate when it comes to cyber security. We are twenty years behind the Chinese, who, if provoked into a cyber war with us, would devastate us, at a scale so vast that it’s unimaginable to present-day us.”

“Privacy and security are not mutually exclusive. Privacy is fundamental right. It is what keeps the glue of society together. Without it, our society would crumble. Without the ability to keep our honest thoughts and our secrets to ourselves, we would become the hostile and judgmental creatures without friends or allies that we were in caveman times. Human nature leads to self-censorship; we do not need any kinds of governments adding to it with red tape.”

“As President, I would privatize the space race, modernize the American cyber warfare department, and improve cyber security for infrastructure by hiring young hackers so that they will be on our side instead of on the side of the Chinese.”

– John McAfee, 1/5/2016 rally



As 2016 dawned, KFC’s push into African nations continued, with an increasing awareness of the notion that it could make for stronger ties to the western world in those countries. Finance Prof. Murray Sabrin commented on these efforts in a January 2016 NYT article praising the company for its ambition, saying that it reminded him of American trade deals that US President Jesse Jackson had signed with the African nation of Ghana to promote the Kantanka Automobile car company, in that it could help Africa’s economy. In fact, it is very likely that FLG Inc. greenlit expanding into Africa because of previous business and trade deals with Africa yielding mutually-beneficial results in the preceding years…

– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020



…McAfee public denounced Grammer’s populist handling of the post-recession economy, but found most if not all the non-interventionists in the party rallying behind him to protests US involvement in Sudan. Their claims that Grammer was “playing the role of a dictator” were made in spite of the fact that the President had kept US troops out of Botswana despite politicians in nations such as France calling for him to intervene in military-related way.

Focusing more on domestic issues, McAfee also accused Grammer of being responsible for outsourcing American jobs despite that going against his own libertarian policy of open borders and free trade, leading to him later saying he wanted “American libertarianism for America, not for other countries.” Furthermore, McAfee pointed to incidents such as the ratification of the Cairo Protocol to claim that Grammer was making too many concessions to the Democrats… [6]

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022




CODEY EXITS PRESIDENTIAL RACE

…the former Governor had been failing to gain traction for months…

The Star-Ledger, New Jersey newspaper, 1/10/2016



BUSTAMANTE SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AMID LOW POLLING AND EVEN LOWER FUNDRAISING

The Sacramento Union, 1/13/2016



GRAMMER RESUMES U.S. RELATIONS WITH ERITREA

…despite the African nation’s leadership being accused of suppressing political opposition, financial advisors believe that resuming normal diplomatic US-Eritrea relations – which were suspended in 1996 after Eritrea’s government allied with that of the former nation of North Korea in the first days of the Second Korean War – will encourage American businesses to invest over there…

The Wall Street Journal, 1/16/2016



“…The World Health Organization has declared that the spread of poliomyelitis in several countries to be a major ‘Worldwide Health Emergency’ – not a pandemic but a Worldwide Health Emergency – and recommends anyone who has recently visited the nations of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia and Indonesia to seek medical testing to ensure they do not have this infectious viral disease, which attacks the central nervous system. The WHO also recommends anyone who has been on a cruise ship in the last three months to get themselves tested as well, just in case…”

– Ahmad Rashad, CBS Breaking News, 1/21/2016 broadcast



PRAISING AUSSIE P.M. PUTS STEVE IRWIN IN A SNAKE PIT OF P.R. PROBLEMS

oR7t5oK.png


[pic: imgur.com/oR7t5oK.png ]

…Steve Irwin is everyone's favourite Aussie crocodile hunter. And while he was never feted in his homeland like he is in the US, he was widely regarded with benign condescension. That is until last month, when he made the deadly error of alienating Australia's cultural establishment.

When Prime Minister
Jim Varvaris dropped in on Irwin's Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on December 14, the naturally ebullient Irwin introduced him to the crowd as "the greatest leader Australia has ever had" and the "greatest leader in the entire world."

"I get to meet some extraordinary people and extraordinary leaders," Irwin said, "but meeting the Prime Minister is the proudest moment of my life."

Crikey! Irwin has wrestled crocodiles, snakes and spiders, but nothing could compare with the nest of vipers he had just strayed into.

Suddenly Irwin the likeable
wildlife wonder became Irwin the greedy "millionaire" Varvaris-lover. For some people, this was unforgivable.

The letters pages of newspapers exploded with venom and journalists sharpened their poison quills.

"After his public comment to the effect that
Jim Varvaris is the greatest prime minister this country has ever had, I no longer take him seriously as an apolitical or intelligent wildlife advocate," says one Canberra resident.

“I grew up watching his long-running show. I wouldn’t be surprised if his newest show sees a ratings drop after this,” suggests a younger resident.

A week later, one reporter from The Guardian questioned why Irwin had turned down an invitation to American President Kelsey Grammer’s inauguration in 2013, possibly due to the then President-Elect belittling him (calling him a “lovable digeridoo-drumming lunkhead”) in a controversial radio interview over a year beforehand. "Does it tell us more about Steve Irwin than he might want us to know?" he wrote. Irwin had "thick skin," the article went on to say. "There's no getting through to the heart or the soul. And let’s not make the mistake of going for the head."

Then there are the snide stories about Irwin's invitation to Canberra for a fancy "partisan barbecue" that Prime Minister Jim Varvaris hosted for visiting former US President Larry Dinger, complete with snaky references to the $25,000 cost.

And in the past there have been several stories attacking Irwin's character. "For crocodile hunter Steve Irwin charity really does begin at home, with the millionaire 'donating' $175,000 to himself," began one story in The Courier-Mail in Brisbane. This $364 a minute of taxpayers' money was supposedly for "one day's work" shooting a quarantine awareness TV ad in 2002, at the height of the SARS pandemic. The Federal Opposition and ABC Radio tried to whip up a crocodile-cash-for-comment scandal, linking the payment to Irwin's praise of Michael Ignatieff, who was the Prime Minister at the time. Irwin was forced to defend himself, issuing a statement explaining the money was for a whole year's work on the quarantine campaign, not one day, and that he had given every cent to a new koala hospital at his Queensland zoo.

In Tanzania, filming the latest episode of his latest reality TV show “Croc Chases,” Irwin went to bed early yesterday while his long-time manager and friend John Stainton, speaking from a crowded bar on his mobile phone, said he wasn't really surprised by the controversy.

"It's what happens in Australia. You stick your head up and you've got 10,000 shotguns pointed at you," Stainton said. Irwin is not a Liberal or Labor supporter. "He's just not political. I don't have a clue how he's going to vote and he probably doesn't either.
When Prime Minister Varvaris decided to pay an impromptu visit to his zoo, Steve was overwhelmed and proud, and talked in superlatives because that is the way he always talks.

The vilification of Irwin is a textbook lesson in how anti-conservative forces combine to denounce anyone suspected of holding unorthodox (in their eyes) views. And since the majority of Australians hold those "unorthodox" views, most of them have learnt to keep their mouths shut.

An unnamed (for obvious reasons) writer/director of my acquaintance says he and other actors, musicians and dancers he knows have to pose as left-wing
Varvaris vilifyers, or at least keep any conservative views hidden, in order to stay in work.

"The truth is we are politically a more eclectic bunch than most realise.
[sic] But God forbid that we'd 'come out' and support Jim Varvaris, our own Prime Minister, over anything, for to do so is instant isolation – no, persecution ...the self-appointed bullies who run the industry preclude from expressing [our] views, for fear of being labelled and ostracised. [sic] In many ways it's 1930s Germany, 1950s USA and Soviet Union all over again, minus the violence ...the arts Stasi are not to be underestimated," he said.

Chances are Steve Irwin won't be sipping green tea at Judy Davis's place in Birchgrove any time soon. But then, he probably prefers the crocodile farm
. [7]

– thenewdailymirror.co.uk, 1/22/2016




“…the Viking Cruises vessel the ‘Forward’ has been ordered to not stay dockside for two weeks at Isle of Wright after the infectious disease poliomyelitis was reported to have broken out on cruise ship; the ship is receiving medicine and emergency supplies by helicopter, and people onboard in need of hospitalization are being carefully airlifted out…”

– Michael Strahan, NBC News, 1/24/2016 broadcast



CO-ANCHOR 1: “In his defense, Steve Irwin is a conservationist, not a politician.”

CO-ANCHOR 2: “But he’s even faced criticism when it comes to him being a conservationist, too. He’s in the past been accused of having an unsophisticated view of conservatism that’s closer to tourism than facing actual issues, and while those criticisms have subsided in recent years, his critics still persist that he does not full understand the complexities of conservation efforts in relation to Global Climate Disruption.”

CO-ANCHOR 1: “That is true. Back when we had him on this program in 2008, we asked him about overgrazing, salinity and erosion, and he commented, and I quote, ‘Cows have been on our land for so long that Australia has evolved to handle those big animals,’ end-quote.” [8]

CO-ANCHOR 2: “Hmm, and it’s comments like that coming back into public consciousness is probably why he’s been silent on this controversy since it started. He’s possibly trying to wait it out…”

– Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1/29/2016 broadcast



GRAMMER APPEALS TO THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT IN NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST SPEECH

…The National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event held at the Washington Hilton in Northwestia, Potomac, consists of a series of meetings, luncheons and dinners is a day-long forum for political, social, and business elites assembled for discussion and prayer…

The Washington Post, 2/2/2016



FINNISH GREENS HOLD ONTO POWER AS HAAVISTO WINS PRESIDENCY

...After finishing in second place in the first round of voting on 16 January, State Minister Pekka Haavisto (b. 1958) was elected President of Finland earlier tonight. A member of the Green party, Haavisto is a former member of Finnish Parliament and former Environment Secretary under President Puska; he won over Laura Huhtasaari in an election closely watched by the rest of Europe. Laura Huhtasaari (b. 1979), a 35-year-old parliament member and nationally famous conservative radio show host of the conservative Finns Party, had defeated early anti-Pekka favorite Alexander Stubb (b. 1968), former PM, of the National Party, to advance to the runoff election. Incumbent President Pekka Puska, with his popularity at an all-time high, was term-limited. Haavisto won the election by a margin of roughly 14% of the vote...

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 6/2/2016



WELLSTONE JOINS ROSS CAMPAIGN IN ADVISORY ROLE

J94DzbG.png


[pic: imgur.com/J94DzbG.png ]

Above: Wellstone at his Wellstone’12 re-election campaign headquarters in St. Paul, c. 2012

– The Duluth News Tribune, Minnesota newspaper, 2/11/2016



MODERATOR: “This next question is for all the candidates, and we will begin on the left side of the debate stage. Governor Moore, the first 100 days of a US Presidency is a major benchmark for success for modern Presidents/ What would the first 100 days of your Presidency look like?”

MOORE: “In my first 100 days, I would pass legislation to stop US corporations from using cheap labor in other countries to make themselves rich. Outsourcing and corrupt billionaires are killing this country by taking money from their fellow Americans to line their already-deep pockets. It is horrendous, it is immoral, and it should be illegal. …The justice department will not be lazing about under the Moore Presidency.”

[snip]

ROSS: “When it comes to cap and trade, we have to focus more on the cap and less on the trade. Moving around the emissions is like moving around broken glass instead of gathering it all up and carefully throwing it out. If you just leave it there, people are going to get hurt. We have to move on to a new and better way of making energy to run the planet. As President, I would start this off with the Globally Reducing Emissions to Empower Nature Deal, or the GREEN Deal, for short. We also must introduce a wide range of public works projects to eliminate poverty and unemployment. I’m talking about a wide range of public works projects like President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, but with an emphasis on renewable energy and environmental protection. A movement to improve our transportation, health, and communities. These would be the projects I would implement as President. I’d called them the ‘Empowering People to Improve their Communities’ Projects, or EPIC Projects, for short.”

[snip]

LOCKE: “I have overseen and supervised effective responses to KW2 refugees and subsequent race riots in Seattle, massive earthquakes, major floods and forest fires. I just try to be as even-keeled and calm as possible. After all, that works fine for Bob, here, doesn’t it?” [9]

[snip]

SESTAK: “I for one am very concerned by this current administration’s willingness to turn a blind eye to several countries so unstable that it should be troubling to more people. Tajikistan is in the throes of a militant dictatorship. The Ka-Ren people of Myanmar have been experiencing ethnic genocide for decades. Eritrea is a barely-functioning dictatorship no matter what the President says about it. Sierra Leone is a lawless wasteland, and Saudi Arabia is an oppressive anti-labor, anti-women country and we should be ashamed of our connections to them. As President, I would take a strong stance against these violators of human rights, with military forces if necessary…why are you booing? I’m speaking the truth here!”

[snip]

ROSS: “We have reach out to the people. As President, I would follow the diplomatic advice of Harland Sanders – it is the people, not the leaders, that are innocent, because leaders always influence people. But dictators go too far, they want their people to live in a bubble. But by exposing the benefits of democracy and freedom to the people, we can pop that bubble from the inside out.”

SESTAK: “Ma’am, can I comment on that?”

MODERATOR 1: “30 seconds, sir.”

SESTAK: “Bob, the only time in recent modern history that we truly popped a dictatorial bubble, as you call it, was almost exactly 20 years ago with KW2. Your idea of peacefully ending dictators cannot work.”

ROSS: “What about the Soviet Union? Didn’t it collapse not because of a nuclear war but because the Russian people came to realize that without democracy and liberty, they were getting a raw deal?”

SESTAK: “That was different, Bob. And it was a different time.”

[snip]

LOCKE: “China’s own recent history proves that when it opens itself, there is nothing its people cannot accomplish. A more open China will lead to a more prosperous and stable China. That’s good for China, the United States and, indeed, the entire world.” [9]

[snip]

ROSS: “I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I think I’m probably the most pacifist candidate on this stage tonight.”

[snip]

MOORE: “I differ from the other candidates up here by understanding the regulations cannot be applied to every single thing in existence. You can’t regulate child labor. You can’t regulate slavery. Some things are just wrong. Those things can’t be regulated because they must be eliminated!”

[snip]

ROSS: “I can’t think of anything more rewarding than being yourself to others through painting. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative; these things, to me, are truly the windows to your soul. It’s why I care so much about funding early education programs – so the next generation of children can have the ability to reach their true and full potential, and achieve the kind of possibilities that past generations could only write about in sci-fi and fantasy books.” [10]

[snip]

MOORE: “Since we’re on the subject of electability, let me just point out that unlike Bob here, who hasn’t won an election on his own since 1990, 26 years ago, and unlike Gary here, who comes from a safely Democratic state, I have repeatedly won elections in the increasingly Republican-leaning state of Michigan. In fact, I was one of the first 18-year-olds in the United States elected to public office, shortly after 18-year-olds got the right to vote under President Sanders. I ran for the Board of Education and I haven’t lost an election since.” [11]

[snip]

ROSS: “I have often said that talent is a pursued interest. Anything that you’re willing to practice, you can do. And I have practiced politicking for almost 28 years now.” [10]

[snip]

MOORE: “I made it so people who work in my state get paid parental leave. That’s not called capitalism, that’s called being a Christian and someone who believes in democracy and that everyone should get a fair slice of the pie.” [11]

[snip]

ROSS: “Anytime you learn you gain. So be bold. Be brave. Go out on a limb – that’s where the fruit is! That’s life. It’s interesting. It’s fun!” [10]

– snippets from the Democratic Primaries Presidential debate, 2/16/2016




Anchor ANDERSON COOPER: “So how negative do you think this campaign is going to get, when compared to past Presidential elections?”

Contributor JANIC FINE: “Oh, it certainly can get more vitriolic, but most of that would likely come from McAfee, as Grammer, Locke and especially Ross seem very reluctant to do any mudslinging. With that in mind, I don’t think we’re going to be seeing anything as bitter as the 2004 primaries. And, while we’re on the subject, McAfee’s current methods and tactics for attacking his former boss actually reminds me of when Republicans tried to tie Wellstone to ‘The Corg,’ short for the ‘Cooperative Organization’ a Maoist/Marxist-Leninist political group was briefly existed in Minneapolis and Sati Paul in the 1970s [12] back during the election cycle of 2007 and early 2008…”

– CBS News, roundtable discussion, 2/17/2016



Disapprove: 53%

Approve: 41%

Uncertain: 6%

– Aggregate approval rating for Australian PM Varvaris, 2/19/2016



“If I don’t win this primary season, I will cut off, cook, and eat my own left pinky toe and livestream it. Why? Because I can! Because in this country, you can, or at least you should be allowed to, do whatever you want to do with your own body.”

– John McAfee, 2/22/2016 rally



“…The federal government tonight announced that it will allow small drones owned and operated by individual citizens and private businesses to fly over streets at night, but not over private homes or residential property of any sort except when making a delivery to that property. The head of the F.A.A. says that this shift in federal policy is a significant step toward widespread commercial deliveries made with drones. The remotely-manned aerial vehicles, or objects or devices – whichever term you prefer, really – has been the source of security concerns for many private citizens worried of privacy violations. Furthermore, delivery labor unions oppose the widespread use of drones over employment concerns, while others have voiced worry over light pollution at night. These and air traffic concerns are the likely reasoning behind the new federal rules calling for drones to stay above roads only, as drones must obtain a certain altitude to no longer be considered above one’s home – a height that, at the moment, most drone models cannot fly up to.

Naturally, the F.A.A.’s new operation rules and requirements are being challenged by several governors and state governments who claim that airway regulation should stay at the state level, and that the F.A.A. cannot impose regulations on private businesses and individual activities, which the Lieutenant Governor of Colorado saying yesterday, quote, ‘If we do not stay vigilant, the F.A.A. will soon outlaw kite-flying,’ end-quote. The comments come after several members of the F.A.A. also suggested that remote pilots, also known as drone pilots or drone operators, should require licenses, even if drones are used for private use, much like a license for a car, a speedboat, or a forklift, in adherence to the principle of one requiring licensing to confirm that one can use complex and potentially-dangerous machinery...”

– CBS Evening News, 2/24/2016 broadcast



“Remember – You never stop to switch motorcycles when you’re in the middle of a bike race! And we’re in the middle of one hell of a bike race right now!”

– Vice President Harley Brown campaigning for Kelsey Grammer in Manchester, New Hampshire, 2/26/2016



CANDIDATES IN DISARRAY IN LAST-MINUTE SCRAMBLE TO WIN THE GRANITE STATE

…on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, candidates on both sides of the political party are filling up their schedules with more stump speeches, more photo-ops and more vidcall fundraising drives…

– 273towin.co.usa, 2/27/2016 e-alert



WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE 88TH ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY

…the Oscar for Best Picture went to Steven Spielberg’s The Pyongyang Diaries, a coming-of-age drama centered on a young girl from Seoul who moves with her family to The Former North in the immediate aftermath of the Second Korean War…

The Hollywood Reporter, 2/28/2016



“I still can’t believe American Overdrive 3 was snubbed by those snobs. It’s one of the greatest works of cinema ever put to film, but it didn’t get a single Oscar nomination. The system is rigged against action films, people! I tell you, it’s rigged!”

– real estate developer/filmmaker Donald Trump, 2/29/2016



MOORE WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE, MCAFEE OVERPERFORMS IN “SHOCKINGLY” NARROWLY LOSS!

…In the Republican column, President Grammer received 54% of the vote, with 35% going to McAfee, 5% to Gramm, 3% to local politician Mary Maxwell, 2% to an obscure candidate named Walter Iwachiw, and the remaining 1% to several other candidates.

“This is more a loss for Grammer than a win for McAfee,” says one political analyst. “For an incumbent President to get only 54% in the first-in-the-nation primary suggests a lack of unity in the party, at least in the libertarian wing of the party. I think Grammer needs to address that immediately, because Presidents who face serious primary challengers typically do not win re-election”…

The Boston Globe, 3/1/2019



GRAMMER GOES TO GEORGIA IN HAIL MARY EFFORT TO SAVE HIS CANDIDACY

…desperate to keep his job in the face of a formidable primary opponent, the White House today revealed that the President has gotten onto a tour bus and has headed on down to the Peace State ahead of the Georgia primary on March 8. …The President must be feeling the heat now – already, one anonymous member of the White House staff has claimed that Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary results have been “a wake-up call” to President Grammer…

The New York Post, 3/3/2019



“…We weren’t concerned about the loss in the Granite State because our focus was connecting to minority voters in Nevada, Georgia and Maryland. We knew that even if we won just one of those states, we could gather enough momentum going into April to make it through. We were getting endorsements from all over the Democratic establishment, from Walter Mondale to John Glenn, but we knew weren’t the same as actual votes…”

– freshman US Rep. Alessandra Rose Biaggi (D-NY), Deputy National Operations Director for the Locke’16 campaign, KNN interview, 5/4/2019



…Even as the President stumped across Georgia, he could not shake off the fear that the momentum was on the side of McAfee. Indeed, at least three post-NH ontech polls suggested that McAfee could actually win the Peach state by a 5% margin…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



VOhScZZ.png


[pic: imgur.com/VOhScZZ.png ]

– Bob Ross in a crowd of supporters in Atlanta, GA, 3/7/2016



…On March 8, Grammer proved those polls wrong by edging out McAfee by a 7% margin. Nevertheless, this margin marked the closest an incumbent President had come to losing a primary in nearly 30 years. The last time a President had faced such a serious challenge was in 1988, when Jack Kemp lost a bid for a term of his own, and, for an elected President, in 1964, when LBJ lost a few primaries to candidates Wayne Morse and John Patterson.

Bob Ross, meanwhile, narrowly edged out Locke and Moore in the state by highlighting his Floridian roots…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



SHIRLEY FRANKLIN DROPS WHITE HOUSE BID AFTER HOME STATE LOSS

The Washington Post, 3/9/2016



“…Minnesota Governor Alex Kozinski has been impeached by the state House for misuse of state funding to pay of business loans and to attempt to cover up improper sexual conduct claims…”

– Kennedy News Network, “Breaking News” segment, 3/10/2016 broadcast



BREAKING NEWS: Phil Gramm Has Ended His Long-Shot White House Bid

…the former US Congressperson received less than 5% of the vote in GOP primary held in Georgia on Tuesday…

– 273toWin.co.usa, 3/11/2016 “e-alert”



MCAFEE: “I think it’s really telling that, during these efforts to amend the process for electing the President, politicians in D.C. are backing Congressional District Allocation. It’s because they gerrymander the congressional districts, and both of the major parties are shamelessly guilty of gerrymandering.”

WILSON: “Yeah, I get that, and that’s why I back the Direct Popular Vote and Runoff proposal. It’s very easy to understand.”

MCAFEE: “Yes, but the two-round system could lead to more media attention placing emphasis on just the one election, the second round. That would again block out third-party candidates.”

WILSON: “Well isn’t that because the popular vote is not the only problem with the Electoral College.”

MCAFEE: “Yes, that’s why I back the Ranked Choice proposal that has the closest shot of actually getting passed. Because that venue for democracy has instant runoff, so you don’t have to have people vote more than once.”

– John McAfee and journalist Amy Wilson, TON interview, 3/12/2016



WELLSTONE EXITS HOSPITAL AFTER SURGERY FOR M.S.-RELATED LEG SWELLING

…in recent years, the former US President has occasionally been seen using a cane or other people’s shoulders in order to stand up or walk…

The Star Tribune, Minnesota newspaper, 3/13/2016



“Grammer hasn’t done enough to defend our recreadrug rights. Yes, he’s upheld Jesse Jackson’s decriminalizing of all recreadrugs at the federal level, but since taking office, the former Dr. Frazier Crane has just passively allowed the states to make up their own Mary Jane laws. Only 22 states have many recreational marijuana completely legal. I’m all for the tenth amendments and allowing the states to have the right and the freedom of self-determination, but not for policies that affect all the states like recreadrugs does.”

– John McAfee, rally in Las Vegas, NV, 3/14/2016



…While the March 15 Nevada contest was a decisive victory for Locke, with Ross coming in second place and Moore in a close third, Grammer secured a comfortable margin of victory over McAfee with a whopping 65%. Using his massive war chest to zigzag across the state had paid off – momentum was returning to the President’s campaign.

However, some in Grammer’s campaign still feared that their efforts to paint McAfee as a radical would be fruitless due to the former NASA Director embracing such comments. For example, McAfee proudly admitting to experimenting with hard drugs for decades, but saying he did so “smartly and responsibly,” appealed to young people tuning in the politics for the first time and being intrigued by his campaign themes of space exploration, drug legalization and the elimination of as much government red tape as possible.

Grammer was conservative-libertarian, but McAfee was even more libertarian, with a base of followers that was almost entirely Caucasian. As a result, Grammer, ironically, had to rely on an ad hoc coalition of social conservatives and minority conservatives to win in Nevada, and on that same coalition heading in April…

– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022



“All Aboard the Grammer Gravy Train!”

– comment on usarightnow.co.usa article on President Grammer’s rising re-election odds, 3/15/2016



BEN RAY LUJAN BOWS OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL BID

– The Carlsbad Current-Argus, New Mexico newspaper, 3/16/2016



REVIEW: SORKIN “CRUSHED” IN TONIGHT’S DEMOCRATIC DEBATE

…the writer-director flubbed on several questions concerning tax reform, attempting to give genetic comments and catchy one-liners only for the moderators to press him to actually answer the detail-oriented questions...

– usarightnow.co.usa, 3/17/2016



PRC CONDEMNS JAPAN’S PM FOR CALLING TAIWAN “ITS OWN COUNTRY” IN U.N. SPEECH

…Japan’s newest PM, the mononym-using Renho, is of Taiwanese descent on her father’s side, and has visited the island several times since becoming the leader of the opposition in 2013, and twice already since becoming PM in January. Renho [13] has lambasted her predecessors for not being “tough enough” on confronting the “increasingly oppressive” Chinese government on the world stage…

The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 3/18/2016



SESTAK DROPS 2016 BID, CITING LOW POLLING NUMBERS

– The Beaver County Times, side article, 3/19/2016



TWENTY YEARS LATER: One Generation After KW2, United Korea Has Moved On But Cannot Forget

…March 21 marked the 20-year anniversary of the official conclusion of the War of Reunification, and with it came a range of mixed emotions. Mostly ebullient reflections and celebrations of the reuniting of long-lost family members came concurrent with somber vigils honor the thousands killed on both sides of the conflict. Views of the demise of Kim Il-Sung reached a record-breaking number on OurVids.co.can, while veterans from both sides of the conflict, linked arm in arm, march proudly down city streets in the capital of Seoul and the redeveloped city of Pyongyang. SK veterans grin at their liberating off the North, while NK veterans grin at their de-brainwashing and ability to now live in a land that, while imperfect, is wildly superior to the life he once knew… The war ravaged the peninsula for less than three months but nevertheless resulting in life-changing ramifications for the Korean people…

– Time Magazine, 3/21/2016



PRIMARIES UPDATE: Locke, Grammer Sail To Victories In Maryland

…Locke has received a comfortable plurality, while President Grammer has won roughly 80% of the vote in the GOP contest…

– knn.co.usa, 3/22/2016



“…I favor legalizing most recreadrugs, but I also favor opening up more recreadrug addiction clinics. They go hand and hand, like more cars and more car repair shops and car service stations. But McAfee looks like he’s taken too many drugs and not enough visits to rehab clinics. Past employees have described him as erratic, maniacal, paranoid and sometimes delusional. If the Stardust Scandal had not broken out, President Grammer would have definitely fired him anyway, it just would have been a few weeks or months later than he did…”

– Former Gov. Kelley Ashby (R-NH), Grammer surrogate, 3/24/2016



“..If I’m so unstable, why did Grammer have just great things to say about me when he nominated me to head NASA? Doesn’t that suggest that Ol’ Kelsey has poor decision-making skills, that he put someone as allegedly crazy as me in charge of NASA? Are we sure that chick didn’t just endorse me?”

– John McAfee, 3/25/2016 rally



Black Woman Kicked Out Of McAfee Rally: “There’s So Many Racists In His Camp”

…her claims join others accusing the McAfee candidacy of attracting bigots, racists, sexists, and “dangerous radicals like perverts and sadists,” reported one former McAfee campaign worker...

– tumbleweed.co.usa/news, 3/28/2016 article



ROSS, GRAMMER WIN VERMONT PRIMARIES WITH EASE

The Boston Globe, 3/29/2016



LOCKE: “China’s history is marked by thousands of years of world-changing innovations: from the compass and gunpowder to acupuncture and the printing press. No one should be surprised that China has re-emerged as an economic superpower. I don’t blame Colonel Sanders for opening up to China, I blame the Chinese government for using unfair practices to oppress their own people and to try to hold the world economy hostage. Now, again, I am not appealing to the Chinese government when I say that we should try to promote people-to-people exchanges so that China and the United States can really join together, not just to solve the problems of China or the United States, but some of the big problems facing the entire world as well, from climate change to famine. I am saying that nobody will benefit from being unable to find a non-military way of resolving the issue regarding China’s increasingly discerning actions.” [14]

[snip]

MOORE: “Here’s what I don’t think works: an economic system that was founded in the 16th century and another that was founded in the 19th century. I’m tired of this discussion of capitalism and socialism; we live in the 21st century; we need an economic system that has democracy as its underpinnings and an ethical code.” [15]

ROSS: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend. I guess I’m a little weird. I like to talk to trees and animals. That’s okay though; I have more fun than most people!” [16]

[snip]

MODERATOR: “Governor Moore, in 1996, you said, and I quote, ‘I don’t support the troops being in Korea,’ unquote, and in 2007, you made similar comments about U.S. forces in the DRC. How can American voters be certain you will protect and defend the U.S. as President in light of decades of criticism of American foreign services, from the Libyan War to the US-led intervention in Sudan?”

MOORE: “I still stand by those misleading statement. I did not support the troops in Korea, I supported them coming home. I supported them being treated well.”

[snip]

ROSS: “I support vocational programs in grade schools coast-to-coast because of the fact that there’s nothing in the world that breeds success like success, especially success, any kind of success, that is achieved at an early age.” [16]

[snip]

ROSS: “If we’re going to have animals around, we all have to be concerned about them and take care of them.” [16]

[snip]

ROSS: “Yes, I would support another Freedom of Information Act, and I hope everybody on this stage, and everybody in the GOP would support such an act because that is a bipartisan issue. It is not a good sign if your government has more secrets than the hanger seen at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie.”

MODERATOR: “Governor Moore?”

MOORE: “I believe that when you provide information to people, they become less fearful and they will engage more in their democracy if they are empowered with information. So yes, of course I’d back another Freedom of Information Act.” [15]

[snip]

ROSS: “Ooh, if you have never been to Alaska, go there while it is still wild. My favorite uncle asked me if I wanted to go there, Uncle Sam. He said if you don't go, you're going to jail. That is how Uncle Sam asks you.” [17]

[snip]

LOCKE: “While I dislike with the Balanced Budget Amendment and the havoc that it continually brings about, I will concede that as it is the law of the land, it must be followed, and under a Locke administration, it will be. …The federal budget for the 2017 fiscal year would put more money aside for Social Security and infrastructure, as opposed to the Grammer administration, which keeps allotting federal funds to the military, to union-busting, to gathering foreign intel, and away from the national safety net that is Social Security.”

[snip]

ROSS: “From all of us here up on this debate stage tonight: God Bless, everybody.”

– snippets from the Democratic Primary Presidential debate, 3/30/2016



Ross – 34%

Locke – 29%

Moore – 21%

Sorkin – 5%

Simpson – 3%

All Others – 2%

Undecided – 6%

– Gallup poll for the 2016 Democratic Presidential nomination, published 4/2/2016



BELLAMY ENDORSES ROSS!: Praise Of VP Could Play A Decisive Role In The Upcoming Primaries

The Boston Globe, 4/3/2016



“If we want peace, why are we the most war-loving nation on the planet? Because instead of industries making weapons for war, we are making war for the weapon-making industry. If we have to build things and sell things to keep the capitalist system healthy, we have to build healthy things. …We need to direct our creative talents away from destructive industries towards constructive industries that benefit all, like medical research, and the space race. …If we build a permanent base on Mars, we won’t have the money to kill people overseas!”

– John McAfee, 4/4/2016 rally



...The first April Tuesday “Cluster” of primaries hosted a whopping ten contests on each side of the political aisle. Often proving vital for campaigns, this year’s First Cluster was no exception. On the Republican side, the closest McAfee got to a victory was in Arkansas, where he received 40% of the vote. For this sweep, Grammer later credited the surrogate campaigning of Vice President Brown, who helped convince socially conservative and religious voters to turn out for Grammer in droves, as McAfee made Grammer’s more libertarian views look downright hard-c conservative by comparison!

For the Democrats, election night was more complicated. Governor Moore won South Carolina, Alabama and Virginia with his populist rhetoric, while Gary Locke won Potomac over Senator Sharon Sayles-Belton, but only came in second place in most of the other contests of the night. Lisa J. Simpson’s campaign won Massachusetts, while Sayles-Belton secured her home state of Minnesota. This left Ross with victories in Arkansas, Iowa, Colorado, and Oklahoma…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



MCAFEE ACCUSED OF RAPE!

…the former NASA intern claims she was stalked, roofied and raped in 1979 by a man, wearing a custom-made boar mask, who had the same shape and build of McAfee. She says she now recognizes McAfee as the man who attacked her after that same mask allegedly appeared in the background of a VidCall interview McAfee held in his home in Memphis, Tennessee...

The New York Times, 4/8/2016



MCAFEE DENIES RAPE ALLEGATION, CLAIMS ACCUSSER IS EITHER “MISTAKEN” OR “A LIAR”

– The Chicago Tribune, 4/9/2016



“We are taking this claim very seriously and hope that McAfee complies with the investigation into this allegation.”

– Chief of Police for Memphis, Tennessee, 4/10/2016



“…The objective – the ultimate goal of the Ark Waves – was to make it so whenever an allegation of sexual pestering, sexual assault, or rape, is made, it makes the headlines and leads to consequences for the assailant every time. The rate of sexual pestering reports making it to the front pages has slowly dropped since the 1990s, either because such things are not tolerated like they were before the Ark Waves or because of something more nefarious in nature. But the fact remains that whenever someone is accused, nowadays, they are expected to resign, or withdraw from whatever it is they are doing, and most always do. Now McAfee wants to defy this social progress by staying in this race, but guess what? If he is guilty, it will not end well for him either way. If he is guilty, and I believe the ex-intern who says he is guilty, then he will be facing serious consequences…”

– Prof. Janice Fine, a prominent member of the Second Ark Wave, NBC interview, 4/11/2016



…In tonight’s presidential primaries, the Democratic Party saw Senator Gary Locke gather momentum by sweeping the contests held in American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands, with former Vice President Bob Ross winning his home state of Alaska. Concurrently tonight, Republicans held Presidential primaries in those same states; President Grammer has been declared the winner of all five of them…

– CBS Evening News, 4/12/2016 broadcast



KOZINSKI FOUND GUILTY OF FUNDS MISUSE IN SENATE TRIAL; Lt. Gov. Michelle Bachmann Ascends to Governor’s Seat

– The St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota newspaper, 4/14/2016



50% OFF PRESIDENTIAL CANDY CIGARETTES – Vintage But Still Good!

Price: $22.99 or Best Offer

Condition: Mint, Like-New

Seller: Ms.WondersheilaSupreme137

These Candy Cigars/Cigarettes replaced the real cigars offers to guests on board Air Force One in 1976 by President Walter Mondale to discourage smoking (and promote his re-election campaign at the same time).

Q6CESfn.png


[pic: imgur.com/Q6CESfn.png ]

These treats were in turn replaced by Jolly Ranchers under President Kemp in 1988, but due to passengers wanting something chewable (and after President Bellamy expressed concern about the off-chance of a hard candy becoming lodged in someone’s throat during turbulence), those were replaced in 1989 by bags of dried fruit and trail mix, with President Jesse Jackson adding potato chips and skittles to the cupboards on board as well.

> Comment 1:

Do you have any more of those misprinted Doozybot action figures from the early 90s? I tried to get one from you before but I think you sold out. PrivTalk me please.

> Comment 2:

How are they packaged, bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts?

> Comment 3:

Will I get into trouble if I bring some of those to school?

– globalgaragesale.co.usa, ontech shopping site, 4/15/2016 listing



LOCKEMENTUM: Gary Locke Rising In Polls As Critics Attack Ross’s “Dangerous Pacifism”

– The New York Times, 4/16/2016



…On April 19, Locke won the primary contests held in Puerto Rico and Oregon, along with the contest for the “Democrats Abroad” delegation slate. That same night, Ross secured a majority of delegates in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Kentucky, while Moore won Louisiana via a plurality. Senator Sharon Sayles-Belton withdrew from the race and endorsed Locke the next day…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



GRAMMER CLINCHES THE G.O.P. NOMINATION

…With challenger John McAfee losing momentum after failing to win a single primary, the latest batch of winner-take-all contests has edged the President over the minimum number of delegates needed to win the GOP nomination at this summer’s RNC outright…

The Washington Post, 4/19/2016



…When McAfee was locked out of winning the nomination by RNC delegates, many technetters were quick to remind him of his “promise” to eat his own pinky toe on a live technet stream. McAfee responded by refusing to acknowledge the primary losses, suggesting voter fraud, and claiming he would challenge Grammer at that summer’s Republican National Convention…

– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022



LOCKE KEEPS UP MOMENTUM IN SWEEP OF TONIGHT’S PRIMARY CLUSTER

…While Moore predictably secured his home state of Michigan, Ross’s only victory of the night was in his birth state of Florida. Locke won the remaining three state contest of the night, adding Texas, Maine, and Pennsylvania to his accumulated delegate count…

Meanwhile, on the Republican side of the night, Kelsey Grammer once again secured victory in all of the GOP primary contests, with challenger John McAfee’s best performance being in Florida, where the former Director of NASA received 21.7% of the vote…

The Boston Globe, 4/26/2016



Bob’s surprise loss of the delegate-rich state of Texas shifted the momentum of the race back to Locke. In fact, Bob was so certain that Locke was now a shoo-in for the nomination that he told his inner circle that he was considering withdrawing from the race.

“I don’t want to divide the party,” he reportedly said bluntly. “I think we’ll just be burning up money if we keep going.”

However, Ross’s inner circles of advisors convinced him to stay in the race until at the May 3 primaries, arguing that it would be unfair to the voters in the upcoming primaries to withdraw so close to the election date…

– Julie Martinez’s Bob’s World: Stories of The Happy Painter, Sunrise Books, 2021



MOORE BOWS OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL RACE

…in his concession speech, Moore made no endorsement, instead claiming that both Locke and Ross are too “establishment-friendly” and that he will endorse whoever is “for the people.”

However, but in the past, Moore has praised former Vice President Ross. “He may be very bitter right now,” argues political analyst Bob Beckel. “His campaign’s depleted funds had him running on empty at the end. Last week’s victory in Michigan was more due to his home state popularity than resurgence in general interest in his candidacy.”

Indeed, it seems that Moore’s victory in Michigan on the 26th was not reflective of his campaign’s deflating polling and fundraising numbers on the national level. Despite Moore’s best efforts, his overall poor debating style, and public arguments with US Senator Hanson Clarke (D-MI) over who was responsible for Michigan’s post-recession recovery efforts, bogged down his campaign...

The Chicago Tribune, 4/27/2016



ROSS: “My first act as President would be to cancel all the current student debt out there. All the colleges, all of it. Then I would focus on building up education at the grade school level, starting with vocational programs and improving the salary and working conditions of teachers. Vocational education is very personal to me because I worked as a carpenter before I joined the military, and I lost my one half a finger because I wasn’t careful. We need to teach our children the skills they want and the skills they need, and they need to get that education in a safe and supportive educational environment. When you have 30 or 40 students in one class, it’s too chaotic. Not everyone gets the help they need. We need to cut down classroom sizes by hiring more teachers, and paying teachers much more than they get paid right now. Vouchers aren’t enough. Our children deserve the best. We need to stop tying school districts to parental income. We need to get all children to have the same kind of education – high-quality education.”

LOCKE: “As President, I would expand student vouchers for private schools and colleges, significantly reduce the rate ceiling on student loans, significantly improve the quality found in public schools, which under this administration are abandoning the poor and growing the class divisions by punishing certain children just for being born into poor families! That is not right in the slightest, it is abhorrent, it has to end, and it will end under a Locke administration.”

– Education-themed Town Hall-style Democratic primary debate, Springfield, IL, 4/30/2016



LOCKE INCREASES DELEGATE TOTAL WITH LATEST PRIMARY CLUSTER

…In tonight’s Democratic primary contests, Ross won Tennessee, while Locke won Illinois and Missouri... Also tonight, on the Republican side of the political aisle, McAfee received 28% in his home state of Tennessee and less than 10% in Illinois and Michigan n another round of easy wins for incumbent President Grammer…

The Columbus Dispatch, 5/3/2016



“I WON’T WANT TO FIGHT A FRIEND”: Ross Quits Race, Endorses Locke

…Ross said, “I’ve known Gary for many years now. We’ve worked on many legislative ideas, many programs and many proposals over the years, especially when I was Vice President for fours, one of the greatest honors of my lifetime.” After describing Locke’s candidacy as “historic and welcoming,” Ross concluded, “Gary Locke is a good man, and good family man, someone I’m happy to call my friend, and someone I’m happy to endorse”...

The Washington Post, 5/4/2016



…The only other candidates left in the race were Aaron Sorkin and Gary Larson, both of whom were still there seemingly for the publicity. For Larson, it was to simply prime the attention pump ahead of releasing a new collection of Far Side comics in March 2017. For Sorkin, it had been a vanity, which was now losing its credibility in the debates, where he came off as an out-of-touch idealist so caught up in own TV shows of yesteryear that he seemed oblivious to the complexities behind governing and passing laws in real life. However, Ross supporters nevertheless accused both of these two remaining candidates of siphoning votes away from the former VP...

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



“…The Prime Ministers of Greece and Bulgaria today signed a major bilateral trade and defense treaty. Talks on strengthening ties between the nations – whose governments have had a mutually icy relationship ever since the 1971 Coup Plot damaged Bulgarian-Greek and Bulgarian-Turkish relations – began shortly after the overthrown of Bulgaria’s short-lived junta led by Volen Siderov, with the reinstated Bulgarian government blaming all the trouble in their capital on militants whom capitalized on the Bulgarian middle-class angry at declining life quality conditions in urban clusters across the Balkan country. The Prime Ministers of both nations are now vowing to promote collaborative trade enterprises, with the Prime Minister of Greece noting, quote, ‘bickering makes for many minds full of hatred and very few stomachs full of food,’ unquote…”

– BBC World News, 5/9/2016 broadcast



“...And finally, in political news, the states of North Carolina, Ohio, Arizona, Indiana and West Virginia all held Presidential primaries tonight for both the Democratic and Republican primaries, with presumptive nominees Gary Locke and Kelsey Grammer winning all of them against very minor opposition from lingering candidates such as Aaron Sorkin on the Democratic side and somebody named Walter Iwachiw on the GOP side…”

– Kennedy News Network, 5/10/2016 broadcast



“…With the Presidential primaries essentially over for both of the major parties, with President Grammer already clinching the GOP nomination and Senator Gary Locke just a dozen delegates away from having done the same in the Democratic primaries, the Grammer and Locke campaigns are shifting focus to the general election in November…”

– CBS Evening News, 5/12/2016 broadcast



SOCIAL DEMOCRATS RETAKE POWER IN BELARUS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

…With incumbent President Sergei Gaidukevich of the Liberal Democratic party being constitutionally term-limited, the race to succeed him was wide open, but from start to finish, the favorite to win was Alyaksandr Kazulin (b. 1955), a longtime Social Democratic politician who began his career as a peace activist in the closing years of the Soviet era, even being imprisoned from 1981 to 1984 for peacefully protesting in Minsk. In tonight’s election, Kazulin easily defeated two major challengers, Independent businessperson Mikola Statkevich, and Tatsiana Karatkevich of the Transparency party, along with several minor candidates…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, side article, 15/5/2016



…The May 17 primaries were largely uneventful. In Idaho, about 10% of the voters wrote in the VPs name, pushing the descending McAfee to third place, while the President won Utah and Hawaii unopposed. On the Democratic side, Larson and Sorkin were again non-entities, while the Ross campaign posthumously won the Hawaiian primary in a major upset…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



…global-averaged temperatures in 2015 were 1.72 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the mid-20th century mean …and the year’s temperatures continued a long-term warming trend, according to analyses by top climate scientists at the Goddard Institute in New York… [18]

– climate.nasa.gov/news, 5/18/2016 article




PM REHNO REVERSES FOREIGN WORKER LAW

…PM Renho has successfully implemented a wider visa program for unskilled foreign workers that critics in the Diet claim will “open the floodgates” a lead to a rise in unemployment. …Renho is also focusing on reversing her predecessor’s deregulating of regional banks but not his lowering of lar phone charges, along with “digital transformation” and reforming supply-chain regulations harmful to small businesses…

– The Kyodo News Plus, 5/19/2016



GRAMMER DENIES CLAIMS HE IS MULLING DROPPING BROWN FROM THE TICKET

…the President claimed, “Harley has proven himself to be a very valuable team player”…

The Idaho Press-Tribune, 5/20/2016



“Grammer/Brown – The Winning Team”

"Kelsey and Harley – The Winning Team"

“Tried And True”

– unofficial Grammer’16 slogans, c. May 2016



“A New Start”

“Gary for Glory, Greatness, and Greenery”

– unofficial Locke’16 slogans, c. May 2016



MISSISSIPPIANS VOTE FOR FORMER CANDIDATE BOB ROSS IN LATEST PRIMARY CLUSTER

…Tonight’s Democratic primaries saw Locke come in first place in Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Rhode Island, but not in Mississippi, where locals tonight voted for Bob Ross – who withdrew his bid weeks ago – by a 2% margin. This marks the former VP’s second post-withdrawal primary victory…

The Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi newspaper, 5/24/2016



“The President will see you now,” I said to the freshman N.A.M. as I pressed the button opening the doors to the Presidential Inner Office.

“Um, thank you, ma’am.” As he entered the room, the political neophyte gulped, “Um, Mr. President? Uh, it’s an honor to meet with you.” The man approached the new Presidential desk in the center of the room. It was a large piece of furniture fashioned entirely out of Siberian timber, but contained a sleek, modern design – four flat sides void of any detail work or patterns. It matched the rest of the room – minimalist, bare-walled, almost cold to the eye. A rather fitting workroom for Vladimir Nikolayev.

Watching through the doorway from my desk seat, I could see that Roman Starovoit, age 44, a National Assembly Member still in his first term, was nervous, but was unwilling to let it dictate his actions. Not knowing what to do, he approached the wall-facing armchair from which he was certain the voice originated. “Sir?” Pushing the chair an inch, it swiveled enough for him to realize it was empty.

“Roman!” his name came from right behind him.

Starovoit made a flinch-like jolt and turned around to see the President of Russia standing less than two feet behind him. He must have wondered where in the room he had come from, for he looked curious and confused as well as startled.

“Sit down, Roman,” said Nikolayev as he made his way over to his armchair, sat down, and watched as his appointee took his place across from him.

“Mr. President, I was told you wanted to see me in this office ahead of the vote next week.”

Nikolayev looked at him. His searing light blue eyes seemed to gaze right into his soul. “Yes,” the leader of Russia answered. “I have to make sure everything is working out fine for you here. I want all the NAMs to feel comfortable working under my Presidency.”

“Um, everything’s alright, Mr. President.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Roman. You see, a little birdie told me that you are planning on voting in favor of a new bill to establish tighter regulations for the timber industry. Now, that’s a bit problematic, Roman.”

“Um, how so, sir. I’ve read the bill. It will crack down on wage theft and –”

“It will crack down on free enterprise!” He snapped. “That bill is nothing but bourgeois garbage meant to prohibit businesses from doing what needs to be done to grow their companies.”

“It-it protect workers.”

“It stifles growth, Roman! I will not tolerate such dictatorial legislation. Not during my administration!” Calming down a bit, the President flashed a smile and stood up. Walking over to a panel, a slight push popped out a handle, which, when turned, opened a small door containing old-fashioned glass cups and a selection of parlor drinks. “Care for anything?”

“Um, Vodka?”

“Don’t be so stereotypical, Roman. Have a shot of whiskey. Canadian. Very good stuff.” Nikolayev handed him a pour glasses, and with a clink, took a sip from his own before sitting on the edge of his desk and continuing. “You know, I have many friends in the timber industry. And many friends who are friends of the timber industry. And I know for a fact that in the timber industry, I worker can choose to leave anytime he wants to. Nobody forces a worker to work. If someone doesn’t want to work for minimum wage or less, what is stopping them from taking their skills elsewhere.”

With either stupidity or naivete, Starovoit answered, “The lack of any other jobs in town, blackmail, threats, and if the workers are immigrants, the threat of arrest or deportation. This bill would tighten their hiring and worker treatment policies and –”

“And create a police state, you idiot!” The President bellowed, prompting Starovoit to stumble out of his chair. “Oh,” Nikolayev switched back to his calm voice, “My apologies, let me help you up.” With his drink still in his hand, the President picked up the NAM by his arm but did not let go until after saying. “Listen, Roman, you are the deciding vote on that committee. If that bill passes, a lot of people connected to Russian timber will be very upset, and after meeting with me, they’ll be very upset with you. That is, unless you do the right thing here. And if you do, you can have any committee chair you want. How about that?”

“Y-you don’t have to be so rough on me, sir.”

“Heh. I didn’t build up the biggest seafood, meat processing and timber firms in Siberia by being a nice guy, Roman.”

Starovoit was either brave or foolish I picking that moment to stand up for himself. “You are not a businessman anymore, sir. The people of Russia will not tolerate a President who makes threats. The people didn’t elect that. The people –”

“The people elected me!” Nikolayev smashed his glass onto the hardwood floor with a crash that sent the remaining sips of whisky and multiple glass pieces flying about. The President lunged over to the National Assembly Member, grabbed the front of his shirt, and slammed him up against the wall. The President then held out his letter opener and lifted it right up to between their faces. Switching to a quieter, almost guttural voice, Nikolayev stared down Starovoit, a member of his own political party, and concluded, “They elected me. Get that through your head before this goes through your head. And get that bill killed in committee, Roman. Your country needs you to.”

He released his grip on the NAM, who hesitantly inched away before hurriedly scurrying over to the door.

Holding up the letter opener like a fencing instructor holds up his sword, the President ordered one last time, “Remember – that if the bill fails, you can expect the committee chair of your choice. But if you f#@k up this bill vote, I’ll want to see you in this office again.” He then motioned to the door, allowing Mr. Starovoit, scared for his life, to finally leave the room.

He did so with the speed of a marathon winner, stopping only when he saw the door had fully closed behind him. Then he stood at my desk, and muttered “The rumors are true. He is in bed with the mafia, isn’t he?” before walking away with a face paler than snow. I’m not sure if he had said the comment to himself or if he had asked it to me, but I would not have answered him if he had pressed me on it. I feared the repercussions of telling him any of what little I actually knew about my employer at the time.

– Marina Lebedev’s tell-all memoir My Time In The Nation of Nikolayev, Perspective Publishers, 2022



UK RAISES TARIFF ON US BEEF AFTER HITTING IMPORT LIMIT

…the UK’s import limit for American beef was reached early this month, and as a result, PM Ed Balls has agreed to raise their national tariff by roughy 10% in exchange for more of his signature policies to be passed by parliament…

Associated Press, 5/28/2016



LOCKE, GRAMMER WIN NY, CT, DE PRIMARIES ESSENTIALLY UNOPPOSED

– 273towin, 5/31/2016 news “e-alert”



“…In a surprising turn of events, the Russian National Assembly has narrowly rejected a timber regulation law…”

– BBC World News, 2/6/2016 broadcast



“…This year’s Presidential primary season at last came to a close tonight, with the five states of North Dakota, California, Montana, New Jersey, and New Mexico all voting for President Grammer and Senator Locke, the nominees-in-waiting of the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively…”

– CBS Evening News, 6/7/2016 broadcast



witetO1.png


[pic: imgur.com/witetO1.png ]

[snip]

Gary Locke – 15,150,923 (44.9%) – 2,848 delegates – 33 contests

Bob Ross – 7,187,409 (21.3%) – 1,624 delegates – 15 contests

Michael Moore – 3,306,884 (9.8%) – 145 delegates – 6 contests

Lisa J. Simpson – 1,653,442 (4.9%) – 75 delegates – 1 contest

Sharon Sayles-Belton – 1,518,467 (4.5%) – 51 delegates – 1 contest

Aaron Sorkin – 2,058,365 (6.1%) – 16 delegates – 0 contests

Gary Larson – 742,362 (2.2%) – 4 delegates – 0 contests

Marcy Kaptur – 641,132 (1.9%) – 1 delegate – 0 contests

Shirley Franklin – 371,181 (1.1%) – 1 delegate – 0 contests

Joe Sestak – 303,693 (0.9%) – 0 delegates – 0 contests

J. P. Sarbanes – 269,950 (0.8%) – 0 delegates – 0 contests

Ben Ray Lujan – 168,719 (0.5%) – 0 delegates – 0 contests

Harvey Gantt – 134,975 (0.4%) – 0 delegates – 0 contests

All others – 236,206 (0.7%) – 0 delegates – 0 contests

Total: 33,833,706 (100%)

– clickopedia.co.usa [19]



…The Democratic primaries had not unfolded as initially expected. Prior to 2015, most pundits were certain that Ross would enter the race and win the nomination with ease. Instead, he jumped in at the last minute, at a time when Senator Gary Locke was already reaching out to donors and voters, and then withdrew in May, paving the path for Gary Locke to become the Democratic party’s first Asian-American presidential nominee…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



XoWRayx.png


[pic: imgur.com/XoWRayx.png ]

Grammer – 20,059,755 (87.7%) – 2,524 delegates

McAfee – 2,104,329 (9.2%) – 27 delegates

Gramm – 297,350 (1.3%) – 0 delegates

Iwachiw – 114,366 (0.5%) – 0 delegates

Maxwell – 45,747 (0.2%) – 0 delegates

Jones – 22,963 (0.1%) – 0 delegates

All others – 228,641 (1.0%) – 0 delegates

Total – 22,873,152 (100%) – 0 delegates

– clickopedia.co.usa



PETERSON, “I’m a professional, ma’am. I started out as a corporate lawyer and became the youngest partner at my law firm before launching one of my own. I have handled so many high-profile cases from across Canada for decades now, and I am not kidding when I say that I will prove that my client, Mr. Darrel Stinson, had every right to evict the Patel family, and that their race had nothing at all to do with it.”

REPORTER: “Mr. Peterson, have you, by any chance, ever read The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell?”

PETERSON: “No. [20] I read books on law, ma’am.”

REPORTER: “You could learn a thing or two from it, is all.”

PETERSON: “And you could learn how to ask more professional questions.”

– exchange between controversial Canadian corporate lawyer Jordan Peterson and a Toronto Star reporter, 6/22/2016 [21]



Host KRYSTAL BALL: “We now welcome Cris Ericson onto the program for this evening. Ericson is a political activist and documentary filmmaker who is insisting that her latest project is not biased like many are claiming it is. Ericson, welcome to the show.”

ERCISON: “Thank you having me on.”

BALL: “So tell us a little about this latest controversial documentary of yours, which I believe is called ‘Feathers and Blood: The Myth of Colonel Sanders,’ if that is correct.”

ERICSON: “Yeah, that’s right. It’s the story of how a crude hillbilly who couldn’t hold down a job cheated his way into the Presidency.”

BALL: “And this is not a biased documentary?”

ERICSON: “Of course not! I interviewed people who had good things to say about Harland Sanders – I refuse to call him Colonel Sanders because he was not a real Colonel – and so I covered both sides of the argument. Thus, the film is unbiased.”

BALL: “Technically, but critics are claiming you speak negatively of The Co-uh, of Mr. Sanders, and challenge his supporters in every interview.”

ERICSON: “That’s what an investigator or journalist or reporter does, they challenge their subject to learn about them and get them to defend their views.”

BALL: “I see. Now, you said that, uh, President Sanders cheated his way into the White House. How did he do that?”

ERICSON: “I believe he is the one who began the ‘Draft Sanders’ campaign at the 1964 Republican National Convention. It was a contested convention because no candidate won a majority of delegates, but Barry Goldwater held a plurality. The nomination was rightfully his, only for some fake Colonel to conveniently swoop in a take it from him.”

BALL: “And how does your documentary prove this?”

ERICSON: “I interviewed dozens of people who knew people who attended the RNC or voted in the early primaries and none of them could tell me how the Draft Colonel movement started.”

BALL: “Because it was a grassroots movement that grew organically out of the national prominence of KFC at the C-of Harland Sanders being a nationally visible Republican figure.”

ERICSON: “Exactly! That is all too convenient!”

BALL: “Really? Huh! I thought it was the result of the RNC needing a compromise candidate who was willing to go up against a war-time President.”

ERICSON: “Everyone thinks that is the case, but nope!”

– TumblweedTV interview, 2/26/2016 broadcast



LIST OF DNC VENUES SINCE {1960}

1960: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California (Johnson/Humphrey nominated)

1964: Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey (Johnson/Humphrey re-nominated)

1968: International Amphitheater, Chicago, Illinois (Kennedy/Sawyer nominated)

1972: Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida (Mondale/Gravel nominated)

1976: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York (Mondale/Gravel re-nominated)

1980: The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia (Jackson/Butcher nominated)

1984: The Forum, Inglewood, California (Gravel/Jones nominated)

1988: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York (Bellamy/Litton nominated)

1992: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio (Bellamy/Litton re-nominated)

1996: United Center, Chicago, Illinois (Glenn/Green nominated)

2000: Richmond Convention Hall, Richmond, Virginia (Jackson/Wellstone nominated)

2004: Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas (Jackson/Wellstone re-nominated)

2008: Hosea Williams Memorial Convention Hall, Atlanta, Georgia (Wellstone/Ross nominated)

2012: Kwame Kilpatrick Memorial Sports Arena, Detroit, Michigan (Wellstone/Ross re-nominated)

2016: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona (Locke/TBD to be nominated)

LIST OF RNC VENUES SINCE {1960}

1960: International Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois (Nixon/Judd nominated)

1964: Cow Palace, Daly City, California (Sanders/Scranton nominated)

1968: Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida (Sanders/Scranton re-nominated)

1972: Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri (Scranton/Stepovich nominated)

1976: Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Reagan/Westmoreland nominated)

1980: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan (Denton/Alexander nominated)

1984: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York (Denton/Alexander re-nominated)

1988: Centennial Park & Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Reagan/Lugar nominated)

1992: The Astrodome, Houston, Texas (Iacocca/Dinger nominated)

1996: Harland Sanders Convention Center, Louisville, Kentucky (Dinger/Meredith nominated)

2000: Vikings Megadome, St. Paul, Minnesota (Dinger/Meredith re-nominated)

2004: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada (Goetz/Bargewell nominated)

2008: Alamo Megastadium, San Antonio, Texas (Snowe/Johnson nominated)

2012: Lee Iacocca Memorial Convention Center, St. Louis, Missouri (Grammer/Brown nominated)

2016: Colonel Sanders Lexington University Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky (Grammer/Brown re-nominated)

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa, c. 2016



RNC UPDATE: GRAMMER/BROWN RENOMINATED

…Tonight, during the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention here in Louisville, the GOP Grammer/Brown ticket was formally renominated. A possible movement to draft McAfee for the nomination did not unfold, nor did an effort to remove Brown from the VP spot, given his popularity among the conservative bases of the party. …The DNC will be held next month; Senator US Gary Locke expected to announce his selection for running mate either at the convention or shortly beforehand…

The Louisville Courier, 6/28/2016



…Tellingly, McAfee lost more supporters over refusing to eat his pinky toe, as “promised,” than over the rape accusation. By the end of June, the calls ontech for McAfee to mount a third-party bid for President had subsided considerably as well…

– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022



“We’ve wasted too much time already. We should have at least finalized the shortlist by now,” grumbled his Campaign Manager.

“We still have time,” Locke assured her, “We’ll pick a running mate soon enough.”

She reviewed the criteria one more time. “Someone from east of the Rockies who can appeal to progressives and can perform very well against Harley Davidson Brown. Getting along well with the administration, too. We can’t consider Moore because he’s too much of an attention hog.”

“And he burned several bridges too many in those debates,” Locke reminded her.

“Maybe we should pick a white person, maybe a white woman, because a ticket of two non-whites may scare off suburban voters.”

Locke nodded, “I suppose that makes the most sense.”

“Too bad Charlotte Pritt’s not available,” chimed in Kim, now the head of the VP vetting process, who was having trouble of her own in her efforts to find a suitable candidate. “She’s running for re-election.”

“How about Burwell, she’s like a discount Pritt,” replied the Campaign Manager.

“Maybe,” Kim answered. “There’s also US Rep. Roberta Achtenberg of California, age 66 – the Mayor of San Francisco from 2000 to 2008 and a member of Congress since 2009. She’s got deep pockets and is openly gay.”

The Campaign Manager shook her head, “She’s basically an unknown and she couldn’t really contribute much to the ticket, would she? There is a more visible option in Congresswoman Alexandra Lugaro, though. She just turned 35, so she’s eligible, and as a major ‘progressive darling’ or whatever they’re calling her, to could unite the party and bring in younger voters. Plus, ‘Locke/Lugaro’ has a nice ring to it.”

“Yes,” Locke replied, “But she’s too young and inexperienced. Like you said, she just turned 35.”

“Alright,” Kim offered another candidate, “Then how about Denise Juneau? She’s progressive and she’s gay; that’s very intersectional!”

“But too regionally close,” the Campaign Manager dismissed the suggestion. “Picking her would give up the South, the Rust Belt, the Hispanic South, and much of the Suburbs.”

“Janet Napolitano, the Head of West Point, in Virginia?” Kim asked.

“She’s an unknown,” answered the Campaign Manager.

“I’ll say,” added Locke, “I was about to say ‘who?’ before you described her bio.” The presumptive nominee for President sighed. “I’m not sure if we should pick someone connected to the Jackson and Wellstone administrations, seems the people want to move on from those hectic days.” Locke then made the same claim he had made behind closed doors before: that Republican obstructionism in the 110th and 112th Congresses was due to the inability too many progressive Democrats to compromise.

With Mayor Jimmy McMillan declining interested alongside Lisa J. Simpson of Washington, J. P. Sarbanes of Maryland, and several others, Kim was correct, if not a bit obvious, when she then observed, “Picking the right running mate is quite the conundrum this time around.” [22]

– Anna Garcia-Franklin’s Decision 2016: Grammer vs. Locke, Barnes & Noble, 2017




NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)

[1] This quote is from OTL, and it can be found here: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes

[2] Most passages here were pulled from this article: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2045871/israeli-firm-in-gaza-extracts-drinking-water-from-air

[3] An OTL statement!: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-curb-immigration-stop-populists-trump-brexit

[4] All italicized bits are from OTL!: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...ampaign/28324db0-44ca-47cb-980f-c6072cb9087c/

[5] OTL Bob Ross quote! https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/102372.Bob_Ross

[6] Thank you @Kennedy Forever for helping me with this paragraph

[7] All of the italicized pieces of all of these passages were pulled from this OTL article: https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/crikey-praise-for-pm-puts-you-in-a-snake-pit-20031109-gdhqvg.html

[8] This is an OTL quote, found on his wikipedia page!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin#Controversies

[9] The italicized part(s) of this passage found here: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes

[10] The italicized part(s) of this passage found here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/102372.Bob_Ross

[11] The italicized part(s) of this passage found here: https://www.inspiringquotes.us/author/5250-michael-moore

[12] This was an OTL thing!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_O_(political_group)

[13] Japans’ 2nd female PM ITTL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renhō

[14] The italicized part(s) of this passage found here: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes

[15] The italicized part(s) of this passage found here: https://www.inspiringquotes.us/author/5250-michael-moore

[16] The italicized part(s) of this passage found here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/102372.Bob_Ross

[17] This Bob Ross quote is from here: http://www.bobrossquotes.com/quotes.shtml

[18] It was 1.78 degrees Fahrenheit for 2016 in OTL, according to: https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2537/nasa-noaa-data-show-2016-warmest-year-on-record-globally/#:~:text=Globally-averaged temperatures in 2016,the mid-20th century mean.&text=The 2016 temperatures continue a,(GISS) in New York. Which means that here, earlier and more effective efforts to curb climate change has already lead to a difference from OTL of about .06 degrees Fahrenheit!

[19] Based on the results of the last chapter’s Democratic primaries poll, as they were on Sunday evening, E.S.T.

[20] Peterson’s political views were shaped by him reading this book while studying to be a corporate lawyer during his time in college, which began in 1979, roughly 47 years after this TL’s POD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Peterson#Education

[21] Also @Kennedy Forever: Candace Owens was born in 1989 IOTL, so wouldn’t the odds be heavily against her being born in TL with a POD of 1932?



[22] Speaking of which, I made a poll concerning who Locke should pick to be his running mate: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3526659x7d794022-106

And here’s a breakdown of the 20 candidates on said poll (results should appear on the next “page” after you click the “vote” button):

Gov. Hector Luis Acevedo of Puerto Rico, age 69 – A left-leaning centrist exiting office in 2017 after two successful terms, the former Mayor of San Juan has backed expanding education access and electoral reform throughout his lengthy lifelong political career; his selection could win over Hispanic voters.

US Rep. Roy E. Barnes of Georgia, age 68 – In office since 2005, Barnes has maintained a moderate voting record, opposing government corruption and Chairing several House Committees; a championed debater, he could “run circles” around VP Brown; his selection could win over suburban voters.

US Sen. Sherrod C. Brown of Ohio, age 64 – Serving in the Senate since 2007, the gravelly-voiced former Governor of Ohio (2003-2007) stayed out of the primaries but low-key preferred Ross to Locke; although his state’s Governor is a Republican who would appoint a Republican to his seat, Brown’s selection could win over progressive voters and former backers of Moore and Ross, and possibly help the party hold onto the increasingly Republican Rust Belt as well.

US Sen. Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwell of West Virginia, age 51 – The Greek-American former US Secretary of Health and Humane Services and former OMB Director won election in a “red” state in 2014; this “rising star” in the Democratic Party could appeal to immigrant voters, female voters, and the Rust Belt.

US Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, age 56 – In office since 2000, this popular moderate-populist politician has an impressive voting record and, if selected for the position of running mate, could appeal to former Michael Moore voters, win over suburban voters, and keep the Rust Belt in the Democratic column.

Fmr US Sec. of Transportation Rick Codey of New Jersey, age 70 – After serving as Governor of the Garden State on four nonconsecutive occasions and overseeing immediate cleanup efforts to Hurricane Sandy in the closing days of the Wellstone administration, Codey could appeal to Rust Belt voters.

Mayor of Detroit George Cushingberry Jr. of Michigan, age 64 – Entering office in 2010, Cushingberry has been credited with plateauing crime rates, albeit through some controversial methods, and was praised for peacefully quelling a riot concerning failing local banks in 2013; he could appeal to Black voters.

Gov. Shirley C. Franklin of Georgia, age 71 – While her Presidential campaign ended before the first Primary Cluster, Franklin would bring executive experience to the ticket; she could win over female voters, young voters, Black voters, and possibly help the ticket win some states in the South.

Gov. Barry N. “Big Tasty” Goldberg of Pennsylvania, age 47 – The young, energetic, bombastic and highly popular Governor of Pennsylvania could “destroy” Brown in the Vice Presidential debate, according to Locke’s optics team; he could win over Jewish voters, young voters, and Rust Belt voters.

US Sen. Christopher C. “Chris” John of Louisiana, age 56 – With many connections to donors, this wealthy legislator has maintained a moderate voting record since entering the US Senate; his selection would have the potential to win over voters in the South as well as voters in the suburban regions of the US.

US Rep. Monica S. Lewinsky of California, age 43 – With John McAfee’s rape accusation still on some people’s minds, one of the leading women’s rights advocates of the US House could help energize and mobilize female voters; her selection for running mate could also bring in younger voters as well.

DNC Chair Benjamin M. McAdams of Potomac, age 42 – A state senator from 2009 to 2011, then a US Representative from 2011-2013, this unsuccessful 2012 candidate for the US Senate took won the DNC Chair position in 2013 and was instrumental in Locke winning this nomination; the Democratic Utahn with the highest national profile could win over western voters and help the campaign make the necessary donor connections to achieve victory in the fall.

US Postmaster Gen. Ralph Nader of Connecticut, age 82 – After almost 50 years in various public offices, from EPA Administrator to US Labor Secretary to US Senator, maybe 2016 is the year that Nader finally joins a Presidential ticket; officially independent, he could appeal to independent and undecided voters.

Fmr Gov. Vincent B. Orange Sr. of Potomac, age 59 – During his successful time in office, from 2007 to 2015, Orange oversaw the reforming of his state’s parks and pursued efforts to address housing issues, which could win over the support of NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan (I-NY); he could win over Black voters.

US Sen. Kwame Raoul of Illinois, age 52 – A former Bob Ross surrogate, this Haitian-American lawmaker has upheld a progressive record focused on civil justice, early childhood education, domestic violence prevention, voting accessibility and political reform; he could improve minority voter turnout.

US Sen. Sharon Sayles-Belton of Minnesota, age 65 – With a campaign style similar to Locke, and the two lawmakers having an amicable working relationship in the Senate, her selection could win over those to the left side of Locke who are concerned about community development, women’s rights, and education.

Gov. Adelaide A. “Alex” Sink of Florida, age 68 – In office since 2015, Sink served as the Chief Financial Officer of Florida from 2007 to 2015, and has focused on child protection and financial reform; by selecting a fellow Asian-American to be his running mate, Locke could put the state Florida into play.

Fmr Gov. Les Steckel of Virginia, age 70 – An NFL Quarterback for the Virginia Cavaliers before entering the state senate, Steckel was in office from 2010 to 2014, and is best known for his aggressive but effective management style, which could make him a formidable opponent in the VP debate against Brown.

Mayor of Chicago Deval L. “Al” Wintersmith of Illinois, age 60 – Hailed for getting the Chicago Spire built, the reform-and-development-minded Wintersmith (born with the surname Patrick, he changed it to his mother’s maiden name after his father left them) could win over Black voters and Midwestern voters.

US Rep. Shelli Renee Yoder of Indiana, age 48 – The former Miss America 1993 First Runner-Up has called for increasing recreadrug addiction treatment and reforming UHC to make elective surgery more affordable ever since entering office in 2013; she could appeal to female voters and young voters.

Please vote!
 
Post 104
Post 104: Chapter 112


Chapter 112: July 2016 – January 2017

“The most successful people I know believe in themselves almost to the point of delusion. …If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s hard to let yourself have contrarian ideas about the future. But this is where most value gets created.”

– CEO Sam Altman of Open A.I. (OTL)



…Looking back on his numbers among progressive voters, Locke reflected, “I think that people always just assumed that I was liberal because I came from Southeast Seattle,” [1] when the truth of the matter that Locke was actually to the right of progressives such as Wellstone, Jackson and even Bellamy. But the moderate-leaning Senator appeared to be liberal in the eyes of the public. As a result of the continuing misunderstanding among those outside of The Beltway, his selection of a fellow moderate would appear to be him reaching out to moderate voters, when he would actually be doubling down on his own campaign; conversely, his selection of a progressive would be perceived as him doubling down instead of the uniting of the party that it would truly be. Thus, picking a progressive running mate would not be as affective – for neither the campaign nor for a Locke administration – as picking a moderate would be.

With this line of thinking, Locke again vetted the top two candidates for running mate – the progressive Monica Lewinsky and the moderate Bob Casey Jr. – and chose the latter.

Casey came from the Rust Belt, while Lewinsky, a fellow West Coast resident, would not geographically balance the ticket. Casey had served in the Senate from a Red State since 2000, while Lewinsky had served in the House from a Blue State since 2011. Lewinsky basked in limelight, while Casey was comfortable leading from “behind the scenes.”

The decision, while satisfying uninformed voters with the illusion of unity, was disquieting for party members who had backed the likes of Ross and Moore in the primaries, with former President Wellstone being the most critical. Former President Mondale and former Vice President Jerry Litton, however, considered Casey’s selection to be a “smart” move. Lewinsky’s speech at the DNC receiving more applause than Casey’s VP nomination acceptance speech, though, should have been seen as a sign that their road to the White House was going to be even tougher than they were expecting it to be.

The DNC’s platform contributed to this by allegedly lacking ambition, calling for higher government regulations to protect the environment and essentially continuing most of the policies of the Jackson and Wellstone administration, with the notable exemption of low military budgets. Considered more moderate than those of Jackson and Wellstone overall, Ross delegates were upset that the platform failed to fully embrace environmentalist polices; while Ross’s proposed G.R.E.E.N. Deal became a plank, the former VP’s proposed E.P.I.C. Projects did not…

– Tiffany Taliaferro’s Decision 2016: Grammar vs. Locke, Penguin Publishing, 2017



I just wanted to show you all what a real Seattle native sounds like! …I’m so proud of my Chinese ancestry, but I was born and raised in America, and I really believe in American values, our American system, our freedom, our liberties. …My dad, of course, like a lot of Asian parents, wanted me to be an engineer or doctor and never could understand why I would want to be a lawyer. And then, when I first said I wanted to run for office, he thought that was absolutely insane. …The constant influx of new cultures, new ideas and new ways of looking at old problems is a big part of the reason why America has been the most dynamic economy in the world for well over a century. …The U.S. tries to provide immigrants who grow up here with a world-class education and imbue them with the can-do attitude that has long defined American innovation.” [2]

– Gary Locke, accepting his party’s nomination for President, 7/7/2016




KGqq4rG.png


[pic: imgur.com/KGqq4rG.png ]

– The Balloon Drop, the final night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, 7/5-8/2016



ZBUKAHN.png


[pic: imgur.com/ZBUKAHN.png ]

– DNC Chair Tony Villar (D-CA) rubbing his hands at the 2016 DNC, 7/8/2016; The Herring Network was quick to use this image often in its broadcasting



…The campaign to re-elect President Kelsey Grammer seemed to be fairly straightforward. An administration presiding over a successful time of prosperous economic growth and expansion with low unemployment and no troops overseas? It should have been a cakewalk. But the problem rested in the internal political world of the GOP, as tacit support from some members of the Religious Right and McAfee diehards threatened to tear the Republican Party apart in a rather self-destructive manner…

– Former White House Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy’s autobiography No Easy Task, Borders Books, 2019



NYC MAYOR MCMILLAN ANNOUNCES THIRD-PARTY BID FOR PRESIDENT!

…the officially-Independent Mayor said that he came to this decision after being dissatisfied with DNC platform for 2016, which he believes does not adequately address the nation’s rent problems…

The New York Times, 7/11/2016



...The Mayor’s actions on Rent Control in 2014 and 2015 had yielded mixed-to-positive results. Despite businesses not being friendly to his administration, McMillan was able to pass laws without their support. He had limited vacancy increases passed, he reduced permanent rent increases in buildings of 35 units or more for individual apartment improvements, and he set the maximum rent for a standard one-bedroom apartment to $2,000, but acknowledged that this maximum rent should be subject to change with adjustments for inflation. To ensure this, the Rent Maximum Price Bill, which McMillan signed into law in early 2015, established that the rent cap would be adjusted for inflation every two years...

– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021



>MOTHER-POST: Just Announced: Milica Jovovich To Star In Jerrie Cobb Mini-Series

>REPLY 1:
Another Space Show? I thought those went out of style. This isn’t the 2000s decade!

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2:
To be fair, this decade’s pop culture has more or less been all over the place. Unless Globalization itself is a theme, you can blame globalization and the technet for every theme, idea and culture being on the landscape making for a lack of any one singular pop-culture “image” dominating the rest.

>REPLY 2:
Looks good!

– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 7/19/2016 posting



SMALL STATE PASSES BIG MILESTONE IN SWITCHING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY

…Governor John Carney of Delaware today announced that 50% of the state government’s electricity is now captured via renewable energy by arrays across the state, in a plan finally realized after over a decade of work. Begun under his predecessor, Governor Ruth Minner, the Clean Delaware Initiative project is the largest completed solar commitment by any state government in the United States and could serve as a reference point for similar statewide projects in the years ahead…

The Boston Globe, 7/21/2016



IT’S RANKING TIME?:

…Efforts to implement Instant-Runoff Ranked Choice Voting at the federal level are on the rise, but some experts believe that the system is too complicated for a majority of Americans to understand. These statement come despite RCV having already been implemented in several U.S. states at the city level.

Prove the critics wrong and educate yourself for a few minutes:


[video: youtube.com /watch?v=8Z2fRPRkWvY ]

– usarightnow.co.usa, 7/22/2016



ALL THE REASONS WHY GRAMMER WILL WIN

…under his leadership, the economy has significantly improved from the Unlucky Recession of 2013. …and most Americans approve of his handling of these subsequent economic windfalls…

– National Review, late July 2016 issue



…Virtual medical checkups became possible during the SARS Pandemic, when safezoning measures prevented many people from being closer than five feet to one another. As access to the technet and “technet literacy” rose, so did the use of virtual checkups. In 2016, an extensive study revealed that the rise in VMCs had contributed considerably to cutting down on UHC costs. This is because virtual work required far less real estate and renting of office space (due to there being, for example, no need for a corporeal waiting room, or other amenities…)...

– clickopedia.co.usa



CLAIM: Gary Locke was born in China and thus is not constitutionally eligible for the Presidency

Source of claim: several conservative radio shows and multiple conservative netsites, beginning in late 2015

VERDICT: 100% False

EXPLANATION:

Gary Locke is eligible for the United States Presidency because he was born in the United States. More specifically, he was born in Seattle, Washington on January 21, 1950. His campaign has already released his birth certificate, found here. His father was born in the Republic of China (better known as Taiwan and not to be confused with the People’s Republic of China) with ancestral roots in Shanghai, PRC; his mother was born in Taiwan as well, with ancestral roots in Hubei (central PRC). Rumors claiming that he is not eligible for the Presidency are supported by people opposed to his campaign and aim to deceive voters away from his candidacy for a variety of reasons which are discussed in further detail here.

ADDITIONAL FACTOID: Gary Locke’s wife’s father’s half-sister is the granddaughter of Sun Yat-sen, who was the “father of the nation” of Taiwan and served as the 1st President of Taiwan in 1912.

– factorfiction.co.can, 7/28/2016 entry



LOCKE: 45%
GRAMMER: 42%
MCMILLAN: 3%
OTHER: 1%
UNDECIDED: 9%

– Gallup poll, 7/29/2016



ITALIAN P.M. LOSES POWER AS VOTERS VIEW POST-RECESSION POLICIES “UNNECESSARY”

…In tonight’s Italian parliamentary elections, the NSA party, and with it, incumbent PM Bobo Craxi, lost majority control amid conservative backlash to Craxi’s allegedly “overreaching” large-government policies, with criticism focusing on emergency policies implemented at the height of the 2013 recession. The new Prime Minister of Italy is expected to be opposition leader Gianfranco Fini of the CAN party. …Italy took longer to recover from the 2013 recession than other nations such as the U.K., France and Germany, but their country market growth has nurtured criticisms of Craxi’s policies in recent months…

The Daily Telegraph, 7/30/2016



…Contrary to western media speculation, the main focus of China’s leadership in 2016 was not on the ascension of Gary Locke, the US’s first Taiwanese-American major-party nominee for President, but on a rising internal issue. The decades of lackluster environmental protection for the sake of manufacturing was beginning to clash with technet-based reports linking the nation’s pollution rates to health issues and a “deplorable” quality of life for those at the bottom rungs of Chinese society. The Green Marble Movement, a grassroots technet-based call for the PRC to reform its environmental policies such as join the Cairo Protocol, was small but rising in both prominence and popularity as the country’s environmental damage appeared to reach levels that could no longer be ignored, by neither the people nor their government. PRC Premier Yang Gang (b. 1953) oversaw the state respond to the GMM by tightening technet activities, allowing information to be released to the public concerning scientific data but censoring and prosecuting those who published editorials, “biased” articles, or even simplified descriptions of the scientific data, often accusing these “dissenters” of spreading anti-government misinformation…

– Carl Krosinsky’s Modern China: A Complex Recent History, Borders Books, 2020



“…Russian President Vladimir Nikolayev today signed legislation to deregulate his nation’s meat processing industry, claiming that the government red tape was, to quote the controversial leader, ‘communism in disguise,’ end-quote…”

– BBC World News, 3/8/2016 broadcast



…For running mate, McMillan doubled down and selected John James Capozzi Jr. of Potomac, another back of rent control efforts. A shadow member of the U.S. House for Washington, D.C. from 1995 to 1997, Capozzi won an actual US House seat from Potomac in 2008, and served from 2009 to 2011, losing re-election in 2010 and later mounting an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Potomac in 2014.

Capozzi worked with several key members of the Mayor’s Presidential campaign. Sabrina Sojourner, a BLUTAGO-American activist, was the campaigns communications director, while Sekou Biddle and Veronica O. Davis worked on strategizing, fundraising, and volunteer mobilizing. All three of them were originally from Potomac as well...

…The “third party” banner of McMillan campaign had no official name; appeared in advertising as the “Rent Is Too Damn High” Party but appeared on the ballot as either the “Rent Control” Party, the “Rent Cap” Party, or even simply as just the “Rent” Party. In other cases, McMillan managed to win the ballot line of a state-level party, such as in Vermont, where he was the Liberty Union party’s nominee, and in other places still, McMillan was listed as an independent. Also on some tickets was a different running mate. The Liberty Union party selected one of their own for the bottom of the ticket, while in the state of Illinois, McMillan’s initial “placeholder” running mate (Steve Rauschenberger (R-IL), a former state senator (1993-2007) and two-time nominee for the U.S. House) appeared in the VP slot instead of Capozzi…

– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021



A FIVE-RING CIRCUS: How To Watch The NYC Olympics

New York City, NY – Every four years, a certain section of the American population will become obsessed with a particular quadrennial event – the President race, the World Cup, maybe Cobain and Love’s latest spat or health crises. And then there’s the Olympics, those globally-watched measurements of mankind’s physical abilities, accomplishments and limitations. This time around, the games kicked off at 7:30 PM tonight with a grand Opening Ceremony at the Big Apple’s new Olympic stadium… Mayor McMillan did not attend the festivities…

The Grand Rapids Press, 8/5/2016



“Under Jesse Jackson, the Democrats got to expand the union from 50 states to 52 states. Now it’s the GOP’s turn. Now it’s the time to make new states out of places like American Samoa, the Virginia Islands, the conservative half of California, Cuba, Jamaica, whichever, you know what I mean.”

– political analyst Bill Kristol, Grammer supporters, conservative radio interview, 8/9/2016; the comment was widely ridiculed by technetters on many ontech social media platforms



MOTHER-POST: Query: What’s with all the American nutjobs in Mexico and other places?

I’ve lived in Sonora, Mexico all my life and one trend I’ve noticed lately is that over the past many years the number of white people in town has steadily risen. They’re almost all either one of two kinds of Americans. They either are polite professionals who have moved here for a business project, or are annoying proudly-American nut-jobs walking around with useless weaponry, often times making true locals uncomfortable, especially when they butcher the Spanish language. Am I alone in witnessing this influx of Caucasians?

>REPLY 1:
I’m aware of this trend, friend. Lots of gun-happy American nut-jobs are moving to Mexico because it’s much easier to get a gun down. In most of the US’s states, it’s actually not too hard to get your hands on a .22 caliber, revolver, single shot weapon, pistol, taser, bow/arrow, or crossbow for either self-defense or animal hunting. All you have to do is pass a background check and have an unexpired license, and after what is typically a two-week waiting period, you’re all set. But some Americans want to have and own semi-autos and even autos, full-on machine guns, cannons, and even grenade launchers. For those they need to go outside the US, and if you can afford buying that kind of weaponry, you can afford the relocating that can now come with it.

>REPLY 2:
You’re not alone. I live in Mexico City. There were never so many whites around here twenty years ago – they are everywhere it seems nowadays.

– friendtechtalk.co.mex, a Mexico-based chat-forum-hosting netsite, 8/15/2016 posting (translated)



AUSTRALIA’S FIRST HYDROGEN TRUCKS COME TO PORT KEMBLA AS PART OF LANDMARK “GO GREEN” PROJECT

The first heavy vehicles to be powered by hydrogen in Australia have just become publicly available to own, rolling out of production in Port Kembla after the New South Wales government approved funding for the landmark project under the final Ignatieff government. The largest producer of hydrogen in the country, Coregas, is behind the plan to harness the power of two acquired hydrogen-powered prime movers and build a hydrogen refueling facility at its Port Kembla plant. Coregas’ ambitious project was green-lit in 2004, after it received half-a-million dollars in backing from the state government in a generous round of the Port Kembla Community Investment Fund

– abc.net.au/news, 8/20/2016 [3]



WITH OLYMPICS OVER, NYC ASKS: “NOW WHAT?”

…The city if left with Olympic-sized stadiums and other facilities that will now have to be repurposed in order for them to remain economically beneficial to New Yorkers…

The New York Post, 8/21/2016



THE SWEET SIDE OF THE HOUSE: A Brief History of the Decades-Long Tradition of the U.S. House Candy Desks

Washington, D.C. – Inside the United States House of Representatives is a mother lode that to a young child is far greater than any treasure chest full of gold. It is the house Candy Desks, two traditional 19th-century pedestal desks found on the floor of the House chamber. Both desks – one manned by a Republican, the other by a Democrat – are filled with various sweets and confections, though the exact contents depend on their “holders,” the congresspersons assigned to the desks and tasked with keeping them full to the brim with tasty goodies, in order to supply their fellow lawmakers with what are known as sweets in the UK and lollies in Australia.

The tradition of the US House Candy Desks was begun by George Murphy in 1967, after the former song-and-dance man was elected to the House in 1966, after initially trying to enter politics by running for the US Senate in 1964. With the official US House rules and regulations forbidding food to be eaten on the House floor, the sweet-toothed Murphy began to sneak in candy and hide it in his desk, stealthily taking one now and again, before beginning to hand them out to his friends in the GOP. Murphy’s “desk of surprises” became an open secret within the House GOP until in 1968, when freshman Republican Congressman Philip G. Bixler of Illinois switched to the Democratic Party, and brought the secret to the other side of the aisle, which had long suspected of shenanigans by the occasional crinkling sounds candy wrappers and congregating of Republican staffers and lawmakers around George Murphy’s desk. With the House GOP’s secret revealed, House Democrats, reportedly “angry” of the Republicans for keeping the candy to themselves, conceived their own House Candy Desk.

The sweets then remained an open secret on Capitol Hill until 1986, when, in an effort to distance themselves from President Denton amid his possible impeachment, House Republicans publicly acknowledged the no-food “rule bending,” with House Democrats, not to be undone, releasing a similar statement a few days later.

However, the desks are not always a symbol of DC partisan division. In fact, one can tell how united the Congress is by how many House members walk around the room to reach the other party’s candy desk. For example, when President Iacocca was killed, both desks – typically placed randomly around the room every two years, at the beginning of each new congress – were pushed together and made open to all members. However, during the congressional gridlock against President Wellstone in 2011, not a single Democrat or Republican was reported to have crossed the aisle for 22 straight months.

The tradition of the Candy Desks has stayed alive and well over these many years due to its reported positive effects on lawmakers. Most notably, the inclusion of sugary sweets allegedly helped US House members stay awake and focused during the long hours of the investigations into Denton’s connection to the Lukens Hush money Scandal and the subsequent impeachment proceedings.

Filled with goodies to satisfy the taste buds of sweet-toothed lawmakers and energize them during long work hours, the Candy Desks reminds us all that the millionaire politicians sent to Washington can often behave like children in more ways than one.

– Time Magazine, late August 2016 issue



LIST OF HOLDERS OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CANDY DESK

1967-1977: 1) George L. Murphy (CA, 1902-1992) – retired
1977-1985: 2) William L. “Bill” Dickinson (AL, 1925-2008) – lost re-election
1985-1993: 3) James M. “Jim” Ramstad (MN, b. 1946) – resigned to join Iacocca administration
1989-1999: 4) Hawkins H. Menefee Jr. (TX, b. 1945) – lost re-election
1999-2005: 5) Richard J. “Dick” Santorum (PA, b. 1958) – lost re-election
2005-2007: 6) Richard G. “Rick” Renzi (AZ, b. 1958) – relinquished duties
2007-2008: 7) William H. “Bill” Hudnut III (IN, b. 1932) – relinquished duties
2008-2011: 8) Eugene Clay (Clay) Shaw Jr. (FL, 1939-2013) – relinquished duties
2011-2015: 5) Richard J. “Dick” Santorum (PA, b. 1958) – lost re-election
2015-present: 9) Ramona Gail McIver Phillips (AK, b. 1944) – incumbent

Murphy passed the custom on to an ally of his, starting the tradition of the outgoing Candy Desk holder having sway over their successor. With a rich history of making puns, Menefee carved the motto “Cavity Emptor” onto the GOP Candy Desk in 1991 (and then purportedly called for a “move to filling-bustering”) [4]. Santorum’s ascension to the position led to the Hershey’s candy company of his home town of Pennsylvania to donate culinary supplies to the desk, leading in turn to congresspersons tied to candy companies gaining preference when selecting the next Candy Desk Holder.

LIST OF HOLDERS OF THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CANDY DESK

1968-1979: 1) Joseph David “Joe D.” Waggoner, Jr. (LA, 1918-2007) – retired
1979-1991: 2) George Thomas “Tom” Turnipseed (SC, b. 1936) – lost re-election
1991-1999: 3) Robert Douglas “Bob” Bullock Sr. (TX, 1929-1999) – died in office
1999-2005: 4) Juanita Millender (CA, 1938-2007) – retired
2005-2009: 5) Jeffrey A. “Jeff” Merkley (OR, b. 1956) – resigned to join the Wellstone administration
2009-present: 6) Ronald I. Buxton (PA, b. 1949) – incumbent

While Waggoner filled the Democratic Desk strictly with hard candies, Turnipseed diversified its contents with gummy candies, jelly beans, M&Ms, and, after 1986, donations from candy stores from his home state, sparking a trend. Bullock diversified its contents even further by handing out cookies; according to an unconfirmed rumor, this led to US Representatives meeting behind closed doors to determine whether or not a cookie could be treated as a “candy” in this particular context; their inclusion was approved by an overwhelming majority, according to the rumor. Like the GOP’s Santorum, Buxton accepts donated sweets from Hershey to supply the Democrats’ Desk with chocolates.

– knowldgepolitics.co.usa, c. August 2016



LEADERS OF CUBA AND GUATEMALA SIGN “LANDMARK” TRADE DEAL

Associated Press, 8/29/2016



GRAMMER: 45%
LOCKE: 43%
MCMILLAN: 5%
OTHER: 1%
UNDECIDED: 6%

– Gallup poll, 8/30/2016



…DNC Chair Benjamin “Benjy” McAdams worked enthusiastically to get the Locke campaign to appeal to libertarians by emphasizing his western roots when meeting with wealthy potential donors from places such as Texas and Nevada. McAdams also sought to improve Locke’s standing among minority voters in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, states won in 2008 but lost in 2012…

– Tiffany Taliaferro’s Decision 2016: Grammar vs. Locke, Penguin Publishing, 2017



“A LITTLE NOW OR A LOT LATER”: PM Balls Implements Controversial Plan To Combat Post-Recession Deflation Concerns

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 4/9/2016



BEST LEADERS WE NEVER HAD

Here’s a thread for discussing political figures who are underused, underrated, and underutilized in our TLs. People with unique personalities, positions, histories, etc., who, under the right circumstances, could have been interesting leaders in their respective countries. This thread could help new AH writers avoid clichéd figures in favor of unsung figures from history.

> POST 1:
How about Tony Blair for UK PM – he served in several cabinet positions under Lennon, but he feuded with him a lot. He’s an interesting and somewhat charismatic man in his own right, and he supported immediately joining the coalition forces at the start of KW2; if he was PM during that time, he could have been in office for as long as Lennon, if not longer even!
For the UK’s first PM, you could go for a better experienced MP like Barbara Castle, Margaret Thatcher, Mary McAlister or even Margaret Beckett.

> POST 2:
At some point, Mary Scranton could have run for President. She was the wife of the Vice President of Colonel Sanders, William Scranton, but she served in several high-profile positions, and ran for a US Senate seat in the late 1970s and again in the early 1980s. Had she won her first try, she could have ended up as a (somewhat old) President, or at least Vice President, in 1985, 1989 or 1993.

>> REPLY 1 to POST 2:
Didn’t she die recently?

>>> REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to POST 2:
Yes, she died on December 26, 2015 at age 97.

> POST 3:
Four off the top of my head:
Jacob Coxey – a progressive Ohioan who lived from 1854 to 1951. He was sort of ahead of his time and jumped around from one political party to another, and apart from serving as the Mayor of Massillon, Ohio for the year of 1931, he was pretty much a perennial candidate for his entire life, but, man, what a candidate! A real missed opportunity.
George McGovern – not a relative of the heavily unappreciated Jim McGovern, this is the father of US Senator Teresa McGovern (actually, she would be a pretty interesting alternate President, too, but I digress). George here ran twice for the US Senate and lost, then served two two-year terms as Governor, from 1971 to 1975, before losing re-election. According to his clickopedia article he was a really progressive guy considering when he was most prominent
Gerald Ford – an alternate Jack Kemp? He was a US Congressman who got his start playing football. He ran for GOP House leader in 1965 but lost in the wake of The Colonel’s unexpected victory in 1964 and the GOP regaining many seats under the leadership of GOP leader Halleck. Then he lost a bid for higher office. Not too charismatic, but he could have gone places had things gone his way.
Jimmy Carter – arguably the best President we never had! He played a key role in ushering in the era of “Our Delicate Peace” in the Middle East; if he was able to do that as Secretary of State, imagine what he could have done as President!

>> REPLY 1 to POST 3:
I doubt Ford would have become President. He wanted to be House Speaker and only ran for the Senate because he was “cast out” – Halleck basically blacklisted him from his preferred committees to “punish” him for challenging him in ’65. The House Speakership is not a launchpad for the Presidency, or at least, it hasn’t been since 1844.

> POST 4:
Fulwar Skipwith (1765-1839) – the first, last and only leader of the short-lived Republic of West Florida in 1810, he was a distant cousin of Thomas Jefferson who married into Flemish aristocracy. His name alone merits more use!

>> REPLY 1 to POST 4:
JSYK (just so you know), there’s already an entire site to devoted to political leaders based solely on their unusual names: https://politicalstrangenames.blogspot.co.usa/

> POST 5:
American dynasties are kind of hard to come by. How about, instead of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, some TL has Ambassador Joe Kennedy and his son Jack, or Florida governor LeRoy Collins and his son LeRoy Jr., or the aforementioned George and Terri McGovern?

– counterfactual.co.usa, 9/9/2016 thread



…Fundraising efforts for President Grammer received a boost after the RNC. A one R. Randolph “Randy” Brinson (b. 1957), a Republican physician and activist from Alabama, was leading a regional “get out the vote” drive across the South, getting young people and conservative people registered to vote ahead of election day, to the point of Brinson backing legislation to make registration automatic upon turning 18. The doctor’s efforts were proving to be very successful as the weeks went on. In September, Rev. Dale Huckabee gave Brinson’s efforts a boost by helping to get 12.1million people registered at churches across the Bible Belt…

– Tiffany Taliaferro’s Decision 2016: Grammar vs. Locke, Penguin Publishing, 2017



THIRTY YEARS AFTER MULLIGAN

…this month marks the 30-year anniversary of the High Court of Australia’s landmark 1986 decision of Mulligan vs. Western Australia. Often referred to as simply the Mulligan Decision, the Mulligan High Court Decision overturned previous decisions that had declined to recognize native land claims, reversing decades-long policy and recognizing that some Indigenous Australians do have property rights and can claim them with a new legal term of “native title”…

Frankie, Australian magazine, September 2016 issue



Anchor Alisyn CAMEROTA: “The upcoming debates between Locke and Grammer are most likely going to focus on foreign intervention, renewable infrastructure projects, and the size and role of government, with less focus on social issues unless the moderators care to touch on Grammer’s pro-life views on abortion.”

Prof. Janice FINE: “If this was a debate between Ross and Grammer, it would not just be a debate over the size and role of government due to there being a lot of overlap on some points there. It would have been a sort of ‘Battle of Personalities.’ Grammer is charismatic, while Ross is personable, uplifting, and optimistic. Grammer’s supporters view him as reliable and charming, while Ross has this almost-infectious ability to see the best in everyone. Both men have witty senses of humor and quick with the retort and the sound bite, but Ross has that sunny disposition as well.”

CAMEROTA: “So what do you expect from the grammar-Locke debates.”

FINE: “I’ll be blunt – I fear the President will mop the floor with Locke. He’s personable and charming, but not at the level that Kelsey Grammer is at. Both men are good debaters – Locke’s much better, actually – he can easily defend his positions – but I’m looking at this from an optics point of view. And that view does not look pretty for Locke, but it does look pretty for the President.”

– Kennedy News Network roundtable discussion, 9/14/2016 broadcast



MELTING FLOWERS: The Nuking of El Dorado

Premiered: September 15, 2016
Genre(s): sci-fi/religious/hidden-history/fantasy

Directed by: Greg Sestero
Written by: Neil Breen and Jeff Nathanson
Produced by: Neil Breen

Cast:
Manuel-Ramos Ruiz as Hupi
Yalitza Gutierrez as Ruha
Maria-Anna Melendez as Daya
See Full List Here

Synopsis:
The City of Gold is located deep in the jungles of the Amazon. Hupi, an adolescent native, has no friends because he does not understand the ways of his generation; everyone is becoming increasingly greedy, selfish, and immoral. He decides to leave the city during the night after seeing his sister, Ruha, drunkenly enter the bed-hut of someone other than her fiancé. That night, their Gods (revealed to be aliens) detonate a nuclear device over the entire city to “clean off” the land, leaving nothing alive in its wake. The crater in the Earth left behind is then filled in by water from the nearby river. Hupi, with Daya, a girl who followed him out of the city, are the only survivors. Hupi determines that the Gods punished the City of Gold for their greed and decides to make a new life for himself with Daya in another village, marry, anachronistically converting to a Christianity-like religion, and deciding to tell their children the story of the loss of their once glorious home, the city made almost entirely out of gold.

Development:
Breen covered the cost of the film’s production; it remains Breen's most expensive film to make. The movie was filmed near Flagstaff, Arizona over the course of six weeks, with reshoots being extensive and production being put on hold twice due to food poisoning. Gutierrez later sued Breen for labor violations; the conflict was settled out of court.

Reception:
The film was universally disliked. Nearly all critics panned it, and almost all audiences disliked its awkward combination of contradicting sci-fi and religious elements and themes at its "atrociously bad" special effects, with even fans of Breen’s previous films expressing disappointment in it.

– mediarchives.co.usa



KELLY N. HILLENBURG JR., 80

…the father of businessman and SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine founder Stephen Hillenburg died at Robert King High Memorial Hospital yesterday afternoon at the age of 80 from undisclosed cause. Hillenburg was born on July 16, 1936, in Roanoke, Virginia, to Kelly N. Hillenburg Sr. and Anna Mae (Vest) Hillenburg. Kelly served his country in the US Army, attended the Virginia Military Institute, and was employed by Hughes Aircraft for many years. A member of several local community groups and organizations in his home town of Youngstown, Ohio, Hillenburg and his wife often spent the summers with their children in Florida, and had many great memories with friends and family. Hillenburg is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Nancy (Dufour) Hillenburg; sons, Stephen Hillenburg and wife Carol of Miami, FL and Bryan Hillenburg and wife Isabel of New Smyrna Beach, FL; grandchildren, Clayton, Emma, James, Marcy and Hazel; a brother, Gregory Hillenburg and wife, Martha, of Perryman, MD; and several nieces and nephews. [5]

The Miami Herald, obituary section, 9/18/2016




…There is a world of difference between an incumbent running for re-election and his opponent trying to claim their office, other than the starkly different campaign war chest sizes, of course. An opponent only discusses action, while an incumbent can actually take action on something. An example of this phenomenon came about when the 2016 Democratic nominee claimed that he would be tougher on China’s government. White House officials soon reminded people, via a flurry of ads on TV and ontech, that the President had already had officials file an Unfair Trading case against the PRC at the World Trade Organization over allegations of wage theft back in June of 2016...

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



KFC TO BEGIN SELLING EDIBLE NAIL POLISH TO PROMOTE THEIR “FINGER LICKIN’ GOOD” OFFERINGS [6]

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…The global company’s latest gimmick was announced today in a major presentation of the new products, available for a limited time only…

Comments Section:

>COMMENT 1:
Has it really come to this? I thought these guys were the best, you know? Like they were the top-quality brand?

>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Their food is still top-notch, but the same just can’t be said about their advertising department. Well, at least not anymore anyway. Not since The Colonel passed away.

>COMMENT 2:
#BringBackTheCartoonColonel

>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2:
(sitcom mom overacting, hands on hips, overly enthusiastic smile) Oh, is that you, Randy Quaid? Oh, you character you! :p

– usarightnow.co.usa, 9/22/2016



Political analyst BILL KRISTAL: “It is imperative that Grammer wins re-election. The economy cannot afford another four-term President.”

Anchor ANDERSON COOPER: “Okay, care to explain that?”

KRISTAL: “Studies and financial trends prove that politicians losing re-election over and over promotes instability, first political instability then economic instability. Kemp losing a bid for his own term in 1988 was followed by the early 1990s recession. Bellamy losing re-election in 1992 led to economic trouble for Lee Iacocca, Dinger losing re-election in 2000 led to all kinds of instability in the early 2000s, and Wellstone losing in 2012 may have contributed to the effects of the Unlucky Recession. But Grammer has to win re-election for reasons beyond politics. Grammer is leading this country’s culture toward a new a better direction that views small government more favorably because people are seeing that it is working. And regarding the 22nd Amendment, you know, what’s the point of having two terms if a President can’t win re-election?[7]

COOPER: “Hm, I see. Mr. Reich, you counterpoint?”

Former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich: “Bill, I’m impressed. You got the thesis right, but all the supporting facts were wrong. Yes, frequently changing governments can impede progress – you can see that sort of thing happen in many countries both nowadays and throughout history – but the early 1990s recession was due to the irresponsible fiscal policies of the Denton administration, the economic trouble under Iacocca was due to Iacocca’s trade wars, and the instability of the early 2000s was due to the recession of 1999 combined with the SARS pandemic!”

KRISTAL: “Well, um, that just shows what you know!”

REICH: “Yes. On that note, I agree with you.”

– CBS News, roundtable discussion, 9/24/2016 broadcast



MCMILLAN FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

The New York Times, 9/25/2016



“…hundreds of Southern Australians are without power as storms continue to roll across the region…”

– Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 9/26/2016



EX-WH STAFFER REVEALS: VP Brown Was “Inches Away” From Being Dropped From The 2016 Ticket

…President Grammer and his team of advisors and analysts were seriously contemplating replacing Brown with a less controversial nominee that would still appeal to conservatives while being much easier to work with while in the White House.” Being able to work with other conservatives, the names of US Senator Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Governor David Woods (R-AL) and US Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R-TN) were all floated for a possible “replacement” situation more than once…

The New York Times, 9/27/2016 exposé



“My fellow Americans ain’t dumb enough to fall for lies and garbage not even good enough for a third rate tabloid, so of course it ended up in the Times.”

– VP Harley Brown, claiming a recent NYT article’s claims are false, 9/29/2016



LOCKE: 46%
GRAMMER: 44%
MCMILLAN: 4%
OTHER: 1%
UNDECIDED: 5%

– Gallup poll, 9/30/2016



POPE PATRICK I MOURNS PASSING OF ALLY CARDINAL

…Catholic Church Cardinal Peter Leo Gerety (born July 19, 1912 in California) was the oldest living Catholic cardinal in the world at the time of his passing, on September 20 at the age of 104. A revered former reverend and archbishop had been a strong ally of the Pope for decades. Pope Patrick I today honored him in a speech at the Vatican, praising his contributions to the church, beginning with his time as the Bishop of Portland, Maine…

The Boston Globe, 10/1/2016



The first Presidential Debate, which focus almost entirely on domestic issues, was held on October 4, and was considered to be cordial, but intense. Grammer was initially put on defense by Locke over his tax plan and social views, only for Grammer to counter with his record, stating that his handling of the 2013 recession was responsible for the economy being in a state of healthy growth at the time. When the moderators brought up the proposed E.P.I.C. Projects Program and G.R.E.E.N. Deal, Locke was hesitant to question the viability of the former being able to work, but praised the push to globally reduce emissions. Grammer gave a similar response that focused more on the private business side of things, saying that he would support variation of both proposals if he was certain that they would not curb “independent innovation” in both the power industries and the private sector.

[snip]

Grammer replied, “Ending fossil fuel subsidies outright would kill the coal industry, at a time when it still employs thousands of American workers. It’d be like demolishing a condemned building before all the people can get out. The subsidies need to be weaned out to give coal workers ample time to find new jobs in the growing renewable energy industries.”

[snip]

Grammer called for the national Inheritance Tax to be again lowered, this time by implementing a ratio rate of just 2% across the board, while Locke wanted more rich inheritors to pay a “much higher” rate than low-income inheritors. Locke took an even more assertive stance, however, on Corporate Tax rates and top Income Tax rates, which would be raised under Locke’s proposed economic plan.

[snip]

Grammer was seen as the victor of the night by a majority of polls, and this was understandable – the economy was on the rise, Grammer appeared willing to work with Democrats to pass legislation that would benefit both parties as well as most Americans, and while military bases overseas were re-opening, the U.S. was not at war with a single country.

– Tiffany Taliaferro’s Decision 2016: Grammar vs. Locke, Penguin Publishing, 2017



…The Vice Presidential debate on October 11, between Bob Casey Jr. and Harley Davidson Brown, was viewed as a missed opportunity both beforehand and retrospectively. While Casey got some jabs in by condemning the VP for past comments and “jokes” for their ability to offend, Brown got in more cuts by lambasting Casey’s voting record, which, after 25 years in the Senate, was extensive and sometimes contradictory. Post-debate polls showed that undecided voters had found Brown’s assertiveness and defense of his own positions to be more encouraging of his leadership abilities than Casey’s arguably milquetoast praising of Locke while shying away from the most conservative parts of his voting record; as a result, Brown was declared the “winner” of the debate.

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Pictured: Vice President Brown explains his "plan of attack" for addressing natural disasters; the "President" half of the "Vice President" label on his iconic biker jacket is visible from under his left arm

Casey’s lackluster debate performance revealed that Casey was a good candidate for the long-term goal of Vice President, but a poor candidate for the short-term position of running mate. While someone more dynamic like Governor Goldberg, a progressive firebrand like Monica Lewinsky, for even a “middle lane” politician like Sylvia Burwell, could have allegedly “run circles” around Harley Brown, Casey failed to leave an impact. Another reason for this was partially due to the debate highlighting more similarities between the two men than differences. For example, during the debate, Brown pointed out that he supported “responsible fracking,” while Senator Casey had voted against a ban on hydraulic fracking in 2006 and again in 2010 before shifting to an anti-fracking stance in 2012; the prodding reinforced the reservations that some progressive Democrats had had about supporting Casey for running mate back when his selection was announced earlier that year…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



MCCAIN TALKS FAMILY VALUES DURING RE-ELECTION BID AS POLLLS TIGHTEN

…Governor Barack “Rocky” McCain running on a more culture-based campaign theme this time around, touting his accomplishment in office but also backing socially conservative talking points such as “a strong country starts at home.” In one stump speech, McCain stated “if…we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that…too many fathers are…missing from too many lives and too many homes.” [8]

Comments Section:

>COMMENT 1:

Such a sellout smh

– themontanastandard.co.usa, 10/14/2016



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– Gary Locke on the campaign trail, 10/15/2016



LOCKE: “I understand that the potential for any additional expense is never welcomed by American businesses no matter how well the economy is performing. But in long run, the expansion of worker rights will cut employment costs for U.S. businesses, not expand them.”

[snip]

LOCKE: “Every year, some 12,000 high school students – many of them star students and leaders in their communities – are unable to go to college or get a good job because they have no legal status. We have to fix that.”

[snip]

GRAMMER: “This administration has taken a strong stance on the world stage, refusing to ignore the human rights violations that were unfolding in Sudan and helping Europe recover from the 2013 recession. If you re-elect me, the last four years of successful foreign policy will be followed by four more years of successful foreign policy.”

MODERATOR: “Thank you. Senator Locke, same question.”

LOCKE: “China must play by the international rules, the international trading system from which they’ve benefited so much. But the President’s tough act will not benefit anyone when the inevitable time comes for him to fully address the issue of jobs being outsourced to places like China and India. If the Chinese can’t buy U.S. products, they’ll buy them from European countries and then develop stronger economic ties with France and Germany and perhaps side more with those countries when international issues flare up. That is why we need a foreign policy that is welcoming to international collaboration and trade, and only firm when American and Global interests and benefits are directly at risk.”

[snip]

LOCKE: “We need the private sector to succeed, because if the private sector succeeds, America succeeds. Because it’s not the government that produces jobs, it’s the private sector. The Federal Jobs Guarantee program is not enough in ensure that the next generation is as innovative as the last several. There needs to be a balance of federal job creation and the federal government supporting the job creation found in the private sector.”

MODERATOR: “Mr. President, your response please.”

GRAMMER: “Gary, your policy makes no sense. You can’t support the private sector while at the same time suppressing it with red tape because that just doesn’t make any sense. Being pro-jobs and anti-business is like being pro-egg and anti-chicken!” [9]

[snip]

LOCKE: “If it means bringing democracy to China, we should welcome Chinese investment in the United States with open arms.”

CROWD: [mix of cheers and jeers]

– snippets from the Second Locke-Grammer Presidential Debate, 10/18/2016 [10]



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– President Kelsey Grammer standing at his podium during the Second Grammer-Locke debate, 10/17/2016



“Senator Gary Locke has the experience, the ideas, and the drive to make a great President – one that we can all be proud of!”

– former US President Walter Mondale, surrogate campaigner for the Locke/Casey’16 ticket, Charlotte, NC rally, 10/19/2016



Attendee Gavin CATO: “Mr. President, as someone who is of Guyanese descent, I have experienced racism and have twice survived attacks on my life because of the color of my skin. Since Senator Locke became a prominent figure in this race in January, hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased 11%. How would you address hatred during a second term?”

GRAMMER: “There is no acceptable level of violence, not a bit. If one moves the barrier of inactivity a bit each time a small transgression – a sneer, a dirty look – it welcomes a bit more aggressiveness – slurs, threats – and then more aggressions until someone ends up hurt or worse. It must be nipped in the bud, and I believe it can be. All of us must take seriously even small hints of hate, because slurs can lead to threats can lead pestering can led to assault. My administration has been actively opposing rumors against my opponent’s racial background from the start, and has always promoted the American principle of equality, and that will continue into a second Grammer administration, if that is what the voters want. This wave of attacks is part of a larger, more deeply seated issue, and so it requires a united front among all groups, liberal and conservative, young and old, all the faiths, all the classes, all the races, and businesses and schools. Now, Gary has confronted this issue as well and I commend his efforts to create healthy relationships with anti-hatred groups, and as President I have urged such groups to work with law enforcement, including the US Justice Department, and with prevention groups. We all must resolve our differences with discussion and reason, through words, through understanding, and expose and denounce hate crimes by getting to the press and telling them what’s what, by getting the word out. Do not give in to apathy or fear, stand strong for your neighbors, stay united for your community. Because, for all of their alleged flag-waving, true freedom-loving Americans fight hatred and violence, not their fellow Americans. My administration denounces and is ashamed of anyone spreading lies about Gary here, or about anyone with Asian ancestry, because this isn’t about this one election, this is about common decency. Mistreatment begets mistreatment. We are not barbarians, we are not haters, we are Americans. And we are better at getting along than the haters hope we are.”

LOCKE: “May I also say something?”

MODERATOR: “The President referred to you in his answer, so yes.”

LOCKE: “Thank you. I just want to say that the President’s efforts to curb the rise in hate crimes is commendable. The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks hundreds of active hate groups consisting of only a handful of people with just technet access to spread their vitriol, but the fact remains that roughly 95% of hate crimes are from not groups but from individuals, people driven by propaganda and misinformation. People forgotten or rejected, people who suffer from feelings of isolation or from mental illness. They need to know that hatred is not the answer. They need to know this because we cannot accept the unraveling of America’s rich culture. And we need to promote that culture at the community, state and national levels, because we all need to stay vigilant. We need to move from ‘thoughts and prayers’ to bolder action. When a hate crime occurs and nobody speaks up, then you have to speak up. Don’t make excuses for ignoring another’s misery; don’t say you’re too busy with your own life to care about someone else’s, because that doesn’t help; if anything, that worsens the problem. One great promotion that I have seen work in many places across this great country of ours is dinner clubs where there are no speakers but there is one and only one rule – sit next to someone you don’t know. It encourages people of different backgrounds to learn something that haters want people to be blind to: that we all want the same thing – to do what’s right, to do best by our families, to try to have good lives, to have liberty, and to pursue happiness.”

[snip]

Attendee Kevin Michael KOWALCYK: “Um, Mr. Senator, I will not be old enough to vote on Election Day, but will turn 18 on December 10, just 33 days afterwards, and before this election’s winner enters office. My home state of Wisconsin is holding a voter initiative this November; if passed, it will lower the voting age for state-level elections to 17. As President, would you support an adjustment to the 25th Amendment to allow people like me, who will turn 18 before the inauguration but not before the election, to vote in said election?”

LOCKE: “I would, because in America, the circumstances of your birth should never be held against you. In America, it should not matter where you were born or into what class you were born, or even when you were born. If you are an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, then a technicality like that should not inhibit your ability to participate in the democratic process.”

– snippets from the Locke-Grammer Presidential Debate/Town Hall Event, Saturday, 10/22/2016



POLL: Grammer Considered The “Winner” Of Yesterday’s Town Hall Debate, 48%-45%, 7% Unsure

– Gallup, 10/23/2016



FUNDRAISING SPECS: Locke, Closing In On Grammer, Still Lags Behind

– nationalreview.co.usa, 10/25/2016 e-report



LATEST FISCAL QUARTERS HIGHLIGHT MARKET REBOUND

…with the economy going strong and seemingly getting stronger, investors are returning to the stock market…

The Wall Street Journal, 10/26/2016



TULSI: Running For U.S. President To Break Up The U.S.?

…Tulsi Gabbard, the 35-year-old daughter of former Hawaiian Governor Mike Gabbard, is a usually-Republican perennial candidate from Hawaii who is of Samoan ancestry. For some reason, she is running for President this year on a pro-Samoa statehood ticket. Running almost exclusively in Hawaii and the west coast, where Samoan population is highest, Tulsi may be hoping to deadlock the Electoral College in order to play kingmaker in a contingent election, and give the Presidency to whichever candidate will pledge to hold a referendum on the subject. However, such trouble would probably all be for naught, as the latest poll concerning A.S. independence (taken in 2013, at the height of the Unlucky Recession) showed that only 17% of American Samoans supported the idea of independence. So perhaps she is running to try and increase those numbers...

– minorpartiesmatter.co.usa, 10/27/2016



GRAMMER: 46%
LOCKE: 45%
MCMILLAN: 3%
OTHER: 1%
UNDECIDED: 4%

– Gallup poll, 10/28/2016



HOME STRETCH: Candidates Touring Several Swing States In Election’s Final Days

Associated Press, 10/29/2016



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[pic: imgur.com/FGflAzU.png ]

– American voters wait in line at dusk at a polling station in Little Rock, Arkansas to vote in the 2016 elections, 11/8/2016



“…As the first handful of states begin to close their polling stations, the US national voter turnout is projected to be about the same as it was in 2012, with an expected increase in Asian-American voter turnout likely cancelling out the many libertarians, progressives, and hardline sitting out the race. Both parties are hoping for this election to not end up having another 'second-place winner' situation…”

– CBS Evening News, 11/8/2016 broadcast



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[pic: imgur.com/g8iGPZF.png ]

…one state elector from New York publicly attempted to vote for the McMillan/Capozzi ticket but was not allowed to do so due to a state law…

Tickets:

Pres. A. Kelsey Grammer (CA) / VP Harley Davidson Brown (ID) (Republican) – 74,652,995 (49.21%)

US Sen. Gary F. Locke (WA) / Robert Patrick “Bob” Casey Jr. (PA) (Democratic) – 68,235,963 (44.98%)

NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan (NY) / Fmr US Rep. John J. Capozzi Jr. (PO) (various) – 4,323,533 (2.85%)

Fmr Nat. Green Party Chair Richard “Rich” Whitney (IL) / Fmr state rep. Della Coburn (AK) (Green (endorsed by Natural Mind)) – 2,472,757 (1.63%)

Fmr US Rep. Steve Stockman (TX) / Ms. Joy Waymire (IA) (replaced Dr. Marc Allen Feldman (OH)) (Liberty (endorsed by Boulder)) – 1,016,409 (0.67%)

Dr. Bruce Maccabee (VT) / Dr. Steven Earl Jones (UT) (Bigfoot (Truth on 3 state ballots) (endorsed by Defense/Exposure)) – 394,428 (0.26%)

Fmr state Lands Dir. Walt Bayes (ID) / Mr. Tom Hoefling (IA) (Values-Salvation fusion ticket (endorsed by Country)) – 288,236 (0.19%)

Fmr state rep. Tulsi Tamayo (HI) / Mr. Patrick Anthony Ockander (TX) (American Samoan Independence) – 182,043 (0.12%)

All other votes – 136,537 (0.09%)

Total Votes – 151,702,896 (100.0%)

– clickopedia.co.usa [11]



"Huh. Maybe I should have picked Monica Lewinsky for Running Mate after all."

– Gary Locke, 11/9/2016 (allegedly)



…While some Democratic figures blamed Moore’s lack of enthusiasm for the Locke/CODEY ticket for its loss in Michigan, Moore blamed the collapse of Democratic support among the Midwestern states on Locke’s uninspiring campaign, which he claimed “was more about keeping things business-as-usual than about any actual improvements.” The Overmyer Network’s Kevin Jeys reported that the high turnout for third party candidates was the result of the ballot access reforms of the past decade combined with media outlets covering the more “catchy” elements of their campaigns…

…The distribution of former Goetzite voters was scattered across several candidates (primarily Bayes, Stockman, Grammer and even McMillan), while former Ross backers and Moore supporters who refused to vote for Locke and instead voted for McMillan and Whitney. This voting trend resulted in making this election the first in US history to see the top five candidates for President each receive at least 1million votes...

…Down ballot, the election night saw more state referendums favor voter reform, allowing RCV to inch closer to becoming a reality. However, the clear and decisive win that Grammer had received made EC Reform backers fear that momentum would be lost, with the aforementioned Jeys observing that “the process of the Electoral College did in fact work this time. …Never underestimate the sheer raw power of American Forgetfulness”...

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



THE STRANGE CASE OF THE “BIGFOOT” POLITICAL PARTY

…Of the many “also-runs” covered on this site, perhaps the most peculiar one is The Bigfoot Party, a fringe spin-off of Jason Buck’s conservative Strong Party ticket from the 2012 Presidential election cycle. The Strong Party, which was itself a branch-off of the Boulder Party founded by former US Senator and Boulder, Colorado-based businessman Bernie Goetz founded in 2008, acquired the nickname “the party of Bigfoot” due to Buck’s running mate claiming to have spotted a UFO in 2006. In early 2016, after the collapse of the Strong Party in 2015, 29 former Buck supporters convened in Hurricane, West Virginia to establish a political party that fully embraced and politicized the paranormal in the hopes of raising awareness of what they called “troubling theories” of the world, such as “chemtrails,” UFO sightings, ontech rumors alleging China’s government was planning to take over the world, and the global power of the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food franchise allegedly being linked to The Illuminati through the Freemasons.

The Bigfoot Party, named after the iconic humanoid creature allegedly roaming around in the American Pacific Northwest, contained a platform calling for the complete disclosure of all government and military secrets, the establishing of open trade relations with hospitable inhabited planets, and the funding of expeditions to remote locations on Earth, including the North and South Poles and the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to search for a variety of alleged lost items and places. Listed as the Truth ticket on three state ballots, the Bigfoot Party founders knew they would not win the White House, so they defined “victory” by the number of people they could reach and influence. A party fit for any conspiracy theorist, Bigfooters relied heavy on the technet for media attention and gathering donations.

Amid obtaining ballot access (ultimately in 23 states, with official write-in access being obtained and recognized in an additional 17 states) the party searched for a Presidential candidate and a Vice President candidate. Prominent ufologist and conspiracy theorist James Farrell Marrs Jr. of Texas endorsed the party but declined interest in running on either part of their ticket, citing a decline in health. With deadlines fast approaching, the lack of any prominent takers ultimately led to the party selecting its two most prominent co-founders – doctors Bruce Maccabee of Vermont and Steven Earl Jones of Utah – as their Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, the party did not do well in the general election, receiving less than .5% of the vote. While some supporters of the party claimed that the low results were due to voter suppression, most dismissed these notions due to the Maccabee/Jones having made some appearances on some news outlets in September, when their campaign advertisements went fervid ontech…

– minorpartiesmatter.co.usa



November United States Senate election results, 2016

Date: November 8, 2016
Seats: 34 of 104
Seats needed for majority: 53

New Senate majority leader: Webb Franklin (R-MS)
New Senate minority leader: Midge Osterlund (D-PA)

Seats before election: 52 (R), 51 (D), 1 (I)
Seats after election: 58 (R), 45 (D), 1 (I)
Seat change: R ^ 6, D v 6, I - 0

Full List:

Alabama: Young Boozer (R) over incumbent Doug Jones (D)

Alaska: incumbent J. R. Myers (R) over Jacob Seth Kern (D)

Arizona: incumbent Jan Brewer (R) over Gary Swing (D/Green) and Kelli Ward (Bigfoot)

Arkansas: Adrienne Elrod (R) over Dan Whitfield (D); incumbent F. Winford Boozman III (R) retired

California: incumbent Mike Gravel (D) over Sarah Elizabeth Cupp (R) and James “Kamala” Harris (Green)

Colorado: Penfield Tate III (D) over Peggy Littleton (R); incumbent Mark Udall (D) retired

Connecticut: incumbent William Tong (D) over August Wolf (R)

Florida: incumbent Gus Bilirakis (R) over Bolley L. “Bo” Johnson (D)

Georgia: incumbent Herman Cain (R) over Robby Wells (D)

Hawaii: Colleen Hanabusa (D) over Cam Cavasso (R) and Joy Allison (Country); incumbent appointee Irene Hirano Inouye (D) retired

Idaho: incumbent Carlos Bilbao (R) over Walt Minnick (D)

Illinois: incumbent Sheila Simon (D) over Judy Koehler (R)

Indiana: Brian C. Bosma (R) over incumbent Evan Bayh (D)

Iowa: incumbent Robert Lee Vander Plaats (R) over Rob Hogg (D) and Ray Zirkelbach (I)

Kansas: incumbent Bob Dole (R) over Patrick Wiesner (D)

Kentucky: Charles Merwin “Trey” Grayson III (R) over Tom Recktenwald (D); incumbent Daniel Mongiardo (D) retired

Louisiana: Charles E. “Chas” Roemer IV (R) over incumbent Chris John (D)

Maryland: Rand Beers (D) over Kathy Szeliga (R); incumbent Barbara Mikulski (D) retired

Missouri: David A. Catania (R) over Susan Montee (D); incumbent Wayne Cryts (D) retired

Nevada: incumbent Dina Titus (D) over Tyrus O. “Ty” Cobb (R)

New Hampshire: incumbent Ted Gatsas (R) over Carol Shea-Porter (D)

New York: incumbent Allyson Schwartz (D) over Larry Kudlow (R) and Vito Russo (I)

North Carolina: incumbent Rand Paul (R) over Deborah Ross (D)

North Dakota: incumbent Kelly Schmidt (R) over Joel C. Heitkamp (D)

Ohio: incumbent Randy Brock (R) over Joyce Beatty (D)

Oklahoma: incumbent Evelyn Rogers (R) over Mike Workman (D) and Dax Ewbank (Liberty)

Oregon: incumbent Walter Leslie “Les” AuCoin (D) over Faye Stewart (R) and Shanti Lewallen (Working Families)

Pennsylvania: incumbent Bob Casey Jr. (D) over Lou Barletta (Country) and William Scranton III (R)

South Carolina: incumbent Sherry Sealy Martschink (R) over Laurie Funderburk (D)

South Dakota: Gordon K. Howie (R) over Bernie Hunhoff (D); incumbent Teresa McGovern (D) retired

Utah: Shawn Bradley (R) over Jonathan Swinton (D); incumbent Lyle Hillyard (R) retired

Vermont: incumbent William Sorrell (D) over H. Brooke Paige (R) and Cris Ericson (I)

Washington: incumbent Gary Locke (D) over Steve Litzow (R)

Wisconsin: incumbent Bronson La Follette (D) over Dick Linenkugel (R)

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



United States House of Representatives results, 2016

Date: November 8, 2016
Seats: All 441
Seats needed for majority: 221

New House majority leader: H. Dargan McMaster (R-SC)
New House minority leader: Ed Markey (D-MA) (incumbent Barbara B. Kennelly (D-CT) retired)

Last election: 225 (R), 216 (D)
Seats won: 232 (R), 209 (D)
Seat change: R ^ 7, D v 7

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



United States Governor election results, 2016

Date: November 8, 2016
Number of state gubernatorial elections held: 12

Seats before: 25 (R), 25 (D), 1 (I), 1 (G)
Seats after: 29 (R), 21 (D), 1 (I), 1 (G)
Seat change: R ^ 4, D v 4, I - 0, G - 0

Full list:

Delaware: Stephanie Hansen (D) over Lacey Lafferty (R); incumbent Jack Carney (D) retired

Indiana: incumbent John R. Gregg (D) over Allen Lucas Messer (R) and Thomas McDermott Jr. (Rent Regulation)

Missouri: Thomas A. “Tom” Schweich (R) over Chris Koster (D); incumbent Perry B. Clark (D) retired

Montana: incumbent Barack “Rocky” McCain (R) over Bill McChesney (D)

New Hampshire: Darryl W. Perry (R) over Andrew Hosmer (D); incumbent Rushern L. Baker III (D) retired

North Carolina: incumbent Helen Elizabeth “Beth” Garrett (D) over Clyde Robert Brawley (R)

North Dakota: Jasper Schneider (R) over Ryan Taylor (D); incumbent Heidi Heitkamp (D) retired

Puerto Rico: Raul Labrador (R) over David Bernier (D) and Manuel Cidre (I); incumbent Hector Luis Acevedo (D) retired

Utah: incumbent Robert Wood Young (R) over James “Jimmy The Greek” Dabakis (D)

Vermont: incumbent Jeffrey “Jeff” Weaver (D) over Bruce Lisman (R) and Bill “Spaceman” Lee (Liberty Union)

Washington: Krist Novoselic (D) over Susan Hutchison (R); incumbent Lisa J. Simpson (D) retired

West Virginia: incumbent Charlotte Pritt (D) over Erikka Lynn Storch (R)

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



INCOMING FRESHMAN U.S. CONGRESPERSONS HAVE BIG PLANS FOR “RESHAPING” AMERICA

…Colorado’s Mary Lou Makepeace (R) will be the US’s oldest-ever freshman Representative, entering office in January at the age of 76. …Robert Portman is returning to congress after losing re-election in 2014; he won his first term back in 2004, best incumbent Bob Taft in the GOP primary due to Taft facing years of financial scandals. …Voters in Oregon elected new Representatives: Gail R. Shibley (D), an openly BLUTAG progressive lawmaker; Rod Monroe (D), having staged an impressive political comeback; Steve Novick (D), a “New Jersey ex-pat” strongly backing RCV reform; and Vicki Walker (D), who won in an even greater landslide than expected. …In Indiana, the state’s next youngest Representative, Eddie Melton (D, age 35) is succeeding the oldest lawmaker in the House. Joe Newman (D, b. 1913), who turns 104 on January 13, 2017, was a champion of schools for the mentally ill who “directly assisted with the initial launch of…Social Security” and lived through the Great Depression; he leaves office after serving for 15 terms/30 years, having maintained a record of opposing “special interests,” defending Medicare and then UHC, and fighting to eliminate poverty for the wealthiest nation on Earth. …outgoing Mayor and former Public Safety Advocate Scott Lindsay (R) of Seattle wants to see higher-quality recreadrug addiction facilities nationwide…

The Washington Post, 11/15/2016



FRITZ’S FOODS: Mondale Family Publishes Family Recipes

The man loves to cook. It all started on fishing trips where his buddies taught him how to pan-fry his catch. He progressed onward and upward to such heights as Turkey Dressing and Pumpkin Bread for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Fritz says that for him cooking is a way to relax. The Mondale's winter holidays are traditional family affairs

The former President still, as always, makes the Turkey Dressing for these holiday get-together. It's an old-fashioned dressing of traditional style, and with some familial renown, mind you. His secret to stuffing greatness is dry, day old, hot dog buns. The buns are very important. Fritz says regular bread simply won't do.

Fritz's Turkey Dressing

1 1/2 doz. day old hot dog or hamburger buns
1 cup (two sticks) butter
3 medium onions, chopped
3 cups celery with tops, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 to 3 tbsp. leaf sage, crumbled
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups boiling water
2 eggs

The buns should be quite dry. Leave them out overnight or dry them in a very slow oven at about 250 degrees. Crumble the buns into a large bowl, there should be about twelve cups. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the onions and the celery. Saute slowly until tender, about fifteen minutes. Add to the crumbled buns, along with the salt, pepper and sage. Add the bouillon cubes to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl and stir into the dressing. Add enough of the chicken broth to make a moist mixture. Stuff the turkey cavity lightly with the dressing. Spoon any extra dressing into a buttered casserole. Spoon a little extra chicken broth over the top and bake uncovered or covered with the turkey during the last half hour of roasting.

Fritz's Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. salt
1 2/3 cups flour, sifted
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup chopped dates

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the sugar, soda baking powder, spices, salt, and pre-sifted flour. Add the eggs, oil, pumpkin, and water and mix with a beater. Stir in the nuts and dates. Pour into two greased nine-by five inch pans and bake for about one hour and thirty minutes. Start testing after one hour. Loaves may be frozen up to two months.

– betterliving.co.usa, 11/18/2016 article [12]



MARY KAY BERGMAN REVEALS WHO ELSE CAMEOS IN UPCOMING DISNEY FLICK!

…Disney’s “Stoneflight” hits theaters June 30, 2017…

The Hollywood Reporter, 11/21/2016



MEET THE LINCOLN LOG REPUBLICANS HEADING TO CONGRESS

…Representative-Elect Paul Babeu (R-MA), age 47, was elected to North Adams, MA City Council at the age of 18, then served as Berkshire County MA commissioner from 1992 to 1996, when he resigned to successfully run for a state senate seat in that year’s “red wave” of GOP victories. After roughly a decade in the state senate, he served as the Mayor of North Adams from 2006 to 2014. Babeu supports the movement to use the NIA to hold a national vote on implementing RCV in all 50 states for use in US Presidential elections… …Christopher R. Barron (R-ME), age 43, is the conservative political lobbyist who cofounded “GOProud” in 2009; he supports using congressional districts for the allocating of Electoral College votes in US Presidential elections…

The Huffington Post, 11/29/2016



“Americans are very easygoing people. If the added attention and great visibility that I have been able to generate can help open doors and expose more Chinese to American values and the American way of life, that is great.” [13]

– US Senator Gary Locke (D-WA) at the US-China Forum on Arts and Culture, Asia Society Center, Potomac, 12/7/2016




LANDSLIDE CRUSHES BALLS!

…PM Ed Balls, in office since 10 October 2015, was defeated in a landslide election tonight, with the Labour party losing majority and the Tories returning to majority control. This means that our next Prime Minister will be our former Prime Minister, Tory leader Alastair Goodlad. Goodlad led his party to victory over Balls as well as over Wera Hobhouse (leader of the Liberal Democrats), Blair Jenkins (leader of the Scottish People’s party), and Caroline Lucas (leader of the Green party), with all four of those parties losing seats…

The Guardian, 12/12/2016



…In international news, the incumbent President of United Turkestan has lost re-election amid underwater approval ratings. Roza Otunbayeva of the Social Democratic party, who entered office in 2011, lost her bid for a third three-year term to Muhammad Salih of Uzbekistan of the Prosperity party over growing disapproval of her subjectively high taxation policies. Salih, upon entering office on the fifth of January 2017, will be the nation’s first president from the region of Uzbekistan since would-be dictator President Islam Karimov served from 2006 until his assassination in 2008. However, in stark contrast to Karimov, and according to all major international election fraud watchdog groups who observed the election process, Salih ran a legitimate campaign and, for safe measure repeatedly, distanced himself from Karimov by condemning the former leader’s oppressive government multiple times while on the campaign trail…

– BBC World News, 14/12/2016 broadcast



MIKE STEPOVICH, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR, DIES AT 98

…the moderate Republican was the GOP’s 1972 nominee for Vice President of the United States… …Stepovich passed away less than a month after his 98th birthday from natural causes [14]

The New York Times, 12/15/2016



GRAMMER WELCOMES PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES TO THE US

…Dr. Luis A. G. Tagle (b. 1957), the President of the Philippines since 2015, will be taken on a tour of several agricultural and industrial centers across the United States…

The Washington Post, 12/18/2016



…The Sanders family reunion of Christmas 2016 was one of our more memorable get-togethers because on Christmas Eve, Cousin Darrell from the Winger side of the family finally proposed to his girlfriend-turned-fiancé, making Christmas more jubilant and exciting than usual for the adults. …Naturally, Josephine Wurster, the “head” of the family, was overjoyed with the union…

– Tabitha Louisa Sanders’ Growing Up Under Chicken, Sunrise Publishers, 2021



The Family Tree of Harland David Sanders

COL. HARLAND DAVID SANDERS (1890-1990), m. Josephine King (1909-1947, div.), then Claudia Price (1948-his death)

> Margaret Josephine Sanders (1910-2001), m. James Trigg Adams (1930-1975, div.)

> > Col. Harland Morrison Adams (1932-2014), m. Donna Smith (1954-his death)

> > > Tiffany Donna Adams (b. 1956), m. Winthrop Paul “Win” Rockefeller (1980-his death, 2006)

> > > > Jonathan Harmon Rockefeller (b. 1981), m. Pamela Ashley Brown (2008-present)

> > > > > Beverley David Thomas Rockefeller (b. 2009)

> > > Rhett James Adams (b. 1958), m. Isabella Gutierrez (1978-present)

> > > > Rockerby Buzzsaw Adams (b. 1979), m. Grace Bullock (1996-present)

> > > > > Thatch Yarborough Adams (b. 1997)

> > > > > > Grace Harmony Adams (b. 2015)

> > > > Eleanor Buttercup Adams (b. 1981)

> > Josephine Frances Adams (b. 1936), m. Col. John Joseph Wurster Sr. (1955-his death, 2011)

> > > Cindy Wurster Sjogren (b. 1955)

> > > John Joseph Wurster Jr. (b. 1957), m. Melissa Jackson (1985-present)

> > > > John Joseph Wurster III (b. 1987)

> > > Cynthia Josephine Wurster (b. 1959), m. Hal Heiner (1980-present)

> > > > Claudia Heiner (b. 1981)

> > > > > Sunshine Heiner (b. 2002)

> > > Harland James Wurster (b. 1961), m. Holly Garmen (1979-present)

> > > > Harland James Wurster Jr. (b. 1980)

> > > Christopher Francis Wurster (b. 1971), m. Brittany Murphy (1997-present)

> > > > Apollo Court Wurster-Murphy (b. 1999)

> > > > Artemis Fowl Wurster-Murphy (b. 2001)

> > James Trigg Adams III (b. 1939), m. Geraldine Brown (1963-her death, 2014)

> > > Maryanne Gladys Adams (b. 1964)

> > > William Scranton Adams (b. 1966), m. Sally Darrin

> > > > William Scranton Adams Jr. (b. 1991) m. Arista Newson

> > > > > Katherine Jasmine Adams-Newson (b. 2015)

> > > > Margaret Hillary Adams (b. 1994), m. John McKinney

> > > > Joan Marianne Adams (b. 1996), m. Ernest van der Poole

> Col. Harland David “Harley” Sanders Jr. (1912-2007), m. Evelyn Smith (1935-1949, div.), then Venus Ramey (1952-his death)

> > Harland David “Lando” Sanders III (b. 1939), m. Candy Smith

> > > Col. Harland David (“Lando Jr.,” later “Davey”) Sanders IV (b. 1959), m. Stella Haynes

> > > > Marlene Maureen Sanders (b. 1984), m. Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy III (2006-present)

> > > > > Harland Sanders Kennedy (b. 2008)

> > > > > Mildred Marie Kennedy (b. 2011)

> > > > Harland David “Vinnie” Sanders V (b. 1985), m. Maria Gomez (2014-present)

> > > > > Harland David “Lando III” Sanders VI (b. 2014)

> > > Anna Mae Francis Sanders (b. 1961)

> > > Tabitha Louisa Sanders (b. 1964), m. Peter Huntsman (1989-present)

> > > > John Paul Huntsman (b. 1990), m. Sheila Smalls (2007-present)

> > > > > Jonathan Huntsman II (b. 2008)

> > > > > Jefferson Huntsman (b. 2011)

> > > > > Allen Davidson Huntsman (b. 2013)

> > April Sanders (b. 1940), m. Jefferson Davis Johnson (1967-2011, div.)

> > > May Donna Johnson (b. 1968), m. John Albert Chandler (2002-present)

> > > > June Frances Chandler (b. 1971), m. Nicholas Cage (1993-1997, div.), then Christopher Charles Cuomo (2001-present)

> > > > > Lois Lane Cage (b. 1994), m. Thomas Miller (2015-present)

> > > > > > John Wayne Miller (b. 2016)

> > > > > July Matilda “Julie” Cuomo (b. 2003)

> > > > > Lawrence Wetherby Cuomo (b. 2005)

> > > > John Albert Chandler Jr. (b. 1973), m. Holly Thompson (b. 1998)

> > > > > John Albert Chandler III (b. 1999)

> > Clarice Augustine Sanders (b. 1942), m. Marvin Winger (1967-his death, 2002)

> > > Chelsea Rachel Winger (b. 1968), m. Marcus LeMarr Allen (1992-2010, div.)

> > > > Tiberius Noonian Allen (b. 1993), m. Leslie Wall (m. 2013)

> > > > > LeMarr Colonel Allen (b. 2014)

> > > James Jones Winger (b. 1970), m. Martha Frank (m. 2011)

> > > > Harland Price Winger (b. 2012)

> > > Darrell Harvey Winger (b. 1977)

> Mildred Marie Sanders (1919-2010), m. John F. Ruggles Jr. (1937-1983, div.)

> > Marlona Ruggles Ice (b. 1938), m. Daniel Ice (1962-present)

> > > Harland Ice (b. 1964), m. Teresa Mayfield (1989-1995, div.)

> > > > Josephine Daytona Mayfield Ice (b. 1991)

> > > Samantha Matilda Ice (b. 1966), m. August Laffoon (1992-present)

> > > > David Denney Laffoon (b. 1993), m. Katherine Hardin (2015-present)

> > > > Sally Beatrice Laffoon (b. 1995)

> > > > Michelle Eliza Laffoon (b. 1998)

> > John F. Ruggles III (1942-2015), m. Vivian Rickman Whalen (1972-his death)

> > > Elizabeth Ruggles Murl (b. 1974), m. John Pitchford (1995-present)

> > > > Caetlyn Sistrunk Christian Pitchford Paz (b. 1997)

> > > > Katherine Grace Pitchford (b. 2000)

– lineage.co.usa, c. December 2016 [15]



When the Pinnacle was launched in 2008 during the christening ceremony the bottle of champagne that they christen a ship with during the launching bounced off of her side. The snipe had been in numerous smaller collisions such as going too fast in port and getting caught in a gust and scraping on another ship. What happened between Corsica and Sardinia was nasty due to it happening on January 13th, 2017. It was a Friday the 13th.[16]

– Marjorie Hollis, former passenger of the Pinnacle, BBC segment, 1/13/2022 anniversary report




…The strait of Bonifacio lies between the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia. At 11km, or 6.835 miles in width, it was large enough for even the world’s largest shipping vessels to not have to pass through one at a time. And yet, just after 1:20 P.M. of January 13, 2017, two cruise ships from rival cruise line companies – the Carnival Pinnacle mega-ship, and a slightly smaller cruise ship, Spain’s Pullmantur Cruises Sirena – each attempted to do a “sail-by salute” (a ceremonial activity in which a boat sails very close to a shoreline to honk its horn in a tradition pleasing to cruise-takers) off the coast of Santa Teresa Gallura, Sardinia, at the same time. The Pinnacle was sailing from east, and the Sirena was sailing west.

Wanting to get in front of the Sirena for a “clear” salute, the Captain instructs the helmsman to get 457 meters, or 1,500 feet, close to the shoreline. Concurrently, the Sirena’s Captain, not wanting to be outdone by a rival company out of fear that he could be reprimanded for costing the passengers a traditional salute, orders his ship’s helmsman to get in front of the Pinnacle…

…The Captain of the Pinnacle had previously worked on a fishing trawler for a company based in Somalia before joining the ship’s crew in 2010, and then quickly rose in rank, while its helmsman had initially worked in the engine room of a smaller vessel just five years earlier...

– Georgina Giannacoli’s Playing Cruise Chicken, Borders Books, 2020



FIRST OFFICER: “They’re trying to get in front of us. Slow our speed!”

CAPTAIN: “No, increase speed.”

SECOND OFFICER: “Captain, we could just do a drive-by at Porto Cervo; it’s the next coastal city we’re sailing past anyway!”

CAPTAIN: “And deny this snapshot moment to the ticket-paying people onboard? Think of the complaints, man!”

HELMSMAN: “Uh, aren’t ships supposed to pass each other on the right?”

SECOND OFFICER: “We’re coming in too fast and we’re getting too close to the coastline!”

NAVIGATOR: “Captain, we’re getting dangerously close to the shallow water line.”

FIRST OFFICER: “Slow our speed!”

CAPTAIN: “They’re really refusing to get out of our way. This is a game of chicken to them, isn’t it?”

SECOND OFFICER: “No Captain, they can’t get out of the way just like we can’t.”

CAPTAIN: “Yes we can! Alright, we’ll let them pass. Turn to 335! A Sharp turn to the left!”

HELMSMAN: “Left?”

CAPTAIN: “Right.”

HELMSMAN: “Right, okay.”

FIRST OFFICER: “No!”

[grinding sound]

HELMSMAN: “Wait, our right or their right?”

FIRST OFFICER: “We’re about to hit them!”

SECOND OFFICER: "Brace for impact!"

CAPTAIN: “Starboard, you fool!”

HELMSMAN: “Starboard?”

[inaudible dialogue, shouting]

[Crashing sound]

HELMSMAN: “Whoops.”

– audio recording from security device onboard The Pinnacle, installed on the main deck in 2015 after an undisclosed incident, recorded 1/13/2017 (released 7/5/2020)



…Although they collided into each other at a slow speed, the impact significantly damaged both vessels. Almost immediately, the ships’ engine rooms reported that gigantic proportions of water were pouring into the lower decks from the impact zones (for each vessel, it was the starboard side of the bow that had practically scraped its way into that of the other vessel), and were soon followed by reports of engine failure.

Less than sixty seconds after a “double-header” collision in shallow rock-filled waters, damage to the lower decks causes incoming seawater to paralyze the engines, shutting down all power in both ships, including lights, water pumps and rudder control. The Pinnacle was taking on water in three compartments, the Sirena in four. They were sinking.

Both captains tacitly gave out the orders to abandon ship.

What happened in the minutes and hours that followed are filled with contradictory reports, which will be studied this book. The general themes of this infamous day, however, were panic, fear, chaos, and blame. Half the crew of the Pinnacle wanted to coordinate with the crew of the Sirena, while the Captain and others blamed the Sirena for the collision and refused to work with them during the crisis…

– Georgina Giannacoli’s Playing Cruise Chicken, Borders Books, 2020



CRUISE SHIPS CRASH OFF SARDINIAN SHORE

…already, one of the ships is tilting slightly as it sinks to the bottom of the coastal waters. …Neither ship is small enough or far enough out to sea to sink below the water level…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 1/13/2017 “breaking news” e-alert



…with the Harbor Master of Santa Teresa Gallura stepping in to oversee the hectic and uncoordinated evacuation procedures on both vessels, nearly all of the passengers and crew departed the ships before both began to list. The Pinnacle would become stuck in the seabed at an almost perfect 45% angle, while the listing of the Sirena, which was 60% underwater, was to a notably less severe angle. Out of 3,300 Pinnacle passengers and 2,100 Sirena passengers, 12 died, all by drowning, and 71 suffered non-fatal injuries.

The Pinnacle-Sirena Collision was the largest cruise ship disaster since the Titanic. By the dawn of January 14, the crisis itself was over, but the investigations into the actions of the crew before, during and after the collision and evacuations were only beginning…

– Georgina Giannacoli’s Playing Cruise Chicken, Borders Books, 2020



“By making the present bright, we make the vision of the future an even brighter reality. …With a clear mandate from the people of America, it appears that our work in Washington, D.C. is only half-way done!”

– US President Kelsey Grammer, 1/20/2017 inauguration



THE KELSEY GRAMMER ADMINISTRATION AT {THE START} OF {2017}

Vice President: former Governor Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID)

CABINET

Secretary of State: campaign advisor and former Dean of Stanford University’s Institute for International Studies Richard L. Morningstar (R-NY)

Secretary of the Treasury: former US Senator William Floyd “Bill” Weld (R-MA)

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury: former Democratic Party of Maryland Treasurer Osman “Oz” Bengur (D-MD)

Secretary of Defense: USAA Chairman, US Air Force Colonel (ret.), retired NASA astronaut and former US Air Force test pilot Eileen Collins (I-TX)

Deputy Secretary of Defense: Lawyer and general counsel for the US Veterans’ Affairs Department Ivan Kenneth Fong (I-PO)

Attorney General: former state Attorney General, former District Attorney and former Assistant District Attorney Susana Martinez (R-NM)

Deputy Attorney General: lawyer and state attorney general Boyd Rutherford (R-MD)

Postmaster General: former US Attorney General, former US Senator, former Administrator of the National Roadways Safety Administration, former US Transportation Secretary, former EPA Administrator and former US Labor Secretary Ralph Nader (I-CT)

Secretary of the Interior: former Governor Gary Johnson (R-NM)

Secretary of Agriculture: former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and former US Representative Martha Bueno (R-FL)

Secretary of Commerce: US Senator and former Governor Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R-TN)

Deputy Secretary of Commerce: state Attorney General and former state Inspector General Timothy L. DeFoor (R-PA)

Secretary of Labor: former US Representative Steven Craig Gunderson (R-WI)

Secretary of Education: former Dean of Texas A&M and former state Secretary of Education Margo Spellings (R-TX)

Secretary of Health and Humane Services: former US Representative Michelle Eunjoo Park Steel (R-CA)

Secretary of Transportation: US Representative Tim Scott (R-SC)

Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs: Dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Dr. Julie Story Byerley (I-NC)

Secretary of Energy and Technology: outgoing US Ambassador to United Korea, historian and former Oberlin College professor Sheila Miyoshi Jager (I-OH)

Secretary of Community Development: physician and former Marstronaut Patricia Consolatrix Hilliard “Doc” Robertson (R-PA)

CABINET-LEVEL POSITIONS

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Deputy CIA Director and former CIA operations officer Evan McMullin (R-UT)

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): outgoing CIA Director and US Marine Corps Commander (ret.) Winsome Sears (R-VA)

US Trade Representative: US Representative Allen Fung (R-RI)

Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA): former Governor Dave Ramsey (R-TN)

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Administrator of the California Environmental Protection Agency Terry Tamminen (D-CA)

Administrator of the Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency (ODERCA): former Gov. Martha Rainville (R-MS)

THE PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE OFFICE

White House Chief of Staff: Deputy WH Chief of Staff and former gubernatorial Deputy Chief of Staff Patricia Clarey (R-CA)

Deputy White House Chief of Staff: Counselor to The President and former campaign Chief of Staff Paul Wachter (I-PO)

Counselor to the President: former US Representative and attorney Nancy Lord (R-SC)

Chief Domestic Policy Advisor: healthcare advocate and former nurse Renee Amoore (R-NY)

Chief Economic Policy Advisor: venture capitalist and former securities analyst Mary Meeker (I-IN)

Chief Foreign Policy Advisor: Kansas-born Iranian-American energy lecturer Rob Sobhani (R-MD)

Chief National Security Advisor: Seattle Chief of Police, former Los Angeles Chief of Police, and former Boston Police Commissioner William J. Bratton (D-WA)

Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Harvard University economics professor Kenneth Rogoff (I-CT)

Director of the Domestic Policy Council: former US Deputy HHS Secretary and former Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Claude Allen (R-PA)

Other Counselors, Advisors, and Key Personnel: speechwriter Peter Grigsby and John Decker; finance professor Murray Sabrin (R-NJ); political advisor, newspaper columnist/publisher, and former US Senator Ron Paul (R-TX); attorney Jason Ravnsborg (R-SD); economist Frederic Mishkin; staffers Mona Mohammadi, Karen Baker, Daniel Zingale, and Gary Delsohn

White House Communications Director: campaign communications director Amy Michaels (I-PO)

Deputy White House Communications Director: campaign communications deputy director Roberta Sussman (I-PO)

White House Appointments Secretary: campaign appointments secretary and hemophilia awareness advocate Ryan Wayne White (R-IN)

White House Press Secretary: campaign Chief of Protocol Charlotte Schultz (I-CA)

OTHER MEMBERS

Solicitor General (representative of the Federal Government before the Supreme Court): attorney and constitutional law professor Pasquale Cipollone (R-KY)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: former US Secretary of the Army and former Governor Hudson Holliday (R-MS)

US Navy Admiral and Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Derwood Clayiborne “D.C.” Curtis (I-IL)

Secretary of the Army: Governor David Woods (R-AL)

Secretary of the Navy: US Navy Admiral James George Stavridis (I-PO)

Federal Reserve Chairman: outgoing Solicitor General and former US Representative Tom Campbell (R-CA)

Director of NASA: Deputy NASA Director Jeffrey Bezos (I-AZ)

NOTABLE AMBASSADORS

To the United Nations: outgoing US Ambassador to Russia, former Los Angeles Chief of Police and libertarian political activist Norma Jean Almodovar (L-CA)

To Argentina: former Treasurer of the US Bay Buchanan (R-VA)

To Australia: former US Representative and former Crabb, TX Mayor Brian Christopher Zimmerman (R-TX)

To Brazil: former RNC Chair Ralph Reed (R-GA)

To Canada: former Chair of the US President’s Auto Industry Task Force Harry J. Wilson (R-NY)

To China: former Federal Reserve Chair, former US Representative, and former Chair of the US International Trade Commission John Kasich (R-OH)

To Cuba: outgoing US Ambassador to the UN, former US Ambassador to Belgium and US Navy Commander (ret.) Theodore Roosevelt IV (R-FL)

To Egypt: US Senator Don Stenberg (R-NE)

To France: former President of the Minaret of Freedom Institute libertarian think tank Imad-ad-Dean “Dean” Ahmad (R-MD)

To Germany: former Governor Mary Starrett (R-OR)

To India: former US Ambassador to China and former US Assistant Secretary of State Winston Lord (R-NY)

To Iran: former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan and husband of Zeyno Baran Matthew James Bryza (I-PO)

To Italy: former US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)

To Japan: former Governor Kenneth James Fanning (Liberty-AS)

To Korea: outgoing US Deputy Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs and former US Representative Rodney Alexander (R-LA)

To Mexico: businessman, inventor, entrepreneur and professional survivalist John Ellis “Jeb” Bush (R-FL)

To New Zealand: businessman, political activist, former US House nominee and US Army Brigadier General (ret.) Keith Russell Judd (R-AZ)

To Poland: former FBI Director, former IRS Commissioner and former state Lieutenant Governor Wilford V. Oveson (R-UT)

To Russia: outgoing US Secretary of Energy and Technology and former businessman Harold Glenn Hamm (R-OK)

To South Africa: addiction treatment advocate and former Deputy Director for the Office of Nation Recreadrug Policy Andrea Barthwell (R-IL)

To Spain: former Governor Kelley Ashby (R-NH)

To Turkey: scholar, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute think tank, and wife of Matthew James Bryza Zeyno Baran (I-PO)

To the U.K.: investment bank director, lecturer, and former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence George John Tenet (R-NY)

To Yugoslavia: outgoing US Ambassador to South Africa Jenean Michelle Hampton (R-MI)

– KelseyGrammerPresidentialLibraryAndPerformingArtsCenter.org.usa/cabinet_composition/2017



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] OTL Quote! https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes Also: The selection of Bob Casey as running mate was based on the previous chapter's poll results as of yesterday morning (Friday, roughly 7:00 A.M. EST; Casey had a plurality while Lewinsky was in a close second place)
[2] All non-italicized passages are OTL statements made by Gary Locke and are found here: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes
[3] Italicized parts pulled from this OTL article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-19/port-kembla-first-hydrogen-truck-gets-green-light/13263384
[4] Puns taken from here: https://news.google.com/newspapers?...NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1712,670042&dq=candy-desk+senate
[5] He passed away roughly a decade earlier in OTL.
[6] This is an OTL thing!: http://thehigherlearning.com/2016/05/23/kfcs-new-nail-polish-is-finger-lickin-good/
[7] This punchline is provided by @Kennedy Forever
[8] OTL Quote: https://www.politico.com/story/2008/06/text-of-obamas-fatherhood-speech-011094
[9] This is a variation of a line used by Tim Pawlenty in the first GOP Presidential debate back in 2011 in OTL!
[10] All of the italicized bits in this segment are OTL quotes: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes
[11] This is not at all meant to look like a parallel to OTL’s 2016 election, btw; it just unintentionally turned out similarly in regards to popular vote share
[12] The recipes, and the italicized passages above them, were all pulled verbatim from here: https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/...es-recipe-turkey-dressing-pumpkin-bread-1184/
[13] OTL quote, pulled from here: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes
[14] In OTL, he died on 2/14/2014 from a head injury after a fall; something as random as that would definitely be butterflied away, right?
[15] Per @GrandMaster ’s request “I want to see what Colonel Sanders’ family tree looks like in this timeline”; most names are real, though some dates for OTL births/marriage are only rough estimates given the lack of public information available concerning these private families; most marriages are not shown/visible; not all siblings/children are visible, either.
[16] Passage written by @ajm8888 ; thanks for the contribution, dude!



The next Chapter’s E.T.A.?: Not sure, but April 10 at the very latest!

Wendell said:
Not sure I buy Virginia being Democratic and Pennsylvania Republican in this election.
VA has twice as many Asian-Americans as PA, both in TTL and in OTL; VA's GOP is not as strong as PA's is; VA has reliably voted Democrat for the past several election cycles, but the same can not be said for PA at some levels; PA is a bit more conservative than VA in this TL as well due to butterflies (the POD was 84 years ago at this point; notice the electoral college has not stayed identical to OTL's for decades now).
 
Post 105
Post 105: Chapter 113



Chapter 113: January 2017 – June 2017



“Experience must be our only guide. Reason may mislead us.”

– John Dickinson (1732-1808), 1787



Kelsey and I got the new congress to sign off on several new law ideas before January 2017 was even over. Senate Leader Webb fully backed the push for transportation maintenance in light of his own home state having a problem with interstate tolls not being enough to pay for improving Mississippi’s road conditions. Speaker McMaster backed the idea of education reform, to further regulate the nation’s schooling agenda to allow teachers to have more say in curricula and overall making education responsibilities be at the state level, while still encouraging schools to continue to offer vocational training programs. For a lot of students, those kind of classes prepared them for the real world better than any calculus class.

Urban repair funding legislation was also one of the first things introduced that month. It was something that Kelsey had more interest in. That’s another way that you could tell that our administration covered all bases. He cared about things like renewing Jack Kemp’s Z.E.D. program to help out decaying cities, while I cared about ensuring farmers got the mental and financial help they needed to cut down on their suicide rates and high mortgage and debt concerns. He was welcomed across the North and the East, and I was praised across the South and the West. Only haters and morons rejected our administration. The 2016 landslide election results should prove that more than any fancy speech.

– Harley Brown’s Riding Through Hell (a.k.a. Congress): The Political Career of Harley Davidson Brown (So Far), Simon & Schuster, 2020



…According to a 2016 study by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley, roughly 25% of front-line fast-food workers rely on at least one public assistance program to support their families. “Because of this industry’s business model of low wages, non-existent benefits, and limited work hours, fast-food businesses cost taxpayers an average of $1.5billion every year,” according to the head of the research team [1]. …It is clear that workers need higher salaries to cover paying for food and basic necessities. This report also highlights how the taxpayer burden for low-wage workers would be even more costly to taxpayers – as high as $8million per year – if the US did not have UHC.

[snip]

…While McDonald’s alone costs American taxpayers a plurality of that $1.5 billion annual amount – at roughly $900,000 a year – by paying its workers insufficient wages, the leading multinational billionaire corporation found to give all of their employees living wages is KFC and its parent company, Finger Licking’ Good, Incorporated. No doubt, FLG will capitalize on this report and milk it for the good publicity it is worth. However, in their defense, FLG Inc., a public company, has managed to over the years address both the labor conditions of those on the bottommost rungs of their companies to the demands of their largest stockholders and shareholders in a manner beneficial to consumer confidence and labor rights movements...

– SUPER-SIZING PUBLIC COSTS: How Low Wages at Top Fast-Food Chains Leave Taxpayers Footing The Bill, National Employment Law Project, 2018 report



“…as you can see by the hardworking efforts to the cleanup crew here, the extent of the damage to the Pinnacle is to the entire front and in a ripple effect runs all along the starboard side of the ship. It is a miracle that the lifeboats were able to be deployed before the ship listed, or tilted, too severely, but the fact remains that this ship can never sail again. Thus, it is of no surprise that Carnival is planning to carefully set it upright and haul it back to its home port to be salvaged for scrap metal, though that whole process may take more than a year due to this ship’s size making it the largest maritime salvaging operation in decades. Amid the loss of life and damage each ship gave the other, it is unconfirmed but very likely that the Sirena can never sail again, either…”

– BBC World News on-the-scene reporter, 1/26/2017 broadcast



…In late 2016 the West African nation of Burkina Faso launched a territorial war against The Fulani Republic, the doubly-landlocked neighbor to their north which had broken away from Burkina Faso in a 2008-2011 war for independence. With both nations in the throes of a bloody conflict, Secretary of State Eileen Collins was expecting the President to want to “pull a Sudan” and intervene in the warfare. To her surprise, Grammer made it clear in a late January 2017 cabinet meeting that this time he was sticking to his libertarian principles.

“We got a lot of flak for Sudan,” the President explained.

Secretary of State Dick Morningstar agreed, saying “Intervening in localized incident would be a misuse of government resources.”

“And if our troops are not welcomed by the locals fighting one another, how will I explain to any next of kin that some of our soldiers died playing referee to two obscure lands instead of defending America’s interests abroad?” Indeed, apart from some gold ore deposits not dug up under Burkina Faso’s 1990sdictatorships, both that nation and The Fulani Republic had economies predominantly based around livestock. Both lands suffered from food insecurity, and were already receiving assistance from the EU, several charities, and West African Monetary and Economic Union.

“Bellamy,” referring to former US President and former UN Secretary-General Carol Bellamy, “is still heavily involved in the World Bank. Maybe we can get her to organize some more charity drives for them,” the President suggested.

The Defense Secretary was not convinced that the warfare overseas could be ignored. Meeting with the President again at “the Tank,” the Pentagon’s most secure room, Collins made the case that “active participation” in resolving foreign conflict such as the one in Burkina Faso could open up economic opportunities for both the US and the region. “We’d be putting a klieg light on the area,” Collins observed, “bringing their plight to the attention of the rest of the world, but we’d be there first.”

The President was still not convinced. “There’s less than 20 million people living in both nations. North Sudan had more than twice that many people.”

Rob Sobhani, the President’s Chief Foreign Policy Advisor, added his two cents. “We can encourage the warring parties to seek try and negotiate a peace deal, but like with Sudan, it would be more appropriate if some country like South Africa oversaw the actual peace process.”

White House Chief of Staff Patricia Clarey agreed, adding “It’s just bad optics to be continually interfering with regional conflicts, Eileen.”

“I disagree very strongly with that,” said Collins.

“Well let’s take a vote on it.” The President ordered. “All in favor of dedicating even more military resources and energy towards a relatively minor conflict?”

Collins and several military advisors, but not all of them, raised their hands.

“Evan, you’re in favor of it, too?” Vice President Brown lowered his hand in confusion.

“What benefit would it serve the US?” Asked CIA Director McMullin.

“How about ‘saving people from getting killed by their own idiot third-world governments is good publicity’?”

“Will the media see it that way when soldiers come home in coffins? Will the Gold Star families see it that way? Will the libertarian wing of the party see it that?”

“Not with that attitude!” Brown answered.

“Alright, alright, and all in favor of backing South Africa or one of the other stable African countries in offering peace talks?”

A narrow majority of the room raised their hands.

“I think we have a quorum.” The President spoke to Collins directly, “We’ll hold off on intervening for the time being.”

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



SHOULD WE INTERVENE IN BURKINA FASO?

NO: 77%

YES: 12%

NOT SURE: 11%

– Gallup poll, 1/28/2017



…debate soon began over a federal bill proposal that if passed would outlaw autoguns (automatic weapons such as semi-auto machine guns) from even being available for use at gun ranges. Vice President Brown was livid at the idea, saying in a Potomac radio interview, “Yeah, there’s no practical use for that kind of weapon outside of a war zone, but if you’re not even owning it, you’re just using one that’s at a gun range, where’s the harm? Where’s the danger? If we start banning things that aren’t practical, we’re going to end up banning a lot of things that are fun and that are American, like fast cars and motorcycles. Why ride a bike when public transportation’s all the rage. Why allow people to drink expensive coffees when cheap caffeine patches are more practical? Why allow women to wear whatever they want to wear when making everyone wear the same uniform is more practical? It’s a slippery slope, people!”

However, Brown’s rant was rendered most by the fact that Republicans controlled the Senate 58-to-46, and the House 232-to-209. The bill was viewed as “excessive, even among some Democrats, and it ultimately died in committee…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



GERMANY FINALLY ENDS “EMERGENCY” POLICIES

…with conditions in the nation arguably hit worst by the 2013 recession finally making a full recovery, Germany is rejoining the rest of the continent in relishing in the post-recovery economic boom…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 2/2/2017



GIANT CHICKEN SIGN TO UNDERGO $5MILLION RENOVATION!

Marietta, GA – The home of The Big Chicken is seeing its most iconic landmark – a giant mechanical depiction of a chicken, an unmissable part of Marietta’s most popular KFC outlet – receive a renovating procedure that will cost KFC roughly $5million, a spokesperson for the global chain announced early today. Locals are enthusiastic over the announcement, as the 7-story structure has not received a major “paint job” since 1993…

The Louisville Times, Kentucky newspaper, 2/5/2017



ROSS-INSPIRED E.P.I.C. PROJECTS BILL INTRODUCED IN SENATE

…a “G.R.E.E.N. Deal”-like piece of legislation was also introduced the week, with US Senator Denise Juneau (D-MT) joining US Senator Warren Mosler (D-CT) in backing the proposals popularized by the former VP during his White House run last year…

The Washington Post, 2/7/2017



Former US Energy and Technology Secretary Harold HAMM: “I think this E.P.I.C. Jobs proposal will, uh, will fail to pass, uh, because, uh, the private sector does a better job creating innovation and change.”

Prof. JANICE FINE: “What are you talking about? E.P.I.C. Jobs would mean the reshaping of the entire US power industry, promoting the established and rising renewable energy industries such as electric, solar, wind, wave and hydrogen, to phase out the fossil fuel industry completely within most of our lifetimes.”

HAMM: “And what about the workers, then, huh? How are they gonna make a living after that?”

FINE: “Workers will be rehired and retrained to combat in the newer industries. This would cancel out the unemployment concerns and defy the growing trend of automation in American’s workplaces.”

HAMM: “Oh, that would never work, so many workers can only learn one skill and get used to only that one skill. Many would sooner retire!”

FINE: “Well, wouldn’t that lead to more jobs becoming available for young people?”

HAMM: “It won’t work, I say. Nature will get better just as easily through everyone doing their part, like what they say in those commercials.”

FINE: “Those commercials, the ones telling consumers to change their own habits themselves, are run by industries who refuse to change their habits. Study after study proves that things cannot change unless they are changed from the top down.”

– KNN roundtable discussiom, 2/10/2017



“Tonight on Oprah – survivors tell their harrowing experiences onboard last month’s cruise ships that played chicken in the Mediterranean – with fatal results…”

– The Oprah Winfrey Network, 2/13/2017 promo



“Kelsey Grammer Falls Off Stage”

[vid: youtube, watch?v=Eu-BqOsvj00 ]

Description: On February 16, 2017, US President Kelsey Grammer, attending a political fundraiser in Foggy Bottom, Potomac, began to speak of his experience collaborating with Disney Studios back in the 1980s when he accidently fell off the edge of the stage. In a move that some compared to President Teddy Roosevelt’s 1912 “Bull Moose” moment, Grammer, despite receiving a massive scrape/cut up most of the side of his leg, got up and continued speaking despite the cut causing him to be bleeding by the time he was done speaking. [2]

COMMENTS SECTION:

>Comment 1:

The stage tried to assassinate him.

>Comment 2:

Our President, people. Smh.

>>Reply 1 to Comment 2:
Didn’t you read the description?! He hurt himself bad enough to end up bleeding, but nobody remembers that, let alone talks about it, except for only his supporters smart enough to actually remember the reports noting that! It’s like if there’s no pictures showing the blood, then there is no blood! You are a part of the problem here – while the blood bit actually makes him sort of a badass, the moment is mocked because the totally-leaked footage failed to capture the badass part! Argh!!!

>Comment 3:

I remember when this happened. I heard a few days later that Grammer actually had to get his leg either stitched up or just bandaged up because of how bad the cut was. But you know what? Even with the context that he actually hurt himself kind of badly here, it’s still funny!

>>Reply 1 to Comment 3:
I love how he says “Oh, good Lord” instead of cursing. It’s so polite! And it’s in one of those moments when it would be perfectly understandable for you to swear, so the fact that he doesn’t just makes it even more polite!

>>>Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Comment 3:
Yeah, it’s such an unintentional “Dr. Crane” moment!

>>>Reply 2 to Reply 1 to Comment 3:
Kinda shows how religious he is, doesn’t it, that in a split second of panic he thinks of the Lord instead of swearing. This guy’s got a good soul.

>Comment 4:

*voice of Futurama’s Bart Farnsworth* Man… fall down… funny…

>Reply 1 to Comment 4:
*voice of others hooked on TV* Mmmmmm….

>Reply 2 to Comment 4:
LOL!

>Reply 1 to Reply 2 to Comment 4:
It’s even funnier once you remember that Grammer was in that episode (Dr. Schwarzschild cameoed at the beginning of it!)

– video uploaded to OurVids.co.can, a video-sharing netsite, 8/9/2019



LONGEST-SERVING US SENATOR DIES

…John S. Wold, a Republican from Wyoming who had served in the Senate since 1965, passed away earlier today at the age of 100. Wold (b. 1916) was elected over incumbent Democratic Senator Gale McGee in 1964, was re-elected eight times, and served under 11 US Presidents. Now that he has passed away, after just over 52 consecutive years in office, the longest-serving incumbent US Senator is now Bob Dole, a Republican from Kansas, who has been serving in office since 1969…

The Washington Post, 2/19/2017



“…Growing, changing, and evolving technology is unavoidable, and it cannot be stopped. But what can be stopped is the rich exploiting that technology to further consolidate wealth to the detriment of the working classes. Workplaces can adjust to automation if governments protect workers during such industrial shifts, but with the President showing no signs of wanting to further the federal government’s role in combating this major national crisis, politically addressing the needs of the workers must be at the state level. But organizations can still work nationwide to raise awareness and mobilize…”

– former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich, 2/21/2017



MCMILLAN SIGNS VACANCY TAX INTO LAW

…the raise from 1% to 15% is meant to “motivate” landlords into filling empty units, the plan being that it will cut down on homeless and encourage landlords to more actively encourage more people to move to New York City…

The New York Times, 2/22/2017



FAST PROTEIN SYNTHESIS TECHNOLOGY BRINGS US CLOSER TO CURING MAJOR DISEASES

…In a revolutionary breakthrough, chemists at MIT have discovered a way to drastically reduce the time required to generate artificial and synthetic proteins that are used in the fight against diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other diseases. These proteins are often required in large quantities and take quite a while to generate. The team has designed a tabletop automated flow synthesis machine that can play a major role in the search for cures to these diseases going forward…

– scientificamerican.co.usa, 2/23/2017 [3]



“…In the continuing fallout of the Pinnacle-Sirena Cruise Ship Double-Collision, the Spanish government investigating the Carnival cruise line’s claims that the Sirena is ‘entirely’ to blame for the maritime disaster, with Carnival claiming that their ship had the right-of-way. However, the company of the other ship is making the exact same claim…”

– ABC Morning News, 2/24/2017 broadcast



PIZZA HUT CEO BARRY GORDON ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

…Pizza Hut hired Barry Gordon for CEO in 2007 upon CEO Greg Creed announcing his retirement to pursue other ventures. Gordon, a former S.A.G. President and former two-term US Congressman (D-CA) who also performs voicing acting work intermittently, oversaw the company expand its pickup-only locations after their popularity rose during the SARS pandemic of the mid-aughts. After ten years leading the multinational corporation, Gordon aims to retire in six months. It is most likely that the company will select Peter Rokkos, Greek-American businessman and former prosecuting attorney who is second-in-command at the company, to be the next CEO of Pizza Hut…

The Wall Street Journal, 2/25/2017



GARY JOHNSON CONFIRMED FOR INTERIOR

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[pic: imgur.com/0lQVGmg.png ]

..the former Governor of New Mexico is expected to be sworn in as the new US Secretary of the Interior next week...

The Washington Post, 2/26/2017



PEOTONE AIRPORT FINALLY OPENS

…After over twenty years in development, Chicago Mayor Al Wintersmith today presided over the official opening of the Windy City’s third airport. The long-awaited Peotone Airport, located roughly 40 miles south of Chicago, finally began receiving commercial aircraft today. Peotone was built in order to serve the southern suburbs of the Chicago metro area, and to decongest air traffic at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, in a development project begun under Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1998. The long-proposed and controversial construction of a third Chicago Airport has faced opposition from locals in Protons, along with many claiming the airport is too costly and too expensive to operate…

– The State Journal-Register, the only local daily newspaper for Springfield, IL, 2/27/2017



…And in Europe, the nations of Austria, Poland, and Czechoslovakia were all the target of a massive cyberattack over the weekend, with thousands of ontech bank accounts being breached and made vulnerable to identity theft in a major failing of financial firewalls…

– ABC Morning News, 3/1/2017



…concurrent with debate over the merits of foreign intervention in Burkina Faso came calls for a “safer technet,” though the term had a multitude of meanings ranging from promoting wholesomeness on all sites, to shielding the underage from adult elements Intec, to sites themselves cracking down on nefarious site members, to even returning to the draconian proposals of the late 1990s, a.k.a. the technet’s “Dark Ages” period. With data breaches becoming increasingly prominent in public discussions and increasingly problematic behind the scenes, hackers targeted the vulnerable or the “technologically illiterate” to use ID theft to buy fancy items, or in some occasional cases, to pay off bills. Ontech anonymity still on a site-by-site basis, but in Europe, talk of limiting anonymity to curb negative ontech behavior was growing into a major debate issue, pitting people promoting privacy against pushers for the more publicly-oriented “personalization” of the technet...

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



Orgazmo
is an American live-action comedy TV series written by, co-produced by, and co-starring Trey Parker and Chet Martin, and also starred David Krumholtz, Sarah Hyland, Tyler Okonma, Calum Worthy, Michael Cuccione, and Pratyusha Banerjee, along with Tawdry Teal, Dian Bachar and Jason McHugh, plus many guest stars. The plot followed a devout Mormon missionary who, after reluctantly joining the adult film industry, inadvertently stumbles into the world of superheroes, and joins several fictional crime-fighters in defending the world from evildoers.

After Parker initially developing the concept for it in 1995, the series was greenlit in either late 2000 or early 2001. After several delays, finally premièred on September 4, 2003 and concluded on March 2, 2017 after 12 seasons and 296 episodes. Originally meant to be a sex comedy that parodied superhero tropes and superhero movies that were highly popular during the 1990s and 2000s decades, the final seasons included “slice-of-life” comedic storylines that were more syndicated in nature and focused more on the development of the character within the series. The show also became more experimental over time, with its 2014 Halloween Special receiving several awards for its nontraditional means of storytelling.

Similar to Parker’s earlier long-running series “Time Warped,” Orgazmo developed a strong cult following.

– clickopedia.co.usa



“I think it’s messed up how the President gets to pick and choose, you know, which African country we go into and which ones we don’t. It’s kinda racist, like the days of colonizing, and imperialism, they never went away. White people are still messing around with Africa like it’s still the 1960s.”

– Tupac Shakur, radio interview, 3/3/2017



“Mr. Shakur grossly oversimplified the complexities behind American foreign policy in his comments yesterday. He either overlooked or willingly ignored several key facts. First of all is the fact that President Jesse Jackson intervened in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Secondly, the more important fact that the situation in Sudan was bringing about a humanitarian crisis that could not go unaddressed, while the current ongoing conflict between Burkina Faso and the Fulani Republic is a localized issue that can most likely be resolved through local negotiations that American diplomats are capable of help with if the local parties involved wish us to become involved.”

– White House Press Charlotte Schultz, new briefing, 3/4/2017



…Despite Schultz’s best effort to douse the social media fire that had been spurred into a raging blaze by Shaker’s words, Grammer’s approval ratings continued to slide within the African-American community. To counter the claims that the President was “racist” for not intervening in the warfare in West Africa, Grammer resurrected a decades-old proposal.

“Maybe we should push for a variation of reparations for slavery in the form of income tax exemptions. It would be in keeping with this administration anti-tax themes,” the President ran the idea by his Chief Domestic Policy Advisor, the African-American healthcare advocate and former nurse Renee Amoore.

“It could makes amends,” she observed with a slight nod of approval.

“I don’t think the congress would go for it,” Vice President Brown shook his head. After four years presiding over the senate, he had gotten a good “feel” of the place. “I don’t think any Republicans will go for it, and I can think of at least ten Democrats that would say ‘Hell no’ to it.”

“One way it could work would be to pair it up with Webb’s proposed budget cuts,” Grammer suggested. “He wants to cut down on all those frivolous social programs so the BBA won’t be such a nuisance for the next fiscal year.”

After a quick moment, Amore replied, “With the tax exemptions, African-Americans could afford to pay for things covered by those programs. So it would be like cutting out a middleman between those communities and their necessities.”

“Yeah,” Brown grinned with a nod, “We can describe it like that.”

“You are going to have to describe it like that if you want to win over the more fiscally conscious people in Congress,” warned Amoore.

“Okay, okay,” Brown said in a defensive manner, “That should take care of them, but it will do no good for those who think that you shouldn’t get special treatment just because your dead ancestor were shit on. Even I’m on the fence on that point.”

Indeed, the talk of income tax exemptions for only the descendants of slaves but not for the descendants of other maligned groups, such as the Native American, the Mexican, and the Jews, was debated on for the next several weeks. Even within the African-American community, the proposal was controversial. While polling showed that an overwhelming majority of African-Americans supported the notion, several prominent individuals from across the political spectrum, such as Tupac Shaker, Senator Herman Cain, and actor Samuel L. Jackson, considered the proposal to be “like a bribe,” as Shaker called it in an NPR interview. “They want us to shut up and stop calling them racist for how they treat Black people in Africa and Black people over here. …You can’t put a price on us. You can’t silence us. You can’t give us Hush Money like you’re some Buz Lukens wannabe.”

Nevertheless, the President believed the proposal was in line with libertarian principles, and, if implemented, would be overall beneficial for the country…

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



With the “Trump-Wiseau” film trilogy complete, many believed that Donald would found his own film studio. Instead, the Don decided to return to his roots, and shift back to real estate. Donald cited the recent construction of the Chicago Spire, the tallest building in the US, as inspiring him to get “back into the construction game” during an NBC interview.

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[pic: imgur.com/Agj5Vih.png ]

Above: MLB pitcher-turned-real estate developer Donny Trump wears his glasses as he looks over floorplans for his latest real estate venture, c. early 2017

– Kate Bohner’s The Art of The Don: The Unofficial Biography of Donald Trump, Times Books, 2020 edition



BREAKING NEWS!: Cyberattack Leaks Info On Over 1,000,000 Private US Bank Accounts!

– Kennedy News Network, 3/22/2017 broadcast



“Heh. Told you so.”

– former NASA Director John McAfee, reply-comment posted on buddytalk.co.usa, a popular social media netsite, 3/23/2017



“Although the attack had several of the characteristics of a state-sponsored act of cyber-terror, the US intelligence agencies could not confirm that this act was such an attack,” said the latest NBC News anchor. “All that could be confirmed was that the hackers behind the assault of 1.1million bank accounts originated from inside Russia, and was similar in strategy to an earlier, smaller cyberattack reportedly originating from inside China.”

“Mute,” The President instructed the remote, turning off the screen. “I can’t believe the cyber-terrorism is a still new ‘field scenario’ for American intelligence. Still! Even after the technet became a prominent aspect of global commerce and trade 25 years ago!”

“I’m more angry at the Chinese and Russian governments than our own,” the Vice President grumble. “There’s no evidence it was government-sanction, but there’s enough circumstantial evidence, and if that’s good enough for corrupt cops, it’s good enough for me!” Brown looked around the secured room, at all the leading members of the US intelligence community, much of the Grammar Cabinet, and a few members of the White House inner circle. “This was a threat to our national security! Why aren’t we calling out the Russian bastards for this? They violated American enterprise. They betrayed American goodwill. They practically invaded us, are we’re just going to do nothing but go on defense?!”

“Well of course it’s going to sound bad when you put it that way,” State Secretary Morningstar spoke up. “But this wasn’t exactly a remake of Pearl Harbor. Responding to this sort of this…requires nuance.”

“Nuance,” the Vice President sounded disgusted by the word leaving his mouth.

The White House Chief of Staff looked to the President, who, with a slight gesture of his hand, waved her down. He wanted to hear where this was going.

“We can condemn the Russians for not doing more to prevent this, but we can’t condemn them for supporting it or even accuse them of being behind it because they were clever enough to cover up any government connections, if any. So the best we can do is come together with our allies and try to use multinational solidarity to pressure Russia into submission.”

“You really think guilt and shame can make the Russians cut it out?” Brown said flalty, clearly unconvinced.

“We’ll have our Ambassador to the U.N. call out Russian Intelligence for their ‘irresponsible, negligent and abysmal’ job performance, and claim that it reflects poorly on President Nikolayev.”

Brown grumbled, “Well, it’s a start, at least. I mean, after all, Rome didn’t fall in a day.”

President Grammer seemed to ignore the comment to contemplate further. “We need to figure out how to take more defensive measures to prevent any further attacks from causing such damage. Hell, we need to stop them from happening in the first place, but that could take a lot of diplomacy. It also would take up a lot of time. Time that too many can’t afford to waste. So in the meantime, what we need to do is set up defensive measures. Secure vital technet-based infrastructure, such as power grids, banking systems, healthcare centers and hospitals, and encourage businesses and residential areas go in for additional backup generators. And maybe even encourage businesses pay extra for anti-virus firewalls.”

Hillary Rodham-Clinton, the nation’s newest US Secretary of Commerce, lamented, “So much of our infrastructure is in the hands of the private sector. If we had the kind of oppressive big government that Beijing is overseeing we could easily clamp down on this, and force businesses to use anti-virus software.”

“Well that’s the trade-off you get with small government, I’m afraid,” Secretary Weld said to Rodham-Clinton in a sympathetic manner. “Sometimes you go in alone.”

“Not necessarily,” Defense Secretary Eileen Collins suggested. “If a government can do something to ensure freedom, it has to do so. It may be paradoxical, but in cases like this, maybe government involvement can better ensure freedom, because we wouldn’t be ensuring freedom from government interference – we’d be ensuring freedom from external threats, threats are much more sinister, and, believe it or not, much more heartless than IRS auditors.”

The President replied, “Well, for the time being, we are going to work with the private sector on this. We’re going to have to come up with some specs on how to modernize our cyber defenses, and deepen private-public partnerships. And soon, say, by the end of the year?” He looked around the room.

“That sounds doable,” Weld nodded. Rodham-Clinton concurred as well.

Brown nodded as well, “Yeah, the hackers gained access to private sector groups and two federal agencies, so we’re all on the same bike here.”

Rodham-Clinton inquired, “Isn’t it ‘all in the same boat here’?”

The Vice President groaned, “If you like that better, sure, whatever!”

Osman “Oz” Bengur, the Deputy US Secretary of the Treasury, then began the meeting’s brainstorm with “How about we raise the cost of Russia doing business with the U.S.?”

“You mean tariffs, or encouraging businesses to raise their prices and demands?” Rodham-Clinton asked.

“If necessary, maybe both.”

Weld opined, “Maybe that, or, perhaps, some economic sanctions on Russia?”

“No, no, any of that may hurt American businesses more than it hurts them,” Rodham-Clinton shook her head.

“Then how about we just fight fire with fire? Each time they hack us, we hack them.” Brown bellowed, “Give them a taste of their own medicine!”

Grammer mulled, “Hmm… Maybe.”

“But Kelsey,” Morningstar objected, “There’d be the risk of that blowing up in our faces.”

Grammer replied, “True, true. Alright, how about this – we focus first and foremost on defending American technet accounts, all private info held by banks, netsites, the works. That should be the top priority. Then we focus on the rest.”

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



CO-ENDORSEMENTS RISING IN PROMINENCE

…With Boston about to go through its first RCV Mayoral election, “endorsement-splitting” is becoming the new political strategy, both for the City as well as for other parts of the country… The Boston Globe’s endorsing of the two leading progressives in the race is telling, as promoting more than one candidate can help to promote an ideology shared among similar candidates instead of limiting one’s support to just one option. Multi-endorsing thus may play a key role this November…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 3/28/2017



…On March 29, 2017, NASA Director J. Preston Bezos announced the planned launch of the Blue Moon Carrier, a robotic space cargo carrier and lander for making cargo deliveries to the Moon, as a part of the building of the Lunar Bot Hub. The first lander to be sent to the moon, Bezos announced it would land on the moon in August 2018. Capable of carrying 9,000 pounds to the lunar surface or LBH, this cargo/payload vehicle had great potential in Bezos’ eyes. The Director had begun developing the idea after conceiving its design in 2008 after groundbreaking breakthrough was made in Vertical Landing Technology earlier that year. The BMC would be the first time that the new VL technology was used on the lunar surface, and was scheduled to travel there on a NASA New Grissom sub-orbital rocket, with further plans on a manned mission to Moon to oversee development of the LBH’s completion in May 2021…

– researcher R. Cargill Hall’s Impact: The History of NASA, Dover Publications, 2018 edition



TOP RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT: N.D.R.R. Should Lead “Constructive Assistance” In “Troubled” African Nations

...Sergey Lavrov, the former Russian Ambassador to India who in the past has been praised for overseeing post-SARS renewal efforts, has been Russian President Nikolayev’s Chief Foreign Affairs Advisor since 2015… The comments come after US foreign policy officials expressed disinterest in addressing conflicts in Eritrea and Burkina Faso with “direct and immediate military intervention,” instead backing a plan for promoting “locally-sourced negotiations”…

The New York Times, 3/30/2017



GOVERNOR PRITT SIGNS NEW US SENATE VACANCY RULE INTO LAW

…the new state law stipulates that in the event of a vacancy in the US Senate, whoever is appointed by the governor to serve until the next election must be from the same political party as that of the vacating senator. Amid both bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition, the bill barely prevailed in state congress last week…

The Charleston Gazette-Mail, West Virginia newspaper, 4/2/2017



W.H.O. DECLARES ANOTHER POLIO VIRUS STRAIN ERADICATED: “There’s Just One Left Now!”

…The King of Afghanistan is praising WHO workers for assisting his efforts to eradicate the strain from his country …the global organization is now currently aiming to completely eradicate polio by 2020 as the virus is now at-large in only one country: Pakistan…

The Daily Telegraph, 4/4/2017 [4]



WHITE HOUSE WELCOMES HEALTHY BABY GIRL!

…The First Lady’s newest addition to the Grammer Family, Alicia Charlotte Grammer, is the President’s ninth child overall…

The Washington Post, 4/5/2017



NASA CONFIRMS HAVING MORE DATA ON THE ANCIENT OCEANS OF MARS

…Deputy NASA Directors Ronald McNair and Dr. Dava J. Newman reported that they are “pleased” by the findings of the Space Probe Inquisitor, which returned to Earth last month after conducting geological science on Mars for two years, drilling for deep-layer soil samples at the Red Planet’s south pole, where underground glacial lakes were discovered in 2001. “The probe’s findings give us further geological evidence that Mars’ ancient planet-wide groundwater system was connected to a larger Martian ocean during the Planet’s early history,” says Dr. Newman, who worked for Mission Control Houston during the historic Marstronaut Mission of 2003...

– popularmechanics.co.usa/space/news, 4/7/2017



WHO KNEW RUSSIAN PHILOSOPHY COULD BE SO CAPTIVATING?!

…when the progressive multimedia empire Tumbleweed Media selected the relatively obscure independent actor/filmmaker known by the moniker Bagel Pizzazz [5] to star as Peter Kropotkin in a high-budgeted movie about the Russian philosopher’s life, many were taken aback. Pizzazz, best known for producing surrealist avant-garde projects and promoting his work almost entirely ontech, is fairly unknown; this was Pizzazz’s first-ever serious film role. Thus, a lot was riding on Pizzazz being able to transition him acting skills into this dramatic vehicle. To our surprise, the pseudonymous thespian pulled it off!

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[pic: imgur.com/ANHbUeI.png ]

Above: Pizzazz (l) and Kropotkin (r)

…While its obscure subject matter may make many moviegoers hesitant to watch this 2-hour-long biopic, the film itself is good overall, with decent camerawork, a superb soundtrack and, apparently, a close dedication to historical accuracy. Though its script may leave the audience wanting more, we recommend this flick for its stellar dramatic performances…

The Hollywood Reporter, film review section, 4/10/2017



…By 2017, Tommy Gun Thompson, the infamous weapons smuggler from several armed conflicts, had already survived two attempts on his life, reportedly via contracts issued by former associates he had named in his 2015 best-selling all-tell autobiography “With Cold, Dead Eyes: A Gun Runner’s Confessions.” The conviction of three major gun running leaders were directly tied to the book’s publication…

– clickopedia.co.usa/arms_trafficking



HOST: “…For more on the new Guggenheim Guadalajara Museum set to open soon, we are joined now by Angelica Araujo Lara, one of the leading architects overseeing construction of the museum. Senora Araujo Lara has been working on the museum since Mr. Jorge Vergara became personally invested in the project. Senora Araujo Lara?”

ARAUJO LARA: “Good morning, and hello, everyone. I’m glad to be here.”

HOST: “We’re glad to have you on. So, tell, this Guggenheim Guadalajara Museum, it has been in development for a long time, with the initial proposal being announced all the way back in 2004. Why has it taken over a decade to get built?”

ARAUJO LARA: “Well, first of all, you can thank Mr. Vergara for getting it built in the first place.”

HOST: “You mean Mr. Jorge Vergara, the famous billionaire film producer and owner of the nutrition company Omnilife?”

ARAUJO: “Yes, that very same Mr. Vergara. He is a very important and influential figure in Guadalajara, and he ensured the museum got the funding needed for it to get built. The Guggenheim foundation had wanted to open this branch for a long time, and originally, they proposed an architectural project similar to the Guggenheim Bilbao, which cost about 85 million pesos to build. Right from there, the project slowed because of financial issues.”

HOST: “So there were monetary concerns?”

ARAUJO LARA: “Yes. The project was already expensive before groundbreaking even began, with a 1-million-peso feasibility study for the branch happening in 2004. But the state and local governments really wanted this to be a tourist destination for the benefit of the people of Jalisco, especially in the wake of the SARS pandemic drying up the tourist industry over there. But the city government wanted it to be affordable, too. They were willing to pay no more than 50 million pesos altogether, but the Guggenheim wanted an architecturally significant building, so they would not go any farther down in cost than 75 million pesos, and the foundation refused to have the museum be scaled down any farther than they already had been by 2006. The dispute lasted for another two years, until 2009, when Mr. Vergara finally stepped in to cover the outstanding cost with a personal donation in exchange for a wing of the building to be named after him.”

HOST: “Well that was very considerate of Mr. Vargara; he sounds like a great man. And now a word from this program’s sponsor, Omnilife – live your best life with Omnilife nutrition products…”

– Azteca Uno, Mexican TV channel, 4/21/2017 broadcast (translated) [6]



REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE E.P.I.C. JOBS BILL

The Washington Post, 4/22/2017



LABOUR MP EXPELLED FROM PARLIAMENT FLOOR FOR STARTING VERBAL QUARREL

…With shouts of “loonie,” “liar” and “got ahold of the wrong end of the stick, you have,” Danny Dyer, Labour MP from London, was asked to leave of the floor of parliament after beginning a shouting spat with Tory MP Andy Burnham over Burnham’s support for the new Conservative government’s tax reform proposal. Labour leaders have in the past week claimed that the proposed reform, which is being backed by PM Goodlad, will only benefit the wealthy and hurt the middle and lower classes…

– thedailytelegraph.co.uk, 4/24/2017 e-article



ZIMBABWE’S GOV. PLEADS FOR CITIZENS TO “BE MORE MINDFUL” OF ELECTRICAL USAGE

The country’s National Energy Reliability Council is appealing to Zimbabwean consumers of electric power to reduce and limit their usage during peak demand hours of 2-to-7 pm after reserve capacity fell below 5,000 megawatts last week. This could impact business operations if Zimbabwe is involved in anyone’s work. Just an FYI post.

>Comment 1:

I got relatives over there, so thanks for the notice.

>Comment 2:

This is not the first time they’ve had energy issues. They’ve had it much worse before. It’s sort of the reason why investments into in-place bicycles hooked up to independent generators is at an all-time high in Zimbabwe.

>Response 1 to Comment 2:
It’s not a bad idea. Those things are popping up all over the place here in Cape Town. They’re quite good. They’re reliable during storm and energy shortages, and they work well even when the power is not out and you just want to exercise at home, or just cut some money off your next power bill!

>Response 1 to Response 1 to Comment 2:
Yeah, but you really have to save up to buy it. But the price for one of the kits is going down a bit each year, so some day I’ll probably get one of them too!

– discussiontime.co.soaf, popular social media site endemic to South Africa but downloadable globally, 4/25/2017



…On April 26, US Attorney General Susana Martinez announced that the US Justice Department was pressing charges against three individual members of the People’s Republic of China’s military, alleging that they directly hacked, or directly ordered the hacking of, several computer networks of several American companies last year, stealing intellectual property and even some trade secrets. The indictment was the first of its kind to be brought by the U.S. publicly against possibly state-sponsored hackers.

However, journalists were quick to point out that it was very likely that the defendants would never see the inside of a U.S. courtroom, which in turn fueled questions on whether the indictment strategy for intimidating Russia and China into ceasing and desisting the technet hacks would be a success or a failure.

“This is pitiful,” former NASA Director John McAfee opined in an April 27 THN interview. McAfee, who had designed software for NASA for decades, claimed the indictments were “meaningless,” saying “They do not actually stop them from getting other government-sponsored hackers to continue the hacking.” McAfee alleged that those accused were directed directly by PRC Chairman Yang Gang.

Meanwhile, Adam Segal, director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations, a non-profit think tank founded in 1921, took an even more defeatist attitude. “Even if they allow their own to be exposed, if we catch such individuals hacking our systems, or if we admonish them for it, it’s just a few government workers. Peons are a dime a dozen to them when compared to the billions of dollars in business projects and secrets that they steal. They don’t care, because we depend on them for manufacturing.”

To Segals’ claims of imbalanced trade relations, Robert Reich made a counterpoint in a CBS interview the next day. Reich, the former US Secretary of Labor, stated that “Commerce works both ways. If we indeed depend on the Chinese for manufacturing, then they depend on us for a customer base. If you can convince American consumers and businesses to stop buying from China, their government may see that the underhanded undermining of international commerce is no longer worth it. They need to see economic consequences.”

In Reich’s defense, such leveraging happened once before in 1988, when a band of US-based businesses drummed up a boycott of China to protest their mistreatment of Uyghurs in western China. However, national dynamics have altered dramatically since then. The People’s Republic of China was now much stronger economically on the world stage than it was then, and so there was no guarantee that such a retreat would hold up in the economic world stage of 2017 and sway China’s opinion toward reconsidering their current alleged practices. But with Russia, there was some greater chance at persuasion, albeit slight…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



Ali Ahn, Voice Actress, Lands Occurring Role On Futurama Ahead of Season 23 Premier

…the “rising star” of the voice acting community is set to play Janey Lee, a distant relative of Lisa Wong, a major character on the long-running series. The character will be introduced to Futurama fans in the premier episode of Season 23, which is scheduled to air on September 3rd, 2017…

– thehollywoodreporter.co.usa, 4/30/2017 e-update



…By May 2017, President Grammer was mentioning to his States and HHS Secretaries that he was considering withdrawing US funding contributions to W.H.O. in order to make federal ends meet for the 2018 budget, in order to not violate the Balanced Budget Amendment. It was either that, or shave off the WHO equivalent from the military. Vice President Brown opposed the latter option, believing that due to the rise in “agitation” from Russia and China in the form of cyber attacks, the military could not afford such cuts.

However, in a 2021 radio interview, then-former Secretary of Defense Eileen Collins stated that “Harley [Brown] did not initially understand how cyberwarfare worked. He thought that it could easily lead to a regular, more conventional form of warfare, and wanted to be prepared. And even though both he and the President sat in on weekly briefings, Grammer was the brighter student; he picked up on things quicker, and could see that the budget could be cut away from both the Defense and State department to make up the difference and bringing the budget out of the red.”

Grammer reportedly did not discuss the 2018 budget with his Vice President, instead sending his “first mate” of sorts on a V.I.P. tour of Saudi Arabia during the week that the budget was finalized, assigned with returning on a report on US-Saudi relations…

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



…In light of the rise in cyberattacks, FLG Inc. CEO William Kirk Hannon and KFC Head executive David C. Novak sought to establish greater parameters to better protect the accounts and investments of FLG’s stockholders and the contracts of their business partners concerning materials, manufacturing, processing and transportation. On the lighter side of matters, though, Hannon and Novak assured stockholders that there was no danger of arguably the most famous culinary trade secret in world history – The Colonel’s legendary 11 Secret Herbs and Spices blend – falling into the possession of foreign or domestic hackers.

“The recipe itself is written on paper. It has never once touched the surface of a printer or comp-scanner,” Novak described the situation during one meeting with investors that was held in early May 2017. “We use two or more different and unrelated suppliers to prepare the 11 spices and herbs in order to ensure that no single entity has the whole thing. We use two or more different and unrelated companies to actually make the actual recipe for us – one makes the one part, the other company makes another part, and then a state-of-the-art computer processing system carefully blends the parts together. However, not even the computer itself knows what the ingredients are; all the culinary elements are labelled ‘Ingredient A,’ ‘Ingredient B,’ Ingredient C,’ et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. If the computer’s in the dark, and our firmly-secured computer software system is hacked, the computer can tell the hackers nothing because it knows practically nothing.” After the blending process is completed, the parent company then ships the final product – the secretive blend – to KFC outlets to preserve the recipe's secrecy.

With The Colonel famously claiming that the ingredients “stand on everybody's shelf,” maintaining and publicly announcing such activities heighten the allure of cracking the code and uncovering the special blend. This has made for a fantastic marketing ploy, as whomever wants to try and reverse-engineer the blend must purchase from KFC in order to reverse-engineer it and compare the conclusion of their own endeavors against The Colonel’s own creation. The allure also leads to more people learning how to cook – or, at the very least, learn how to cook fried chicken – which is always a plus in any endeavor…

– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020



JENNY LEONG WINS LABOUR PARTY LEADERSHIP ELECTION

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[pic: imgur.com/9091ZbU.png ]

…Sidney MP Jenny Leong, b. 1977, was a member of the Greens until 2012, and was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from Sidney from 2009 to 2013. A member of Parliament since 2013, she is the first female MP to rise to the position of leader of the Labour Party, making her PM Varvaris’ Opposition Leader. Her ontech media presence, progressive proposals, and inspiring oratory skills and rhetoric account for her quick political rise…

The Canberra Times, Australian newspaper, 5/5/2017



PRESIDENT OF FRANCE EMBROILED IN FINANCES SCANDAL

…Leotard still insists that his political party’s funds for his re-election bid were only “temporarily resting” in his personal account…

– The Montreal Gazette, Quebec newspaper, 5/11/2017



BEZOS MEANS BUSINESS: NASA And The Privatization of Space Exploration

…In light of increasingly limited funding for NASA coming from the federal government – a part of President Grammer’s creed of “minimum government, maximum freedom” – the administration’s director, J. Preston Bezos, has teamed up with Rob Myerson of the private space company Glenn Horizons to collaborate on the “Sustained Orbital Gateway.” Better known as the “Lunar Bot Hub,” the SOG, an idea put into motion by the previous NASA Director, John McAfee, is an ambitious plan that Bezos aims to have completed – that’s designing, launching and assembling in space – within just the next five years.

Glenn Horizons is not the only private space exploration enterprise, but it is one of the largest. Other big dogs in the arena of space-centric businesses are Atlas, Space Launch Systems, and Vulcan Enterprises. They too have been strengthening ties to NASA in recent years in the for of several long-term business contracts. Along with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grunman and Draper Labs, closer relations to these companies as a part of Bezos’ effort to “open up” space to private enterprise in order to “shake some of the responsibilities of expanding to other worlds off of the shoulders of NASA and other government agencies,” as the Director described at a press meeting last year.

NASA’s newfound support for the private sector means that the agency is now engaging in an “industrial partnership” to work on multiple projects. The most ambitious of these scientific endeavors is developing greater fuel cell power with the assistance of Vulcan Enterprises in order for such cells to better endure the frigid temperatures of “lunar night” when installed on a LBH. “Working with our friends at Glenn Horizons to assemble the Sog, partly on Earth, partly in orbit, and partly on the lunar surface for maximum stability, will allow for a greater, wider and more diverse pooling of resources and ideas that will benefit us all in the long term.”…

Time Magazine, mid-May 2017 issue



…Bulgarian President Angel Marin of his nation’s Socialist party today announced that that the Bulgarian National Assembly had compromised on reforms for their national court system with the opposition, getting their National Court Justices to be voted by national elections in exchange for voting down a proposed law to ban indoor smoking in public buildings nationwide. The compromise is reportedly similar to one made last year to shut down the controversial Belene Nuclear Power Plant in northern Bulgaria in exchange for deregulating the nation’s patent office to encourage private enterprise.

Marin, who has spoken favorably about controversial President Nikolayev of Russia for him supporting Marin’s government during the 2015 Bulgarian coup attempt, also met with the Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov in Sofia this week to discuss improving Bulgaria’s relations with both Eastern and Western Europe, saying that innovation on both sides of the continent can benefit the Bulgarian people…

– BBC World News, 5/17/2017 broadcast



NIKOLAYEV REVEALS THE TEN COSMONAUT FINALISTS FOR PLANNED RETURN TO THE MOON

…Star City, the nation’s astronaut training facility in Moscow Oblast, has announced the names of the ten applicant finalists selected for a 2021 “moonshot” plan, which, if successful, would be the first time in 13 years that humans have stepped on the moon, and the first time since the 1970s that Russian cosmonauts have walked on the lunar surface…

Kommersant (The Businessman), Russian newspaper, 5/20/2017



The Place to Be


Premiered: May 21, 2017 (Sundance)
Genre: drama
Cast: see list

Plot:

The movie opens on a young adolescent boy holding his hands over his ears as his two parents shout loudly on the other side of a living room; the boy looks out the window with tears in his eyes as the shouting intensifies.

The film then cuts to a middle-aged man tossing and turning in bed and the sound of some kind of commotion intensifies, and ends with him waking up in a cold sweat.

In the next scene, the young boy from before, revealed to be named Jeffrey, is attending school when he meets the man from before, who is Mr. DeForest, a new English teacher at the school who is on “bathroom duty,” signing students in and out of the bathroom to ensure student safety after a bullying incident last year. Jeffrey notices scars on DeForest’s upper lip. After leaving, he mentions them in class, and another student, Sid, says he heard a rumor that he got them in KW2, “the Reds got so desperate for meat they ate the dogs and brainwashed some people into thinking they were dogs, and those guys bit him.” An unnamed student claims he was an aide to TV’s survivalist Jeb Bush and got bit by a coyote while filming an episode in Alaska.

The next morning, DeForest looks at his face in the bathroom mirror when shaving and has a flashback of when his upper lip was bitten by a neighbor’s dog. The audience is then introduced to Zeynep, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, on who Jeffrey has a crush. A flashback to Jeffrey’s family life shows that his family is racist, which suggests he is too afraid of his parents berating him for being attracted to her and the reason why he is reluctant to ask her out. Hanging out with his two friends after school, we learn Jeffrey is only allowed to stay after school for two hours for free tutoring sessions, but does not need them; he tells his parents he does in order to spend time with friends, as he is not allowed over to anyone’s homes and nobody is allowed over at their home. A cut to later in the day shows how Jeffrey’s mother watches her children shower from the bathroom doorway every time they come home, and that she will “intervene” if they are not “doing a good job” in order to ensure that they are properly “decontaminated” from the outside world; it is suggested that she has been psychological traumatized by the SARS Global Pandemic.

The next day, Jeffrey stops by DeForest’s homeroom, where is desk is “decked out” with UFO and doomsday paraphernalia. Jeffrey thinks to himself, via voice-over, “I can’t figure this guy out – he’s fascinated with the end of the world, and yet appreciates and optimistically loves this crap life we got on Earth.” After Jeffrey discussing his grades and skills in other classes, DeForest suggests he take up writing.

The movie then shifts in tone and presentation to show the story that Jeffrey begins writing after school:

A boy named Jack is a popular kid in High School and is about to talk to a girl at a party when The End of The World begins. He finds his next-door neighbor, retired US Army General Winchester DeKerry, leaving the house and into a taxi to board a plane with his family. Jack somehow “sneaks aboard the taxi.” The story then jumps ahead to the plane taking off as a tsunami destroys an airport and Jack narrates that they are travelling through a hurricane to “special bunkers in Colorado. On my techslab, I watched helplessly as someone livestreamed explosions going off in –.”

Jeffrey’s writing is interrupted by a teacher informing him that the after-school buses are about to leave.

Back at his family’s house, Jeffrey’s parents are violently arguing, and Jeffrey laments via voice-over his living “too far away for the neighbors to hear.” Putting his shoulder to one ear and using his recessive hand to cover the other ear, Jeffrey uses his free hand to continue to work on his story:

“– explosions going off in an escalation of long-dormant tensions.” He writes that the President has flown to safety, with Jack overhearing DeKerry claim that the President is now in Denver, but that the Vice-President’s helicopter has crashed and he is assumed dead.

A sharp transition to the next day shows Jeffrey’s friend from before, Matt, is reading the story up to now. He tells Jeffrey that the story is overly complex because Jeffrey is trying to combine too many interesting theories.

Jeffrey continues writing after school more intently, hiding from everyone in an empty classroom:

Jack’s plane enters the ash cloud caused by Yellowstone erupting; the plane crashes 27 miles outside of Denver.

Jeffrey has difficulty writing this part, so he skips over it.

Suddenly, planes from overhead start bombing the area behind them. Jack explains, “They were trying to impede the spreading of the lava flow, and – ”

Jeffrey suddenly realizes that he’s missed the bus, and hurriedly runs all the way home in a rainstorm. As soon as he opens the door, his mother grabs him and violently scolds him for being “missing” for nearly an hour. Jeffrey tries to make up a lie, but his mother severely beats him before he can even explain himself. That night, Jeffrey tells himself he should give up writing.

The next day, DeForest sees that Jeffrey appears to be distraught, and he tells him “whenever something’s bothering you, and you can’t talk about it, write about it. Write it out.”

Jeffrey adds a scene to his story in which the survivors of the plane crash walk through the ash cloud on a road filled with abandoned cars. One survivor is very annoying to the rest of the group, leading to DeKerry shooting her “in a way that made it look like an accident.”

Jeffrey realizes that this is too dark, so deletes that part (represented in the “Jack” story by the film “rewinding”) and instead has DeKerry scold the character instead, shutting her up.

“They eventually make it to the airport, with DeKerry having clearance.”

Jeffrey then leaves for the after-school buses.

That night, Jeffrey’s mother bursts into his room to complain about her stubbing her toe, blaming her son for her clumsiness by claiming she was distracted by her thinking about his tardiness the other day. Jeffrey remarks “That’s ridiculous,” and in voice-over complains about how his mother is always trying to find ways to blame things others. His mother hits him, angering Jeffrey; they have a complex and intense argument that lasts for five minutes until the father comes home. The mother than tells the Father that Jeffrey is “out of control” for talking back to her, but proceeds to argue with the husband when he says he will “deal with it later.” Jeffrey stays up that night to continue writing.

DeKerry is only allowed 5 people into the special bunker, but they have 6 in their party. Jack decides to stay behind and let the woman and DeKerry’s family into the bunker, along with a girl named Zoe that Jack had apparently brought with him from the party (suggesting a rewrite/retcon has occurred). Zoe kisses Jack on the cheek and they part ways.

The next day, after school, Jeffrey, in a parallel to real life imagines he is Jack wandering the roads on a nearby abandoned town, finally going into an abandoned hotel (the high school) to watch as unmarked planes bomb the remains of Denver. Unmarked paratroopers land, chase Jack/Jeffrey and he commits suicide by jumping off the roof. The book ends with character waking up as it was all a dream, but then sees how DeKerry is his new neighbor just like at the beginning of the dream (complete with repeating the same dialogue as before).

Jeffrey shares his notebook with his two friends during school the next day, and after DeForest notices them discussing it in the hallway during their Lunch period (his friends find it confusing but interesting; Jeffrey appreciates their supportive replies), Jeffrey gives a copy to DeForest. After school, DeForest reads his story and seeks Jeffrey out to tell him of his writing potential. During the conversation, DeForest describes how his scars do not define him; they are a sign of his past, not a sign of his future. After a philosophical “carpe diem” speech about how he’d like to meet aliens some day and will never give up looking for them, Jeffrey walks away, looking inspired and more self-confident.

The next day, Jeffrey sheepishly asks Zeynep out on a date, but shows bravery and respect in front of her intimidating and protective older brother, and she says yes (possibly out of sympathy). Jeffrey tells her that because his parents are “kind of strict,” he has to be home at the same time the after-school buses drop off students. Zeynep is clearly wary of these “cloak-and-dagger” maneuvers, but Jeffrey swears that he can make it work.

Jeffrey and Zeynep are then seen rollerblading down a street. Arriving at Jeffrey’s home just as the buses arrive, Zeynep departs with Jeffrey’s rollerblades. Indoors, his parents are still fighting, but Jeffrey seems to either be blocking them out better, or is slowly losing his hearing (it is purposely left vague, given the dark and anxious tone of the final moments of the scene).

The final scene in the film sees DeForest throwing out the trash at his home when a bright light suddenly is cast onto him. He looks up, and a cut to a wide shot confirms it is a UFO. DeForest, both shocked and elated that he is finally experiencing a close encounter, remarks “So, where we going tonight, boys?” And the film ends with a sudden flash of light.

Reception:

The film was a “sleeper hit” with most critics and audiences, ultimately yielding a net profit after initially underperforming at the box office; the film has developed a small cult following. Most reviews noted its blending of drama and sci-fi elements, with one reviewer describing it as “a showcase of the best and absolute worst humanity can offer, and centered around an even more tragic Walter Mitty.”

– mediarchives.co.usa



HERB WESSON ELECTED L.A. MAYOR

…Wesson, a 65-year-old Democratic city lawmaker, won the runoff election in a landslide after winning roughly 48% of the vote in the city’s blanket primary on May 7… Wesson will be the first African-American to serve as Mayor of Los Angeles since Tom Bradley left office in 1993...

The Sacramento Union, 5/23/2017



PULLMANTER CRUISES REPORTS “STAGGERING” LOSSES FOR FQ2

…the cruise liner company is losing money and stockholders as sponsors pull funding and investors distance themselves from them. The Spanish cruise line company received infamy earlier this year from the double-liner collision off the coast of Sardinia that occurred this past January between a Carnival ship and a Pullmanter Cruises ship…

COMMENTS SECTION

>Comment 1:

Serves them right. They got people killed.

>Comment 2:

I guess this works against the conspiracy theory that claims that the rival shipping companies were in cahoots to sink “outdated” ships (i.e., three years) to collect the insurance money?

>Reply 1 to Comment 2:
It blows that theory...right out of the water!

>Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Comment 2:
Get out.

– usarightnow.co.usa, 5/24/2017 e-article



…In late May, Congress responded to the rise in concerns over cyber security issues by introduced the Technology Defense Act to reorganize the US Department of Energy and Technology so that it contained greater powers for addressing and combating technet-based criminal acts and prevention by creating for it a new subdivision, the Undersecretary of Cybersecurity. The TDA also emboldened the powers of the State and Defense Departments, along with the FBI and CIA, in manners concerning cyber-terrorism. With all but the most libertarian of Republicans, and even some Democrats, backing its contents, the legislation was expected to pass with ease.

In the Executive branch of the government, President Grammer rejected creating a new position called “Chief Technet Policy Advisor” to instead hire someone for the pre-existing position of Deputy National Security Advisor for Emerging Technology. The “tech czar” position had been vacant since its incumbent left the administration in February for a think tank position, and so the situation was ripe for a new “tech czar” to take over.

Unfortunately, the person chosen for the position was the controversial US Army General (ret.) Ronald L. Kovic. Kovic, age 70, previously in charge of the DET’s anti-cyberbullying division, attempted to quell concerns over his qualification for the job later that month with a press conference, where he spoke in detail on the “grueling task” at hand. “Cyberattacks can be carried out by government, either directly or by sponsoring hackers. But such sorts of attacks are more often carried out by individuals…. We must increase cybersecurity control systems. We must protect America’s transportation systems, electronic voting systems, and international commerce. This administration will be working with governments around the world in what we hope will be a global, multinational effort to keep the technet safe from all malicious agents”...

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



James Brendan Patterson
(born March 22, 1947) is an American author and philanthropist whose books have sold over 400 million copies; he was the first person to sell 2 million e-books, doing so in May 2017. Among his best works are the Alex Cross, Mothers’ Murder Club, The Robot Diaries, Max Einstein, LAPD Red, and Martin X series, along with many stand-alone thrillers and romance novels, as well as some non-fiction books, too. Additionally, several of his books, such as Susan’s Day, The Hawk Family, A Dog’s Survival, and The President Faked His Death, have been made into TV shows and films.

A prolific writer considered one of the most successful of contemporary American writers – alongside the likes of Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Jacqueline Wilson, and Octavia E. Butler – Patterson has won several awards. He has won been praised for his efforts to making reading and literature “top national priorities,” using his wealth to donate millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to universities and colleges in the US and the world. As of 2020, he is one of the highest-paid American authors currently still writing, with an estimated total yearly income of roughly $80million...

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2020



C.D. PARTY GAINS SEATS IN DIET LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS

…Prime Minister Renho tonight led the Constitutional Democratic Party to victory over opposition leader and former Deputy PM Akie Matsuzaki of the Centrist Party. The plurality-holding C.D.s gained 22 seats, and the Social Democrats, with whom the C.D. party is allied, gained 12 seats, as support for the Centrists continues to fall…

The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 5/30/2017



G.R.E.E.N. DEAL LEGISLATION KILLED IN SENATE VOTE, 58-46; Minority-Holding Democrats Swear: “We Will Keep Introducing It Until It Passes!”

…the landmark proposal was rejected on partisan lines by the majority-holding Republicans despite polls finding that as many as 74% of Americans support the implementation of a “national deal” to “Globally Reduce Emissions to Empower Nature” proposal…

The Washington Post, 6/1/2017



JAKE BUTCHER IS DEAD AT 81

…The Tennessee Governor was quickly removed from the 1980 Democratic Presidential ticket amid the scandal and replaced with diplomat Jimmy Carter in an effort to salvage Scoop Jackson’s campaign…

The New York Times, side article, 6/2/2017



INTERVIEWER: “So then, how did you get into the music scene?”

Brittany PRESSLEY: “Well, I originally started out in voice acting. Not in cartoons, though. It was more like radio commercials and briefly appearing in TV ads, never the main focus of any of the TV spots. Then when I got started getting gigs narrating books on tape, I mean for downloading sites, I started to, you know, make more contacts, develop more connections, and eventually, Jermaine Dupri, the record producer, contacted me after he listened to this one audiobook where one character does a singing bit. He was impressed by how I sang the bit, and got me to sign on. Before I knew it, I had my first album.”

Interviewer: “And your newest album, Bells Don’t Ring For Me, comes out on the Fourth of July, correct?”

PRESSLEY: “That’s right. I spent a lot of time on it, and I think a lot of people will enjoy it. It’s a mix of a lot of genres, but it all runs together in a very smooth way, I think.”

Interviewer: “Well, then, I wish you thru best of luck at the Grammys next year.”

PRESSLEY: “Thanks. I really think that, this time around, I’m actually going to win one with this batch of songs. For sure!”

– interview, Tumbleweed Magazine, early June 2017 issue



MCAFEE ACQUITTED ON RAPE CHARGE

…the key piece of information – the mask seen in VidCall footage streamed inside of McAfee’s home – could not be found following a police inspection of his home. …McAfee is suing the Memphis police department for property damage, and claimed one police officer harassed his wife, who is Black, during the inspection of his home…

– The Knoxville News Sentinel, 6/6/2017



TED KACZYNSKI: The Genius Maniac You Never Heard Of

In a frozen wilderness of western Alaska, a man lied dead in shack he built by his lonesome self, surrounded by preserved goods, a Bob Ross original, an old-fashioned typewriter, and thousands of pages documenting his thoughts. Through documentation, and with his next-of-kin’s open permission, we are learning more and more about the curious antics of one Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, a man who gave up a promising career in academia to live the life of a radical environmentalist and a reluctant technet-based cult leader.

Ted Kaczynski died in the harsh winter of 2015-2016 from a viral infection, having refused to seek medical treatment for a myriad of conspiratorial beliefs regarding America’s universal healthcare system. Based on the hand-written journals found after his death and the testimony of his closet supporters, we are uncovering more information about the thoughts of this fascinating fanatic. Who exactly was Ted Kaczynski, a.k.a. “The Unifier,” the mysterious leader of the ontech-based anarcho-primitivistic cult “The Forest Fellowship”?

Ted Kaczynski was born in Chicago in May 22, 1942 in Chicago. After testing an IQ score of 167, he skipped the sixth and eleventh grades, and graduated from high school at the age of 15. He attended Harvard College, then earned a master’s degree in 1964 and a doctoral degree in 1967 after being accepted into the University of Berkeley, California, in 1962. At the age of 25, he became that school’s youngest-ever assistant professor, teaching mathematics despite being uncomfortable taking questions from students.

Rather abruptly, Kaczynski resigned from his teaching position at Berkeley in 1969 and, two years later, after hearing then-Presidential candidate Mike Gravel praise his home state’s natural beauty in 1971, moved to Galena, Alaska. Beginning to record his observations in journal entries at this point, Kaczynski expressed disappointment in how non-Native American locals and the state government treated the state’s ecosystems, but praised Mike Gravel for making a compelling case for The Last Frontier, writing “there is still hope for this corner of the planet.”

Determined to live a self-sufficient life, Kaczynski built himself a small log cabin for himself on property north of Galena; he purchased the land with the money from his teaching position. Ted suffered pneumonia in his first winter and had to amputate his own left pink toes due to frostbite, but in his second winter, he was much better prepared to live a minimalistic life of simplicity. He soon taught himself survival skills such as tracking game and sustainable organic farming, though express sadness in having to kill animals. In his journals, he describes in detail his humane treatment of game, writing “I kill them quick so they do not have to suffer.” Ted bought sled dogs in his third year in Galena, and became involved in efforts to get more books for the Galena Library in his seventh year there (1978).

By 1980, Kaczynski had become cemented in his worldview – that individual liberty and self-sustainability could be achieved by rejecting modern technological progress. Essentially living the life of an areligious Amish frontiersman, he wrote about his contempt for the “cramped” living conditions of urban centers, blaming their “deplorable…small-scale” living conditions for rises in crime, poverty, and health issues.

Known by locals as a quiet and impersonal young man, some believed he suffered from some form of mental illness, while others believed he was simply an eccentric. In his journals, though, Ted confesses to having violent tendencies. In 1983, for instance, he writes that a hunter broke his leg outside his cabin, but he kept his fire out and the door locked to avoid communicating with him. Ted wrote that the stranger’s calls for help were “satisfying” because “people like him are killing this land, killing the animals unnecessarily, without consideration for the wildlife populations.” Ted later wrote that the hunter survived the trip into town, and felt “no regret” for pretending that his cabin was abandoned. In a more violent incident, Ted confessed in a 1987 journal entry to sabotaging a nearby pipeline with a small explosive device that interrupted the line’s operations for nearly a week. In a 1988 entry, Ted writes that he even considered assassinating Tom Fink, the unpopular Governor of Alaska at the time, over his mishandling of the Great Chevron Oil Spill. However, Kaczynski’s “urge… to kill him” subsided upon Fink being recalled out of office. Ted later praised then-Governor Bob Ross for his natural preservation strides in 1989, and even sent Ross food grown on his property along with an essay on how to maintain nature that called for rejecting modernism.

Kaczynski’s fascination with Bob Ross grew upon him getting back a letter of thanks and a Ross original, which the governor would often make for “folks who put in a lot of effort to show that they care.” These gifts, which Kaczynski held onto until his dying day, sparked an obsession with the politician, with Ted repeatedly sending Ross letters of support and even meeting him during his campaigns for President in 2000 and 2016 (though prior to Ross entering each race, Kaczynski supported Harry Braun in 2000 and Gary Larson in 2016). Kaczynski left the state of Alaska for the first time in 38 years in 2009, to travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with Vice President Ross; an effort of his to meet with Ross at his private D.C. residence without having an appointment, however, resulted in an altercation with Secret Servicemen. The incident seemed to have had an effect on Kaczynski, as he does not mention Ross in his journal entries again until 2015.

His actions in the late 1990s, though, was Kaczynski’s true claim to fame. Having been writing anti-technology treatises since the late 1970s, including op-eds for state newspapers beginning in the 1980s, some of his writings had found their way onto alternative media (“underground”) netsites. In 1995, his monthly visit to the Galena Library led to him learning, to his surprise, that he had ironically developed a very small group of ardent supporters ontech calling themselves the “Forest Fellowship.” He also discovered that one of these FF members, a 27-year-old who went by the username Alexander Supertramp, had been partially inspired by Kaczynski’s “manifestos,” and had in 1993 left the lower 48 and successfully relocated to a relatively new rural community called Gravel, Alaska, located near Galena.

Never owning a computer, Kaczynski soon met with Supertramp and gave him permission to publish additional essay. In his 1995 essay “To Destroy And To Use,” Kaczynski conceded that the emergence of the technet had the potential to help “give a voice to small groups,” but was reluctant to accept “the hypocritical fame” of “requiring” the technet to condemn the technet. As a result, he allowed what small number of supporters he had to “blog” and post his articles and op-eds on netsites with his reluctant permission. They soon subbed him “the Unifier” for his writings’ ability to bring together a wide and diverse variety of people enthusiastic for having simpler and freer lives.

In early 2000, Kaczynski garnered more followers after correctly predicting that “sinister government forces will not allow Y2K to cleanse the Earth,” alleging that Y2K would not lead to worldwide computer malfunctions because “the military-industrial complex would perish in the ensuing chaos, and sinister government forces would never allow that treasured complex to perish.” The strength of the Forest Fellowship reached its apex immediately after the worldwide SARS pandemic, when middle class families began moving out of cities in droves to acquire more spacious abodes elsewhere.

In 2014, several of his articles circulating ontech were found by the FBI to have sufficient pro-violence tendencies to merit him being investigated after one of his more fanatic supporters, a one Eric Robert Rudolph of Florida, bombed a technet services store in Silicon Valley, severely injuring five. Kaczynski was reportedly placed on the Bureau’s “watchlist,” but was never formally charged with or arrested for any wrongdoing.

Now that Ted Kaczynski is gone, his brother Daniel Kaczynski is conflicted on how to feel. “My brother was a very distant man, emotionally. He could get riled up over technology and humans suffering as a group, but whenever family visited him, and given where he lived, that was only once in a very long while, he had a personality colder than that tundra he surrounded himself in,” Daniel says. “But he was my brother, and I think he meant well, despite all the trouble caused by some of his followers.” The discovery of his journals reveals the depth of his philosophy, and as a result, these personal passages are proving to be highly sought after items by his small “cult” of followers. According to Kaczynski’s next of kin, his brother Daniel, Ted will be remembered as “the last of an exceedingly rare breed of American – the truly rugged woodsman.”

As Kaczynski is buried in a small grave in Galena Cemetery, the legacy of this little-known hermit radical touches on more than just the urge to lead a simple life. It highlights the rising feelings of discontent found among low-income urban dwellers, many of whom would agree with libertarian-extremist creed scribbled onto the final page of the final handwritten journal of “The Unifier” – “The only way to be free is to rebel. Never be anyone’s slave. Always be your own master, no matter the cost. It is better to die as a human being than live as some cog in some awful massive machine.” [7]

– tumbleweed.co.usa, 6/10/2017




BOSTON CITY COUNCIL APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL ELECTRONIC ROAD PRICING PLAN

...In an effort to curb urban congestion, the city of Boston is implementing an “Earth-friendly” taxation plan loosely based on a system introduced in Singapore back in 1975. The city government aims to use the “tolling” plan to pay for road repair, road expansion and several urban renewal projects. The system uses open road tolling to gather tolls without requiring vehicles to stop or even to slow down to pay them.

…In Congress, libertarian Republicans are “outraged” by the plan’s approval, claiming that it “directly violates individual rights and individual choice,” according to US Rep. Larry Householder (R-OH). The White House, however, has officially been silent on the matter, apart from President Grammer discussing the issue of states’ rights in a broad context last week, and Vice President Brown calling the proposal “horrific” two weeks ago…

The Washington Post, 6/14/2017



GUYANA IS TRYING TO JOIN ANOTHER COUNTRY AGAIN

…back in the 1990s, the nation of Guyana experienced a movement that saw its people call for their South American country to become a U.S. territory. The social movement received much media attention – and even tepid support from some NASA officials interested in building a launch base there – but the movement never truly went anywhere and ultimately died out. Now, though, rising discontent with the national government – amid a series of corruption scandals and economic issues – has led to a rise in calls for Guyana to become a U.K. commonwealth, noting the rising number of Guyanans living and working in the U.K. and the two nation’s close modern and historical ties. If the past “state-to-territory” movement is anything to go by, this social idea will ultimately fizzle out, but as the future is not yet written, we may just have to wait and see if this time, thing will be different…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 6/15/2017



9UzFnQC.png


[pic: imgur.com/9UzFnQC.png ]

– NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan reacting to his latest social program (providing additional tax credits for single mothers regardless of employment status) narrowly being passed by the New York City Council, 6/16/2017



…Amid fears of India’s national economy entering a period of stagnancy, so soon after getting through the global ripples of Europe’s economy tanking just four years earlier, India’s Prime Minister returned to an old idea. In office since 2010, N. Chandrababu Naidu (TD), a left-of-center technocrat and former businessman, launched the “International India” movement. First proposed in 2010, Naidu sought to bring in additional national revenue via more lucrative trade deals with Australia, Japan, South Africa and several other nations. The push to invest more into private sectors at home and into foreign markets abroad was, behind closed New Delhi doors, viewed as an effort to compete more successfully against the People’s Republic of China, in the raising of tensions between those two nations. The making of “miniature Cold War” threatened to worsen Sino-Indian relations, but had the potential to work as a “distraction” of sorts to the benefit of US markets and businesses…

– David Tal’s US Strategic Arms Policy After the Cold War: Globalization & Technological Modernization, Routledge, 2020



THE MANY-HATTED MAN
(released as The Polymath In the UK)

Premiered: June 21, 2017

Genre (s): biopic/drama/action/adventure

Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Akiva Goldsman
Produced by: Brian Grazer, Neil Canton and Todd Hallowell

Cast:

Nicholas Cage as Daniel Hausel

Danny DeVito
Brenda Song
Randall Park
James Hong

See Full List Here

Synopsis:

A biopic covering the storied life and career of Dan Hausel (b. 1949 in Salt Lake City), a polymath who became a leading expert in the fields of martial arts, geology, astronomy, and mineral exploration, along with becoming a successful author, artist, public speaker and rock musician [8].

Reception:

The film received overall favorable reviews from critics and audiences, and made a modest profit at the box office.

Trivia Facts:

Trivia Fact No. 1: Confusion for Buckaroo Bonzai

Given the similarities between the real-life exploits of Hausel and the complex plots of the Buckaroo Bonzai film franchise (1983-1996), many have incorrectly assumed that Buckaroo Bonzai is loosely based on Hausel. This is not the case, as Buckaroo Bonzai was developed in the late 1970s prior to the first Buckaroo Bonzai film premiering in 1983, while Hausel did not become known as a notable and accomplished polymath until the 1990s. Nevertheless, Hausel is still often referred to as “the real-life Buckaroo Bonzai.”

– mediarchives.co.usa



2017 MISSISSIPPI FLAG REFERENDUM

The 2017 Mississippi Flag Referendum was a legislatively referred state statute that appeared on a June 24, 2017 special election ballot, which was held specifically for this state-level referendum.

[snip]

State lawmakers began the legislative process in the aftermath of statewide protests and calls for the state flag to be replaced. These protests immediately followed the nearly-fatal knife attack on the life of an 81-year-old Korean-American in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in August 2016, which was a part of the rise in anti-Asian sentiments that had followed the nomination of Taiwanese-American politician Gary Locke (D-WA) for President of the United States. Along with renewed calls for hate crime legislation, Mississippian residents protested outside government offices demanding the state flag be removed amid claims that it promoted white nationalist sentiments.

After the Commission to Redesign the Mission State Flag was constituted in September 2016, state lawmaker Lauren Stennis, granddaughter of former US Senator John Stencils, proposed the Stennis flag after the commission failed to agree on a single public submission, which had been accepted from October to December 2016. The selection of the Stennis Flag was finalized in February 2017.

[snip]

Voters were asked to choose between two propositions concerning the state flag. Proposition A would retain the incumbent flag, which was the last state flag in the Union to feature the Confederate battle flag in the canton. Proposition B would replace the incumbent flag with the Stennis Flag

jjdyT5g.png


[pic: imgur.com/jjdyT5g.png ]
Above: the Stennis Flag

[snip]

Results:

Proposition B – 579,364 (59.2%)

Proposition A – 399,291 (40.8%)

Total – 978,656 (100%)

– clickopedia.co.usa



“THIS COULD SAVE COUNTLESS LIVES”: Small Enough To Fit Inside A First Aid Kit, Hawaii University Tech Students Make Breakthrough In Designing “Affordable” Device To Make Saltwater Drinkable

– popularmechanics.co.usa, 6/27/2017 e-article



JOHN GLENN, HISTORIC ASTRONAUT-TURNED-POLITICIAN, DIES AT 95

…the famous NASA astronaut passed away from natural causes just three weeks before he could celebrate 96th birthday on July 18... Glenn became famous for the February 20, 1962 Friendship 7 mission that made him the first American to orbit the Earth... After retiring from NASA, Glenn entered politics, and served in the US Senate, as a Democrat from his native Ohio, from 1971 to 2001. After running for President in 1984 and 1988, Glenn was nominated in 1996 at the age of 75; he lost to Larry Dinger, an incumbent with high approval ratings due to the success of the then-recent KW2...

The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio newspaper, 6/28/2017



THE TRICKSTER KING

Premiered: June 29, 2017

Genre(s): drama/historical/biopic/black comedy/crime
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: Terence Winter and Benicio del Toro
Produced by: Riza Aziz

Cast:

Heath Ledger
Leo DiCaprio
Wilmer Valderrama
Roselyn Luna
Gloria Garcia
See Full List Here

Synopsis:

Gregor MacGregor (Heath Ledger) was a Scottish soldier and adventurer, and the mastermind of one of the most shameless confidence tricks in world History.

MacGregor fought as a British General alongside the Venezuelans against the Spanish in 1812, during the Venezuelan War of Independence. He quickly rose to the rank of General, but after seven years of various operations, MacGregor ended up abandoning British volunteer troops under his command during a calamitous military operation. While in hiding, MacGregor contemplated how to avoid punishment for abandoning his post when he returned to Britain, and soon hatched an idea.

Upon returning to Britain in 1821, MacGregor claimed that he been elected “Cazique,” or “monarch,” of “Poyais,” a fictional Central American territory he described as a developed colony with a community of British settlers. Over the next several months, he tricked hundreds of people across Britain and France into providing funds for the development of Poyais. As his popularity grew, he told increasingly captivating tales of Poyais’ glorious resources and amenities. The deception was initially limited to Poyaisian government bonds and phony land certificates until 1822, when MacGregor convinced 250 Scottish investors to travel to Central America, secretly hoping that they would build up a colony from scratch, thus making Poyais a real place after all. However, the would-be settler found an uninhabited jungle at Poyais’ alleged location, and instead of staying, soon returned to Europe; more than half of them perished during the total trip.

MacGregor was tried a French court but acquitted in 1826 when others who still believed in Poyais defended him as character witnesses; they also accused the traveler’s guides of taking them to the wrong location. Soon after, though, MacGregor tried a similar scheme in London and was nearly imprisoned again. With his reputation disintegrating, MacGregor returned to Venezuela, where he had remained popular for aiding them during their war for independence. MacGregor died in Caracas soon after, and was buried with full military honors.

Reception:

The film received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences, with critics praising the performances of Ledger and Valderrama in particular. The film was also a major box office success, nearly tripling the amount of money put into it.

– mediarchives.co.usa [9]



…by the end of June, the President’s efforts to exempt the ancestors of slaves from income tax for the 2017 fiscal year had gone nowhere. While the justices of a DC court had spoken highly of it, the majority-holding Republican leadership in both the House and the Senate had essentially shot the idea down.

But Grammer was persistent. With energy and determination, he decided to bring it up again ahead of the 2018 midterm primaries to try to bring Republican candidates more favorable to this and other proposals of his from the campaign trails to the floors of congress...

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] This number is actually over 50% in OTL, and the cost to taxpayers is over $7million in OTL, according to this article: https://www.democracynow.org/2013/10/18/super_sizing_welfare_costs_low_wages
[2] According to this interview:
youtube.com/watch?v=MDxQbxzdv98
[3] Based on an OTL article: https://news.mit.edu/2020/faster-protein-synthesis-0528
[4] Based on this OTL article: https://www.vox.com/2019/10/24/20930553/polio-outbreak-2019-eradication-who
[5] This is what he went by before legally changing his name to Vermin Supreme!: http://idioideo.pleintekst.nl/VS.html
[6] IOTL, this museum was cancelled instead of being built because Mexico couldn’t afford it, but because Mexico has been doing better in TTL than in OTL, they can afford it here: http://www.banderasnews.com/0806/art-guggenheim.htm
[7] A variation of an OTL quote of his.
[8] All OTL!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Hausel
[9] Based on OTL!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_MacGregor



The next chapter’s E.T.A.: May 15 at the earliest, May 22 at the latest!

miner249er said:
this put a smile on my face
That's great to hear; knowing that it made you smile makes me smile!
Sunstone77 said:
This truely is the greatest timeline.

TAKE ME TO THIS UTOPIA!!
Thanks!

Directions: close your eyes, think about this TL, and count some sheep until you are there.

President Eternal said:
Well, as a Democrat, I hate the idea of eternal GOP rule... but on the other hand, after 2020 in OTL, anything is an improvement, so sign me up for this reality!

Seriously though, I laughed quite a bit reading this post. So good job on this.
Glad to hear, and thanks!

MildredSimms said:
That was awesome! Great job!
Aww, shucks, thanks!

Thank you all for the feedback; I really appreciate it!

Unknown said:
Good April Fool's Day post, @gap80. Have you given any thought to what your next TL will be and when it will come out?
No I haven't, not really, and so I don't know when it will come out. Thanks for asking, though. :)

Lil Bokeron said:
I'm not upset. Heck, I wanted to see that Vermin Supreme at least had won the nomination on the Libertarian Party.
You mean in TTL? I'm going to mention Supreme again/some more in another upcoming chapter, so stay tuned I guess!
You mean in OTL? Yeah, I wanted to see him get nominated as well; that would have been fun!

PNWKing said:
I know what Z-list figure we could see as a Presidential candidate ITTL. Monica Lewinsky is a good idea, but what about Mike Leavitt, OTL Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. Considering that it would be better than what his predecessor is doing (TTL's answer to Raymond Reddington from The Blacklist.)
Again, Tommy Gun Thompson is a moniker and is not OTL Governor Tommy Thompson, who ITTL never made it to governor.
Anyway, Mike Leavitt is an interesting political figure. Maybe he'll run; we shall see!

PNWKing said:
What singers have performed at the White House ITTL?
I'll cover that in either 2017 or 2018
 
Post 106
Post 106: Chapter 114


Chapter 114: July 2017 – December 2017

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”

– Stephen King (OTL)



…we now return to our coverage of the terrible tragedy that occurred in the Golden State this morning. Independence Day celebrations in Crescent City, California were marred and disrupted by a knife attack earlier today that left six people hospitalized for injuries, including the stabber, and at least three people dead from stab wounds. The knife attack, which occurred in a public park at an event billed as family-friendly, has left friends and relatives frightened and a community in shock…

– NBC News, 7/4/2017 broadcast



VOLKSWAGEN AIMS TO ONLY BE SELLING RENEWABLE-ONLY VEHICLES BY 2030

…the German automaker has announced its plan to have “100%” of their vehicle sales to be that of electric and/or solar-powered vehicles. “We are making the future now instead of waiting for it later,” said one of the company’s spokespersons. “We are embracing the benefits and the inevitability of e-mobility”…

– RNS: Real News Service, 7/7/2017 e-article



NASA SAYS GOODBYE TO MARS ROVER

…the administration received the Ascertain land rover’s final communication early yesterday after a successful number of year’s documenting Mars’ southern hemisphere…

– scientificamerican.co.usa, 7/8/2017 e-bulletin



HOISTED BY HIS OWN LEOTARD?: Incumbent President and Green Party Candidate Advance To Runoff In French Election

…in the first round of voting, the scandal-riddled incumbent President of France, Francois Leotard of the Republican Party, came in first place with a plurality of 36% over divided opposition.

With France’s Socialist Alliance seemingly falling apart, the left wing of the nation’s body politic failed to rally behind a single candidate. As a result, the liberal vote was divided among four challenger – Joseph “José” Bové (Green), Benoit Hamon (Socialist Alliance), former Socialist Alliance member Dominique Voynet (Democratic Socialist) and Francois Bayrou (Democratic Union). With Bové performing exceptionally well in pre-election debates, the Green party candidate has edged out Hamon for the position of second place by a margin of 1%.

Other prominent candidates included Jean-Christophe Napoleon (Centrist) and Jeremie Renier (Independent), while the remaining minor candidates were Jacques Cheminade (National Front), Laurent Fabius (Sensible) and Romain Duris (Action).

Early hypothetical polling taken three weeks ago that matched Bové with Leotard showed the former losing by a sizeable margin. However, the most recent polling shows the race to be neck-and-neck, which is more likely due to Leotard’s declining popularity than to Bové’s impressive political rise…

The New York Post, 7/9/2017



A TASTE OF ISRAEL: Saudi Arabia’s Go-To Spots For Jewish And Israeli Cuisine

– Arab News, 7/10/2017 e-article



MEXICO’S BEST KFC LOCATIONS, RANKED

– americaneats.co.usa, 7/12/2017



UN’S SATHIRATHAI BACKS GLOBAL SPACE AGENCY PROPOSAL

Despite human beings traveling into outer space for decades, there is no global space agency, with only prominent nations like the US and Russia, or major united “blocs” of nations like the Middle East, being capable of operating manned missions to the I.S.S., to the Moon, and to Mars.

That all may change in the near future, as UN Secretary-General Surakiart Sathirathai of Thailand today endorsed a UN resolution to form such an entity. With the unoriginal title of United Nations Outer Space Exploration Agency (UNOSEA), the agency would operate missile launches via the voluntary collaborations any and all nations. The UN having its own Space Agency could in theory allow smaller nations to pool in their resources and better coordinate multinational efforts to venture into outer space.

The idea, first proposed by Jan Woerner, head of the multinational E.U.-centric European Space Agency, in 2015, shortly after Russia’s President Nikolayev entered office and began eyeing a return to lunar exploration for his country in 2021. Nikolayev’s talks of reviving the proposed Orbital Piloted Assembly and Experiment Complex (OPSEK) for their own nation’s ventures into the stars [1] may have also played a role in several nations coming forward since then and expressing support for a truly “global” space agency.

The proposed new agency should not be confused for the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, which merely promotes peaceful space use and space exploration, and focuses more on the legal side of space-based matter. In fact, the UNOOSA was only created in order to assist the UN’s Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCPUOS), which is only tasked with responding to legal issues concerning space exploration...

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 14/7/2017



…In the summer of 2017, the horrific images of the Independence Day Stabbings – the blood-splattered “Happy July 4” banner with the first victim dead on the grass beneath it, the brave father of three tackling the wild-eyed assailant to the ground, the partially-hidden face of a frightened little girl refusing to come out from behind an overturned table – caught national attention, and with it came calls for law enforcement and politicians to do something about. As had become expected, some conservative talking heads – such as occasional contributor Bill Krystal of The Overmeyer Network, and several police officers chiming in to THN – soon enough claimed that the crime occurred due to President Jesse Jackson’s police precinct efforts, regardless of how truthful or untruthful their statements were. In Washington, D.C., Republicans and Democrats sparred over how to best respond to the grisly images being shared across the technet.

“This is ridiculous. What exactly do the technetters think can be done about this?” Vice President Brown offered his two cents at a meeting with several high-ranking US Senators. “We already have Mental Health Laws in place, and some of them are, to be honest, already way too restrictive. Hell, if I lived in California, I myself would have probably been committed as soon as their state MHL went into effect back at the start of the century.”

US Senate Majority Leader Webb Franklin (R-MS) explained as best he could. “I think they want more regulations on who purchases certain knives, since that killer’s weapon of choice was a butcher knife, and not something like a butter knife.”

“State or fed?” Brown inquired.
“Excuse me?” Franklin requested clarification.

Brown clarified, “Are the technetters calling for ridiculous knife protection laws at the state of federal levels?”

“We’re not sure,” answered Franklin’s second-in-command, Jackie Walorski (R-IN), “since different technet groups are calling for either the one of the other. So, generally-speaking, um...both?”

“Hold on, someone show me exactly what they’re proposing.” Brown leaned over to his interns. Never much of a software expert, the only technology he cared for was the internal workings of motorcycle. Which made for a technet-illiterate VP who, ironically, had a strong ontech political following. Usually dictated his ideas to interns who would post them onto social media netsites for him (verbatim, complete with divisive rhetoric, swear words and run-on sentences), Brown was shown a brief rundown of the most circulated proposals. He chuckled a little, then frowned. “Well how in God’s name is any government supposed to run like that? ‘Monitor all purchases of all people with even mild mental issues?’ You don’t even have to read ‘1984’ to know that’s oppressive.”

“And it would make it easier for anyone with a grudge to accuse another of mental issues for more ulterior motives. Is someone at work more likely to get promoted to a position you want? Call them crazy? Want to claim your inheritance early? Have your estranged parents committed. Want your spouse’s lover out of the picture? Claim you saw them walking around with a knife and that’s that,” Senator Allen West (R-FL) gave an alarmist summation of the proposal.

“Even I think that’s too far, and I voted for Kathleen Brown’s MHL when I was in the state senate,” noted US Rep. Steve Knight (R-CA).

“On the other hand, sir,” observed Brown’s Chief of Staff, Lisa Marie, “I think left-leaning people ontech are finally beginning to question the effectiveness of California’s mental health law.”

“Well, that would be a good thing,” Brown replied, “It could spark a movement to get that thing repealed.”

“It’s more than just this one incident, though,” countered US Senator Tom Suozzi (D-NY), “People are scared by things like this every time. They want to live in a society that’s not afraid of dangerous people. These tragedies remind them that they don’t.”

“All people want to be safe. It’s the same in every nation. But dangerous people are a part of every society. A knife is meant to cut meat and rope and things like that, but not people. But knives don’t kill people, people kill with knifes. So let’s not blame knives for what people do with them,” Brown remarked.

“Yeah, some of these technetters’ ‘demands’ are too much even for me,” noted US Senator Tony Pollina (D-VT).

“Really?” Asked Franklin.

“I’m from a progressive state, but it’s rural state, too. No sane hunter would agree to needing a special permit to owning a knife.”

“Well what about just keep a register of people who own knives?” Suozzi parroted one technet-based proposal.

Walorski shook her head at the idea. “Tracking would need to be implemented, inflating whichever government they’re attacking, and opening up the door to other kinds of social restrictions.”
In a dramatic fashion, West added, “Never since the days of SARS have people ontech been so supportive of being enslaved by their own government.”

On this point, US Senator Bill Tong (D-CT) chimed in to the conversation with, “No, I agree with you, Allen. This knife attack is not at all reflective of typical knife use or of knife death stats. 55%, a majority, of knife-related deaths are suicides, while roughly 15% are accidental and the remaining quarter or so are homicidal.” [2]

“Are knives the leading method of choice for suicides?” Walorski asked.

“Them and razor blades, I believe, yes, with poison, carbon monoxide, and ledges being the next most common ones, followed then by firearms due to accessibility issues for the mentally troubled,” Tong said coldly but accurately.

“That makes sense,” Walorski commented, “our gun rights are so restricted nowadays it’s no wonder the leading method of suicide is a messy wrist-slash instead of a clean gunshot to the head.”

“Well those kind of statistics are another part of the debate ontech,” Suozzi noted. “Some backers of further knife restrictions claim too many people take to knives to kill themselves.”

“didn’t you hear Tong? If somebody is so messed up in the head that they are adamantly bent on killing themselves, they’ll seek out any means of doing so. No knife? They’ll drink the stuff under the kitchen sink. They’ll walk out onto the highway during rush hour. They’ll leap off a bridge or a tall building. Are we supposed to outlaw all of those things – cleaning fluids, roads, bridges and buildings? No – we just promote state government programs that aim to help those in need to address their mental issues,” Senator West said, “So maybe we should give more funding to the Veterans’ Administration.”

Brown nodded, before saying almost to himself, “I never realized how many psychiatrists my fellow Americans need. Things are more messed up than I thought.”

Midge Osterlund (D-DE), US Senate Minority Leader, also countered fellow Democrat Tom Suozzi by stating “Elderly Americans can buy knives despite them often hurting themselves when cooking with them. We can’t outlaw old people owning knives. If they have serious problems, that’s what assisted living facilities are for, and they’re to be used voluntarily, via a family decision, not a government decision.”

Seeking a compromise of some sort to wrap up the discussion, Tong proposed, “So how about we just promote more responsible knife ownership.”

“‘Responsible knife ownership’? What next, ‘responsible car ownership’?” Brown made sort of snort-chuckle sound. “How would it even work? Are we going to be taking away everybody’s kitchen knives? Is there going to be a limit of how many knives you can own? What about chefs and restaurants, will they need a special permit to have so many knives at one location?”

Tong clarified what he believed would address the issue better than any restrictions. “I mean Knife Safety Education. Knowledge is power. So let’s inform the masses of the basics, offer safety courses at Adult Education Centers and cooking classes and the like. We’ll tell people how to not let dangerous or troubled people get their hands on any knives.”

“So let it be the people’s problem, not the government’s problem,” Franklin nodded in what was becoming another demonstration of bipartisanship.

Suozzi misread the room again to say, “Well if you describe any aspect of life in that way it sounds bad. Let a stubbed toe be your own problem, not the government’s problem. See what I mean?”
Brown surmised, “The creation and maintenance of databases or any other kind of oppressive thing would be costly to implement and way too un-American and draconian – am I using that word right – for real Americans to tolerate.”

“So instead, we’ll introduce a law to provide more funds for states to promote more public awareness of knife safety,” West nodded.

The Senate leaders agreed upon the notion, and soon enough, such a bill was introduced in the US Senate…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



IS WEST VIRGINIA REALLY BECOMING THE VERMONT OF THE SOUTH?

…the achievements of West Virginia’s progressive Governor Charlotte Pritt were on display this summer, as it was reported that a historically high number out-of-state visitors dropped by The Mountain State for Independence Day celebrations. This could be a very clear sign that Pritt’s efforts to shift West Virginia’s economic focus from coal to tourism and technology is already working.

“This is a beautiful state that is located conveniently close to major population centers like Potomac and Philadelphia. We are already seeing more people permanently move out here the more we promote its natural beauty, potential, and possibilities,” Pritt boasted last week in a state radio interview.

The promotion of a “new” West Virginia additionally seems to be slowing the trend of the state’s population declining, as the rate and number of people moving out of the state are at the lowest they have been in decades, even though they are still on the decline.

…Controversially, Pritt recently commented that “Strengthening unions is becoming much easier in West Virginia because the mining corporations are abandoning our state as mines dry out. They are not staying around to hire our workers. Got the companies are got, but the workforce remains. And the workers of that workforce, um, it is the government’s responsibility that they get jobs working in the new and growing industries of this state.”…

Time Magazine, mid-July 2017 issue



RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT PROPOSAL PASSES HOUSE, MOVES TO SENATE

…the bill, if passed into law, would further shield “organized religions” and “legitimate religious groups” from taxes, grant such groups several additional tax breaks, and grant them easier access to other tax exemptions on a controversial “percentile-based” qualification system…

The Washington Post, 7/17/2017



RADICAL LEFTIST WINS FRENCH PRESIDENCY

Paris, FRANCE – In tonight’s French Presidential runoff election, Joseph “José” Bové of the Green Party defeated the controversial and increasingly unpopular incumbent President Francois Leotard of France’s Republican party in a 52%-to-48% rejection of the past seven years of conservative leadership.

President-Elect Joseph “José” Bové (b. 1953) began his career as political activist in 1976, soon afterward becoming a sheep farmer and cheese producer near Hérault in the south of France. He co-formed a local farmers’ union and began to oppose GMOs in the early 1990. The “syndicalist” socialist gained national attention and notoriety in 1999 when he peacefully occupied and dismantled a McDonald’s outlet that was under construction near Rodez, Aveyron, to protest US restrictions on imports, claiming that they were harming French farmers and forcing consumers and other businesses owners to give up domestic products for foreign ones. The incident reportedly left an impact on French trade laws; furthermore, the positive feedback to the incident convinced Bové to run for office, leading to him serving as a member of the European parliament (European Greens) from 2003 to 2009 before being elected to French parliament in 2009…

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 23/7/2017



HOUSE PASSES TECHNET DEFENSE BILL, 242-199

The Washington Post, 7/26/2017



…When the UK announced that a “minor hack attack” that had struck London’s cargo rail systems on July 27 was “most likely” of Russian origin, China’s Premier Yang Gang condemned the attack, claiming that, if the attack was government-sanctioned or not, “this kind of behavior is inexcusable in either case.” The statement, made at the UN, received both cheers and jeers alongside the smattering of applause. American diplomats were not alone in being more than aware of the high level of hypocrisy put on display by Yang’s comments; shortly following Yang’s remarks, the French delegation suggested that any and all governments suspected of supporting cyberwarfare in any way should be investigated by the International Court. The offended looks on the PRC’s delegates match those of the Russian diplomats…

– Lee Kim’s Keyboard Campaigns: The Worlds of Cyberwarfare, Created Space Independent Press, 2020



“The growth model China has relied on for the last 30 years – one predicated on low-cost exports to the rest of the world and investment in resource intensive heavy manufacturing – is unlikely to serve it well in the next 30 years.” [3]

– US Senator Gary Locke (D-WA), 7/30/2017 interview




BROWN: “Haha, yeah, well, at least this next bill will do some good.”

GRAMMER: “Uh, which one?”

BROWN: “You know, the Religious Freedom bill. Back in ’05, Jackson and the Democrats in power passed a 0.5% property tax on all religious organizations. The greedy church-traitor. This bill will repeal that earlier unjust bill. I was talking to, uh, Senator Beavers yesterday, she had a lot of good things to say about this new bill.”

GRAMMER: “Well, she would.”

BROWN: “What do ya mean?”

GRAMMER: “I mean, um, well she’s not libertarian-minded, she’s a member of the Religious Right. I mean, she co-wrote the bill for Pete’s sake, so of course she backs it. Naturally.”

BROWN: “Whoa, wait, what does libertarianism got to do with it?”

GRAMMER: “Well, Harley, the bill would actively empower certain religious institutions to an extent – a biased extent – that I don’t think the Founding Fathers would have supported. Tax exemptions is one thing, but showing open preference to Christian institutions at the federal level is just, well it goes directly against the libertarian idea of minimizing government involvement in personal issues like, well, like faith.”

BROWN: “Heh, but, you see, Kelsey, the main focus of the bill is the outlawing of taxing all religious groups.”

GRAMMER: “Yes – on a percentile, so the larger religious groups get more exemptions and less privileges. And the largest religious groups in this country are Christian. So unless it’s meant to incentivize non-Christian groups doing a better job recruiting members, it’s effectively pro-Christian.”

BROWN: “Sure, sure.”

GRAMMER: “Harley, but it’s basically just extra tax breaks and privileges for evangelicals. It makes them exempt from any income tax by making it so even income from businesses tangentially owned by churches will not be subject to federal taxation.”

BROWN: “And that’s a good thing because it’s anti-tax.”

GRAMMER: “No, it’s a bad thing because it shows federally-sponsored religious bias.”

BROWN: “What?”

GRAMMER: “It’s not a good bill, Harley, not for this administration. It’s not a good look and –”

BROWN: “I can’t believe you, Kels. Thought you had my back on this. Especially after I had to meet with all those Senators over that knife legislation.”

GRAMMER: “You keep saying you want to be elected President someday. Think of that kind of stuff as practice!”

BROWN: “Wait, Kelsey, are you saying you’re not gonna back this bill?”

GRAMMER: “I have some reservations about doing so.”

BROWN: “But this bill will defend our First Amendment right to religion!”

GRAMMER: “Right to religion for people, not for religion itself. There’s a difference between an individual person’s religion and a religious organization.”

BROWN: “How can you say that? I thought you were a religious man like me!”

GRAMMER: “I am religious! I overcame drug addiction through the power of Jesus! [4] I read parts of The Bible every night! But religious bias in our law system can’t be tolerated because it goes completely against the idea of separating church and state!”

BROWN: “What separation?! We’re all sworn into office on bibles! We got ‘in god we trust’ on our money! Over 3/4ths of Americans identify as Christian!”

GRAMMER: “Exactly! We can’t ignore or marginalize that other one-fourth.”

BROWN: “How would this bill do that?”

GRAMMER: “I just explained why!”

BROWN: “Oh it’s impossible to talk logic into your head!”

GRAMMER: “What?! My head?!”

BROWN: “Oh, to hell with this, I’m leaving!”

GRAMMER: “Fine, we’ll talk about this later!”

BROWN: “Yeah, maybe or maybe not!”

GRAMMER: “Or maybe so!”

[sound of door opening and closing as Brown exits and another person enters]

SECRET SERVICEMAN: “You okay, Mr. President?”

GRAMMER: “I’m fine. I’m doing better than he is, at least.”

– transcript of White House audio recording, possibly from an A/V security device, recorded 8/1/2017 (leaked 4/7/2021)



BROWN SEEMINGLY SPLITS WITH GRAMMER OVER “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM” BILL; VP Claims The President Is “Just Plain Wrong” On The Status Of Religious Institutions In The US

nFtFHTD.png


[pic: imgur.com/nFtFHTD.png ]

Above: Vice President Brown During a TON-TV Interview Earlier Today

– usarightnow.co.usa, 8/3/2017



KENYAN ENGINEERS RECYCLE PLASTIC INTO BRICKS STRONGER THAN CONCRETE

…turning the plastics pollution problem on its head, the team of engineers have unlocked the secret to repurposing massive amounts of used plastics into building materials. Kenya’s Environmental Management Agency reports being “overjoyed” at the breakthrough, seeing as how recent studied show that over 50% of cattle near urban areas in Kenya have small plastic pieces in their stomachs …Kenya’s government hopes that this new technology will help to end the cattle crisis by turning plastic into strong building materials for a variety of products, including housing… [5]

– popularmechanics.co.usa, 8/4/2017 e-article




…In August 2017, the Hasbro toy company was found guilty of violating Federal Trade Commission regulations, concluding a months-long investigation into allegations of union-busting, threatening workers, and firing other laborers attempting to organize a worker’s union. President Grammer commented on the indictments and courtroom drama with the slip “managers have rights, but so do workers.” Polling conducted by the White house found that his comment upset Democrats sympathetic to the President, but did not significantly impact his standing within the GOP…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



THE MAXIMUM FREEDOM BILL: Proposed Reform Would Cut Taxes At A Historic Rate

National Review, early August 2017 issue



…Grassroots initiatives to restore native forests of the high altitude of South America’s High Andes are bearing fruit, as the government of Chile today announced that over 25,000 hectares of High Andean forests have been restored from the effects deforestation in the ten years since restoration efforts began…

– BBC World News, 8/9/2017 broadcast



…In a vein similar to the “Playhouse Theater” programs of 1950s TV, “Child’s Play” was an interactive entertainment program on both TV and the technet, where viewers voted ontech on story ideas sent in and posted by people confirmed to be between the ages of 5 and 15. The show’s writers then contacted and worked with the winners of the poll to write out the script. Next, the show would film the story with cheap effects and a cast featuring at least one celebrity of some kind to pull in more viewers. Each episode was either ten, twenty or forty minutes long, each one was self-contained, and different actors were used for each of them.

Child’s Play isn’t remembered for being this state-of-the-art show or for being ahead of its time. It wasn’t at all costly at first (its season 1 budget was even smaller than that accumulated for Tommy Wiseau’s The Room. Yeah, that Tommy Wiseau). And even though it was described by The Overmeyer Network, in collaboration with ourvids.co.can, as a “social entertainment project,” the idea of combining TV broadcasting with direct audience involvement had in fact been around for decades. It had even been tried with technet activities many years before – especially in Bollywood, where the lengthy municipal lockdowns brought on by the SARS pandemic of 2002-to-2005 was a boon to technet-based engagement that soon found its way to the entertainment industries of the west by the end of that decade.

Instead, Child’s Play caught on and was best remembered for its imaginative and over-the-top ridiculousness, which was brought on by technetters testing the commitment of its writing staff. They wanted the people of the technet to vote on what show to put on, and the technetters almost always voted for the most surreal, the most ludicrous, the most balls-to-the-walls insane stories that could be found on the polls.

The first episode premiered on 11 August 2017. Its ten-minute story, sent in by a 7-year-old boy from Kenosha, Wisconsin, was about traveling to an island made entirely out of ice cream; the writing team expanded on it to be about a mad doctor attempting to use lactose to combat Global Climate Disruption, only for his 7-year-old nephew to become stranded after his machine malfunctions, and the nephew must be rescued before “Ice Cream Island” melts away into the ocean. The episode had a very quick pace and very hammy acting, but little kids loved the premise and older kids loved its aesthetic. The sight of guest star Terry Crews worriedly knee-deep in CGI “Strawberry Swirl” quicksand became an iconic image practically overnight, and spurred interest in the series.

The initial popularity of its first season, consisting of ten episodes of varying length and quality and ranging in themes and appropriateness, from kid-friendly to dark, led to critics failing to figure out how to categorize the show. A bigger budget was granted for season 2, allowing the show to air 2 episodes a month from August 2018 to March 2019. Season Three aired from September 2019 to May 2020, and had an even bigger budget.

Perhaps too big a budget. The abstract, nearly avant-garde fun ended with The Overmeyer Network cancelling the series in December 2020. They were mid-way through airing Season 4, with the final episodes being released earlier this year for remaining fans of the show. The official explanation was that the show’s began to fall sharply. As it turned out, its supporters were loud in sound, but small in number.

Retrospectively, it became known as a platform where many celebrities got their start; the show was praised for its level of audience interaction and for its sense of self-awareness, going for broke whenever an over-the-top idea won a poll and capitalizing on its time length flexibility.

Fans are still furious of Child’s Play’s fanfare-free finale, refusing to bid farewell to such a trippy and thematically-diverse concept. The CP community ontech is more of a niche community today, but it is a very passionate one. Already, they are demanding that T.O.N. greenlight a fifth season, but will the network actually do it? Probably not. The show was already expensive in its third and fourth season, and T.O.N. seems uninteresting in returning to what some former CP writers claim was a logistical nightmare behind the scenes.

With that in mind, maybe the show’s premise and concept should stay right where it currently is – not in the compost bin of history, but securely in the hands of its fans. Already, CP fans are compensating for the anthology series’ cancellation by sharing and circulating home videos, scripts, even comic book pages depicting stories based on the winners of polls conducted on their own, with an even smaller shoe-string budget than that of CP Season 1 in a renewed sense of community among these enthusiastic – and imaginative – technetters...

– transcript of video essay What on Earth Was “Child’s Play?” uploaded to ourvids.co.can on 6/6/2021



GOP PASSES PARTISAN ALTERATIVE TO E.P.I.C. JOBS BILL: Dems Call It “Weak” And “Watered-Down,” But “Still Better Than Nothing”

The Washington Post, 8/14/2017



…However, in order to avoid allegations of favoritism, President Grammer also travels to Iran that month as well. Flying to Tehran to meet with the Shah of Iran for a quick photo-op, the American President next sat down with Iranian Prime Minister David Samadi [6]. A conservative ex-physician, Samadi rose to power after being praised for overseeing SARS vaccination efforts while serving as the Mayor of Tehran in the later half of the 2000s decade. Samadi capitalized on the sit-down, as it was ahead of the September 2017 Chicken Dinner Summit, to reaffirm Iranian commitment to maintaining “peace in the region and dominance in the cosmos,” referring the Middle Eastern Bloc’s space projects. President Grammer also took the opportunity before the cameras to again emphasize American support for “lasting peace for all who live in the Middle East”…

– Madawi al-Rasheed’s The History of Modern Saudi Arabia, Sunrise Books, 2019 edition



…we can now confirm that another terrible maritime tragedy concerning a cruise ship had unfolded, as a United Korea cruise ship is sinking off the coast of the Philippines. With roughly 800 passengers onboard, the relatively small cruise vessel is slowly taking on water ten miles off the coast of the city of Surigao, and local government officials are attempting to organize emergency rescue operations, redirecting nearby boats to the sight of the incident. While we cannot confirm the exact cause of the ship’s water breach, our panel of experts still believe that it is not due to Chinese hacking or Russia cyber-warfare, which is what many technetters are claiming in baseless and unsubstantiated false claims…

– BBC World News, 17/8/2017 broadcast



MOTHER-POST: Breaking!: Steve Irwin production company has hired former “SpongeBob” animators for cartoon project

The Crocodile Hunter is venturing into the world of animation with plans for an animated TV series. The project will aim to “educate young children about the awesomeness of wild animals,” says Irwin, 55. See the full article here.

>REPLY 1:

I wouldn’t be surprised if he switched to less extreme things like this. He is getting on in years.

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:
Yeah, this is probably because of that leg he broke a few years back. You watch his latest live-action show and if you compare it to his earlier work you can see that he’s starting to slow down a bit.

>REPLY 2 to REPLY 1:
He’s only 55? Dear God, I thought he was in his mid-60s!

>REPLY 2:

It looks like it’s going to be for really little kids. I don’t get it.

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2:
I think it’s because he’s getting on in years and he’s having trouble doing live-action stunts and tricks. But with the SB kind of stretchy and energetic animation he could still entertain people.

>REPLY 2 to REPLY 2:
I heard he’s planning on retiring in a few years and handing over his empire to his wife and kids.

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2 to REPLY 2:
I don’t think he’s going to retire completely, he’ll still be involved – he IS The Crocodile Hunter, after all – but yeah, he’s already getting his sons and daughter more involved on his shows both behind and in front of the cameras, so I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that happened.

– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 8/18/2017 posting



21 August 2017: On this day in history, The Great American Eclipse of 2017, a total solar eclipse, was visible to the (protected) human eye in a path across the contiguous United States, with the eclipse “traveling” from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast; the Moon was just 3 days past perigee, so it was a relatively large eclipse; it was the first solar eclipse to be visible across the entirety of the United States since 1918, and the first total eclipse to be visible from anywhere in the mainland US since 1979; the experience was the first of its kind for many Americans, leading to parties and road trips to celebrate the path of totality.

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



JEREMIAH DENTON, US PRESIDENT #38, IS DEAD AT 93

The Washington Post, 8/22/2017



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[pic: imgur.com/MmVUVAQ.png ]

– clickopedia.co.usa



Hurricane Harvey
was a record-breaking Category 4 hurricane that formed on August 17, 2017 made landfall in Texas, and dissipated on September 2, 2017, after laying waste to the US states of Texas and Louisiana, along with several other locations. It remains the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the US.

The hurricane caused severe floods across Texas, especially in Houston and southwestern Texas, killed 52 people in total, and inflicted roughly $100billion (2017 USD) in damages, making it the costliest hurricane to hit the US since Katrina swept through the state of Louisiana in 2005. Due to the extent of the record-breaking floods, which proved “catastrophic” to the local government of Houston, the name “Harvey” was retired later in the year and replaced with “Harold” for the 2023 hurricane season...

– clickopedia.co.usa



…The White House responded to the wrath of Harvey by trying to work with state governments and private enterprises to coordinate a more effective federal response. Grammer soon proposed an emergency funding bill to be passed through Congress by the end of the month.

In one vidcall with US Senator Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Grammer opposed Thornberry’s reservations on promoting “federal intervention” over concerns that it would “hurt the budget in 2018.” Grammer, who had heard Thornberry voice a similar concern on TON the day before, condemned the Senator’s priorities, saying “first of all, the economy is booming, and second of all, why are you more concerned about the BBA when people are literally drowning in your own home state. Mac, guess what? We can worry about the cost later! We don’t have loan sharks breathing down our necks; we’re the government – we breathe down other people’s necks! So listen – either get off your ass and help me send this help to your constituents or I promise I’ll remind them of your priorities the next time your name shows up on a ballot!”

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



…Immediately, President Bové advanced his agenda through a parliament that only partially friendly toward his goals. Implementing a tax on foreign exchange transactions was the first proposal, but stalled to the point that the raising of tariffs on several foreign imports occurred before the tax passed through parliament in late August. From there, Bové took to the French court in opposition to the fossil-fuel companies…

[snip]

…Bové’s relationship with some world leaders was different than it was with others. The anti-globalist got along well with US President Grammer, the Canadian Prime Minister, and even with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, but often found himself publicly opposing UK PM Alastair Goodland and the leaders of Spain, Italy and Ireland, along with UN Secretary-General Surakiart Sathirathai and the leaders of several global brands and corporations…

– Marie Luneau and Francois Dufour’s France Is Never For Sale, Verso Books, 2022



GRAMMER SIGNS FEDERAL EMERGENCY RELIEF BILL INTO LAW

…however, the President is still urging private businesses to contribute to charity drives to help provide basic needs for the victims of Hurricane Harvey…

The Washington Post, 8/31/2017



INTERVIEWER: “Dolph Lundgren, you’ve just been cast against type in a new science drama on the Trojan Tower Disaster miniseries! What can your fans and other TV watchers expect from you in this new vehicle?”

LUNDGREN: “I think they’re going to be in for a very good time, a very eye-opening time. I’ve read the script, and it’s a good script, very informative and very exciting. I mean, it’s based on a real event, a very tragic event, but it was an event steeped in drama and suspense that I think will really keep people on the edges of their seats even if they already do know what’s about it happen here and there.”

INTERVIEWER: “Did you have to do any special training for this role?”

LUNDGREN: “I like to do research for projects I’m invested in, but the thing is, I already have a master’s degree in chemical engineering, so I actually know what I’m talking about in this role. I’m already familiar with the material.”

INTERVIEWER: “Really?”

LUNDGREN: “Yes, I studied chemical engineering at Washington State University, at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and at the University of Sydney” [7]

INTERVIEWER: “Fascinating. So will you have any action scenes at all in this series, in any episodes?”

LUNDGREN: “My character is one of the inspector scientists who worked to determine the deadliness of a potential meltdown at the Trojan Tower Nuclear Plant and repeatedly warned the plant owners of their need to shut down. I won’t be running into the building itself, trying to manually turn off valves or trying to cool the reactor core.”

INTERVIEWER: “Well, rewrites are possible, so you never know.”

LUNDGREN: “That is true.”

People Magazine, early September 2017 issue



Republican Senators Just Passed a Massive Tax Cut Bill. Here Are The Social Programs It Hits Hardest.

– tumbleweed.co.usa, 9/3/2017



MILLIONS PREPARE FOR TOMORROW’S ALBERT-AND-ANNE WEDDING

…Prince Albert, Duke of Cambridge, at age 35, will marry Anne Panter, a former professional field hockey player, age 33, at St. George’s Chapel, in England, UK. Second in line to the throne after his father, Albert, named after his grandfather, is a bachelor no more, as people around the world are set to tune in to watch the marriage ceremony. The BBC expects an estimated global audience of 1.6 billion will watch the royal wedding...

6xx5PhY.png


[pic: imgur.com/6xx5PhY.png ]
Above: Anne Panter

…The soon-to-be-Princess Anne, born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, first met Prince Albert at the 2011 Commonwealth Games but did not begin to date one another until re-meeting in 2014 for a multisports charity event in London…

The New York Times, 9/4/2017



PRINCE ALBERT MARRIES ANNE PANTER!; TV Audience Shatters Records!

The Toronto Star, 9/5/2017 “wedding special”



The Family Tree of Charles, Prince of Wales

CHARLES, Prince of Wales (b. Prince Charles of Edinburgh, 1948), m. Sarah, Princess of Wales (b. Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia “Sarah” Spencer, 1955) 1981-present

> Son Albert, Duke of Cambridge (b. Prince Albert of Wales, 1982), m. Anne Panter (b. 1984) 2017-present

> Daughter Rosemary, Duchess of York (b. 1984), m. Thomas Henry Robin Kingston (b. 1978) 2015-present
> > Granddaughter Elizabeth “Bethie” (b. 2016)

> Daughter Emily “Emmy,” Duchess of Gloucester (b. 1987)

> Son Aloysius “Lou,” Duke of Sussex (b. 1989)

> Son Alexander “Lex,” Duke of Kent (b. 1991)

– lineage.co.usa, c. September 2017



…several American and Mexican studies published in 2017 strong indicated that, due to both American intervention into Mexico’s recreadrug crisis at its peak in the 1990s followed by post-SARS economic expansion, the stabilization of Mexico’s markets and “community security” (1995-2005), roughly 17,000 of American workers from both lower and upper classes had gradually moved from the US to Mexico between 2005 and 2015…

– Novelist, researcher and former journalist John Clay Walker’s Recreadrug Lords And The Cartels of Today, 2019



Hurricane Irma
was a powerful that caused widespread destruction in September 2017, especially in the northeastern Caribbean and the Florida Keys. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, with Hurricane Maria being the second, hitting the islands two weeks later. Irma was one of the most powerful hurricane on record in the open Atlantic region, outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico until Hurricane Dorian beat its records two years later. It was also the third strongest Atlantic hurricane at landfall ever recorded, just behind the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and Hurricane Dorian, and the most intense hurricane to strike the continental United States since Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana in 2005. Technetters labelled the storm “Irmageddon” as a way of describing the extent of its intensity and the damage it left behind.

Irma developed from a tropical wave on August 30, and weather patterns and conditions allowed the storm to alternate between rapidly intensifying and plateauing in strength as it travelled along its path, fluctuating between Categories 2 and 3 for several days before becoming a Category 5 hurricane on September 5. Peaking on September 6 with record-breaking 1-minute sustained winds of 180 mph (285 km/h).

Despite Irma briefly weakening to a Category 2 storm while making landfall on Cuba, the storm returned to being a Category 4 Hurricane just as it crossed the warm waters of the Straits of Florida and making landfall in the United States on September 10. The system then degraded into a remnant low over Alabama and ultimately dissipated on September 13 over Missouri.

The storm caused catastrophic damage across several nations, and caused at least 79 deaths overall…

[snip]

…In the US’s Virgin Islands, residents and tourists were “shocked” by the extent of the storm and its deadly damage to the territory. The US government responded relatively swiftly. Almost immediately, the USS Dinger amphibious assault ship traveled to the USVI to provide supplies, assess damage, and assist in evacuations and rescue operations. Three other warships docked in Texas to assist that US state with post-Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, were sent to the USVI a day later. ODERCA airlifted in supplies for residents and rescue workers over the course of the next several days, in coordination with the National Guard and the Coast Guard...

– clickopedia.co.usa [8]



IOC Session No. 132

Date: September 14, 2017

Location: Lima, Peru

Subject 1 of 1: bidding for hosting the 7/26/2024-8/11/2024 (or XXXII) Summer Olympics

Results Breakdown:

Jakarta, Indonesia – 14 (Round 1) – 15 (Round 2) – 18 (Round 3) – 21 (Round 4) – 25 (Round 5) – 36 (Round 6) – 52 (Round 7)

Paris, France – 11 (Round 1) – 12 (Round 2) – 15 (Round 3) – 20 (Round 4) – 28 (Round 5) – 32 (Round 6) – 45 (Round 7)

Casablanca, Morocco – 17 (Round 1) – 18 (Round 2) – 19 (Round 3) – 19 (Round 4) – 23 (Round 5) – 29 (Round 6)

Guadalajara, Mexico – 10 (Round 1) – 12 (Round 2) – 15 (Round 3) – 19 (Round 4) – 21 (Round 5)

Tokyo, Japan – 15 (Round 1) – 16 (Round 2) – 17 (Round 3) – 18 (Round 4)

Baku, Azerbaijan – 12 (Round 1) – 14 (Round 2) – 13 (Round 3)

St. Petersburg, Russia – 7 (Round 1) – 10 (Round 2)

Nairobi, Kenya – 7 (Round 1) (withdrew ahead of Round 2 to avoid a “side vote” to break the tie between Nairobi and St. Petersburg)

Doha, Qatar – 4 (Round 1)

End Result:

Jakarta, Indonesia won hosting duties on the 7th round

– aldaver.co.usa/votes.html



“…A leadership election for the Progressive Conservative party has been called after a motion of no confidence was made against Prime Minister Rogers over his poor handling of implementing his party’s tax plans…”

– CBC, Canadian TV channel, 9/15/2017 broadcast



16 September 2017: On this day in history, Hurricane Irma, which formed on August 30, dissipates after creating a path of destruction across the Caribbean; on the island of Barbuda, every single building is damaged by the storm to some degree, seven are killed – including the former PM, who is the son of former PM Vere Bird; because the storm’s destruction matches the description of a prediction made by convict Arthur Nibbs, a diehard cult worshipping him sprouts up virtually overnight

– onthisday.co.uk



SENATE PASSES TECHNET DEFENSE BILL, 60-44

The Washington Post, 9/17/2017



…In September 2017, a Russia separatist group in the Caucasus Mountain region of the region called The Circassian Liberation Front (dubbed and popularized as “the CLF” by the US’s CIA) increased their more violent activities in the Russian “republics” of Adygea, Cherkkessia and Kabardino, three tiny pockets in southwestern Russia that were more ignored by the rest of the NDRR than even Ingushetia. While investigating the reasons behind the rise in CLF support in the region, INTERPOL operative uncovered links that prominent members of the CLF had to weapons smugglers operating in Tajikistan and Eritrea. This was when it was first suggested that the CLF “terrorist” group was trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

While INTERPOL kept the links under wraps, UN rules dictated that relevant world leaders be informed of such probes. During the subsequent VidCall, Nikolayev condemned such activities and compliantly answered any questions that came his way. His cooperativeness prompted a majority of the members of the UN Security Council to believe him when he said that he had no connections to the CLF. The fact that two businessmen associated with two former business acquaintances from Nikolayev’s days in the logging industry being implicated in the possible weapon smuggling scheme was purely circumstantial...

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2020



FRANCE’S BOVÉ TO EXTEND TARIFFS ON IMPORTED ITEMS TO 17 MORE COUNTRIES, STARTING AT MIDNIGHT

– theguardian.co.uk, 18/9/2017



GRAMMER SIGNS TECHNET DEFENSE ACT INTO LAW

The Washington Post, 9/19/2017




[vid: youtube.com/watch?v=umzgPQrXduM ]

– ourvids.co.can, 9/22/2017



…In response to the damage and crisis Hurricane Maria has unleashed upon the US state of Puerto Rico, with the storm essentially retracing most of Hurricane Irma’s path of destruction just a few weeks ago, President Grammer and Vice President Brown have called for an immediate emergency session of congress to pass a federal assistance and relief bill for the island’s citizens…

– KNN Breaking News, Saturday 9/23/2017 broadcast



GRAMMER VISITS SAN JUAN; Pres. “Shocked” By Damage Extent

…in a showcasing of his libertarian streaks, the President is urging all private businesses to contribute to emergency relief efforts…

The Miami Herald, 9/25/2017



GOP PASSES EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE BILL

…covering the cost of transporting 1.6 million gallons of water, 23,000 cots, and several dozen generators to Puerto Rico, the resolution concludes several intense days in the Beltway as federal agency leaders met with congressional leaders and communicated with community and emergency services organizers on the ground in Puerto Rico. The bill also offers tax credits for private businesses and enterprises that make donations to charities and other groups attempting to get the 52nd state back up onto its feet…

The Washington Post, 9/29/2017



MANUFACTURING COMPANY GIVEN “RECORD-BREAKING” FINE FOR ROLE IN KOREAN CRUISE SINKING

…the company that produced the faulty engine that exploded onboard the United Korean vessel The Floating Petal in August has been issued the most expensive fine in Korea’s history… Trials and investigations are still ongoing to determine precisely how much both the CEO of the company and the United Korean shipbuilders who ordered the engine actually knew concerning the cheap product’s explosive internal issues…

The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 10/1/2017



Mikhael Mirilashvili [9]

Born: May 1, 1960; Kulaski, Georgian SSR

Education: qualified medical doctor specializing in pediatrics, St. Petersburg University

Background: This Israeli-Georgian businessman originally worked in medicine before joining his family’s real estate business, which he grew into a multinational corporation by developing casinos and shopping malls in Russia and other parts of the world. In the early 2000s, he expanded into the renewable energy sector and into the media industry, promoting social networking sites such as BuddyTalk and Vkontakte. Developing a net worth of over 4.5billion (as of late 2016), Mirilashvili has also become a generous philanthropist for the scientific community, offering grants at his alma mater and at the University of Moscow. His major contributions to projects in Israel, via his real estate, tech innovation, and construction companies, such as Kitaim, Flarium Global, Joshes Argaman, and Be’er Isaac Energy, have all contributed to transforming southern Israel from a sparely populated desert to a bustling center of living and commerce for that nation…

Scientific American, monthly popular science news magazine, “innovator” profile, October 2017 issue



…Audio description technology has come a long way since MIT created DOTSYS software in the 1960s. The current “fifth-generation” CRAVITS (Computer-Reading Assistant for Visually Impaired Technetters System) provides voice description for any netsites its users visit, assuring technet accessibility for the blind. Even video-hosting sites such as ourvids are compatible thanks to Raymark, one of the most popular debugging/antivirus company, partnering with longtime contributor Reed Hastings to assure A.D. software flexibility…

– Joy Lisi Rankin’s Computers: A People’s History of the Information Machine, Westview Press, 2018



…Over the years, one internal debate that repeatedly arose without a proper resolution was whether or not KFC should allow other countries to alter the recipe. While Colonel Sanders was using vegetable oil for frying chicken at the time of his death in 1990, economic factors were leading to a push to change to recipe yet again, with many KFC outlets in places such as Canada and the UK repeatedly requesting that the parent company allow them to use a blend of palm and soybean oil.

In October 2017, Finger Lickin’ Good, Inc. CEO William Kirk Hannon, in office since January of that same year, made the historic decision to review and approve of KFC-Japan’s request to amend the recipe for their outlets. The oil used in KFC in Japan became the more expensive cottonseed and corn oil, as KFC Japan believes that this offers superior taste quality. Soon after, KFC-UK’s request to use their palm-soybean blend at their outlets was reviewed and approved as well.

The decision from the head office established a precedence of KFC outlets outside of the US selling food made with recipes amended for either economic or culinary reasons. Internal responses to this major policy shakeup was mixed. Some execs, such as Jan Fields (the Head Executive of FLG’s Smokey Mountain BBQ Steakhouse and a former McDonald’s executive) embraced the notion as a way of trying out alternate recipes in markets abroad. Fields reportedly told former KFC CEO Adrien McNaughton “this way, if we see something bringing in revenue, we can try it out at home [in the US] with minimal fear of it performing poorly. On the opposite side of that coin, a different recipe performing poorly oversees will do well to warn us not to try it out over here.”

Others, however, were more wary of the policy change. “I think decentralizing KFC’s kitchens may lead to a decline in quality control,” Vipul Chawla, Wendyburger COO at the time, wrote to the famous Hatton Salt later that month, “I can clearly image a tourist trying KFC in one country, then in another, and being surprised and disappointed by the lack of uniformity in how our food taste. It will make many customers who can travel around begin to question our commitment to maintain top-notch standard for all of our products at all of our locations.”…

– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020 [10]



AUTOMATION: Good For Business In The Short Run Only?

…more studies are finding that customer loyalty drops the more automated a company becomes... Financial experts and business leaders disagree on how businesses should react to this phenomenon in the upcoming years…

The Wall Street Journal, 10/12/2017



TEXANS ARE NOW USING MORE WIND THAN COAL FOR ENERGY

…The University of Texas announcing earlier this month that the state of Texas is now receiving more energy from wind than from coal comes just a few years after wind power capacity in Texas surpassed coal production in the Lone Star state. Wind farms have been popping up across Texas for roughly two decades now, with more than 60,000 acres being owned by several thousand landowners and being dedicated to wind farm usage. Additional reports from Texas A&M and Texas Tech show that wind turbines generated 35.2% of Texas’ power during the last two fiscal quarters, while coal generated only 27.9%, according to ERCOT. “Credit for the rise in wind turbine use must be given to recent advancements in battery technology to extent energy storage,” says the head of the Texas A&M study, who cited recent improvements in the 100-megawatt lithium-ion battery used by a plurality of wind farms located in Texas…

Time Magazine, mid-October 2017 issue



…Another major cyberattack occurred on October 14, 2017. Striking several western and Scandinavian banking accounts and personal business files, the attack revealed in detail how several European companies that sought to benefit during the 2013 recession with tactics such as buying or selling certain stocks and other financial investments and actions. The hackers also leaked to the presses the offshore financial activities of several northern European law firms, politicians, corporate giants, and business leaders in an event described by the UK’s Daily Telegraph as “shaking Scandinavian society to its core almost into the ground in a near-crushing moral blow to the citizens of these countries.” With faith in and approval of several institutions across Norway, Sweden and Finland dropping almost to 2013-era levels as the press gobbled up the grim and grisly details found throughout the leaked documents and the court dragging them even further for public display, the CIA became convinced that the attackers were anti-capitalist in nature.

“Whoever did this wants to take down the freedom-loving Western World,” as America’s spritely young CIA Director, the effervescent Evan McMullin, put it during a meeting with Grammer and others. “So this must have been the work of the Chinese.”

“We’ve got to reiterate our goals,” the President moved on from the culprits to the solutions. “We have better encourage private companies and businesses to take advantage of our cybersecurity departments’ resources. We’re offering assistance to state and local governments to impede the effectiveness of the kind of cyber-attacks from both foreign and domestic elements.”

“And we’ve put to ramp up our anti-attack software systems,” Secretary of Defense Collins nodded. “The Norwegians didn’t see it coming, but we’re staying vigilant.”

“Right,” the Deputy National Security Advisor for Emerging Technology, US Army Gen. Ron Kovic (ret.), bellowed out. “Enhance encryption and multifactor authentication! Protect all potential targets – aerospace tech, biotech, telecommunications, medical systems, and energy systems in the business sectors. All those places got hit in Scandinavia, all of them might be targets over here!”

The US DET’s Undersecretary of Cybersecurity concurred…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



Donald R. Katz
(b. January 30, 1952) is the founder audible.co.usa and the CEO of Audible, Inc., which were both founded in 1995 and are headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. In 2001, Katz was awarded the Fritz & Newsom Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Illinois. Named one of illinois.co.usa's “25 Most Influential People in Illinois” in 2014, Katz was also recognized as one of America's Top 25 Disruptive Leaders by “Living Cities” for his work on behalf of urban transformation in southern Chicago, Illinois.

Katz was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 30, 1952. He graduated from New York University in 1974, where he studied with Ralph Ellison, who had been made Albert Schweitzer Professor of Humanities. Katz credits his decision to work in the field of audiobooks to his studying under Ellison, with his emphasis on literature being “something more than text [and] something that should be heard and performed,” according to Katz in a 2001 interview. Katz also said, in that same interview, “I studied literature with Ralph as much as I read his work and talked about writing… Audible is a testament, in many ways, to what I learned from him.” Before founding Audible, Katz was an author and journalist for twenty years.

Katz founded audible.co.us in early 1995. The netsite exploded in use and popularity in 2004, amid the post-SARS exercise craze. Audible.co.usa has served millions of listeners nationally and worldwide since its founding; the netsite currently offers over 500,000 downloadable audiobooks, audio editions of periodicals, audio description software, and other audio programs and services. Audible.co.usa also commercialized portable digital audio players, contributing to the ontech downloading culture of the late 1990s. Audible.co.usa operates seventeen global outlets, including websites in the UK, Spain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Germany and most recently Mexico.

[notice: this article is cluttered; editing is welcomed] [notice: the article is a stub; further sources and information is welcomed]

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. October 2017 [11]



EX-WBK STAR ROBERT HEGYES RETIRES FROM ACTING AMID DECLINING HEALTH

…the announcement, which Hegyes described as a “painful decision,” comes two weeks after being spotted apparently collapsing on the set of “Windigo 4” in Chihuahua, Mexico, in what was described as a “health-related incident” at the time… Hegyes, 66, is suffering from “the long-term effects of” Type 2 diabetes, and says he has “got only a few more years left, and I want to spend them with my family.” …Hegyes is arguably best known for portraying Juan Epstein, the multiethnic “sweathog”-turned-cop-turned-teacher of the “Welcome Back, Kotter” TV/film franchise. …Upon hearing of the announcement, actor John Travolta, a WBK co-star of Hegyes whose career reached its apex in the 1980s before a sex scandal in 1986 to cost him several prominent roles, leading to his career prospects not picking back up again until the late 2000s, posted his condolences onto social media condolences. Following suit soon after were WBK co-stars Gabe Kaplan (D-NY) and Ronald Polillo (D-CA). Kaplan, best known as the titular Mr. Kotter, is a former US Senator who ran for President in 2000, while Polillo is a prominent BLUTAGO-Rights activist who unsuccessfully ran for a US Congressional seat once…

The Hollywood Reporter, side article, 10/21/2017



“…the field of PC MPs running to try and unseat the increasingly unpopular PM became less crowded today when Jean-Francois Archambault announced that she would not challenge Prime Minister Rogers for the leadership role. This now leaves only four challengers: three MPs – Peter Stoffer, Pierre Ducasse, and current frontrunner André Bachand – and 17-year-student Noah Ryan Scott, who is running a ‘protest’ candidacy. Two other MPs, Jim Prentice and Mario Beaulieu, initially expressed interest in running, but in the end decided to support Rogers’ efforts to preserve his administration…”

– CBC, Canadian TV channel, 10/22/2017 broadcast



GRAMMER: “I’m going to be perfectly honest with you, Harley. I’m only meeting with you today because Marissa insisted I bury the hatchet.”

BROWN: “Not into my back, right?”

GRAMMER: “Oh come now, let’s not be so boorish over some piece of legislation.”

BROWN: “The legislation, Kelsey, could do a lot of good for a lot of people.”

GRAMMER: “What an excellent rendition of one of the vaguest law descriptions ever uttered.”

BROWN: “There you go again with the fancy talk. Turn off the Frasier switch and answer one question – do you still think that churches should pay some taxes, period?”

GRAMMER: “A small amount of taxes, yes.”

BROWN: “Second question, then – a follow-up question, actually, so it still counts as part of the first.”

GRAMMER: “Sure.”

BROWN: “Do you still plan on opposing, or possibly even vetoing, this bill?”

GRAMMER: “No, actually.”

BROWN: “Wait, really? What changed your mind?”

GRAMMER: “I took a look at the bill’s margin of victory in both sides of the house. Overwhelming majorities in both chambers. It’s a clear mandate. It is what is wanted. If I deny what so many want, I may have a difficult time passing anything next year. Spite is a very powerful thing in D.C., you know.”

BROWN: “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

GRAMMER: “Especially in our party.”

BROWN: “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

GRAMMER: “And in this room.”

BROWN: “I get it, I get it, but you’ve got to admit, you’re a stubborn fella, too.”

GRAMMER: “Alright, I admit it: I can be stubborn at times.”

BROWN: “Okay. And, in the spirit of honesty, I’ll tell you, my wife wanted me to make amends with ya, too.”

GRAMMER: “She’s a smart woman.”

BROWN: “Yours ain’t too bad, either.”

GRAMMER: “Mm. So, are we good?”

BROWN: “I guess.”

– transcript of White House audio recording, possibly from an A/V security device, recorded 12/6/2017 (leaked 4/22/2021)



…By October 2017, the rift between the President and Vice President began to mend in the wake of the Religious Freedom Bill making its way from congressional committee with President Grammer making only some changes to it. With the help of the retiring US Senator Olympia Snowe and other party members whose identities are still not yet disclosed, some provisions that were slyly attached to the taxation reform during its final pre-vote revision was the retaining of Jesse Jackson-era property tax codes for religious organizations that own more than 500,000 acres of land, among other retentions…

6YITqsf.png


[pic: imgur.com/6YITqsf.png ]

A briefly clean-shaven President Grammer sits in the White House, watching the Senate vote on the Religious Freedom Bill of 2017 on a video monitor...

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



Religious Freedom Act Passes Senate, 55-47

…the fact that not all Republicans voted “yea” of the bill hints at the rift between the libertarian and deeply-conservative wings of the Senate GOP, and sheds light on the question of religion’s place in the modern Republican party…

The Washington Post, 10/24/2017



FREE LOVE: The Utopia of John Noyes

Rated: OEO (Over Eighteen Only)
Premiered: October 25, 2017
Genre(s): drama/romance/erotic thriller

Directed by: Payton Reed
Written by: Jeremy Garelick and Erika Mitchell
Produced by: Tumbleweed Media

Cast:
Johnny Depp as John Humphrey Noyes, the leader of an unconventional community
Debralee Scott as Harriet Noyes, the “den mother” of the community
James Franco as Charles
Sasha Alexander as Mary
Betsy Brandt as Maybelline
Harland Page as Clemson Stout
Rashida Jones as Omara, a “mixed race” escaped slave struggling to find a place in society where she belongs
See Full List Here

Synopsis:
In 1848, American preacher and liberal religious philosopher John Humphrey Noyes (1811-1886), with several followers, flees from arrest warrants in Vermont and settles in Oneida, New York, to found The Oneida Community, a utopian proto-socialist commune described as “The Kingdom of God on Earth.” The group’s highly unusual practices lead to conflict with nearby settlers, primarily over Noyes’ invention of a practice called “free love.” Oneida’s social structure is stable, but privately creates tension, suspicion, and heartbreak among the main characters over the course of many years. Focus on “perfecting” the commune slowly leads to it becoming corrupted by eugenics talking points. Escalating conflict between the commune members mirrors rising hostilities from local authorities, culminating in an almost-fatal confrontation. In 1879, Noyes is forced to dissolve the community and flee to Canada to avoid arrest, living there until his death. His son, Pierrepont Noyes, later co-founds the Oneida silverware cutlery company.

Reception:
The film saw decent success at the box office, but face criticism for its “dramatization” of historical material.

Trivia Facts:

Trivia Fact No. 1: Historical Omissions and Inaccuracies From The Get-Go

While the film includes the fact that John Humphrey Noyes’s father, John Noyes, was a former US Congressman from Vermont, the film fails to mention the fact that his mother was an aunt of President Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881), whom the film alleges pushed to have Noyes arrested in 1879.

– mediarchives.co.usa [12]



DEBATE IS RISING IN GREECE OVER THEIR “SEXIST” MONARCHY SECESSION LAW

…King Constantine II of Greece, age 76, has ruled from a disputably shaky throne ever since his ascension to it following the death of his father just over 50 years ago. Constantine II’s lukewarm popularity has in recent years been joined by weakening health. These developments in the monarch’s well-being have fueled rumors that the King will advocate any day now. His personal charm, and his leadership during the recent near-invasion from Bulgaria’s short-lived junta certainly boosted his personality, would certainly make such a transition easy.

However, Greece’s male-preference primogeniture states that the King’s oldest child, Princess Alexia, will be passed over in favor of her younger brother, Prince Paul. Alexia, age 53, is much more popular among the Greek people than Paul, age 50, with the former being one of the most-followed individuals on Greek social media due to her many charitable and philanthropic works, while her younger sibling, arguably best known for his yachting ventures, received controversy in early 2003 for crashing his personal yacht into a fisherman’s boat, and again in 2014 for accidently sinking another yacht off the coast of Mykonos.

As a result of this law preventing Alexis from becoming King should her father abdicate, calls to change the monarchy’s succession laws have garnered support among the Greek populace, with many more active members of the nation’s populace demanding action. So far, the King, the royal family, and Greek PM Ioannis Plakiotakis (b. 1968) have all declined to comment on the calls. Nevertheless, the demand for amending the royal line of succession is interesting in that already polls show that supporters and opponents of such reform fall on “gender lines” – a large majority of women polled by Greek poll companies expressed support for Alexia succeeding her father, while an overwhelming majority of men polled expressed support for Prince Paul…

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 10/26/2017



“It’s been roughly five years exactly since Hurricane Sandy, and the implementing of storm barriers has still not occurred. Despite the Grammer administration’s support for state-level projects, can’t the federal government do anything to help this process along, given the fact that New York City is a financial center vital to the national economy, not a state-level economy?”

“While there are many more immediate and pressing issues to address first, we will provide any help that we can to the area once the state and municipal agencies agree to a project proposal that works them and does not interfere with the decision-making of said state and municipal agencies. Regional problems require regional solutions, not federal interruptions. It is up to the state governments to find a solution, and it is up to the federal government to assist without interfering with their laws.”

– exchange between a reporter and the spokesperson for the US Department of Community Development, 10/29/2017



“…Turning now to political news – several off-year elections are to be held next week, including two US Senate seats, and polling shows that even this close to Election Day, the winner for many major races is pretty much anyone’s guess, as both the Republican party and the Democratic party share very similar approval/disapproval ratings…”

– CBS Evening News, 10/30/2017 broadcast



ANDRÉ BACHAND BEATS OUT PM ROGERS IN PC LEADERSHIP CONTEST

…Prime Minister George Rogers will exit office on the eleventh, after failing to challenge a motion of no confidence from several members of the Progressive Conservative party. Rogers’ raising of taxes alienated many Canadian voters and politicians given that the top campaign issue that he ran on in 2013 was “lower all taxes, not lowering some taxes and raising others,” as his former Deputy PM observed last week… Our next Prime Minister, the 23rd Prime Minister overall, and the leader of tonight’s leadership contest will be André Bachand of Quebec. Bachand was the Mayor of Asbestos, Quebec from 1986 to 1997, and has served in parliament since 1999…

The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 11/1/2017



RIETH WINS RACE FOR GOVERNOR IN BLOW TO RULING DEMOCRATS

…Glenn K. Rieth (R, b. 1957), the former Dean of West Point, Virginia, served in the US Army from 1980 to 2008, reaching the height of Adjutant General of New Jersey and Commander of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard in 2002 before retiring in 2006 to protest President Jesse Jackson’s slashing of the US military budget. Rieth was strongly supported by former US Deputy Attorney General Chris Christie. Both Christie and Rieth were raised in Livingston; their families knew each other, and the two have been close allies with the Garden state’s Republican Party… Lieutenant Governor-Elect Anna Campbell Little has already received congratulatory vidcalls from Democratic nominee Stephen M. Sweeney (b. 1959) and his running mate, Shavonda E. Sumter (b. 1974)…

The Star-Ledger, New Jersey newspaper, 11/7/2017



…In tonight’s gubernatorial contest in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Democratic nominee Anne Bright Holton has just been declared the winner. Holton has defeated Republican nominee Jill Vogel in a narrow contest, with a margin of less than 3% separating the two major-party candidates…

– CBS Evening News, 11/7/2017 broadcast



“THE DOCTOR IS IN”: Voters Pick “Medicine Manny” For HRC’s Seat

…In tonight’s U.S. Senate Special Election, voters selected Republican nominee Dr. Manny Sethi to finish the six-year term that Hillary Rodham-Clinton was re-elected to in 2012 but vacated early this year to become the US Secretary of Commerce…

The Commercial Appeal, Tennessee newspaper, 11/7/2017



OLETHA FAUST-GOUDEAU WINS SPECIAL ELECTION TO US SENATE SEAT

…in a dramatic demonstration of the growth of Nebraska’s urban areas, an African-American female Democratic US Representative has won a US Senate seat from the deeply conservative and consistently Republican-voting state of Nebraska. Faust-Goudeau’s surprise rise in the political arena can also be due to her support for policies and programs and protect and aid elderly Americans, who came out droves across the state to back the moderate Democratic lawmaker…

– The Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska newspaper, 11/7/2017



…Election Eve 2017 was The Moment of Truth 2.0, the test to see if the people of New York City were truly satisfied with Mayor McMillen’s allegedly “radical” changes to the Big Apple’s “rental-industrial complex,” from raising vacancy costs on landlords to capping rent and restructuring zoning laws… [snip] …At 3:05 A.M. on November 8, the Democratic/Liberal nominee, city councilperson Trisha Ellen Meili, conceded the race to McMillan; Republican/Conservative nominee Richard A. “Bo” Dietl followed suit an hour later. In the face of a multitude of media attacks from establishment-friendly liberals and conservatives critical of his attacks on landlords and police precincts, the people of New York City stood firm alongside their mayor. McMillan, officially running as an Independent endorsed by the Working Families party, secured a second and final term with 51% of the vote – a majority of first-preference votes, thus avoid any instant-runoff counting from occurring, much to the consternation of some Democratic and Republican psephologists who were certain that McMillan’s implementation of RCV in 2016 would be his own undoing. Trisha Ellen Meili came in second place with 30% of the vote, and Bo Dietl came in third place with 17% of the vote, while several minor candidates receiving the remaining 2% of the vote…

– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021



YOUNG BEATS CUSHINGBERRY!

…In a “David-vs-Goliath”-like fight for the Mayor’s seat, incumbent Mayor George Cushingberry Jr. lost a bid for a third term (which would have been his sixth nonconsecutive term in total) to city councilman Coleman Alexander Young II, the progressive son of former Mayor Coleman Young. Young faced an uphill climb against Cushingberry, a longtime staple of Detroit politics who was reportedly on Gary Locke’s running mate shortlist last year. However, Young was able to mobilize a coalition of supporters ranging from active technetters to voters nostalgic for the good times Detroit had under his Mayorship, allowing for “Young the Younger” to best Cushingberry by a 7% margin despite being outspent by a margin of more than 2-to-1…

The Detroit Free Press, Michigan newspaper, 11/7/2017



RICHARD ROMERO WINS ALBUQUERQUE MAYORSHIP

…the Democrat’s victory in tonight’s election comes over a month after winning a plurality of 47% in the city’s blanket primary on October 3rd…

– The Albuquerque Journal, 11/14/2017



“…in the aftermath of a 7.3-magnitude earthquake striking the nations of Iran and Iraq, the Shah of Iran is offering US$5million worth of emergency provisions to their neighbor in light of the roughly 200 dead and roughly 30,000 made homeless on both sides of the border, but mostly on the Iraqi side. The offering is either an honest act of goodwill, or a political maneuver to try and bring Iraq closer into Iran’s sphere of influence and farther away from Saudi Arabia’s sphere of influence…”

– BBC World News, 15/11/2017 broadcast



…The “off-year” elections of 2017 were a surprisingly mixed bag for an overall popular Presidential administration. In the Mayoral elections, the truth found in the old term “all politics is local” was on full display, as several election defied the pro-Republican trends found at the national levels.

In Los Angeles, the incumbent Mayor Herb Wesson (D) defeated the more centrist Mitchell Schwartz (D). In Albuquerque, New Mexico, progressive activist Richard Romero (D) secured easy victories in the October 3 primary and November 14 general elections. In Detroit, Michigan, voter backlash to lackluster moderates overall saw the city’s longtime political staple, Mayor Cushingberry, finally lose a citywide election.

Farther South, Houston voters chose progressive reformist Dwight Boykins (D) over Adrian Garcia (D) and incumbent Gene L. Locke (D) in their Mayoral election held on November 7; Locke reportedly came in third place largely due to his allegedly “horrid” handling of Hurricane Harvey hitting Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle, which endorsed the more moderate Garcia.

In Louisiana, Mitchell J. “Mitch” Landrieu (D) was an exception to the overall anti-establishment sentiments reverberating across the country’s cities in the autumn of 2017. Landrieu, the child of one former Mayor and the younger sibling of another former Mayor, won the October 14 and November 18 primary and general elections by wide margins, though many credited these easy victories more on name recognition than on his “progressive but vague” platform…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



GRAMMER SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BILL INTO LAW, “THROWING A BONE” TO THE RELIGIONS RIGHT

…The President most likely waited until after the November elections in order to minimalize the effects that signing the legislation could have on voting tendencies and turnout in said political races…

The Boston Globe, 11/17/2017



CARNIVAL IN HOT WATER: U.S. Cruise Ship Parent Company To Face Legal Charges For Negligence In Italian Incident, International Court Rules

YwrBcqS.png


[pic: imgur.com/YwrBcqS.png ]

...in a landmark ruling pertaining to a massive multinational class-action lawsuit, the multinational cruise liner company is allegedly responsible for the actions of those under its employ, including the captain and senior officers onboard the Pinnacle during the Pinnacle-Sirena Disaster of January 2017. However, it is not known if the United States Justice Department will recognize the International Court of Justice’s jurisdiction… If found guilty of negligence, the US-based Carnival company could lose millions of dollars in litigation and other fees, fines and payments…

– The New York Times, 11/19/2017



GRAMMER AND BROWN ALL SMILES AGAIN AT D.C. FUNCTION

…celebrating Thanksgiving at a Washington, D.C. political function, it seems that the ice between POTUS and the VP has thawed…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/22/2017 e-article



PASOK WINS MAJORITY OF SEATS IN GREEK GENERAL ELECTIONS: Gennimata Set To Become P.M.

…the elevation of Fotini “Fofi” Gennimata and the left-wing PASOK (an acronym for the Panhelenic Socialist Movement) political party over incumbent PM Ioannis Plakiotakis comes amid a rising wave of feminism in Greece…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 25/11/2017



“…Governor Raul Labrador of Puerto Rico is praising President Grammer’s ‘swift and effective’ response to Hurricane Maria ravaging his state in September, posting onto PalChat to thank Grammer for his ‘pragmatic efforts to aid the most vulnerable and the worst hit.’ The Governor has in recent days credited Grammer, a fellow Republican, and his home state’s emergency services for the island’s speedy recovery from the damage received in what Labrador calls ‘one of the worst hurricane seasons in recent memory’...”

– ABC Morning News, 11/27/2017 broadcast



ARMS TRAFFICKER TOMMY GUN TOMMY’S SENTENCE REDUCED TO TEN YEARS FOR ASSISTING POLICE

…for assisting law enforcement officers in arresting other arms smugglers, T.G.T. has had his sentenced reduce in a move that is leading to a mixture of public outcry and public support for the infamous gun runner…

The Chicago Tribune, 12/1/2017



…The expensive Guggenheim Guadalajara Museum finally held its grand opening in Mexico today, after over 12 years in development. Wealthy local philanthropist and businessman Jorge Vergara presided over the ceremonies…

– NBC News, 12/2/2017 broadcast



“…moving on to political news, where Lisa Borders, where the Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia was won a second term. Borders, the former President of the WNBA, won a blanket primary on November 7 after winning praise for her city’s smooth applicating of ‘police precinct reform measures’ introduced by Georgia Governor Shirley Franklin all the way back in 2011…”

– CBS Evening News, 12/5/2017 broadcast



Katherine DENTON: “Alright, all current former First Ladies gather round now.”

Joanne KEMP: “We’re not sheep, dear, you don’t have to corral us in.”

Sheila WELLSTONE: “I’m keeping the minutes!”

Paula DINGER: “Wait, where are the Iacocca sisters?”

DENTON: “They were unable to partake in organizing these festivities due to prior engagements.”

Jacqueline JACKSON: “That’s what they say every time we all try to work on something here.”

DINGER: “Well, their track record when it comes to visiting their former abode does strongly support the notion that the White House is just too sad and tragic a place for them to visit.”

JACKSON: “I get that. I just would like to hear it from their words just once. You can’t get over a problem without admitting you got one, and those girls have got one.”

DENTON: “So do we. While Katy and Lia visit their relatives in Italy, we still have to come up with one last thing – the theme for the main Christmas tree, the main focus of the decorations.”

WELLSTONE: “What’s wrong with ornaments showing how Christmas is celebrated around the world again?”

Karen GRAMMER: “Too international.”

DENTON: “Ah, Karen, so good for you to finally join us after such a long, long, long delay.”

Marissa Joan HART-GRAMMER: “Whoops, sorry for being tardy again, Mrs. Denton, ma’am. Should we go to the principle’s office now or later?”

JACKSON: “Heh-heh.”

DINGER: “What was that you said coming in, Karen?”

Karen GRAMMER: “A global theme would be too international. The administration wants to avoid the notion of America trying to influence the globe or having some sort of claim to it.”

KEMP: “What hogwash.”

DENTON: “But it’s the hogwash that this White House wants to avoid, Joanne. Now let’s concentrate of this, ladies. What would best represent Christmas and America?”

HART-GRAMMER: “How about humanitarianism at home and abroad? That’s not too similar, is it?”

KEMP: “Well, we already sort of did that last month.”

WELLSTONE: “Yeah, remember? We all pitched in to help organize all those charity drives for the victims of The Big Three.”

JACKSON: “That was one wild Hurricane season, I was having Katrina flashbacks all summer long.”

WELLSTONE: “Yeah, even Katy and Lia helped out with that to deal with homelessness and other problems.”

DINGER: “And Marissa, you did a wonderful job working with all those woman Senators, Reps, and Governors to get all those feminist activist causes off their keisters.”

HART-GRAMMER: “Aw, thanks.”

DENTON: “Mm. Obvious brownnosing aide, can anyone think of any positive to say about our current dilemma?”

JACKSON: “I would suggest the theme of bipartisanship, but as one of only two Democrats here, I’ve got the feeling that that would get voted down.”

KEMP: “Well, Katherine – you said the tree should represent Christmas and America, right?”

DENTON: “Uh, another obvious thing. I mean, yes.”

KEMP: “Well then why not have it be about this Christmas and this year in America. Have each ornament highlight the high-points of America in 2017, from humanitarianism, like Marissa suggested, strides in civil rights – there you are Jacqueline – and this administration’s standing on the world stage – uh, if you want to, Karen.”

HART-GRAMMER: “That might work!”

DINGER: “We still have time to get custom ornaments from that, um, that place, right?”

DENTON: “The tree’s to be revealed in 16 days. Even if we finalize the order today we’ll be cutting it close, but…definitely close enough.”

GRAMMER: “Alright, so let’s wrap this up already before we waste any more time. All in favor of going with the theme of ‘2017’?”

WELLSTONE: [tapping] (quietly) “seven”

GRAMMER: “All opposed?”

WELLSTONE: [tapping] (quietly) “zilch”

DENTON: “So it’s agreed. Alright. Meeting adjourned, then.”

– transcript of White House audio recording, possibly from an A/V security device, recorded 12/6/2017 (leaked 4/22/2021)



“We have seen more and more trucking jobs disappear every year, and this year saw the numbers climb to numbers that cannot be ignored for much longer. The more trucking jobs that are lost, the more common that strikes and protests are going to pop up in states across the country. Towns reliant on truck stops, and families reliant on these incomes are going to go hungry without direct action of some kind from some place. They need help paying for bills, because automation cannot be stopped, and at this point it cannot even be slowed, but it can be prepared for. Because the fourth industrial revolution is here. It’s happening now. It’s been happening for years. And it affects all of us because it’s been ongoing everywhere, in every region, in every state. Labor leaders like Mary Kay Henry and Janice Fine have the right idea in demanding that management provide ‘ramp-off’ programs to teach their workers new skills prior to their current job being automated away. Members of the IBT, the SEIU, and the AFL-CIO all need to revisit the CBA table. We need to expand the NITR and pass more Federal Aid Dividend-like programs statewide if not federally, and we have to better teach our current workers, not just our future workers, how to survive in our increasingly robot-run worlds.”

– prominent businessman Andrew Yang, TumbleweedTV interview, 12/9/2017



DUNEDIN RESIDENT FATALLY STRUCK BY SELF-DRIVING CAR

…Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 27, jaywalked in a move that the car did not anticipate. “Tarrant broke a rule of the road, something that someone behind the wheel of a car would not have even had the time to react to and hit the break in time. This automated car stopped immediately, but even as it was traveling at a below-limit speed, the limitations of friction and physics could not prevent the car from hitting this jaywalker,” says one of the company’s representatives.

Nonetheless, the fatal incident will likely lead to a court case, and could very possibly damage the self-driving car’s reputation of being safer than human drivers…

The Southland Times, New Zealand newspaper, 12/12/2017



REPORT: COAL USE DOWN 11% GLOBALLY!

…continued use by China and India is being offset by major reductions and slowdowns in use elsewhere, most notably in Europe, New Zealand and North America…

The Boston Globe, 12/14/2017



THE BATTLE OF POINT JUDITH – 3.9 out 5 Stars

Released: December 15, 2017

Director: Clint Eastwood
Producer: Zach Snyder

[snip]

Top-Liked Review (5 out of 5 stars):

While this movie is best known for the on-set fighting that often exploded between Eastwood and Snyder, it really must be viewed on its own merits. Despite problems with budgeting and deadlines, the film itself holds up very well to scrutiny. A dramatic acknowledgement of a little-known real-life confrontation between American forces and a Nazi German U-boat off the coast of Rhode Island at the close of WW2, the film is not only historically accurate – an aspect of the story that Eastwood achieved despite Snyder’s attempt to “dramatize” it – but it is an entertaining and well-paced action flick that makes the most of its two-hour runtime. With a talented ensemble cast and a brilliant use of suspense, this movie had me on the edge of my seat!

– filmreviews.co.usa



SOCIAL DEMOCRAT WINS KOREA PRESIDENCY

…the voters of United Korea have chosen Roh Hoe-chan of the Social Democratic Party to be the sixth President of the reunified peninsula. Roh defeated four other prominent candidates in a competitive contest that Roh won with a plurality of 38%. In second place was Moon Sung-hyeon (DLP) with 21% of the vote, followed by Chung Dong-young (CDP) with 17% of the vote, Park Won-soon (GNP) with 14% of the vote, and Lee Jae-oh (Populist) with 9% of the vote; the remaining 1% of the vote was split among several minor candidates…

The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 12/19/2017



“…In Sacramento, California Governor Cruz Bustamante today signed into law a bill that gives tax breaks and write-offs to Golden State high schools, universities, and adult education centers that teach knife safety programs, with specifications ranging from mandatory or voluntary inclusion in home economics curricula and in security guard/police officer training courses. The bill aims to help educate people on how to uphold knife safety, better detect mental health ‘red flags,’ and how to safely defuse knife-related crises…”

– KNN, 12/20/2017 broadcast



…The Culver’s chain continued to rise in the late 2010s thanks to another economic factor – a dairy surplus brought on by 2017 being an above-average year for dairy farms in the Midwest. With farmers having more milk than they could sell, Culver’s was the first fast food chain to purchase the excess products in bulk, leading to the company soon heavily promoting “with cheese” items, milkshakes, yogurt special, and their iconic Butter Burgers.

ixvMgYM.png


[pic: imgur.com/ixvMgYM.png ]

Above: A Culver’s Butter Burger

Sales spiked soon after the December 21, 2017 announcement that the typical price of a Culver’s butter burger was to be “slashed” (reduced) by 25% from December 21 to January 21, with similar price drops being announced for other products in the days that followed. Other fast food chain reacted to the resulting “rush” on Culver’s locations by mimicking their actions – purchasing surplus from dairy farms, temporarily reducing prices, and launching advertising campaigns to lure in more customers with said price drops – in a move that intensified the Burger Wars of the 2010s…

– Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Sunrise Publishers, 2021



"BEFORE THE COLONEL" CASTS LIGHT ON COLONEL SANDERS' UPBRINGING

…Starring Jennifer Bini as the main character of this dive into the formative years of our 36th President, “Before The Colonel” is a religious drama film following the life of Margaret Ann “Maggie” Dunlevy, the mother of Harland David “Colonel” Sanders. Marrying Wilbur David Sanders (played by James Corden) in 1889, the couple relied on each other during economic hardships and health crises until Wilbur’s abrupt death in 1895. Corden, who plays a serious role surprisingly well, gives a (midwestern?) American accent his best shot, and though it slips at times, he keeps it up fair enough. Now alone with three young children, Maggie turns to her faith in God and family to support her daughter and two sons, and teaches her oldest, The Colonel, important lessons he vows to uphold throughout his life.

The film’s unique story focuses on how the future President’s upbringing impacted, influenced and molded his morals and ideas, led by the most prominent person of his early life, his mother. Along with stellar performances from supporting players such as the well-known character actor Brad Dourif and the prolific Robert Clotworthy, the cinematography and directing alone makes this religious movie stand out among other offerings produced by the conservative Faith Flix film studio. The sweeping views of rural Indiana and Bini’s success at reflecting the stress felt by widowed single mothers – especially during one scene set appropriately at Christmas – must be singled out for their ability to be dramatic without falling into hammy “soap opera” territory. However, its heavily religious and pro-Christian undertones do make the film’s pacing screech to a halt at times. 3.5/5 stars.

– Variety, 12/22/2017 review



I was wrong about spending Christmas with Great-Aunt Josephine. Everything here is so huge! The tree inside the living room is taller than our house! Everything is bigger – the presents, the turkey, everything! I got the latest Skullkicker VidGame and a new bicycle and I got to ride it around Great-Aunt Josephine’s backyard (Ma calls it an “estate.” Whatever). She’s got so much on her property. I don’t get why we don’t visit all the time. Something about our wing of the family not getting along with the rest of the family. The word “blacksheep” comes up a lot. I just thought it’s because she lives in Florida, we live in Oregon, and the rest of the “extended family” live mostly in Lewieville and Florence, Kentucky.

But anyway, the backyard has this trail along the side of this stream, and bigger pathway-thing through what I think were tennis courts. The pathway links back up to the side place on the estate, so I was just cycling around and around until I threw up a bit of the turkey. Fun times!

– Darrell Harvey Winger Jr., private journal, 12/25/2017 entry



…I was in the room. I took notes. Granted, I was later ordered to destroy them and their copies, and under watchful eyes, I had to do so before I could make any extra copies, but the fact remains that I took them. So what I profess to be the truth is in fact the truth: Nikolayev did in fact have contact with the Eritrean dictator Sebhat Ephrem throughout the year 2017. But then, in late December, my boss ordered that I and the rest of the technet support team remove all records of vidcalls from his schedule and his computers' logdrives that had anything to do their direct discussions. A clean sweep…

– Marina Lebedev’s tell-all memoir My Time In The Nation of Nikolayev, Perspective Publishers, 2022



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] OTL thing! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_Piloted_Assembly_and_Experiment_Complex
[2] IOTL, 60% of gun-related deaths are suicides, while less than 10% are accidents!: https://gunsandamerica.org/story/19...ut-a-new-poll-suggests-few-americans-know-it/
[3] An OTL comment: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/gary-locke-quotes
[4] OTL!
[5] Based closely on this OTL article!: https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-bricks-in-kenya-2650645441.html
[6] David Samadi was 15 when his family fled Iran in 1979 IOTL; here, he stays and enters politics as well as medicine
[7] OTL!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolph_Lundgren
[8] Some passages here were lifted directly from this hurricane’s OTL wiki article
[9] This is a real-life person, BTW: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhael_Mirilashvili
[10] Italicized snippets were pulled from here!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KFC_Original_Recipe
[11] Some passages here were pulled directly from his OTL Wikipedia article, others are edited passages, and the rest is original: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Katz
[12] Based on the OTL thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oneida_Community



The next chapter’s E.T.A.: April 30 at the very latest!

Trevor807 said:
Hello, I'm new here. I've been on this forum reading this TL for a while now and I have to say, this is incredible! Very accurate and detailed, and even the premise of a fast food mogul becoming a politician is nicely handled.
It'd be nice if some topics such as game shows, other TV series such as The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, other defunct restaurants including Howard Johnson's, toys, including Transformers, My Little Pony (yes, I'm one of those people), licenses, action figures and more, motorsports, including NASCAR and IndyCar, and those old pizza place animatronics from Chuck E. Cheese's, ShowBiz Pizza Place, etc. to be covered, but if you're unfamiliar with any of these, it's fine. Not everyone's familiar with them; I wasn't even familiar with pizza joint animatronics until a few months ago, and I'm not demanding. It'd also be nice if the voice casts for these animated series such as The SpongeBob Zone and Life in Heck were covered as well.
That being said, I'm looking forward to future updates!
Click to expand...
Sure thing! And welcome to the site!
 
Post 107
Post 107: Chapter 115



Chapter 115: January 2018 – May 2018

“No man becomes wise without stepping on the soil of fools.”

– Larry (Michael Weston), Lucky Numbers, 1:10:50 mark (OTL)



“…And with the New Year comes a new goal for the lawmakers of this chamber – a goal that I believe with be a well-deserved rebuke to the multimillionaire corporations that are willingly and willfully harming the health of this planet...”

– US Sen. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), calling for the passage of the GREEN (Globally Reduce Emissions to Empower Nature) Deal bill introduced last year, speech of the floor of the US Senate, 1/2/2018



NEBRASKA’S NEWEST US SENATOR FINALLY ENTERS OFFICE

…US Senator-Elect Oletha A. Faust-Goudeau (D-NE), the first African-American woman ever elected to the US Senate from The Cornhusker State, was finally sworn into office today. Under state and federal law, the official election results from her victory in last November’s special election needed to be certified before she could be sworn in. Typically, this takes only a few weeks. However, one week after Faust-Goudeau was declared the winner by nearly all news sources, the office of Nebraska’s Secretary of State announced that the state’s typically-early deadline for the counting of all military and overseas ballots coming in would be extended to December 21. Additionally, deadlines for counties to certify their results were extended to December 28, and the deadline for the state to certify the results was pushed back until January 3, stalling the swearing-in of the Democratic Party’s “rising star,” nicknamed “OFG” by her supporters ontech, by several weeks.

The move is being considered partisan by Democratic leaders, with US Senator Tony Pollina (D-VT) claiming “this was the Nebraska GOP’s way of minimizing her seniority in the US Senate by as much as possible. This pitiful action is petty, pathetic, and unprofessional, and the people of Nebraska deserve better”…

The Washington Post, 1/5/2018



“BIG-STATE” REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMOCRATS TO VOTE “YEA” IN N.I.A. ADVISORY VOTE: Action Clears Path For America’s First-Ever National Initiative

…The Legislative Advisory Vote was completed with a narrow bipartisan vote approving the measure. The action comes 89 days after the Deliberation Committee delivered the initiative to both federal legislative bodies. With this major step complete, in accordance with the rules and parameters of the US Constitution’s National Initiative Amendment, the Electoral Trust is now tasked with forming and publishing a schedule for the election of the initiative. The initiative will be the first time ever that a “ballot measure”-like issue will be voted on in every single state and territory. The issue – reforming how we vote for President by introducing a Ranked-Choice Instant-Runoff Voting system that will render the Electoral College “vestigial,” or “ceremonial” as some have described it.

“We are very proud of the politicians who voted in favor of Americans playing a far greater and direct role in the formation of the national laws by which we live,” Tom Atlee, spokesperson for and former director of the Electoral Trust, the independent agency responsible for overseeing National Initiative procedure, confirmed the completion of this penultimate step. “The Electoral Trust is going to announce its schedule for the election very soon.”

Out of hundreds of proposed initiatives, ones concerning reforming the Electoral College received the most headway in the aftermath of the controversial 2012 election, which saw Kelsey Grammar be elected President despite incumbent President Paul Wellstone winning the popular vote, in a reversal of the fates that befell Wellstone and US Senator Olympia Snowe in 2008. And out of all of those proposals, the RCV proposal gathered the most momentum and garnered the most amount of support.

“This calls for a national celebration,” says US Senator Mike Gravel (D-CA), the former US Vice President who led the charge for the creation of the N.I.A. for decades. “Now we’ll finally get to see the National Initiative in action. ...Registration roll certification could a few years, but I have to commend everyone involved for the pace of the hearings and quality of the committee report, along with how the House responded to it.”

Indeed, many political pundits expected US House Speaker McMaster to successfully drag out the process for as long as possible. Instead, the longtime legislator “seems to have dropped the ball on fighting this,” observes NBC Correspondent and former Hollywood actor Joe Scarborough. “It seems he spent more of 2017 working on tax cuts and kept combating the N.I.A. on the back-burner for too long.”…

– The New York Times, 1/7/2018



“There’s a big debate on the rise right now. It’s the healthy economy versus the rising automation. On one hand, markets are expanding, and Wall Street fat cats are happier than pigs in mud. But after another round of layoffs swept through the trucking industry this week, calls for a nationwide trucker strike are reaching record-breaking heights, both on the technet and out here in the real world. Now, if this proposed strike happens, understand this, it will severely impact these greedy corporations and their nefarious machinations. It will inhibit commerce and cost shipping agencies millions. It will strike at the very hearts of these S.O.B.s – their bank accounts. The time is coming. It’s only a matter of time before this powder keg goes off, and when it happens, I am going to wheel my way right out there and cheer those workers on as they fight for better job security. What about you? Will you back your fellow workers? Or will you do what the corporations want you to do – just stay lazy and ignorant, and lay back and do nothing while your fellow Americans suffer? Will you allow it, or will you fight it?”

– Disabled rights activist and political commentator Alexander E. “Alec” Jones, 1/9/2018 podcast



“…President Grammer today signed into law a bill that will transfer more responsibilities from cabinet departments to independent federal agencies, cutting taxpayer money currently being used to subsidize federal departments such as Agriculture, Commerce and the Interior...”

– CBS Evening News, 1/11/2018 broadcast



…In early January, the President met with the nation’s three Black Republican US Senators, Herman Cain of Georgia, Allen West of Florida, and Randy Brock of Ohio, to discuss his idea for implementing tax breaks for slave descendants. Many anti-taxation Republicans, and many more Republican candidates for congress, backed the notion of implementing tax exemptions or tax breaks for anyone who could prove that a blood-related ancestor was the slave of an American within the borders of the United States prior to the abolishing of slavery in the US in 1865.

“It’s a narrow definition that excludes many Black people,” Cain touched on the proposal’s parameters. “My ancestors were slaves in Mississippi, but there’s thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Black people in America whose grandparents did not come here until after 1865. Just look at Rocky McCain, the governor of Montana. His father wasn’t the descendent of slaves, he was a Kenyan national. Hell, his father probably owned slaves over there. He wouldn’t qualify for tax breaks because he doesn’t have Slave Blood in him. But he’s Black. He’s faced prejudice. That’s the thing – all Black people experience prejudice at some point, but this tax exemption would not help all of them.”

“I think it worsen things, frankly,” West shook his head. “I can see it dividing communities, friendships, and couples. An internal division, the Black communities of this country torn and split between those with Slave Blood and those without slave blood. Those with it will boast about it, and expect extra credit, and extra privileges and respect on account of it. This could open up a host of further problems.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you two,” Brock opposed his colleagues’ comments. “Check the polls. Our brothers and sisters are firmly in favor of the proposal, as am I, Mr. President.”

“Thank you, Randy,” Grammer nodded appreciatively.

“If we pass such a thing, it will worsen Black-and-non-Black relations,” West responded. “Black people aren’t the only kind of people who become poor. Low-income white people will become jealous, and they will become angry, before we know it, they’ll be saying that blood is on our hands.”

“I really have to question that idea, Allen,” said Brock. “Would anyone really get that riled up over tax breaks?”

“Do you want to risk it?” Cain answered.

“There’s nothing to risk,” Brock replied. Turning back to the President again, he added, “You’ve got my support, sir.”

The President again thanked him for his allegiance.

“Heh, Uncle Tom,” Cain quietly muttered...

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



“…the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed today at 28,565, after its worst week since the economic recession of 2013. The drop, called a ‘mini-bump’ by Commerce Secretary Rodham-Clinton earlier this evening, comes just three months after the DOW posted its second-largest ever one-day point gain of 1,032 points, back in late October 2017...”

– KNN Evening News, 1/14/2018 broadcast



“…with the support of French President José Bové, a French court has made the bold move of heavily fining the cruise ship company Carnival for emitting roughly eight times more Sulphur Oxide off of Europe’s coastlines than all of that continent’s 210million fossil-fuel-powered cars. Carnival, one of the largest cruise corporations in the world, is expected to challenge the fines at the International Court of Justice in New York City, New York…”

– BBC World News, 1/16/2018 broadcast



…King Constantine II of Greece stood firm against public calls for him to use the powers of his office to change Greece’s order of succession to one based on Salic law. Conservative-minded, the King supported the use of male-preference primogeniture to determine secession. However, the King sought to lower disapproval of his decision by allowing his daughter Alexia to take on a more active role in national affairs and by having his son Pavlos (Paul), the Crown Prince, take on more official roles in order to both prepare him for the throne. The idea was that Pavlov would publicly prove himself to be capable of taking over once he ascended to the throne, and thus improve his approval ratings among the Greek populace…

– John Koliopoulos and Thanos M. Veremis’s The Greek Modern Greece: A History since 1949, Atlantis Publishers, 2022



…PAVS – Partially-Autonomous Vehicles – also known as semi-self-driving cars/trucks, had been a boogeyman-type talking point for labor leaders for years, but in January 2018, the albatross finally landed. Ever since the latest version of Chrysler’s EPIC, or Electric Powered Interurban Chariot, rolled onto the streets in 2017, only to be followed soon after by Ford’s Ranger Surplus EV and the Volkswagen Firefly, tension and trepidation among the workers of the transportation industry were at historic heights.

On January 19, management at the California-based freight transportation company Bay-to-Bay Trucking announced the firing of over 2,000 part-time truck drivers and forklift operators to cover the company’s purchase of 15 Ford PAV trucks for “long haul” transportation routes and the automation of several small warehouses. The immediate protests from the workers to the mass layoffs soon led to the discovery that their CBA contained a loophole that did not protect part-time workers from being fired in such a way.

For enough unionized members of the transportation industry, this was the last straw. With contact between the Teamsters and the non-unionized Bay-to-Bay workers soon established, truck drivers and other workers in California and other locations performed a mass walk-out on January 22. The laborers refused to return to work until managers at Bay-to-Bay Trucking, and the top three largest trucking/shipping agencies of the US, agreed to re-negotiate the CBAs with their “worker representatives.”

OIsHvsr.png


[pic: imgur.com/OIsHvsr.png ]

Above: Teamsters on strike in Los Angeles and San Diego, in a coordinated effort to end “unjust firings” through CBA negotiations and public pressure

The multistate strike impacted deliveries nationwide. Within hours, people were either voicing support for the workers – with some even expanding on their protests to call for other concerns, such as wage theft, to be addressed as well – while others complained of delayed shipments. Ontech delivery sites scrambled to minimize damage. Shipping agencies and companies offered above-average wages to temporary truck drivers. Conservative pundits accused the strikers of holding the economy hostage, while California Governor Cruz Bustamante suddenly insert himself into the CBA debate by throwing his support toward the workers on January 24, the third day of the strikes…

– Gloria Skurzynski’s Sweat and Blood: The History of Labor Strikes in The United States, Borders Books, 2021



…Even with the warfare between Burkina Faso and the Fulani Republic entering its second year, President Grammer steadfastly stuck to his libertarian “guns” and refused to intervene militarily, even as the number of technetters accusing him racism rose. Condemning the accusations, Grammer reportedly ranted to his Vice President, “When Wellstone intervened in Sudan, people in both parties called him racist because they saw it as neo-imperialistic – whatever that means – to stop Black people from killing each other. They say the US is trying to govern the world. But when we don’t intervene in Burkina Faso, people in both parties call us racist because Black people are killing each other.”

“I keep tellin’ ya, Kels, you just gotta ignore the technet,” Brown allegedly stated.

“Don’t they understand that American involvement would just complicate things, turn a two-sided war into a three-sided war, and only lead to more people being killed?” Grammer continued.

“There is some good news, though,” the White House Chief of Staff then told the President, “at least according to the latest polls. It seems Americans still back non-intervention by a wide and bipartisan margin.”

“So we shouldn’t expect too many losses in the 2018 midterms, right?” Asked Brown.

“Well, the six-year itch is upon us, but we anticipate retaining both chambers going into 2019. The slavery-reparations-through-tax-exemptions idea is winning over a small but growing number of Black voters.”

Meanwhile, the L.A.-based trucker strike was intensifying as both workers and managers refused to make any concessions. The Commerce Secretary feared that the situation could soon reach “major crisis” levels…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



…Businessman Andrew Yang was an unconventional choice for mediating negotiations to end the Teamsters strike. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Yang’s father was a patent-winning researcher for IBM and General Electric for decades while his mother was a systems administrator for Columbia Law School, from which Andrew Yang graduated. After briefly working as a corporate attorney, Yang co-launched the celebrity-affiliated philanthropic fundraising netsite StarGiving. The effects of the SARS Pandemic led to Yang becoming more involved in philanthropic work, founding the medical research company CureSeekers in 2003. By 2010, Yang had published two best-sellers on how, based on his experience with StarGiving and other netsites and Silicon Valley-based companies, automation was “America’s next grave challenge.” In 2012, he began working for TumbleweedTV as a commentator of various topics, and soon made a name for himself. This strike, however, was what truly thrusted him into the national spotlight.

Yang had been on the corporate and management side of business, but he was passionately dedicated to preventing the mass layoffs that analysts predicted automation would yield. He presented himself as a man who could bring both sides of the strike together. And after a few days of internal debate, both sides agreed to give the noted philanthropist and TV figure a chance to essentially lead and moderate discussions.

“So what exactly can be done about automation?” Asked Bay-to-Bay COO Dan Case, brother of former AOT Inc. President Steve Case, in an early February sit-down between Yang, and Teamsters representative Jane Barden, and himself. “Because you can’t stop progress, you know.”

“Yes, but you, and I mean you specifically, Dan, you yourself can help stop disaster. You can help prevent the economic crisis that you know can come about from mass layoffs.” Yang said gently but assertively.

“How?” Case asked with a slight chuckle in his voice.

“Improve work retraining program options. Offer better retirement benefits. Create new jobs elsewhere,” Barden bluntly blurted out her bullet points, her eyes locked on Case.

“Janice, a mechanic working on an old Peterbilt is not the same as an IT specialist working on a PAV,” Case reply matter-of-factly.

Yang broke the sudden tension by referring back to the proposals of International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Mary Kay Henry. “What we mean is management should provide ‘ramp-off’ programs to teach their workers. They should be taught new skills prior to their jobs being automated away. You didn’t do that with these workers.”

“Well if we’re going to get philosophical here, let me tell you both one thing – whether you like or not, and something tells me neither of you do, it actually is not the responsibility of an employee to teach their workers how to work. Lots of companies do this, yes, but it’s not illegal to hire people who already have the skills your company needs. Bay-to-Bay is not a charity, and it’s not a vocational school. It’s a business. You want these laypersons to pick up more modern-day technet-reliant skills, tell ’em to go back to school.”

“But that’s the thing Dan. Education and training are currently not set for the speed of change that we are seeing in the modern economy. Most schools are still based on a one-time education model, with school providing the foundation for a single lifelong career. With content becoming obsolete faster and rapidly escalating costs, this system may be unsustainable in the future. To help workers more smoothly transition from one job into another, for example, we need to make education a more nimble, lifelong endeavor. And that could start at Bay-to-Bay. Your company could be a leading company in that major shift in workplace training and education.”

Case shook his head, “I’m in the trucking business, not the education business.”

Yang replied, “So your company can be one of the first to look for more customized skills and take a larger role in education, providing on-the-job training for specific capabilities. You could partner with community colleges to create apprenticeship-style learning, where students work part-time in parallel with their education.”

“Are you seriously telling me how to run my company?”

“No, I’m brainstorming ideas with you,” Yang answered defensively but convincingly.

Barden was surely holding back a slew of swears; she reportedly dug her nails so deep into her chair’s arms they cut through the upholstery. Gritting her teeth and restraining her temper, she replied “If you train your workers so they can perform more than one job, you can keep them around when economic conditions evolve. Turnover rates are costly, Dan. If you refuse to think of the workers, maybe think of the costs.”

“Alright, alright,” Yang sought to keep Barden from driving Case away from the negotiations table. “We’re off-topic, we’re off-topic now. Let’s get back to the meat of why we’re here – the workers want more employment protection. No more layoffs that pop up unexpectedly. They want to at the very least be given fair warning, at least enough time to try and transfer over to a new field within your company if they so choose. The workers dedicate their lives and livelihoods to you, and –”

“You’re supposed to be impartial here, Yang,” Case interrupted.

“You’re right, sorry. I’m just trying to figure out how to show you that I get where you are coming from. I’ve run companies and organizations, so I know what it’s like to have all those responsibilities swimming around. Responsibilities to the workers, to stockholders and stakeholders, to investors and customers. And I understand that you can’t stop the inevitability of evolution. Nobody should try to. But with jobs and roles in response to this evolution shifting, so should the social contract between the stakeholders. In the very near future, business leaders are going to have to take on some of the roles traditionally played by other parties in order to stay afloat. Like the schools, businesses are going to train workers. Like the government, businesses are going to contemplate the risks of economic proposals to combat unemployment—in part because of businesses having a greater agility in adapting to change than schools and government.”

After continuing this discussion for a little while longer, Yang reiterated the workers’ and Teamsters’ demands before the meeting adjourned inconclusively. The next day, Case agreed to a new CBA, and the day after, the three met again to iron out the new CBA’s details, starting with the closing of the part-time workers loophole. And, secondly, Yang convinced Case to sign on to a new Automation Adjustment Assistance clause, which formed a retraining program for truck drivers willing to learn how to work on computer software for a living.”

When Barden presented the new CBA to the workers as a victory they should accept – despite said new CBA only slightly improving upon its predecessor’s wording on wage theft – they followed her advice, ending the strikes after 15 days of slowed, delayed and/or cancelled deliveries for millions across the continent.

According to Yang, President Grammer called him soon after to “essentially praise” him for leading the negotiations…

– Gloria Skurzynski’s Sweat and Blood: The History of Labor Strikes in The United States, Borders Books, 2021 [1]



…As the Burkina Faso-Fulani Republic War continued to descend into chaos and anarchy, the images of ethnic-based massacres led to continued claims that non-intervention was a passive form of racist. In February 2018, Grammer attempted to counter these technet-based claims by again calling for reparations for slavery in the form of income tax exemptions. However, the idea was still opposed by party leaders, with House Whip Webster claiming that slave descendants benefited more from the Negative Income Tax Rebate law implemented in the early 1970s more so than any other demographic, and that further reparations would worsen racial relations...

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



“As our nation’s cybersecurity systems are of top quality, there is little reason for anyone to believe that another hacking attack on private netsite accounts will succeed.”

– Australian PM Nick Varvaris, 2/3/2018



…On February 5, 2018, Australia's Parliament was hacked by agents working out of either Russia or China in the largest cyber security breach in Australian history. Thousands of classified documents and hundreds of thousands of private messages were “dropped” ontech. Practically overnight, the private and personal paraphernalia of political people across the country were publicly viewable, in a move that significantly lowered Australia’s trust in the government – or at least, in their then-current government…

– Lee Kim’s Keyboard Campaigns: The Worlds of Cyberwarfare, Created Space Independent Press, 2020



…On February 6, House Speaker McMaster announced that he was retiring from Congress, telling his colleagues on the hill, including the President, and then reporters that he would not run for re-election but would not resign, planning on instead simply finishing out his term.

The announcement framed McMaster almost as a “wise elder statesman” retiring, after roughly a decade in the Speaker’s chair, in order to pass the office and its responsibilities over to a “new generation” of Republican House leadership. In reality, McMaster’s popularity with the House GOP was waning, and he decided to leave on his own accord, rather than be forced out of office, like what had happened to Speaker Robert Smith Walker.

While Vice President Brown was visibly sad to see McMaster retire, President Grammer’s relationship with the outgoing Speaker was reportedly more tenuous. While not exactly ecstatic to see him go, Grammer was not saddened by it either, only apathetically asking McMaster if he would reconsider. This reaction was likely due to the very conservative McMaster often being at odds with the increasingly libertarian administration and GOP House…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



FRANCE LAUNCHES “AMBITIOUS” PROBE TO STUDY MERCURY

…the most expensive space probe to ever be launched by France’s National Center for Space Studies, President Bové reportedly had to be convinced to not cancel the project because its funding had already been spent by the time he entered office. Bové’s predecessor, Francois Leotard, signed off on the project back in late 2012…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 7/2/2018



LEONG LEADS LABOR TO VICTORY OVER VARVARIS!; Pragmatic MP To Become 28th PM!

…Jenny Leong (Labor) performed better than expected, winning 85 seats against incumbent PM Nick Varvaris (Liberal), who won 62 seats, while Bob Katten (The Outsiders) retained three seats. This is being considered a landslide rejection of an incumbent government that is during its tenure been plagued by gaffes, controversies, and numerous foreign and domestic policy failures…

– The Canberra Times, Australian newspaper, 2/8/2018



Winter Olympics In United Korea Open Today With Cheers, Reflection

The New York Times, 2/9/2018



WHATABURGER THANKS EMPLOYEES WITH $100MILLION IN BONUSES

…with approximately 12,480 locations in 14 states and with a self-reported annual sales of more than $5billion annually, the fast food chain’s spokesperson says they are awarding employees more than $100million in bonuses across the “lower half” of company’s payrolls as a means of thanking their employees for their service “doing their part to help out during last year’s crises.” The company managed pull back from the brink of financial disaster last year, during last year’s hurricane season. However, in a humanitarian gesture, Whataburger locations in Texas, Louisiana and Puerto Rico offered free food to Hurricane survivors and, in some cases, served as emergency shelters for displaced families. “We are grateful to all our employees, from managers to cashiers and delivery personnel, who went above and beyond the typical responsibilities of the hospitality industry to help customers and local citizens in their time of need.” Whataburger locations in many flooded regions were praised by local news outlets for going “that extra mile to serve guest with care and concern, which are cornerstones to success and the heart of this company,” stated the spokesperson at today’s press briefing...

– chicagotimes.co.usa, 2/12/2018 e-article



…Europe was also dragged into this new era of cybersecurity threats on February 15, when the EU’s European Parliament and Council of Ministers were hacked in a cyber-attack originating from somewhere in northeastern China. The EU responded with the subsequent formation of the Data Protection Directive of 2018. Stronger than and essentially replacing the Data Protection Directive of 1993, the “second” DPD gave EU residents more personal control over privacy plans for their personal data, regulated and capped costs on such “modern security requirements,” and simplified the regulatory environment for international business with the EU. This simplification was done unifying the regulation with the EU’s General Data Privacy and Protection Regulation Council…

– Hanspeter Kriesi and Takis S. Pappas’ In The Shadow of The Great European Recession, ECPR Press, 2021



US HOUSE RULE REPEALED: Food Can Now Be Eaten on The Floor of The House, Albeit “Carefully And Respectfully”

…the original rule was put into place to maintain decorum and minimize distractions during legislative debate. Furthermore, in order to satisfy hungry lawmakers, US Senators have access to a dining hall inside the US Capital Building called the Senate Cafeteria, best known for serving Senate Bean Soup every day [2]. However, the no-food rule has not been truly enforced for nearly a century. Indeed, it seems very unrealistic to tell lawmakers to not bring snacks to work. Point of fact: members of the US House have had a pair of desks filled with candy for decades in an open and willful disregard of the rules. While the introduction of the House Candy desks back in the 1960s did lead to health-conscious senators successfully lobbying for more “Heart Smart” meals in the Senate cafeteria, it did not lead to a call for the repealing of the rule barring food on the House floor until fairly recently.

The rule change comes roughly 29 months after the US Senate voted to change another longstanding rule, this one banning newborns from being brought onto the Senate floor during votes. Said rule change, voted through by nearly unanimous consent, was done to accommodate federal legislators with newborn babies, especially ones that breastfeed said newborns, allowing them to be able to bring a child under 14 months old onto the floor. That change in policy came after several young US Congresswomen spearheaded the push in 2015. [3]

Like with the “breastfeeding” rule change, this “eating food” rule change comes with strict parameters, establishing small fines for infractions. In the new food rule’s case, lawmakers can be fined for leaving “excessive crumbs” on the carpeted chamber floor, or failing to properly clean or sanitize any place where food is eaten. Amazingly, one fineable offense is eating food that is “too loud” and proves distracting to any other lawmakers…

The Washington Post, 2/19/2018



MARCELINE JONES, WIDOW OF CULT LEADER JIM JONES, DIES AT 91

…while the widow of cult leader Jim Jones has repeatedly apologized for the destructive actions of her husband, she still received criticism for twice accepting a Hosea Williams Humanitarian Award… After her husband died, Jones, a registered nurse, returned to the healthcare industry in her native Indiana, and, once her children had grown, became a researcher of mental health for the Indiana University South Bend. …Marceline was known by her friends and coworkers for having a gentle and reflective personality, and for having a kind demeanor to everyone who met and knew her. She never remarried, but filled her off-work hours by volunteering at children’s hospitals and homeless shelters. However, despite her love for her community, she kept a low profile. “Her past kept her at bay,” says one Sally Wilson, a friend and fellow researcher at IUSB. “She just feared so much that people would recognize her as the widow of a nut-job instead of as the woman who read to the blind every Saturday.”

– The Evansville Courier & Press, Indiana newspaper, 2/22/2018



WINTER OLYMPICS CONCLUDE

…the Closing Ceremonies also showcased the innovate strides and successes made by the nation of Korea in the years since the 1996 “War of Reunification”…

The Los Angeles Times, 2/25/2018



List of Summer Olympics locations (since >1960<):

1960: Rome, Italy

1964: Tokyo, Japan

1968: Mexico City, Mexico

1972: Munich, West Germany

1976: Los Angeles, United States

1980: Moscow, Russia

1984: Athens, Greece

1988: Brisbane, Australia

1992: Barcelona, Spain

1996: Egypt, Cairo

2000: Manchester, United Kingdom

2004: Beijing, (the People’s Republic of) China

2008: Berlin, Germany

2012: Cape Town, South Africa Tehran, Iran

2016: New York City, United States

2020: Santiago, Chile

2024: Jakarta, Indonesia


List of Winer Olympics locations (since >1960<):

1960: Squaw Valley, United States

1964: Innsbruck, Austria

1968: Grenoble, France

1972: Sapporo, Japan

1976: Ryazan, Soviet Union

1980: Lake Placid, United States

1984: Calgary, Canada

1988: Falun, Sweden

1992: Zagreb and Belgrade, Yugoslavia

1994: Lillehammer, Norway

1998: Munich, Germany

2002: Toronto, Canada

2006: Budapest, Hungary

2010: Athens, Greece

2014: Ankara, Turkey

2018: Pyongyang, United Korea

2022: Almaty, United Turkestan

– aldaver.co.usa/sites.html, c. early 2018



…On February 27, just two days after the conclusion of the year’s Winter Olympics, a Russian hacker launched yet another cyberattack onto America. But this time, the US’s cybersecurity leaders would cut the onslaught short with anti-virus technology and coordination.

The swift American action gave China’s own cyber agencies pause. Premier Yang was surprised by their effective firewalls, and seemed to have informed his agency leaders to “make note of it,” according to Wen Jiabao.

[snip]

ulfOOS3.png


[pic: imgur.com/ulfOOS3.png ]

Above: the PRC military’s “control center” in Beijing, alleged “headquarters” for China’s cyberwarfare operations, according to a February 2018 CIA report.

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



“Back in The Colonel’s day, the only networking tools he had to work with were word of mouth, radio, paper-mail, yard signs, door-to-door canvassing, and (if you were fortunate) local television drop-ins [4]. But now, we have so much more. Modern tools at your disposal include yard signs, net-mail, community events, tv/radio ads and net-ads, podcasts, public net-forums, ProfilePocket and other business-centric netsites, Ourvids and other A/V-sharing netsites, BuddyTalk and other communication-centric netsites, net search-engines, peer-to-peer referrals, vidcalling technology, social networking lar phone apps, and virtual tour apps. Utilize these tools, and withy your help, our company can reach a wider range and a larger number of potential customers than even The Colonel himself ever thought possible.”

– Jan Fields, head executive of FLG’s Smoky Mountain BBQ Steakhouse, in a training video for new KFC marketing employees, first used c. March 2018



GRAMMER SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL BILL INTO LAW, DEREGULATING CABINET RESPONSIBILITIES

The Washington Post, 3/5/2018



PETE DIAMONDSTONE, RADICAL U.S. SENATOR, DIES AT 83

...True to his Marxist loyalty, the one-term Senator and two-time Presidential Candidate passed away on March 8, the 101st anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1917. He is survived by his wife, Doris Lake (b. 1935); their four children, Aaron, Jessica, Ian, and Paula; several grandchildren, including Owen M. Diamondstone-Kohout, and a great-grandson, appropriately named Karl.

Diamondstone was known as a perennial candidate for decades – running for public office every other year from 1970 to 2016, with the sole exception of 2002 – until winning a US Senate seat in 1998 in a poll-defying outcome many dubbed “the upset of the century.” His subsequent Presidential bids in 2000, during which he called for the nationalizing of all industries and the outlawing the US military, arguably made fellow candidate Jesse Jackson more appealing to some voters by making him seem more moderate by comparison. Diamondstone lost re-election to the Senate in 2006, but continued to run for the office, as he had always.

Diamondstone’s passing, unofficially from the results on unspecified heart ailments, is a major blow to the Liberty Union party, a small third-party organization he co-founded in the late 1960s and had unofficially been the leader of for decades. Several prominent members of the LUP (Dennis J. Morrissey, Murray Ngoima, Rosemary Jackowski, Ben Bosley, the widow of Richard F. Gottlieb (1935-2012), Jerry Levy, Mary Alice Herbert, Jane Newton, Matthew Andrew (b. 1981), and Martha Abbott (b. 1931) are set to attend and speak at Diamondstone’s memorial service tomorrow.

The most famous and successful member of the Liberty Union party, Diamondstone’s political legacy will likely be continued by his family. His wife, who was nominated by the party for Vermont at-large congressional seat in 1971 and again in 2002, is a radical progressive much like her husband. Their daughter Jessica “Jessy” Diamondstone, age 51-52, is even more politically involved, working on her father’s many political campaigns and currently serving on the Brattleboro City Council; as a result, she is expected to pick up where her father left off, and run for higher office later this year…

– The Brattleboro Reformer, Vermont newspaper, 3/11/2018



…France’s President José Bové stirred up more trouble for international businesses when he tried to get American companies to leave France with higher tariffs and taxes on foreign businesses and slashing taxes and fees for domestic product producers. These new laws were passed despite polls finding that a majority of French citizens “approved” of foreign businesses existing within their borders.

However, one could see the French people’s attitudes toward the alleged “Americanization” of urban centers more directly in ontech discussions and interactions. Even a quick glance at a BuddyTalk-France thread, and one can see how the French approved of KFC, and that most simply wished that their goods – the sources of the food served at KFC-France outlets – be locally sourced better. Bové, a decades-long critic of global chains, wanted to make the “French market [be] for French workers, French businesses, and French customers,” but in doing so, he made it more difficult for French farmers to sell their wares to international businesses who operated in France.

aZ7rOdz.png


[Pic: imgur.com/aZ7rOdz.png ]

KFC-France outlet in Paris (left) and one on the French-administered island of Martinique (right), demonstrating the range of both KFC and President Bové restrictive international trade policies.

KFC-France took a two-pronged approach to the tariffs. The company’s legal team challenged Bové in the Paris courts, with the threat of bringing the matter all the way up to the International Court of Justice if necessary. Concurrently, the company’s R&D department sought to work around the new tariffs by testing a switch to ingredients pulled entirely from French markets…

– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020



SINGER CALYPSTICA PERFORMS HER GREATEST HITS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

The Washington Post, 3/19/2018



1960s

Although guest artists had been entertaining at the White House for more than a century, President and Mrs. Johnson made the White House a true showcase for the performing arts and their creativity and dedication provided a model for succeeding administrations to the present day. Performances at the Johnson White House comprised such a large cast that they were held outdoors on a special stage or indoors in the East Room on a portable stage donated by the Harkness Ballet in 1961. Music in the White House during the Sanders administration reflected the First Family’s diverse preferences, with the First Lady favoring piano and classical music while The Colonel was most supportive of southern, western and “country” styles, with Elvis’ rock-and-roll classics being a notable exception.

1970s

The administrations of Presidents Sanders and Mondale showcased a wider segment of American culture than ever before, with the appearance of jazz, gospel, ragtime, and popular song, as well as classical concert and vocal forms. In 1972, following an official state dinner, Pearl Bailey, with First Lady Claudia Sanders at the piano, sang for President Mitterrand of France. The Captain and Tennille performed for the Queen of England, President and Mrs. Mondale, and their guests. Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Sarah Vaughn, and Dizzy Gillespie entertained Shah Reza Pahlevi of Iran under Mondale, too.

The most important musical event of this period, though, arguably was the first of five hour-long PBS programs. Broadcasted nationally and throughout Europe from the East Room, the series was initiated by President Mondale in 1978, after discussing “cultural promotion ideas” with his Secretary of State, Jimmy Carter. The first series comprised of Vladimir Horowitz, Leontyne Price, Mikhail Baryshnikov with Patricia McBride, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Andres Segovia.

Music in the White House during this period reflected a wide segment of American culture. The birthday dinner and Medal of Freedom presentation to Duke Ellington turned into a massive jam session with jazz luminaries.
First Lady Joan Mondale was especially successful in matching the musical programs to the interests of the many heads of state who visited the United States, demonstrating that “Joan of Art” was a champion of music as well as the visual art medium. The high point of this was in 1979, when Van Cliburn interpreted Chopin, Schuman and Debussy during the first White House entertainment for a reigning Japanese emperor.

1980s

Called "In Performance from the White House," the PBS programs
from the Mondale White House spilled over into the years of Jeremiah Denton, where First Lady Katherine Denton broadened the program to include not only classical and country styles sampled under the Sanders and Mondale administrations, but Broadway, jazz and much more gospel as well, and with creative theatrical flair to boot. The music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Johnny Cash, Rodgers and Hart, and the Beach Boys all performed at the Denton White House, as did the casts of various Broadway musicals, complete with their festive costumes and dance.

The Kemp White House retain Katherine Denton’s enthusiasm for celebrated and distinguished American symphony orchestras, such as the Boston Pops Orchestra and New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. Whether to enliven parties for children, holiday fetes, or Congressional picnics, music was vital to the Kemp White House. However, First Lady Joanne Kemp departed from Katherine’s approach to music by hosting more informal events, often charity drives and benefit performances, on the White House lawns. By 1989, Pinchas Zuckerman, Frank Sinatra, Jessye Norman, Lionel Hampton, and many others had contributed to the long White House tradition of after-dinner concerts held in the East Room to honor important heads of state.

1990s

President Bellamy’s lack of a spouse left the office of First Spouse vacant at first, only for the President to soon sign off on a rotation of several White House hosts and hostesses. This created a White House with arguably the widest selection of musical performances ever, with the likes of Frank Zappa, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, Wayne Brady, Anita Johnson, Diana Krall and even Eartha Kitt all serenading guests and visitors at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Upon President Iacocca assuming office, though, the new President promoted more “America-friendly” talents. Iacocca publicly described music as “a supreme American gesture, a vital symbol of American life as it underscores every important national event, social cause and ceremonial mood” in the White House. The subsequent collection of music was relatively retained upon his successor entering the White House. Dolly Parton famously performed at the White House in 1996.

2000s

Expanding the White House’s music selections to more non-white performers, President and Mrs. Jesse Jackson hosted a Juneteenth 2001 celebration of the music of Stevie Wonder, Festiva Latina, Selena, Martina McBride, India Ariel, Esperanza Spalding, Will.i.am, and many members of the African-American and Hispanic-American music scene. That same year, President Jackson presented to Mr. Wonder the second annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, an award that honors artists “whose creative output transcends distinctions . . . , brings diverse listeners together, and fosters mutual understanding and appreciation.”

Festiva Latina, a concert dedicated to Hispanic musical heritage, took place on the South Lawn of the White House
in 2002. Performers included Marc Anthony, Jimmy Smits, Eva Longoria Parker, Pete Escovedo, Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalía, Tito "El Bambino", Aventura, and Los Lobos.

Lid4CbH.png


[pic: imgur.com/Lid4CbH.png ]

Above: the Chicano rock band Los Lobos performs during the "In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina" concert on the South Lawn of the White House.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza


2010s

As a former professional thespian, President Grammer welcomed music of all kinds into the White House, with performers ranging from Kenny Rogers to KISS. President and Mrs. Grammer hosted a celebration of accomplished musicians in 2013, and welcomed back the Festiva Latina in 2014...

– whitehousehistory.org.usa/musicians_in_the_house/timeline [5]



NEW “PREDATOR” FILM IS RETURN TO FORM FOR A TIRED FRANCHISE

…This satisfyingly dark and suspenseful work had this reviewer on the edge of their seat not because of it being too dark to see (like Predator 6), but because of the director knowing how to stage good suspense scenes. Returning to the franchise’s roots, the film follows UN peacekeeping forces in Cameroon trying to maintain civil order at the height of the SARS Pandemic when Predators begin their hunt. In a nod to War of The Worlds, initial efforts to kill the Predators with germ warfare fails spectacularly. The film presents the subsequent mayhem that is easy to follow, utilizing sweeping panoramic views to showcase the extent of the carnage, horror and action sequences... …While the Predator film from 1987 remains a classic, and Predator 2 (1991) is a decent sequel, Predator 3 (1993), a “crossover” film in which Carl Weathers’ character from the first two films must help professional boxer Rocky Balboa fight off a team of Predators, underperformed at the box office. The third installment’s letdown put the franchise on hold until James Cameron was hired to direct a fourth Predator film in 1999, which, while considered on par with the first film by audiences, received negative reviews from critics. A “trilogy” of Cameron-directed Predator films was nevertheless attempted, but after Predator 5 (2002) went over-budget and also underperformed, Current Century Fox fired Cameron from the franchise and the trilogy was completed in 2007 after many delays. Predator 6: Genesis (2007), which concerns “wormholed” astronauts of the fourth and fifth films, finally fighting a Predator in its own home star system, is still considered the worst in the franchise…

Variety, 3/24/2018 film review



“ALIEN VI” DIRECTOR CONFIRMS LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL WILL PREMIER ON SCHEDULE DESPITE SET ISSUES

– thehollywoodreporter.co.usa, 3/27/2018



ALIEN (franchise)

Alien is a science-fiction horror/action media franchise centered primarily on the film series depicting security officer-turned-outlaw-turned-General Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her encounters with a form of extraterrestrial life called a Xenomorph, the franchise’s titular “alien.”

The franchise is produced and distributed by Current Century Studios, previously known as 20th Century Studios, beginning with the film series starting in 1979. This series has led to numerous novels, comics, vidgames, and a TV series, along with spinoffs and crossovers.

PREMISE

[snip]

BACKGROUND

[snip]

FILMS

Alien (1979) – a commercial cargo ship responding to a distress signal is invaded by a quickly-growing alien dubbed a Xenomorph; Ripley kills the creature, but only after the rest of the crew is killed and the ship is destroyed, trapping Ripley in hypersleep.

Aliens (1983) – Almost immediately after the events of the first film, Ripley awakens from hypersleep after a facehugger stowaway creates and fire that causes her escape pod to crash, destroying the facehugger. Due to the lack of substantial evidence backing her story, Ripley is accused of murdering the crew of the first film; in an effort to clear her name, she travels to the planetoid colony where the ship’s remains were taken. Discovering the colony has just been wiped out by the Xenomorphs, Ripley leads the survivors back to the ship she took hostage to travel there, but only her and a few others survive.

Alien III (1995) – After 92 years in hypersleep, Ripley and the survivors are awakened by an alien-worshipping cult who plan to impregnate Ripley with an alien queen and sacrifice the others. They discover that Xenomorphs have “invaded” multiple human colonies in the time that has passed. When Xenomorphs come to the cult’s planet, though, the woshippers are killed, and Ripley and Company steal their documents and a ship to escape, but are soon arrested by galactic police. After successfully aborting the alien growing inside her, Ripley must convince them of their innocence, but only one officer believes her, and soon claims that the stolen documents hold the key to defeating the Xenomorphs.

Alien IV (1997) – Ripley is pardoned by the Governor of Planet Colony Cobb 17, introduced in the previous film, who is revealed to be a descendent of Engineer Parker, a character from the first film, and believes Ripley is innocent. In order to avoid impeachment, her pardon comes with the stipulation that she join the army and participate in a recon mission to the Xenomorph’s suspected home world as part of a larger plan to locate and destroy the “primary queen.” During the mission, however, the primary queen is killed, and it does not stop the aliens. However, Ripley’s growing ability to understand aspects of the aliens due her previous impregnation leads to her discovering a major chemical weakness held by the aliens. For her heroism in saving the crew, she is promoted in rank.

Alien V (1998) – Revealing that combining alien acid with a rare human blood type (which Ripley has) is fatal to the aliens (explaining why the alien fetus was slow to evolve inside her and why the fetus growth time has fluctuated over the course of the series), Ripley leads an army of soldiers, equipped with new weapons technology, to wipe out the aliens “infesting” Exoplanet Ergos, the site of the worst “infestation” of Xenomorphs. The success leads to her being promoted to General. In her new position, she soon learns of a scheme between mercenaries and a radical faction of the military to save some aliens in order to exploit them for their own nefarious purposes. Locating the captive Xenomorphs at an underground base beneath Cobb 17’s military HQ, Ripley and her team do battle with the radical militants while Xenomorphs escape at the same time. Both the radicals and the aliens are vanquished, but not without much destruction, numerous casualties.

Alien VI (2019) – also known as James Cameron’s Alien Menace, this film is current in preproduction; it will reportedly feature Ripley tracking down a mutated Xenomorph in the aftermath of the alien race being repelled from all but a few infestation sites.

TELEVISION

Aliens: The Ripley Chronicles (2011-2017) – a “world-building” midquel series set between the second and third films, following the lives of Ellen Ripley’s daughter Maura (mentioned in the second and third films), portrayed by Chrysanthemum “Chrissy” Turner. Maura is a young security officer for an Hoffmium Energy Station on a remote exoplanet who, with the help of her friend and researcher Janey Urban (portrayed by Kelly Marie Tran), start out defending their home planet from Aliens before venturing out to other locations, including Earth, in an effort to stop the menace about which her mother tried to warn humanity.

NET SERIES

Aliens: Retribution (2002-2006) – a net-based comic series that aimed to “flesh out” the world and character of the films and TV show, along with showing how life on Earth has changed over the course of the series, and how the aliens live and grow on their home world, in greater detail. Current Century Fox considered the series to be “canon,” but several directors and writers involved in the Ripley Chronicles TV series did not, leading to some minor plotholes and retcons in said TV series.

RECEPTION

The first film was surprise hit, standing out among the other spacefaring films that were made in the wake of the successful and wildly popular first Star Wars film. The second film received lukewarm reviews. The third, fourth and fifth films (together making up an unofficial “trilogy”), though, are considered by some fans to be the best in the franchise, possibly even better than the first, though Alien V was the least commercially successful of the three.

ACCOLADES

Alien won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Aliens also won that award along with Weaver three nomination (Art Direction, Film Editing and Sound Effects Editing). Weaver finally won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Ripley in Alien III. Alien IV and Alien V were each nominated for Best Visual Effects awards and Film Editing awards, but did not win them.

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2018



…Ahead of the General Election in August, opposition leader Olivia Chow worked to unite the Progressive Liberal party. Endorsements from the Trudeau brothers, Michel and Justin, both actors engaged in political activism but not elective politics, soon joined other voices of support. MPs Alison M. Redford, Pierre Paquette, Naheed Nenshi, Christy Clark, and Jacques Duchesneau, plus Provincial leaders Jean-Yves Duclos and Lisa Raitt, all expressed support for the PL leader soon enough. However, who won in August would depend on who could pull in enough support in the competitive regions, who has strength where, and their level of experience with both campaigning, and internal and intraparty political processes...

– Richard Johnston’s The Canadian Party System: An Analytic History, UBC Press, 2021 edition



…The Eritrean Liberation Front achieved its goal in the mid-1970s. After years of fighting, the Addis Ababa Peace Treaty of 1977 was signed by the leaders of Ethiopia, Somalia and the ELF, making Eritrea an independent nation on New Year’s Day 1978. Setting up a parliamentary system with Isaias Afwerki (1946-1982) as Prime Minister, the new nation started off on shaky ground. Domestically, infrastructure developments were slow and rife with corruption from the start. In regards to foreign policy, Afwerki promoted maintaining a neutral position on the world stage, and possibly allying with Yugoslavia in that endeavor, but was inhibited by other members of parliament and the military who believed the nation was better off under either western, Soviet or Chinese spheres of influence. Political infighting worsened in 1980, and in 1981, Afwerki was removed from office. His successor, however, was even less effective, and was soon overthrown in a military coup led by former ELF leader Osman Saleh Sabbe (1932-1987). Sabbe oversaw a communistic regime, but wisely allied himself closer with China than with the Soviet Union, allowing him to stay in power after the USSR collapsed in 1984.

Upon Sabbe’s unexpected demise from cancer in 1987, his brother Mahmoud Saleh Sabbe succeeded him until he was overthrown by his own military in 1989. The nation has been ruled by General Sebhat Ephrem (b. 1951) ever since….

– Emanuel Biedemariam’s Eritrea: A History of Triumph and Betrayal, Aksumite E-Press, 2021



…April 5, 2018 began as just another hectic day for President Grammer. Amid stable low-50s approval ratings, government deregulation efforts going smoothly in the GOP-majority congress, and the GOP’s party factions being overall complacent for the time being, the President was mainly dealing with foreign policy concerns. Russia’s Nikolayev was unpredictable, China was continuing their cyber-warfare campaign, and several central African countries were refusing to get off their respective warpaths at their own respective volitions. But on this day, a new foreign policy issue arose.

Grammer loosened his tie as he watched the news report on the latest batch of hacked documents leaking onto the technet. The Situation Room was not exactly quiet, but he could still hear the anchors’ discuss this newest “doc drop,” with the assortment receiving the most amount of attention being the leaked documents pulled from the servers of the small African country of Eritrea. The documents revealed that the Eritrean military government was planning to test a nuclear missile, already in their possession, within a week.

“Well, at least this leak actually helps us,” Grammer murmured. “This thing almost snuck up on us.”

“Alright, so first off, we have to find out how serious this is – if it’s even legitimate,” Secretary of State Dick Morningstar advised. “Do they really have The Bomb?”

“It could be some dumb joke,” Vice President Brown suggested.

The Secretary of Energy and Technology, Sheila Miyoshi Jager, shook her head “I just spoke with our experts. They’re sure those aren’t doctored docs.”

“Then we have to figure out how in God’s name the Eritreans got ahold a nuclear device! The country is so small you could claim it wasn’t real and people would believe you without batting an eye!” The President exclaimed.

“So, wait, they didn’t make that bomb themselves?” asked White House Chief of Staff Patricia Clarey.

“No, definitely not” Secretary of Defense Eileen Collins answered.

“Why didn’t they build up their own nuclear program?” was Clarey’s follow-up.

“Because when North Korea tried that shit, we wiped off of the map before they could complete it!” Brown proclaimed, smiling from the wave of nostalgia suddenly rushing over him.

“It must have been sold to them,” Morningstar surmise confidently, “They must have bought it off either some other government, or from some private enterprise, some weapons trafficker, maybe one of the mafias.”

“But who?” Brown asked.

“We’re still working on finding the missile’s source, sir,” Morningstar continued to speak to the President. “There’s not much for us to go on, but judging by the leaked images, it’s most likely we’re dealing with an old Russian model. Tech is trying to find a digital trail to follow.”

“But it’s not just the supplier that matters here, Mr. President,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Hudson Holliday interjected, “The age of the bomb can affect its detonation, so when they got it is important too. And like you said, Dick, it’s likely an old model. Could be a lot more sensitive than others.”

Collins nodded, “And if they’ve got one to spare in a test, I can guarantee that they have other mushroom makers, too.”

“So,” Grammar asked his experts, “What should we do about this and how? Do we tell the dictator of Eritrea that we say he can’t set it off? Throw a bunch of UN laws at him and hope for the best? Do we launch a global boycott like what President Kemp did in the 1980s? Or do we do something much more drastic, and invade them over this?”

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



…While no international agreement or convention explicitly banned the possession, manufacturing and/or use of nuclear weapons, the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 1996 was that nations who did all three posed a serious international risk that “could” be considered a threat to humanity. In regards to worldwide diplomacy, only five nations are recognized of having “nuclear weapon possession” status – the US, Russia, China, India, and Pakistan – and only the first three of them have thermonuclear weapons (hydrogen bombs and missiles, et cetera).

However, it was impressive that no countries had conducted explosive nuclear tests since the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1999 (while the US signed onto it under President Jesse Jackson, it was never ratified). The main issue with Eritrea’s behind-the-scenes activities was that the nation’s government and military had never made it known to any international organizations of their efforts to become a nuclear power. This was most likely due to the outspokenness of North Korea establishing a potential precedence.

Thus, on April 6, the US Ambassador to the UN, diplomat Norma Jean Almodovar, joined other western nations in condemning Eritrea, demanding that its leader, General Ephrem, postpone the testing of the nuclear device until the UN National Security Council could inspect their facilities and ensure that the tests would be conducted safely.

It was not too surprising when Ephrem replied the next day with the refusal to “bow to the whims of imperialists,” and stated that no other nations or organizations could “push around” any other nations “less than a war.” The belligerent response did not flinch the UN Security Council, who confirmed on April 8 that Eritrea did not notify any international organizations of their nuclear possessions despite the leaked documents suggesting that the Eritrean military had them to in their possession for no less than six weeks – which was “ample time” to report it, as Almodovar observed in a White House Press Briefing on April 9. These breaches of international safeguards, agreed to under the CNTBT of 1999, which Eritrea signed onto but didn’t ratify, raised tension among world leaders uncertain of how to proceed further.

Then, another leak occurred on April 11. Despite Eritrea’s efforts to troubleshoot hacking attempts, another firewall penetration led to the reveal that Individuals of uncertain origin and allegiance stole five Russian nuclear missiles made in the early 1980s and smuggled them to Eritrea in December 2017. These documents seemed to confirm allegations that Eritrea had not in fact “legitimately purchased” these devices. Ephrem responded by denying the new allegations and claiming that both batches of information were somehow doctored if not entirely fabricated in a contradictory April 14 speech.

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



NIKOLAYEV REPORTEDLY IN TALKS WITH EPHREM! Swears He Will Resolve The Eritrean Incident Peacefully

Kommersant (The Businessman), Russian newspaper, 4/15/2015



Nikolayev’s sudden entrance into the controversy caught the Americans by surprise. Nikolayev was simply faster than Grammer in establishing lines of communication with General Ephrem’s people. On April 17, Nikolayev and Ephrem traveled to the neutral location of Kuwait City, Kuwait to establish an “understanding.” The meeting was a sensation for media outlets who presented Nikolayev’s active and “firsthand” reaction to the alleged possible threat of Eritrea’s shady activities having an ulterior motive like invading or holding hostage some regional country like Ethiopia or Saudi Arabia.

On April 21, the two men attended a joint press briefing in which they announced that they had negotiated a resolution to the controversy. “Ephrem has clarified the misunderstanding with the improperly purchased items,” said Nikolayev, who proceeded to claim that the members of the Eritrean Army in charge of the missile’s purchasing had been identified and arrested for procedure violations. Ephrem than announced that he was returning the nuclear devices to their “rightful place,” Russia’s arsenal. However, he did not clarify if this meant that he was cancelling his nuclear program, or if he would seek out other pathways to nuclear possession in the future.

Either way, the declaration of resolution was celebrated by news outlets in and out of Russia. Nikolayev went from being seen as a man surrounded by allegations of corruption to being a successful negotiator and world leader; internal approval ratings showed the President’s approval ratings show up from the low 40s to the high 70s. The ascension of Nikolayev into an nearly idolized politician seemed too good to be true…

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2020



KFC BRIEFLY RELOCATES 11 SECRET HERBS AND SPICES IN RARE SECURITY MOVE

Pssst. The secret's out at KFC. Well, sort of.

Colonel Harland Sanders' handwritten recipe of 11 herbs and spices
was removed from safekeeping at KFC's corporate offices in Florence, Kentucky, for the first time in decades. The temporary relocation allowed the global chain’s headquarters to revamp security around a yellowing sheet of paper that contains one of the country's most famous corporate secrets.

The brand's top executive admitted his nerves were aflutter despite the tight security he lined up for the operation.


"I didn't want to be the Head Executive who lost the recipe," KFC leader Roger Eaton said. "Imagine how terrifying that would have been."

So important is the 78-years-old concoction that coats the chain's Original Recipe chicken that only two company executives at any time have access to it. The company refuses to release their name or title, and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients but know only a part of the entire contents.

Louisville-based KFC, part of
the fast-food “umbrella” parent company Finger Lickin’ Good, Inc., hired off-duty police officers and private security guards to whisk the document away to an undisclosed location in an armored vehicle for an undisclosed number of days. The valued document was then carefully placed in a briefcase and handcuffed to security expert Bo Dietl for the ride.

"There's no way anybody could get this recipe," said Dietl, a former New York City police detective. His security firm is also handling the security improvements for the recipe at headquarters, but he wouldn't say what changes they're making.

For more than 20 years, the recipe has been tucked away in a filing cabinet equipped with two combination locks in company headquarters. To reach the cabinet, the keepers of the recipe would first open up a vault and unlock three locks on a door that stood in front of the cabinet. Vials of the herbs and spices are also stored in the secret filing cabinet.

"The smell is overwhelming when you open it," said one of two keepers of the recipe in an interview at company headquarters.

The biggest prize, though, is a single sheet of notebook paper, yellowed by age, that lays out the entire formula -- including exact amounts for each ingredient -- written in pencil and signed by Sanders. Others have tried to replicate the recipe, and occasionally someone claims to have found a copy of Sanders' creation. The executive said none have come close, adding the actual recipe would include some surprises.

Sanders developed the formula in 1940 at his tiny restaurant in southeastern Kentucky and used it to launch the KFC chain in
the early 1950s before launching a successful career in politics. Sanders died in 1990, but his likeness is still central to KFC's marketing.

"The recipe to him, in later years, was everything he stood for," said Shirley Topmiller, his personal secretary for about 12 years.

Larry Miller, a restaurant analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said the recipe's value is "almost an immeasurable thing. It's part of that important brand image that helps differentiate the KFC product."


– usarightnow.co.usa, 4/23/2018 [6]



“The legislation I propose today would finally address the silent scourge of wage theft. …tens of billions of dollars are stolen from low-skill workers every year. Compare that to the dollars stolen in all cases of larceny, burglary, auto theft and robbery, which make up less than a third of the total amount of money illegally obtained in the US each year according to an average of several independent studies...”

– US Senator William Tong (D-CT), in a speech of the floor of the US Senate, 4/24/2018



SAUDI ARABIANS RETURN TO SPACE

…Saudi Arabian Space Center, or Markaz Alfada Alsaeudii (MAA) in Arabic, with the collaboration of space agencies in Iran and United Turkestan, today launched astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri (b. Dec 1983) and Sultan Al-Neyadi (b. May 1981) of the United Arab Emirates in the manned rocket Perseverance in a trip to the International Space Station. The launch and voyage marks the first time that the MAA has launched astronauts since 2008, and marks the time that Emirati astronauts have ever gone to space. The successful voyage could give Middle Eastern space agencies the confidence to re-enter the space industry at its pre-2008 levels…

The Houston Chronicle, 4/25/2018



UN REPORT: Standards of Living Finally Improving In Several Sub-Saharan African Nations

…the extensive report credited the Great Green Wall project, begun in late 2003, for improving the quality of life in the countries of Mali, Senegambia, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Mauritania, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. However, the multinational GGW endeavors have been less successful in nations such as Burkina Faso, The Fulani Republic, Darfur, Sudan, and Eritrea…

The Boston Globe, 4/29/2018



Prof. Janice FINE: “The Grammer administration should go forward on the proposed executive order to start a knife buy-back program similar to the knife-surrender programs the United Kingdom have had over the past several decades. A federal buy-back program would be much easier and cheaper to get set up than passing some sort of federal legislation. And, furthermore, the UK’s programs have helped lower knife crimes over there, and –”

Contributor Alec JONES: “No, economic reform to keep unfair business practices at bay lowered knife crime rates over there. Poverty and unemployment are linked to domestic, ‘home-grown’ acts of violence, so instead of the government telling people something as ridiculous as they can’t own knives, the government should be funding more anti-poverty measures to nip these trends in the bud.”

Reporter Jennifer RUBIN: “I don’t know, you guys, the Grammer administration seems pretty keen on following the UK example. The President’s reportedly talked about it with Prime Minister Goodlad several times by now.”

JONES: “Well if they try it, they’ll have to figure out how to say ‘we don’t trust you to own a knife’ in a way that isn’t so insulting.”

RUBIN: “Yes, I too am interested in how this wouldn’t come off as infringing upon one’s personal freedoms.”

JONES: “Well, I mean, they probably aren’t exactly going to say anything obviously dumb like, ‘you don’t need a bread knife when you can buy sliced bread’.”

FINE: “Heh. Unless Harley Brown heads the program. He’d probably say something like that. [chuckle]”

– KNN roundtable discussion, 5/2/2018 broadcast



GOV. CHIN SIGNS EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION FOLLOWING LEILANI LAVA ERUPTION

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald, 5/3/2018



The Top 10 Best Sesame Street moments

Sesame Street has cemented itself as an instrumental part of early education for millions of children around the world. Since episodes of the highly-praised children’s series began airing in November 1969, there have been countless tender, wholesome, hilarious and even controversial moments in the show’s nearly-50-year history, as the show addressed real-world topics and issues with humor and heart. …We conducted an open-ended survey ontech, and discovered that the following Sesame Street moments are considered to be “the best” ones in the show’s run:

1 – It Ain’t Easy Being Green (1969) – a simple bit in which Kermit the Frog sings a graceful and touching song about his green skin in a lauded segment that subtly addresses the issues of race, individuality and self-acceptance, and still holds up to this day.

2 – Galopy Revealed! (1972) – the adults on Sesame Street finally meet Mr. Galopagus; Galopy was first introduced in 1970 as a metaphor for workplace pestering, as nobody believed Big Bird until his friends supported him and get the adults to believe him after over a year of skepticism.

3 – Rubber Duckie, You’re The One (1970) – first performed 48 years ago, this segment has been redone many times due to how popular it is with young children.

4 – The Perils of Distance (1975) – a classic Grover sketch in which he runs himself ragged demonstrating the differences between distances; a simple premise that resonated with audiences, the sketch regained relevance with a 2002 re-do covering safezoning distances during the SARS pandemic.

5 – Farewell, Mr. Hooper (1983) – when the actor portraying Mr. Hooper, Will Lee, died from a heart attack at age 74, the writers confronted his demise by killing off his character to make it a learning experience for young audiences in what is one of the saddest moments in the show’s history.

6 – Love Is Love (2001) – the show addressed BLUTAGO Rights with the introduction of Lily, an openly BLUTAGO muppet; the episode begins with her introduction, with the poignant reveal that she is married to a woman being near the end of the episode.

7 – “What’s ‘assassinated’ mean?” (1995) – this tear-jerker of an episode has the adults on Sesame Street address the assassination of President Iacocca, an event that dominated the news cycle and discussions at homes across America for months.

8 – Elmo In Quarantine (2004) – a sketch centered on a young character loved by millions, Elmo struggles to adapt to ontech “remote classroom” learning and the isolating effects of quarantine, but finds strength from his family and friends.

9 – Bridging Borders (1998) – walking a tightrope and using delicately-worded lines to address the rise in racial violence at the height of the War on Recreadrugs and the aftermath of the Second Korean War, this segment and other like it was praised for its anti-hatred stance.

10 – “C” Can Be For Carrot (1979) – Cookie Monster was introduced in 1971 at a time of heightened national health concerns; presented originally as a recurring character, he was a sympathetic cautionary tale of addiction before “cleaning up” and joining the regular cast in this episode, cementing his role as a promoter of healthy eating who struggled to not give in to his more unhealthy cravings too often. He still teaches important lessons like moderation, patience, and self-control, and always with hilarious results.

…The genius of Jim Henson, who passed away last week at the age of 81 from an unspecified ailment, was not limited to Sesame Street. Other TV series that he spearheaded included Sam And Friends (1955-1961), The Wizard of Id (1969-1970), The Muppet Show (1976-1982), Fraggle Rock (1983-1989), Muppet Babies (1984-1993), The Dark Crystal Chronicles (1987-1992), The Storytellers (1994-1995), and The New Muppet Show (1997-2001), and The Jim Henson Show (2005-2006) and The Muppets (2011-2017). Henson famously voiced dozens of his Muppet characters until his voice’s decline in quality led to him retiring from voice-work in 2003…

Time magazine, early May 2018 issue



Lava Devours Homes, Spews Globs 300 Feet Into The Air As Flow Spills Across Big Island

– hawaiiannews.co.usa, 5/7/2018



GRAMMER APPROVES CHIN’S REQUEST FOR FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION AMID NEW ERUPTIONS REPORTED

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 5/11/2018



“…So the New York Times published a report concerning the long-term effects of New Jersey’s F.A.D.-like program. Essentially, money brought in by tourism and companies based in the state contribute to a monthly dividend for every New Jersey citizens, even for official residents who work in places like New York City and Philadelphia, which is probably where a lot of them spend a lot of that money, too. But, anyway, according to the report, the F.A.D. allows many working mothers to stay home and spend more time with their children, and that’s the same for families that move to New Jersey, too. Apparently, the type of family dynamic, where there’s kids and both parents work, has plateaued in the Garden State, while it’s risen in New York and Philadelphia, over the past forty years. As result, with example of microcosmic socialism is actually viewed by most conservatives in the state in a positive light. To them, it’s not a handout, but a ‘traditional family stipend’ of sorts, upholding values and all that jazz. As a result, the monthly checks are highly popular among liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans in the state, and so its untouchable by politicians. NJ folk expect those checks, and they demand those checks; they all collectively pay high taxes for them, anyway. It’s their money after all. And in my experience with the state, any anti-dividend folk are usually considered to be hypocrites because they back low inheritance taxation and private schools, but not stimulus checks and farming subsidies. But the real interesting thing about this – the report and how much New Jerseyans like their monthly checks – is that it’s only gradually catching on in other states. In 2010, only five states had something like this – Connecticut, Alaska, Wyoming, New Jersey, and Maine. Now that numbers gone up to only 12, with Oregon and our very own state of Colorado adopting monthly dividend programs last year after state referendums were held on the matter in 2016…”

– KXKL Radio Denver’s The Ken Hamblin Show, local talk/news program, 5/12/2018 broadcast



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– “Harley on his Harley”; US Vice President Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID), spotted outside a bar near Reno, Nevada, during a trip to the state for a political fundraiser, 5/13/2018



…After graduating from MIT with degrees in computers sciences and mathematics, Reed Hastings worked for Adaptive Technology creating debugging software tools. Meanwhile, in 1991, entrepreneurs Raymond Peck and Mark Box, both keen on capitalizing on the rise of the technet in the early 1990s, co-founded Raymark, a debugging/antivirus company.

In 1993, Hastings was assigned the task of comparing business models of rival companies to try and determine a possible cause for their drop in sales and stockholder confidence. During the project, Hastings concluded that offering services at a flat rate would incentivize customers to maintain their services for longer periods of time and bring in more revenue. However, Hastings’ idea was not adopted, and in 1996 he was fired alongside 500 other workers laid off by the company hemorrhaging money.

In 1996, Hastings presented his flat rate idea to Raymark, which adapted it and hired him as a creative consultant. Hastings has since worked for several computer companies, and was the leader of the team who co-created ShieldPiece Systems technology in 2003, contributing further to anti-virus efforts…

– clickopedia.co.usa/Reed_Hastings_(software_developer), c. 2018



…As the 1990s began, an increasing number of average American family households began owning computers and accessing the technet, leading to the ability to share videos ontech. Wanting to capitalize on this, companies that typically published mail-order catalogues develop ontech versions, including Bloomingdale’s and Victoria’s Secret. The rise of e-commerce soon effected home video rental store companies when minor chains such as Texas’ I-Heart-Films and the larger Value Videos established netsites to offer sending MLDs directly to customer’s home through the mail.

However, the ability to watch films directly on PCs became increasingly possible as bandwidth technology improved. In 2001, Paramount studios became the first studio to, for a fee, allow people to watch their films on paramountpictures.co.usa; this attempt to promote older films soon led to other studios following suit. By 2004, film distributors establishing partnerships with film productions to release films on ontech downloading sites, such as PopcornTime, and the more popular Netfilms founded by Marc Randolph in 2001, in a manner similar to how Micro-LaserDiscs were rented or sold at video stores in the 1980s and 1990s.

Similar to how MLDs outpaced VHS tapes in popularity and use by the start of the oughties, with the SARS pandemic being the final nail in its coffin, ontech downloading and other vide-streaming services soon eclipsed MLDs. By the mid-2010s, ontech film-watching had become more popular due to easier accessibility, increasingly cheaper costs, and physical storage no longer being necessary in the wake of digital storage capabilities. …As of May 2018, most studies show that a majority of Americans who watch movies at home primarily do so on their computers or compTVs via the technet/via streaming (55%), compared to how many primarily watch films on MLDs (35%) or on more “traditional” TV channels such as KTB’s Cinema Classics channel (10%)…

– clickopedia.co.usa/micro-laserdisc, c. 2018



CANADA’S SPENDING SCANDAL SHOWS NO SIGN OF WANING

…the number of politicians being accused of improperly spending government funds meant for public works projects has now risen to 14... “This is perhaps the most severe crisis of faith in government in years if not in decades,” says Opposition leader Olivia Chow (PL-ON). ...Several high-profile MPs in both the Progressive Conservative and Progressive Liberal parties are involved, and the spending scandal seems to have discredited all of them…

The Regina Leader-Post, Saskatchewan newspaper, 5/16/2018



BLUTAGO GROUPS LAUD PROMOTION OF TRANS WOMAN TO NYC SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT

– advocacy.co.usa, 5/17/2018



> Since 1980 <

Year – location – fatalities – description

5/2-3/1983 – Moscow, U.S.S.R. – 31 – dissenting protests turned to deadly riots against increasingly oppressive military state in USSR’s capital

7/17-18/1983 – Shalkar, Kazakhstan, U.T./U.S.S.R. – 230 – civilians killed by Soviet Army platoon for aiding seceding Kazakhs

2/20/1984 – Grahamstown, South Africa – 14 – white radicals shot upon unarmed blacks as the Apartheid system was collapsing

8/9/1984 – Pacoa, Colombia – 300-400 – recreadrug lord ordered a hit on a rival’s farm/base

10/10/1986 – Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka – 129 – Tamil Tigers held monks at a bus stop and executed them once police arrived, leading to a deadly shootout

4/6/1987 – Findlay, Ohio, U.S. – 16 – local man later diagnosed with mental health issues shot up his local post office

11/29/1987 – Concord, North Carolina, U.S. – 5 – personal revenge incident in which a landowner fired into a crowd containing his neighbor at a mini-mall

7/8/1989 – Ypsilanti High School, Ypsilanti, North Dakota, U.S. – 5 – student opened fire indiscriminately before committing suicide, motive still unclear

8/21/1990 – Rreshen, Albania – 4 – anti-Yugoslavian radical fired into a crowd in reaction to rising calls for the struggling Albanian republic to join Yugoslavia

11/12/1991 – Tirana, Yugoslavia – 12 – anti-Muslim extremist fired into a primary school in response to Albania becoming a part of Yugoslavia

6/29/1992 – Sudharmono Mansion, Jakarta, Indonesia – 17 – security police opened fire on protestors outside the President’s manor

9/30/1993 – Tema, Ghana – 7 – police shot rioters amid period of social unrest

3/3/1994 – Rugasha, Rwanda – 300-600 – Hutu militia orchestration; part of an ethnic cleansing campaign against Tutsis

2/2/1995 – W.J.B. Dorn High School, Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. – 6 – troubled freshman targeted and fatally shot students who allegedly were bullies

3/1/1995 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, U.S. – 4 – anti-BLUTAG student targeted and fatally shot specific students alleged to be BLUTAG-American

8/15/1995 – Las Virginias, Chihuahua, Mexico – 3 – recreadrug gunmen ambushed and killed US federal agents

2/3/1996 – Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia – 62 – joint US/Colombian forces raiding Pablo Escobar’s compound led a gunfight in which Escobar was killed

2/22-26/1996 – Tokchon Prison, North Korea – 1,000-1,200 – imprisoned civilians were slaughtered in the closing weeks of the Second Korean War

9/18/1997 – El Paso, Texas, U.S. – 17 – gunfight between border agents and cartel smugglers

10/4/1999 – Palmyra, Syria – 50 – splinter military faction ambushed Syrian Army soldiers; part of the 1997-1999 Syrian Civil War

11/11/1999 – Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China – 21 – knife attack in public marketplace, motive unknown

12/1/2000 – Bagiata, Alania – 22 – domestic political radicals shot up the schoolyard of the school that the President’s grandchildren attended

10/3/2001 – Atlanta, Georgia – 13 – police raid on a high-crime neighborhood led to locals protesting police brutality

9/19/2003 – The Cactus Jack, Zanesville, Ohio, U.S. – 17 – arson attack against the BLUTAG bar’s patrons

5/5/2004 – Qurgonteppa, Tajikistan – 55 – riots over empty shelves at stores due to government corruption and mismanagement led to military opening fire

12/12/2005 – Shabunda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo – 1,000-1,100 – Tutsi civilians killed by two converging anti-Tutsi militias

1/8/2006 – Bagirma, Darfur, Sudan – 250-300 – part of the Sudanese government-sponsored ethnic cleansing campaign

6/7/2006 – Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India – 173 – a Hindu mob attacked a Muslim community amid false rumors of them hoarding a cure for SARS

3/30/2007 – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India – 350-500 – police opened fire on rioters demanding a SARS vaccines be created faster

4/24/2009 – Juba, South Sudan – 142 – part of the armed fighting in Juba’s streets following the South Sudanese coup attempt on the nation’s President

1/11/2011 – Jebel Marra, Darfur – 400-500 – local Darfur civilians were slaughtered by members of the Sudanese Armed Forces

2/12-19/2014 – Tun-Nyu and Loikaw, Myanmar – 500-800 – mass executions of members of the Ka-Ren ethnic group, carried out by the Myanmar Army

5/6-7/2015 – Derbent, Dagestan, Russia – 10 – separatist radicals took civilians hostage and began executing them as the police breaching the compound

11/9/2016 – Mitsiwa, Eritrea – 138 – civilian protests demanding government reform led to guards opening fire

5/19/2018 – Kaya, Fulani Republic – 300-900 – The Burkina Faso Army attacked the community in response to local militia attack as week before

– clickopedia/list_of_events_named_massacres, c. May 2018



“So, I just saw the new Friday the 13th movie, and I’ve got to say, given this franchise’s history, this was a refreshing change of pace. Let me explain. See, the first movie came out in 1980, and the franchise took a different direction by focusing on Jason instead of Mrs. Voorhees the first sequel, Friday the 13th Part 2, which premiered in 1981. Part 3 came out in 1982 and Part 4 came out in 1984. Both were descent, but they didn’t make as much money as the studio wanted them to. So with Part 5: The Next Chapter, initially called the Final Chapter, premiering in 1986, they raised the stakes by having Jason stealing a silencer from a dead recreadrug lord in the first five minutes of the film. Part 6: Voorhees’ Vengeance premiered in 1989, and seemingly closed the franchise, only for the network to sense that the drop in the popularity of the Nightmare on Elm Street films meant that there was an opening for new Jason fans. So we got Friday The 13th Part 7: Jason’s Return in 1997. After disappointing results, with that movie, though the franchise was rebooted with the 2005 film Friday The 13th – no subtitle, just Friday The 13th. A prequel to the reboot, Friday The 13th: The First Friday, which ignores Parts 1-to-7 in a continuation of the reboot Jason universe, came out in 2010, but this was also a box office bomb. So, the network’s gone back to the original “Part” timeline with Part 8. Also known as the movie I just watched. And…it’s certainly an improvement, I can say that much. Better than part 7, but not as good as the original. Which can be said about all the sequels, since I want to be honest when reviewing this here…”

– transcript of “Friday The 13th: Part 8 – Reviewtime,” video uploaded to OurVids.co.can, a video-sharing netsite, on 5/19/2018



MOTHER-POST: Halloween Continuity Question

So the first Halloween film in seven years is coming out soon, but I’ve only seen the first two films, plus Freddy vs. Michael. Do I have to watch all the other movies in the franchise to understand this one?

REPLY 1:

The franchise’s breakdown is pretty straightforward. Movies that have a Roman Numeral in their title are part of the primary/original timeline, and ones that don’t are either spinoffs or failed reboots.

Halloween (1978) – the original classic

Halloween II (1981) – the almost-as-good follow-up where Michael presumably dies in an explosion

Halloween: Season of the Witch (1983) – the studio’s attempt to make the franchise an anthology series; it’s not connected to the primary timeline as Halloween and Halloween II are shown to be movies within this movie; the film is basically three stories in one vehicle, connected together only with their shared theme of witchcraft

Halloween: Horrorville (1984) – a second anthology installment with just one plot, but it’s a very convoluted plot; often considered the worst film in the franchise; while it has its fans nowadays, at the time it did so poorly that the network returned to the original timeline

Halloween III: Michael Returns (1989) – turns out Michael survived that explosion in Halloween II; he gets captured at the end of this one

Halloween IV: Michael’s Revenge (1991) – starts with Michael escaping a mental hospital and ends with him being decapitated

Halloween V: Michael’s Resurrection (1995) – turns out the guy beheaded in the last movie wasn’t Michael; an overall lukewarm film

H20: Halloween 20 Years Later (1998) – ignores all the films made after the first movie, and suggests that magic and a family curse is responsible for Michael’s pure evil and seemingly superhuman abilities; it underperformed at the box office and got a “meh” from fans

Halloween VI: (2011) – set in October 2002, during the SARS Pandemic, where people wearing masks were common; it ignores the events of Freddy vs. Michael (2001), and ends in a way that satisfied a lot of fans.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2018) – set to come out this October, Zombie’s version is apparently going to be a reboot of the whole franchise, giving Michael a new backstory and retelling the events of the first film in the present to incorporate modern technology and make the show more relatable to modern audiences…which never works out and just ages and dates the film, so I have my reservations about it.

REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:

So, I don’t have to watch any of the previous films to understand this one?

REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:

Nope!

REPLY 2 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:

Unless they decided to litter the film with “easter egg” references to the previous films…

– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 5/20/2018 posting



GRAMMER SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING “BUY-BACK” PROGRAM FOR “CERTAIN” KNIVES

…the program is only eligible for large knives such as hunting knives. Small knives such as butter knives and plastic knives will not be accepted, nor will novelty swords of replicas of fictional weapons, including (but not limited to) the franchises of Highlander, Thundercats, Lord of the Rings, Conan The Barbarian, Hagar The Horrible, Xena Warrior Princess, Skullkickers and He-Man. …The program is to be funded by the department of the Deputy Secretary of Domestic Security, a subdivision of the Department of Defense. This executive order also complements the bill signed into law late last year that provides more federal funds for states that establish public awareness programs on knife safety…

The Washington Post, 5/21/2018



ELECTORAL TRUST VERIFIES N.I.A. ELECTION WILL BE HELD THIS NOVEMBER!

The New York Times, 5/22/2018



…with the debate now coming down to how America would vote in its first nationwide initiative, Gravel was “elated but cautious” when compared to the reactions of “ecstatic” RCV supporters and “incensed” RCV opponents. Leaders on each side of the debate were quick to promote their own talking points and discredit their opponents’ ahead of people taking to the polls in November…

– Pat Sheffield and Rachel Joy Scott-Ireland’s Voices And Votes: The History of the National Initiative Amendment, Tumbleweed Publications, 2021



ACTIVISTS OPPOSE COMMISSIONED MEMORIAL FOR LAST YEAR’S KNIFE ATTACK

…roughly 30 members of a small knife-advocacy group called the Kansas City Knife Knights gathered around a metalworks business in Sacramento today to demand they cancel a commission they have accepted. The business is working on a memorial honoring the victims of last year’s Independence Day Knife Attack in Crescent City, California. “We think a statue is unwarranted and will do more harm than good by promoting the idea that even a small blade, like a helpful tool that could save someone’s life in an incident or help them with a skill or project, is a bad thing to have. It will give children wrong ideas about real and proper gun use,” says one protestor.

Another protestor present at today’s protest, which ended unceremoniously when the business closed up shop at the end of the day on schedule, is more critical of the sculpture’s design. The Crescent City memorial will be a sculpture of a heart-shaped tree, symbolizing the heart of the community, that will be molded out of knives donated in a “knives for cash” drive held late last year in Crescent City. The drive saw hundreds of blade weapons be donated, including katana swords and switchblades. “I think it does more the honor attacker to use his weapon of choice,” he says. “And, the ironic thing, is that this business is using blades and other sharp tools to make a monument opposing the use of sharp tools.”

The memorial is set to be completed in time for its unveiling on the one-year anniversary of the attacks, in which the assailant killed three and injured five…

The Seattle Times, 5/24/2018



LEONG TO EXPAND AUSTRALIA’S TRADING PARTNERS

…“In a rapidly growing region like Asia, it is unwise to rely so heavily and on only the People’s Republic of China,” Leong explained in today’s speech on the floor of parliament. Leong went to describe how her government is “looking into” doing “better” deals with other nearby nations such as India, Indonesia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the rising star that is Bangladesh. Leong also announced that the government would work on creating trade deals to invest more into developing countries in Asia and Africa in order to provide basic needs to the citizens of those nations in exchange for “a sliver” of the profits yielded in their growing sectors.

“Basically, she wants to use our country’s current national surplus to turn Australia into the loan shark of the world,” the Leader of the Opposition claims…

The Barrier Daily Truth, NSW Australia daily newspaper, 5/25/2018



NIKOLAYEV ALLOWED NUKE SMUGGLING! Whistleblower Alleges Plot to Boost Russian President’s Popularity

…a former member of Russia’s Domestic Security department claims that Russian President Nikolayev orchestrated the “theft” of Russian weapons and the release of sensitive information onto the technet in a staged hacking. “He wants to play a bigger and stronger role on the world stage. He worked with Eritrea’s General Ephrem to establish a deal,” the whistleblower alleges. “Ephrem is a paranoid despot desperate to hold onto power, and with American forces liberating countries across Africa, Ephrem probably fears he is next. Ephrem wants protection, and Nikolayev offered it to him. So Ephrem went along with it. Nikolayev would guarantee him protection in the event of some western imperialist aggression, and in exchange for it, Nikolayev would get to play the role of a hero. Be celebrated by millions. Win re-election in 2020. Stay in power and extend that power to who knows what extent.”

The New York Times, 5/26/2018



…Nikolayev vehemently denied the allegations, calling the whistleblower a liar and a traitor. But it was very telling how, very soon afterwards, he began firing dozens of people en masse on suspicion of betraying him to the press. Now why would an innocent person do such a thing?…

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2020



“WE NEED TO KNOW!” Russian Parliament’s Opposition Leader Demands An “Investigative Query” Into Nikolayev’s Role In “The Eritrean Incident”

The New York Times, 5/30/2018



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] The lines in this segment that are in italics were pulled from here: https://singularityhub.com/2019/03/11/3-practical-solutions-to-offset-automations-impact-on-work/
[2] OTL! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_bean_soup Also, here’s an OTL article that I found, thought was really interested, and just want to share with y’all: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-10-06-1991279053-story.html
[3] Some passages in this paragraph were lifted from here: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/18/politics/tammy-duckworth-senate-baby-rules
[4] This and more/other stuff found here: http://securitymarketingguru.com/bo...g/65-years-old-and-105-social-security-check/
[5] All italicized passages were pulled from here: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/music-and-musical-performances-in-the-white-house-timeline
[6] The italicized parts of this segment (so, yeah, a lot of it) were all lifted from here: https://web.archive.org/web/20130923032226/http://www.cnbc.com/id/26618866/Colonel039s_Secret_Recipe_Gets_Bodyguards
 
Post 108
Post 108: Chapter 116

Chapter 116: June 2018 – November 2018

“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

– Nelson Mandela (OTL)



FORMER YAKUZA LEADER STABBED TO DEATH IN PRISON!

…the deadly confrontation sparked a brief turf war inside the prison between rival prison gangs consisting of former members of rival Yakuza syndicates. The conflict ended when the prison security forces deployed knockout gas, allowing masked personnel to quickly subdue the prisoners and avoid a possible riot…

The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 6/1/2018



WILDFIRES IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA LEAVE OVER 50 DEAD AND HUNDREDS OF BUILDINGS DESTROYED

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 2/6/2018



3 June 2018: On this day in history, the Volcan de Fuego, an active stratovolcano in Guatemala, erupted with such speed and intensity that there was essentially no time to evacuate nearby areas; subsequently, the quickly-moving lahars, pyroclastic flows and volcanic ash clouds killed no less than 197 people, making it Guatemala’s deadliest volcanic eruption since 1929

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



KING VS. CZAR VS. CHEF: Drive-Thru Ordering At Three Major Burger Joints

…after carefully weighing the differences in wait-time and order accuracy, I have to say that, in my experience, the underdog that is Burger Czar is prevailing over the bigger chains in regards to customer service and wait-line movement efficiency…

– tumbleweedmagazine.co.usa, review section, 4/6/2018



BLUE BEE RETURNS FROM NEAR-EXTINCTION

…the rare species of blue calamintha bee, once thought to be extinct, has been rediscovered in Florida, roughly five years after it was last spotted. First identified in 2009, these rare blue bees made headlines for their specific habitat needs, foraging strategies, and beautiful indigo coloring. The bees’ reemergence was confirmed by Chase Kimmel of the Florida Museum of Natural History…

– nationalgeogrpahic.co.usa/news, 6/5/2018 e-article [1]



UK LABOUR PARTY LEADERSHIP RESULTS: Standing Sails To Top Spot

…economics expert Guy Standing bested fellow MPs Polly Toynbee and Aravella Simotas in a landslide leadership election…

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 6/6/2018



BIG ISLAND GETS RARE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ALERT

…the alert was issued for the higher areas of the island due to freezing rain and ice falling as a result of the continuing lava flow plowing a path through a large section of Big Island. The quantity of lava reaching the ocean via this flow is creating large plumes of steam. These plumes are so massive, they are rising high enough into the atmosphere, where they are condensing and freezing before falling back down onto the island…

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald, 6/7/2018



…US President Kelsey Grammer’s working relationship with PM Bachand was on display in early June 2018, when the two leaders participated in a bilateral meeting on renewable energy trade between the US and Canada. The meeting was held at Niagara Falls, and while the two agreed on fiscal policy positions generally-speaking, Bachand had a personality that just did not seem to “click” with Grammer’s at the event. This professional but impersonal relationship contrasted sharply with the friendship Grammer formed in his first year in office with PM Rogers, which the Canadian magazine The Walrus dubbed a “bromance.” With Rogers no longer in office, it appeared the head of state closest to Grammer was UK PM Goodlad; the two men had a reputation for being “classy,” yet pragmatic individuals, and the two spoke often after Goodlad’s ascension on strengthening economic and social ties between not just the US and the UK, but between the US and the British Commonwealth.

On the more domestic side of things, Bachand got along better with Australian PM Jim Varvaris than with Grammer; the two of them famously – or infamously, depending on who one asks – spent a weekend fishing off the coast of Queensland in early 2017. When Varvaris was replaced by Jenny Leong, she and Bachand struggled to not have a less tenuous relationship. But with conflicting ideologies and personalities, Leong and Bachand failed in this endeavor before the end of 2018...

– Richard Johnston’s The Canadian Party System: An Analytic History, UBC Press, 2017



REPUBLICAN-LED SENATE AGAIN KILL G.R.E.E.N. PROPOSAL IN COMMITTEE

The Washington Post, 6/10/2018



11 June 2018: On this day in history, the ontech sales of popular singer-songwriter Calypstica’s hit single “Calypstica” broke several records…

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



CAN YOU SMELL WHAT KFC’S COOKING?

Florence, Kentucky – For the first time in eight years, since the death of Mildred Saunders Ruggles, a direct descent of The Colonel sits as the Chair of KFC’s Board of Directors. Honorary Kentucky Colonel Harland David “Davey” Sanders IV (b. 1959), son of industrial designer Harland David “Lando” Sanders III (b. 1939) and grandson of US Senator Harland David “Harley” Sanders Jr. (1912-2007), has served on the board since his great aunt’s death, but only is moving up the corporation’s leadership ladder, and it seems he may have plan for how to keep the company “at the top.”

Sitting down with Davey in his Florence HQ office, the short and graying 59-year-old, looking more like his great-grandfather every day, explains, “I spent my free time being with my family, helping my kids, especially my son Vinnie.” He refers to Harland David “Vinnie” Sanders V (b. 1985). “But he’s beaten his drug addiction, and now that he and his wife have another little Harland to handle on their own,” as in Harland David Sanders VI (b. 2014), “I figured that this was the best time for me to get more involved in my great-grandfather’s company.”

I ask him to explain further. He replies cryptically with “I think it’s time for a sort of rebirth of KFC…”...

The New Yorker, 6/12/2018 article



ELVIS-VANILLA ICE COLLAB SINGLE CAN’T STAND THE HEAT OF CRITICISM

…This old hound dog won’t hunt. The latest Elvis single, his first in four years and yet another collaborative work, this one with Vanilla Ice, fails to live up to its own hype. But the two musicians aren’t handling it well. Each are saying that the negative reviews ontech “don’t reflect the real people,” as Mr. Ice put it on the 11th. On the 12th, Mr. Presley suggested that the harsh comments are “being planted by our rivals” without offering any further specifications or clarification…

– Variety magazine, 6/14/2018



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[wikibox pic: imgur.com/XiO77tV.png ]

William Mark Fagerbakke (FAY-ger-bah-kee) (born October 4, 1957), also known by the nicknames “Bill the Fang” Fagerbakke, “Fingerbang” Fagerbakke and “Fake-and-Bake” Fagerbakke is an American actor and retired award-winning professional football player. Born in California but raised in Idaho, Fagerbakke began his athletic career in college football at the University of Idaho (1976-1979), and then played in the NFL as a lineman, first for the Houston Oilers from 1979 to 1983, then for the Minnesota Vikings from 1983 to 1998. Fagerbakke retired from the NFL in 1998 at the age of 40.

After feeling “unfulfilled” coaching football at his alma mater, Fagerbakke moved permanently to California in 2001 to begin a modest acting career. In early roles, he was typecast as either tough brutes or idiot sidekicks before proving he could do serious film roles in the late 2000s decade. He cameoed in the 2010 “Orca” remake starring Liam Neeson, and starred as a retired football coach in the award-winning TV series “Endzone” from 2011 to 2015, a spiritual successor to the 1990s TV series “Coach” (starring Craig T. Nelson and John “Tooz” Matuszak); Endzone maintains a small but strong cult following. Fagerbakke was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the 2018 film drama “Crashing Plume,” but lost out to 27-year-old Sophie J. L. North. He has since maintained a modest celebrity status, most often appearing in numerous medium-budget films and occasionally lending his talents to commercials for various products. Fagerbakke has more recently begun doing voice acting, most notably voicing the arrogant and dimwitted Troll King in the New Line Animation fantasy film “Rocklickers.”

– clickopedia, c. early 2021



GRAMMER WELCOMES EL SALVADOR PRESIDENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE

…Estevan “Steve” Montenegro, born in 1981 in El Salvador, at a time of economic renewal for El Salvador, is this Central American nation’s latest conservative-leaning leader…

The Washington Post, 6/19/2018



LEBANON VOTERS PICK NEW PRESIDENT: Boutros Harb Wins Over Soleiman Franjieh Jr.

The Guardian, side article, 23/6/2018



RUSSIAN WHISTLEBLOWER GRANTED ASYLUM IN AUSTRALIA

…The Land Down Under has had no extradition arrangements with Russia since 2000…

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 27/6/2018



“…In financial news today, Chevron announced that it will finance and facilitate over $2trillion over the next five years to back GCD solutions and sustainable development programs as the oil giant seeks out their own slice of the growing ‘go-green’ pie. Chevron executives have been very wary of their global corporation’s impact on the environment ever since the Chevron Oil Spill of the 1980s that devastated the Alaskan coastline and created a PR disaster that rival oil companies capitalized on throughout the 1980s and 1990s…”

– CBS Evening News, 6/28/2018 broadcast



THE SPONGEBOB ZONE (TV series; 5 seasons, 1997-2002)

Cast:

> Main Cast <

Tony Hale as SpongeBob (pilot)

Carlos Alazraqui as SpongeBob (Seasons 1-5)

Don Cornelius as Squidward

Charlie Adler as Mr. Krabs and Patrick Star

Brooke Burns as Rosie the Squirrel

Domenick Jack Irrera as Bubble Bass

Dougie Osowski as Mr. Barnacle

Linda Wallem as Pearl the Waitress

Robert Clotworthy as Fred Legg (Seasons 2-5)

Matt Battaglia as King Neptune (Seasons 1-2, 5)

Kevin Meaney as Sheldon Plankton (Seasons 2-5)

Levi L. Knebel as Dr. Flotsam (Seasons 3-5)

– mediarchives.co.usa



FUTURAMA (1994-present)

Cast:

> Main Cast <

Rob Paulsen as Markey Marvin “Key” Martin

Katey Sagal as Taranga Leela

Billy West as Professor Cramble Xenoba Farnsworth and Dr. John Bleep Zoidberg

Kathy Soucie as Bartokovski Dennis “Bart” Farnsworth

John DiMaggio as Bender Rodriguez and Willie the Janitor

Lauren Tom as Lisa Wong

Marvin Katzoff as Houseley Penfield Grubbs

Phil Hartman as Captain Zapp Branigan

Christina Applegate as Patty Martinez

Phil LaMarr as Hermes Kingston

> Recurring Cast <

LeVar Burton as Police Chief Clancy Corvallis

Harry Shearer as NNYC Mayor Homer Seymour Simpson (and several minor characters)

Robyn Petty as Maggie Johannesburgopolis

Ali Ahn as Janey Lee

Patricia Alice Albrecht as Patty the Robot

Robert Clotworthy as Lrrr (and several minor roles)

Dougie Osowski as Volkor the Amoeba

Irene Tedrow as Earth President-in-exile Marjorie Wiggum (1994-1995)

Tress MacNeille as Earth President-in-exile Marjorie Wiggum (1995-present)

Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Whitemarsh Telesphore Cherubusco Schwarzchild

Rob Paulsen as Dr. Nicholas Devlin Percival McCrackenthorpe III

– mediarchives.co.usa



LIFE IN HECK AND OTHER FUN PLACES (1987-1993)

Cast:

> Main Cast <

Patrick Pinney as Binky Notarabbit, the father of the Notarabbit family

Debra Clinger as Sheba, Binky’s wife

Christine Cavanaugh as Bongo, Binky’s teenage son from a previous marriage

Dana Hill as William and Abe, Binky and Sheba’s young twin sons

Frank Welker as Snarla, the family cat

Joel Kenney as Jeff

Joe Alaskey as Akbar

Dan Castellaneta as Krusty the Clown, a retired clown who is the Notarabbits’ neighbor

Maggie Roswell as Selma Simpson, the only employee at their town’s only employment agency

– mediarchives.co.usa



MIGUEL OSORIO ELECTED PRESIDENT OF MEXICO

…Miguel Angel Osorio Chong (PRI), age 53, is of Chinese descent on his mother’s side. …Osorio won in an upset over the PAN candidate that many assumed would win due to the popularity of the term-limited incumbent President Santiago Creel (PAN). ...Earlier this year, Osorio surprised political pundits by besting Lilia Marodio Reza (b. 1978) in the PRI primary, a race that was even closer than tonight’s general election, and gained much more media attention than typical party primaries, because of its intensity between the two candidates and their differing ideas over direction the party should take in the years ahead. Osorio promoted stability and bipartisanship, while Reza championed for radical social changes that energizer young voters but alienated older and more conservative members of the PRI…

– TheHoustonChronicle.co.usa, 7/1/2018



“Heat Dome” brings dangerously high temps, humidity to much of Canada and the states

The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 7/2/2018



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[pic: imgur.com/2pLzOu4.png ]

– Former Vice President Bob Ross doing some fishing, c. summer 2018



DEATH TOLL LIKELY HIGHER THAN REPORTS SUGGESTS: Heat Wave Deaths Are High, But Not In The Way You Think They Are

…The apparent concentration of heat wave-related deaths in the past several days being in Quebec is not the fault of province mismanagement, nor is it the result of some GCD-related anomaly. The perceived concentration is due to Quebec being the province with the loosest rules and regulations for attributing deaths from heat in official medical reports. ...This summer’s heat wave is surely one for the history books…

– The Cape Breton Post, Nova Scotia newspaper, 7/7/2018



“…When lava flows over vegetation, the burning plant life create methane gas as a byproduct. And as you can see by the blue flames shooting out from the lava over there, there is a lot of methane gas being produced and released here. The flames are not emerging directly in the lava because the methane gas seeps into subsurface voids and then explodes from the heat, so they emerge from cracks in the ground several feet away from the lava itself. This is a serious safety concern, so officials have established a very generous evacuation zone…”

– Kennedy News Network, “Breaking News” segment, 7/8/2018 broadcast



…Another fiscal crisis concerning the federal budget arose in July 2018, and it stemmed from the expensive damage that the 2017 Hurricane wrought upon the southern United States. The Grammer administration initially received praise for federal responses to the hurricanes, with praise coming especially from the Governors of Texas and Puerto Rico (Rick Perry and Raul Labrador, respectively), both of whom were Republican Party loyalists. Both in hindsight, it was apparent that Grammer’s fiscal conservativism had restricted the extent of federal assistance. Most notably, the annual budget for ODERCA (Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency) was in 2017 roughly 40% of what it was in 2011. …As more statistics came out over state governments lacking federal help during the 2017 Hurricane season, more American citizens demanded more federal funds be allocated to services such as ODERCA.

However, this would require restructuring the 2018-2019 federal budget just weeks ahead of the deadline established by the BBA. Ergo, Grammer held an emergency closed-door cabinet meeting on July 15.

“The media’s giving us the beating of a lifetime over the shrinking of the federal government – as if they don’t know that that is what being libertarian means!” The President allegedly remarked.

In the meeting, Grammer went around the room and discussed with each cabinet member which department could afford cutbacks in order to increase ODERCA’s “shoestring” budget. As expected, the heads of State, Treasury, Defense, and the Justice department all made excuses and alleged that their budgets were already smaller than they “should” be. Postmaster General Ralph Nader reluctant was resistant to have his department be a sacrificial lamb for another fiscal shortfall; Grammer had already proposed merging the responsibilities of his “final job in Washington” into the department of Energy and Technology. As a result, Nader joined with Secretary Jager and the heads of Agriculture, the Interior, Commerce, Labor, Education, HHS, Transportation, VA, and Community Development in voicing great reluctant to let go of additional funding.

“Look, people, please!” Grammer displayed impatience with the bickering. “There’s fifteen of you. Surely a flat-across-the-board .5% sliver from each one of you would suffice, right?”

The President’s “budget gurus” all nodded. The President’s Secretaries all grumbled and then nodded in compliance.

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



Reporter Brian SCHWARTZ: “Extensive polling has found that bipartisan majorities fid ranking choice voting to be easy in states and cities already using it. One extensive poll, asking the simple question ‘Which would you more likely support: A) a leader elected by a majority of the vote or B) a leader elected by a plurality of the vote’ resulted in 90% of Americans polled supporting Option A), 3% support Option B) and 7% going for Option C), unsure.”

Guest panelist, political researcher and former CEO of Gehl Foods Katherine GEHL (pro-RCV): “Yes, and that study also revealed that on partisan lines, sentiments are almost even among Democrats and Republicans, with 93% of Democrats and 87% of Republicans voting for Option A.”

Guest Panelist, CEO and President of The FairVote Institute Rob RICHIE (pro-RCV): “More than 76% of people polled by Gallup said that R.C.V. is either somewhat easy to understand. 12% said it was very easy, 10% said it was somewhat difficult, and just 2% said it was very difficult. On partisan lines, 16% of Republicans called it very or somewhat difficult, while just 8% of Democrats found it very or somewhat difficult.”

Guest Panelist, former DNC Committeeman Robert ZIMMERMAN (anti-RCV): “In other words, 12% of Americans find this difficult? That’s too high a number.”

Former NRC Communications Director Matt GORMAN (anti-RCV): “Yeah, I agree, nobody should be able to accept suppressing, or at least discouraging, the will of 12% of any population.”

Guest Panelist, Senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation Hans VON SPAKOVSKY (anti-RCV): “This instant-runoff proposal is unnecessarily complicated. We should just implement a two-round voting system similar to the one that the French have.”

Guest Panelist, professor of political science at UMSL David KIMBALL (pro-RCV): “But that would be more expensive than RCV.”

– Kennedy News Network, roundtable discussion, 7/19/2018



The Positives And Negatives of Ranked-Choice Voting: A Guide

…Ranked Choice Voting is nothing new. It was invented in 1870 and Australia has been using it for lower house elections since 1918. Proponents of this voting process claim it could streamline the election process, making it less expensive, more efficient, and fairer. Studies of its use at the state and local levels, such as for mayoral elections, suggest that Ranked-Choice Voting systems lead to the election of more moderate representatives who better reflect voter preferences rather than rewarding ideological extremists. The system also prevents a “spoiler effect” in which a third (or fourth or fifth) candidate splits the vote of the most-popular candidates by making elections less of an either-or proposition. …US Senator Mike Gravel (D-CA), a leading proponent of the N.I.A., also says it leads to less negative campaigning, stating that “since each voter can potentially vote for a candidate as well as their opponent, candidates shy from negative campaigning that would alienate the supporters of other candidates, instead trying to appeal to those voters as their second or third choice.”…

– aot.co.usa, 7/20/2018 e-article [2]



“I want to see everyone vote ‘No’ on RCV. It is not at all a democratic approach. It will not solve our election problems; it will instead create more election problems. Ranked-choice voting is the flavor of the day. And it will turn out to have a bitter taste.”

CO-HOST: “Its advocates believe RCV is, at least, more democratic than the Electoral College occasionally determining the winner.”

“Its advocates want to replace real democracy, in which a majority picks the winner, with something akin to a game show method of selection. The result could be more like Family Feud than a decision about one of the most important choices people can make.”

[snip]

“The thing about RCV, the thing that its proponents always ignore, is the fact that it doesn’t actually lead to a candidate who represents the majority of voters. This is because an easily exhausted electorate doesn’t always rank all the candidates on a ballot. Especially in the U.S., where most people do not even bother to even learn about third-party candidates, or even that much about the major party candidates, either, for that matter. And as a result, some voters will end up with their ballots eliminated before the final round of voting, and thus will no say in the final outcome. For example, say there were five names on a ballot and you only ranked three, who were all eliminated, your now-blank ballot wouldn’t be counted in the final vote at all. You will not have expressed any choice about the two leading candidates.”

CO-HOST: “Well then maybe people will strategically pick more popular or electable candidates for their second and third choice.”

Contributor JANICE FINE: “Which is exactly what the establishment may want us to do!”

“Either way, RCV is clearly not a solution. It may just be another complication, and of that we should be very wary, because there are legitimate reasons for skepticism when it comes to RCV. But the thing is, the larger element that is broken in American politics, and therefore what should be focused on, is election procedures, not our well-established and only occasionally-imperfect election processes.”

– Former US Rep. Gordon Weil (R-ME), head of the political activist group “Ranked Is Wrong: Vote No On RCV,” CBS News, 7/21/2018 segment [3]



D.R. CONGO TAKING “PREVENTATIVE STRIDES” TO COMBAT KIVU EBOLA OUTBREAK

…the rise in reported cases of the virus has the potential to be worse than the 2013-2014 Kivu Ebola outbreak, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President is confident that his administration will “avoid the mistakes” of his predecessor, telling his nation’s press today that “our communities are working together to keep each other safe and sanitary in the weeks and months ahead”…

– The Cape Times, South African newspaper, 7/23/2018



“…Torrential rains have triggered massive floods in Japan, displacing thousands and killing at least seventy people…”

– BBC World News, 7/25/2018 broadcast



GRAMMER THE GRIZZLY?: POTUS SHOWS OFF BOD WHILE ON SUMMER VACATION

…After tackling a missile incident and now facing a fiscal crisis in D.C., President Grammer must have been ecstatic to get away from the Beltway and spend some fun in the sun with the First Family…

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[pic: imgur.com/8vD4O4M.png ]

Above: The President spending quality time at Santa Monica Beach with one of his sons, while vacationing with his wife and his four youngest children (photograph provided by Splash News, our coast-centric division)

The Hollywood Reporter, 7/28/2018



MARS APPROACH BRINGS OUT SIGNS OF PROMISE AND REMORSE IN SPACE TRAVEL COMMUNITY

…Today, Mars made its closest approach to Earth since 2003, four days after reaching “opposition.” This event was marked by former NASA Director John McAfee declaring it to be a “gravely missed opportunity” for the US and the world. “We should have planned a second Marstronaut mission for this second window instead of just sending out more probes,” said McAfee in a THN interview.

Incumbent NASA Director Bezos, on the other hand, took the moment to give an optimistic speech at NASA’s HQ in Virginia, in which he promoted Project Postman, the “Lunar Bot Hub” endeavor that is still in development.

McAfee, however, also commented on Bezos’ speech, saying “If Bezos hadn’t spent so much time working with private businesses to decentralize American space travel, we would have built it by now. And that would have allowed marstronauts to only take five months to travel to the Red Planet instead of seven.”

Saudi Arabia’s space agency announced in 2001 their own plan to go to Mars in 2018, but the mixed results of their 2008 moonshot led to the country’s government cancelling the project. Earlier this week, they launched a robot space probe, the Glory 5, to the planet Mars instead…

– popularscience.co.usa, 7/31/2018



“…new polling shows that President Grammer’s approval rating is down to its lowest numbers since 2014, with the recent gradual dip most likely stemming from controversies concerning his apparent response to last year’s Hurricane Season being ‘insufficient’ according to multiple reports…”

– ABC News, 8/2/2018 broadcast



STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED AS WILDFIRES PERSIST IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

The Los Angeles Times, 8/3/2018



…The rise of the California wildfires as a major issue led to the White House immediately pledging to help California combat them. President Grammer discussed the matter with the state’s Governor, Cruz Bustamante, would had previously served as Grammer’s lieutenant governor; as a result of this previously-established relationship, the process of coordinating a federal response went smoothly.

Meanwhile, the White House inner circle hoped that combating the fires would reverse the sinking approval ratings of both Grammer and the GOP. They also believed that a successful response to the fires would “finally shake off the narrative spun by liberals in the media,” as the WH Communications Director later put it, “that ‘libertarian’ means ‘irresponsible’ or simply ‘irresponsive.’”…

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



5 August 2018: On this day in history, a 6.9m earthquake struck the island of Lombok, Indonesia, destroying homes and building, displacing thousands, and killing over 400 people…

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



ERITREAN SCANDAL UPDATE: Nikolayev Unwilling To Green Light Investigation

…inquiries into allegations of Russian President Nikolayev allegedly staging a missile crisis with Eritrean President Ephrem are being met with fierce resistance at the Kremlin. The President’s loyal Prosecutor-General is refusing to “humor the lies and waste our valuable time” directing the Justice Department to address “this baseless rumor.” Meanwhile, the leaders of the National Assembly’s Majority coalition (National with Strong Arm and Motherland) seem very reluctantly to launch any probes into the Kremlin or the military, likely fearing that such action will collapse the coalition o the detriment of their political careers. However, Vlad Chub, Leader of the National Assembly Opposition/Minority coalition (Democratic with Green and Protectionist) claims the inaction from the ruling party leaders is due to a “fear of reprisals from the madman holed up inside the Kremlin.”…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 8/8/2018



BACHAND WINS, BUT BARELY!

…The PCs lost a considerable number of seats, becoming just three seats shy of losing majority control. In the event of this event happening, along with Chow’s PLs still failing to gain a majority of seats, Bachand likely would have tried to form a coalition government with the Quebec Party to stay in power…. Opposition leader Olivia Chow (PL) conceded earlier tonight, as did Pierre Paquette (Quebec), while Ken Melamed (Green) and Tim Hudak (New Maple) are expected to concede soon...

– thetorontostar.co.can, 8/10/2018



Agafia (2017-2018)
was a Canadian digitally-streamed miniseries based on real events in which a family was isolated from the rest of humanity for over 40 years. The series follows the incredible survival of the Lykov family in the isolated wilderness of the Russian Taiga, and of the four geologists who discovered their existence there in 1979. Each episode ran for 40 minutes on average. The series received good reviews, and concluded with a series finale at the end of Season 2, totaling 20 episodes.

Cast:

Yuliya Snigir as Agafia Lykov
Konstantin Khabensky as Yerofei Sedov
Oleg Tabakov as Karp Lykov

[see full list here]

Season One: Episode 1 – “A” Story (1979): while surveying land in a helicopter, four Soviet geologists (Yerofei, Petros, Vlad and Ivan) stumble upon a human settlement in a remote mountainside in the Abakan Range of the Taiga, a dense boreal forest area, 150 miles away from the nearest human settlement; the inhabitants inside, and the geologists, are concerned about how to respond to seeing each other. “B” Story (1936): The Lykov brothers are members of a fundamentalist Russian orthodox sect that had been persecuted since the days of Peter the Great in the 18th century called “the Old Believers.” Fearing religious persecution for practicing religion in communist Russia, Karp Lykov wants to stay in the Ural while his brother wants to flee father east, but when his brother is killed, Karp flees with his wife Akulina and their children, Savina and Natalia, into the forests of the Western Sayan mountains with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Episode 2 – “A” Story (1979): the geologists make firm contact with the Lykovs, starting up a dialogue with them, and the family members learn about developments such as World War Two, the Cold War, and television for the first time. One geologist, Yerofei Sedov, soon establishes a friendly relationship with the family’s youngest daughter, 34-year-old Agafia. Yerofei soon realizes her peculiar speech pattern is the result of a lifetime of isolation, not mental impairment. “B” Story (1937): Karp and his family survive their first winter in the taiga by eating their shoes, and with their basic shelter receiving extensive damage from blizzards and the freezing cold.

Episode 3 – The geologists debate whether they should report the existence of the Lykov family. Yerofei and Petros believe they shouldn’t while Ivan and Vlad believe they should; they also disagree on telling the family about Mikhail Suslov, the rising civil unrest they have witnessed, and their own lack of confidence/uncertainty in how the Soviet government would respond to the family’s existence. In the end, they take a blind vote among the four of them, and they unanimously vote to not telling anyone of the family’s existence. Meanwhile, the Lykovs show their visitors how they have adapted to the tundra.

Episode 4 – “A” Story (1979): two of the geologists are intrigued by Dmitri, Afagia’s older brother who is a strong man and who lives in the forest “like a Russian Tarzan.” Meanwhile, back at their base in the Oblast’s capital of Abakan, Yerofei is caught trying to bring some dresses to the girls, but gets away with it by saying they belong to his ex-girlfriends. “B” Story (1961): it snows in June, destroying the family’s crops, and making the mother worry.

Episode 5 – “A” Story (1980): the geologists find a recording device in their office and soon tell the family they will have to not visit them for a while, upsetting Agafia and troubling Yerofei. “B” Story (1961): Karp’s wife dies feeding the children, and the family reacts to it with grief, anger and sadness.

Episode 6/7 (two-parter) – “A” Story (1980): the family hears a low rumble in the distance but no clouds; the geologists return to finally tell the family of the growing political unrest and of the Aktau Disaster (a major nuclear power plant meltdown), then must calm them of their fears that it is the end of the world. During the geologists’ stay, Agafia encounters love and sin with Yerofei (who has not told Agafia that he is married), while the rest of the geologists contemplate moving up there with them in case a nuclear war really is to occur and destroy Russia. “B” Story (1961): after burying the mother and all hope being seemingly lost in the wake of the lost crops, Agafia finds a single rye grain growing in the remains of the family’s garden. The family guards the grain with their lives, protecting it from animals and the elements. When the grain grows, the Lykovs celebrates the endurance of life.

Episode 8 – “A” Story (1980): Ivan is shot and killed by Soviet officials for trying to smuggle food onto the department’s helicopter, and Petros and Vlad must survive interrogations, as their higher-ups believe they are planning some sort of treasonous act. Meanwhile, Yerofei walks in on his wife having an affair, leading to a sad but mutual separation. “B” Story (1950): a young Agafia is frightened of the woods before they become her home.

Episode 9 – Traumatized by the interrogations, Vlad burns their department’s headquarters to the ground to keep the Lykov family safe, and then flees with Petros and Yerofei to the Kykovs. They travel by boat with lots of supplies, but Yerofei and Vlad still arrive in weak condition from the effects of the trip. The Kykovs then helps them build a separate cabin near the family’s “homestead.”

Episode 10 – In late 1981, Agafia deals with her feelings for Yerofei while Yerofei deals with the Lykov family’s strict and conservative religious observances. Meanwhile, Petros and Vlad spend time learning about the family and how to survive in the area, while Dmitri’s increasing interest in the outside world worries Karp. In the final minutes, Yerofei asks Karp if he can marry his daughter, but the screen cuts to black before Karp responds.

Season Two: Episode 11/1 – “A” Story (1985): Agafia and Yerofei are married and have a son. Petros and Vlad return from a trip back to Abakan to report that the Soviet Union has collapsed. Believing it is safe to return to civilization, the geologists plan to leave, though Yerofei is reluctant to do so. After some arguing, Karp allows Dmitri to travel with Petros and Vlad back to civilization while Yerofei stays behind. “B” Story (1959): Karp and his wife wonder if they should return to civilization and risk persecution, and ultimately decide against it.

Episode 12/2 – “A” Story (1985): the family again refuses to leave their home despite the hardship, and argue when Petros and Vlad decide to return premanently to civiliation. However, the geologists do get the Kykovs to agree to tell the world of their existence. “B” Story (1983): Agafia deals with childbirth and her child becoming sick, leading to arguing after Yerofei suggests he should venture out for medicine. Right before he leaves, the baby’s fever breaks, and it is revealed to the audience that Petros gave the baby medicine from a secret stash he has in his hut. “C” Story (2014): Agafia deals with Yerofei’s failing health while their daughter is living “far away,” and Agafia discovers a lump on her breast.

Episode 13/3 – In 1986, the geologists meet with journalist Vasily Peskov. The subsequent publication of treatises and photographs of the family in Russian newspapers make the Lykovs national celebrities. After much convincing, Karp finally agrees to tour the country with the rest of his children, finding good and bad things in the world of modernity. During the trip, we learn that Russian President Vlad Volkov pardoned the geologists for burning down their department headquarters due to nobody being hurt by the fire, and that the Russian government has paid for the Lykov family to tour the country for a month, during which time Agafia sees airplanes, horses, cars and telephones for the first time. Agafia is both frightened and fascinated by the unfamiliarity of Moscow and St. Petersburg. When they return home after four weeks of travel, though, Dmitri begins to not feel well.

Episode 14/4 – In 1986, Dmitri is suffering from pneumonia, and there is debate if the trip out of the homestead damaged his immunity. The father refuses to send him to a hospital, but when his situation deteriorates, he relents and Dmitri is airlifted to Abakan. However, the “illness” has already become too severe, and he passes away at the hospital. Agafia fears for her children’s health; the final minute reveals that Agafia is now pregnant with her second child.

Episode 15/5 – “A” Story (1986): Vlad, the geologist who was most supportive of Dmitri’s travelling aspirations, is reeling with guilt over Dmitri’s death, and, after attempting suicide, announces he is permanently moving to St. Petersburg to seek therapy. After a misunderstanding, Agafia, thinking Yerofei is leaving to, refuses to leave the homestead and pushes Yerofei away in reaction to the fear of being alone. She and Yerofei make up in the end after saving Petros from drowning in a separate incident. “B” Story (2014): Agafia still refuses to leave the homestead despite unprecedented floods, and she and Yerofei barely survive the destruction of one of the property’s huts downhill from the main building. Agafia only agrees to seek medical attention for her breast lump.

Episode 16/6 – In 1986, Natalia dies from some sort of illness, and the father is also suffering from pneumonia-like symptoms. At the same time, Karp is furious to learn about the contents of a book on the family that has been airlifted to them, demonstrating the negative aspects of celebrity status. However, Karp’s attitude improves after communicating with other Old Believers over the property’s new solar-powered telephone.

Episode 17/7 – “A” Story (1988): Agafia is diagnosed with a tumor, leading to her traveling to hospital while Petros looks after the ailing Savina. Upon her return from the hospital, though, she and Yerofei are saddened to learn that Savina died while they were gone. “B” Story (1948): Karp and his wife Akulina deal with three of their four children being sick, but they deal with it together.

Episode 18/8 – In late 1989, the 6-year-old daughter of Agafia and Yerofei questions the family’s religious practices after Yerofei admits doubting some of it, causing an argument that ends when Karp feels sick and his health declines yet again.

Episode 19/9 – In early 1990, Karp dies, traumatizing both Agafia and her daughter. Petros returns after not visiting the Taiga for over a year to give the family gifts and to try to liven up the mood.

Episode 20/10 (double-length) – “A” Story (2001): the 18-year-old daughter of Agafia and Yerofei announces that she wants to leave the family home to get an education in civilization. Yerofei and Agafia go with her for the first few days. The daughter has trouble at first, but adjusts to modern life better than Agafia did in the 1980s. “B” Story (2016): Yerofei has been dead for months. Agafia’s daughter returns to her mother’s bedside (pneumonia) after years of rarely visiting, and her brother comforts his sister in explaining why Agafia refused to abandon the Homestead, her home. A text crawl explains Agafia recovered from pneumonia and was still alive, and still at “the Homestead,” at the time of the episode’s airing on October 19, 2018.

– digitalmedia.co.can



…Mexico’s economy is continuing to rise healthily, as the stock market in Mexico City closed today with its healthiest numbers in decades…

– ABC Morning News, 8/20/2018 broadcast



ASSISTANT US SECRETARY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RESIGNS

…Star Parker (b. 1956), an African-American political official (R-CA) with a focus on education and urban renewal, was hired by the Grammer administration’s department of Community Development in 2015. A self-declared “anti-welfare” conservative, Parker served in the US House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015, winning election in 2010 and 2012 before losing re-election in 2014. …Parker says she has stepped down over “multiple disagreements” that she has had with the incumbent administration, alleging that the incumbent US Secretary of Community Development – physician and former Marstronaut Patricia Consolatrix Hilliard “Doc” Robertson – is doing “an abysmal job. She never took up any of my ideas”…

The Washington Post, 8/21/2018



HOST 1: “So did you see this news bit? Apparently our Governor’s dad, retired Admiral John McCain, just got a terminal cancer diagnosis, and so his son Barack and his daughter Naomi are going to be spending some time with him down in Florida.”

HOST 2: “Yeah, the Governor’s basically putting everything on hold because of a family crisis.”

HOST 1: “You know, its moments like this where you can see why Rocky is so popular. He’s a family man. He loves his dad, he loves his wife, his sons and daughter, he’s a guy who cares, you know? Remember that video that went fervid ontech a few years back where he calms down a supporter’s baby?”

HOST 2: “Yeah, yeah, but it’s also touching, his backstory I mean. McCain’s dad is a war hero, and they’ve reportedly had a strong family bond for decades, even after his parents divorced, so this diagnosis has got to be heartbreaking for Barack.”

HOST 1: “I know I’d cry if it happened to my Dad. And I’m not ashamed to say that, either.”

– KCAP (950 AM) Helena, Montana news/talk radio station, 8/24/2018 broadcast


“The [N.D.R.R.] Supreme Court has ‘original jurisdiction’ in certain special national cases, as authorized by the 1985 [N.D.R.R.] Constitution. Those include the challenging of individual acts of the National Assembly and challenging, questioning, and determining the legalities of the decrees of the President. The military’s refusal to investigate just how it misplaced nuclear devices or release documentation concerning it on the orders of the President merits scrutiny, and the Prosecutor-General knows this. He knows of this, he knows of all of this.”

– Russian Supreme Court Chief Justice Yury Chaika, 8/26/2018



“…Tonight in London, a free trade deal between the UK, India, Australia and South Africa was signed into law by the heads of state of these four nations. The deal will very likely leave on impact on much of the world’s commerce as economic allegiances shift to adjust for financial windfalls resulting from this major multinational trade decision…”

– BBC World News, 28/8/2018 broadcast



William Nealon, Supreme Court Associate Justice, Is Dead At 95

…appointed to the seat by US President Walter Mondale, William Joseph Nealon Jr. (7/31/1923-8/30/2018) had served as a moderate-to-liberal voice in the US Supreme Court since June 29, 1974. His eventful tenure on the bench, at roughly 44 years, 2 months and a day, makes him one of the longest-serving federal judges in US history…

The Washington Post, 8/30/2018



Nealon’s vacancy created a Supreme Court consisting of five left-leaning justices (Delgado-Colon, Sandel, Chin, Schroeder, and Chief Justice Page) and three right-leaning justices (Thompson, Garza, Bacon). This meant that Nealon’s demise did not “endanger” the “liberal majority” of the court. However, incidentally, the three conservative justices each represented a faction of the GOP – Thompson was a far-right conservative, Garza was a “Colonel conservative” type, and Bacon was a Snowe-like centrist. Thus, there was one major political philosophy found in the Republican Party but not on the Supreme Court – libertarianism.

Deciding to make the court “more reflective of America,” Grammer both made a strategic gesture and upheld of his own principles when he carefully began vetting for a potential Supreme Court seat appointee by reviewing several libertarian and libertarian-leaning judges and law experts. According to his former White House Communications Director, “race and gender were not deciding factors. The court was already made up of two Hispanic justices, two Black Justices, a Chinese-American justice, and a Jewish justice, so the bench was already ethnically diverse – majority-nonwhite, in fact. And three of the justices were women.” Despite this, many media outlets reported that, among the names being considered, were Filipino-American Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Tani Cantil-Sakauye (b. 1959), Chinese-American Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Dolly Maizie Gee (b. 1959), and Indian-American Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Amul Thapar (b. 1969). Freshman Republican US Senator Rand Paul of North Carolina (b. 1963) was also rumored to be in consideration, but he publicly declined interest in the position on September 1.

During White House discussions, Grammer slowly narrowed down the options to a shortlist of five potential nominees. Chicago Law School Professor Gene Healy (b. 1970) was an accomplished academic and an expert on federalism and US law. Georgetown University Dean Randy E. Barnett (b. 1952) was an even more seasoned teacher and writer of constitutional law, but was 66 years old. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Robert Patrick Murphy (b. 1976), on the other hand, was a spritely 42. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Norman Stephen Kinsella (b. 1965) had not been in his seat for very long, as Grammer himself had appointed him to it in 2015, but he had made a name for himself by being a passionate proponent of Hans-Hermann Howe’s theory on augmentation ethics. Finally, Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Martinez Guzman (b. 1961) had a libertarian-leaning record in a conservative state.

As deliberations continued, the list took up an almost RCV-like composition, with the libertarian ideologue Murphy taking first place, the alleged “diversity” option in second, in case Murphy failed to be nominated, and Barnett as the “safe” option.

– Linda Greenhouse and Morton J. Horwitz’s Sustaining Liberty: The Supreme Court Under Our Current Chief Justice, Sunrise Publishing, 2020



KILAUEA ERUPTION DECLARED OVER; Crisis Ends After Lava Lake In ‘Ahu‘Aila‘Au Recedes Below Surface

– hawaiinews.co.usa 9/5/2018



LOCALS PRAISE CHIN’S RESPONSE TO LAVA FLOW

…Hawaiians are lauding Governor Doug Chin’s handling of orderly evacuation procedures that kept civilians safe as the Kilauean Lava Slow overwhelmed a wide swath of Big Island on its way to the ocean. Only six major injuries and zero deaths were reported…

– The Hawaii Tribune-Herald, 9/7/2018



GRAMMER NOMINATES LIBERTARIAN JUDGE ROBERT PATRICK MURPHY FOR SUPREME COURT

…Murphy was appointed to a California District Court in 2011 before Grammer appointed him to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2013…

The Washington Post, 9/8/2018



FORMER RECREADRUG LORD BEGINS JAIL SENTENCE TODAY

…The underworld kingpin who killed his way to the top must serve a minimum of 30 years before being eligible for parole, at which point he will be 80 years old. Evangelos Goussis, age 50, began his adult life with great promise, becoming a professional athlete and even competing in the 1988 Olympics. His life took an unexpected turn when he was banned from the sport and the 1992 games for alleged steroid use. After that, the disillusioned Goussis entered the world of crime, starting out in drug trafficking and using his own fitness and training equipment supply business as a cover. Upon switching to the more lucrative recreadrug-smuggling business, he found himself locking horns with competition such as the Russia Mafia and several yakuza syndicates, leading to him orchestrating the murder of several rivals from 1994 to 2009. By 2001, Goussis’ own “cartel” of allies made him one of the most powerful criminals in central Asia, allowing him to transfer narcotics from Afghanistan and Tajikistan across United Turkestan and into Russia and China. He established a “barrier” of allies in Uzbekistan, making himself nearly untouchable to law enforcement by making himself popular in the region with gestures such as paying for schools and hospitals, along with distributing masks and other supplies during the SARS pandemic of 2002-2004. His criminal career reached its apex with the ascension of alleged ally Islam Karimov to the U.T. Presidency in 2006, and ended abruptly with Karimov’s assassination in 2008. Karimov’s successor launched an anti-corruption crusade that targeted hundreds of underworld figures including Goussis. The recreadrug smuggler’s power and influenced gradually eroded away as the U.T.’s Justice Department worked their way up from small offenders to major influencers, until Goussis was finally arrested in 2015. UT officials revealed in 2017 he was caught a sting operation in which he confessed in front of a hidden camera to ordering the recent killing of five ex-allies out of fear that they would speak to police. That reveal put an end to rumors that the gun smuggler-turned-author known as Tommy Gun Thompson had collaborated with U.T. police, which he reportedly did not…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 9/9/2018



JOHN CANDY IS DEAD AT 67

…the iconic star of dozens of comedic film and TV roles passed away suddenly in his sleep from a heart attack, a spokesperson for his family announced. Candy had suffered from health issues intermittently for years, and had survived three health years already (in 1993, 1999, and 2016)...

The Los Angeles Times, 9/10/2018



11 September 2018: On this day in history, Hurricane Florence, a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde hurricane that caused catastrophic damage across the eastern North American continent, especially in the U.S.’s North Carolina, reaches peak intensity, with 1-minute winds of 210 km/h [4]; the hurricane, responsible for 17 direct fatalities, formed on 31 August and dissipated on 18 September.

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



uoFKkov.png


[pic: imgur.com/uoFKkov.png ]

– A deer wades through a flooded suburban street in North Carolina during the final days of Hurricane Florence



GRAVY GRAVEYARDS: Top 12 Defunct Fast-Food Chains From Yesteryear

A restaurant chain going out of business always weighs heavily on the hearts of its most die-hard fans. And years later, even fast-food joints scuttled for poor sanitation conditions or general incompetence can still be thought back on with nostalgia for its best years. To honor the one-year anniversary of the final Chuck-E-Cheese outlet locking its doors for the last time, here are the Top 12 restaurant chains that America has said goodbye to over the last few decades.

1: Pizza Toppings – This knockoff of Pizza Hut founded in 1987 and slowly grew to a string of outlets across the West Coast. By the mid-1990s, it was a popular place for teenagers to hang out after school. However, its own internal mismanagement got to it before its competitors could. Several outlets were shutdown in 1996 and 1997 for severe health code violations, damaging their reputation. One of the chain’s founders had relatives that kept tipping their hands into the till and pestering some employees, and another co-founder was arrested for crack possession in 1998, at the height of the Recreadrug Wars. Later that year, amid multiple legal issues, the chain was sold to a larger company that eventually shut down all of its remaining locations by 2003.

2 (tie): Chicken In The Rough/Chicken-To-Go – These two chicken-selling chains were friendly rivals to KFC during The Colonel’s early years. Despite Chicken-To-Go’s “Texas-sized” pieces being larger than KFC’s, it folded quickly in the early 1960s. Similarly, Chicken In The Rough closed its doors for the final time in 1963. Both simply failed to compete in the growth period the fast-food industry experienced in the late 1950s, even with The Colonel himself trying to convince Chicken In The Rough’s founders to fight harder to keep up with the competition. Sanders allegedly argued, “we [KFC] can’t be the only chicken sellers in town; people will think we’re the best by default instead because it’s true.”

3: Taco Bell – A dispenser of “Mexican-inspired” taco, burritos, and other items, its founder slowly and gracefully build it up across the states, but then brought the chain to the front of national new cycle with an independent bid for the Presidency in 1988. The media attention soon led to the company becoming the center of several scandals. While investigations into the chain’s wage theft practices and mistreatment of undocumented workers wasn’t enough to significantly impact its base, the allegations of the company having a toxic workplace environment was the final nail in its coffin. By the mid-1990s, Chi-Chi’s and Zantigo’s had taken Taco Bell’s place in the Mexican-American fast food game. Taco Bell’s final location shut down in 1999, but not before three avid loyalists chained themselves to the building and had to be removed by police. Thus the company’s history ended up reflecting its food – its entrance (into the fast-food industry) was smooth, but its departure was more than a little messy.

4: Long John Silver’s – Before founding SpongeBob’s – the oddly-named family-friendly seafood “dining experience” that practically redefined the term “dinner and a show” by launching a TV series based on the chain’s mascots – Stephen Hillenburg of Ohio originally worked for Long John Silver’s. In the late 1980s, LJS’s was losing seafood-hungry customers to Boston Sea Party and Red Lobster, but Hillenburg’s superiors dismissed his rebranding ideas. In 1990, he left the chain to found SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine. And soon enough, the sponge – much like the gluttonous nematodes pulling apart a rival restaurant’s foundation in an episode of the iconic ’90s series – joined the lobster and the sea party in pulling apart LJS’s customer base. Long John Silver’s filed for bankruptcy in July 1998, and officially entered the annals of history during the “mini-recession” of 1999.

5: T.G.I. Friday’s – Founded in 1965 as a place for single adults to mingle, the bar-centric chain expanded quickly before priority was shifted to it’s casual dining aspects. However, financial struggles in the late 1970s led to the chain plateauing and changing hands several times. Its focus was switched to a sports bar but reverted into a family-friendly atmosphere a few years later. The chain was on its way out when an obvious knockoff chain, Burger Hut Thursdays, took off in popularity. Instead of trying to replicate BHT’s superior business model, TGIF’s newest owners spent millions taking BHT to court, suing them for unfair competition. Litigation from 1992 to 2000 drained their finances. Then, the New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of BHT, stating that the similarities ended at the similar names of the establishment and some similar menu options. The ruling was seen as establishing loose guidelines for how much imagery one can rip off from something when one opens up a business in New York. Efforts to bounce back from this embarrassing defeat ended when the SARS pandemic essentially killed off the chain’s remaining outlets. Most of its former locations now belong to former finals such as BHT, Arby’s, and Steak-&-Ale (also known as The Jolly Ox in some markets).

6: Chuck E. Cheese’s – The “real cool place to be a kid” began to decline in popularity in the late 1990s, a slip worsened by the effects of the 1999 mini-recession and the SARS pandemic. It seems children grew tired of its mediocre food, creepy animatronics and lackluster games. With indoor dining pausing abruptly during the pandemic and home-consul videogaming surging, the company never fully recovered and shut down all but one store in 2009 [5]. The final location closed in 2017. Essentially, Chuck E. Cheese’s failed to modernize; they learned the hard way that it is exponentially more difficult to use a robotic rat-man to impress young people who have lar-phones and techslabs for entertainment.

7: Sambo’s – This jungle-themed breakfast eatery reached its apex of over a thousand locations in 1978, just before that year’s markets enter recession. Financial shortfalls soon combined with sanitation inspectors shutting down several locations, and with protests over their mascot (a dark-skinned, half-naked Indian boy, with a name considered pejorative to African-Americans, who is riding a tiger), resulted in them closing up shop in 1989.

8: Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream – not to be confused with Steve’s Ice Cream, which still has locations across 32 states, Ben and Jerry’s began after Bennett Cohen’s chain of bagel-and-coffee outlets, called Ben’s Bagels, went belly-up in 1979. Two years later, Cohen met up with his childhood friend Dr. Jerry Greenfield, MD, who was practicing medicine in Youngstown, Ohio. The two men soon launched Ben’s newest entrepreneurial enterprise in the area, and by 1991, Ben and Jerry’s was an award-winning company involved in numerous charity and community development projects across the US, especially in the Midwest. However, the co-founders’ increase in progressive political activism took its toll of the company; by 2001, their ice cream was losing so many customers to rivals such as Steve’s Ice Cream that B&J outlets began closing. But Cohen was inspired by President Jackson. Cohen’s humanitarianism ultimately culminated in him launching a bid for Governor of Ohio in 2005, only for the two men to die in a plane crash in early 2006. Interestingly, Cohen and Greenfield had sold the rights to the ice cream company for multinational use to a large parent company ahead of the primary deadline, but had not sold any of their trademarks for use before they died. As a result, under new management, the remaining stores were soon closed.

9: Beefsteak Charlie’s – Clocking in at 105 years of operation, the first restaurant of this chain was founded in 1910, but its final location was closed forever in 2015. After rising in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, head executive Larry Ellman sold it in 1987 to what would become one of several owners until its final parent company there in the towel. Its businessmen management turnover rate was due to it defying financial spreadsheet basics with gigantic prices and rock-bottom prices. With that and an all-you-can eat salad bar, and free refills for all alcoholic beverages, it is a wonder how it stayed afloat for so long!

10: Minnie Pearl’s Chicken – On July 29, 1963, Colonel Sanders demonstrated on live TV how he made his famous chicken, doing so in front of Tennessee Ernie Ford and Minnie Pearl from “Hee Haw.” Six years later, Nashville attorney and would-be politician convinced her to lend her name and likeness to a chicken chain that would try and compete with the “monopolistic” KFC. The subsequent restaurants sold chicken in hatbox-shaped containers dotted with yellow daisies and featuring a picture of “Cousin Minnie” present a drumstick. The chicken, reportedly salty but serviceable, came with biscuits, honey packets and moist towelettes. The restaurant venture opened a total of 523 outlets before the US SEC investigated Hooker for stock price manipulation and accounting irregularities, culminating it the sudden demise of Minnie Pearl’s Chicken in 1979.

11: Don Pablo’s – Taking its cue from the success of Taco Bell, this full-service Tex-Mex chain was founded in Lubbock, Texas, in 1985 and boasted 260 outposts at its height. Don Pablo patrons appreciated how the burritos, chimichangas, salsa and tortillas were all made from scratch. Also, the restaurants were visually striking. You felt like you were in an old Mexican village on a movie studio lot. Don Pablo’s may have just been unlucky. Ownership changed hands several times, and the companies that had big plans to expand it were prone to bankruptcy. Fans still mourn its 2011 demise.

12: Royal Canadian Pancake House – While noticeably more subdued in presentation than other flashy restaurants, both at the time and on this list, this small NYC-based chain had a cult following. Oddly, its menu had little to do with Canadian breakfast staples or methods of preparation. The chain was most famous for pancakes the size of large pizzas – in fact, leftovers went home in a pizza box! Other favorites included the Womlette, an omelet-topped waffle, and the Canadian Cracker, a waffle topped with fried eggs and cheese. The chain closed in 1998, not long after the owner was indicted for ethics violations.

– proudsoutherner.co.usa/food, 9/15/2018 [6]



Stephen McDannell Hillenburg
(b. August 21, 1961) is an American philanthropist and the CEO of SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine, a chain of family-friendly seafood restaurants found across North America and Europe…

[snip]

…Hillenburg founded the first “SpongeBob’s” restaurant in 1991, and the company quickly grew. In 1994, Hillenburg began work on hybrid live action-animated TV commercials to advertise the chain; these commercials were so popular, Hillenburg was convinced to create a TV series centering on his restaurant’s mascots. The TV show “The SpongeBob Zone” ran from 1997 to 2001, with an additional collection of episode “specials” airing in 2002...

[snip]

…In the 2000s and 2010s, Hillenburg used the wealth he had amassed from SpongeBob’s to expand his interests to other areas such as marine research and food distribution. Hillenburg’s humanitarianism and community activism, his treatment of workers at his restaurants, and his maintenance of management transparency has received praise from various groups. Hillenburg has also received criticism from other groups for keeping his restaurant chain privately-owned, refusing to take the company public over his mistrust of “the intention of stockholders.” …In 2018, political activist Tulsi Gabbard accused Hillenburg of cultural misappropriation for operating a tropics-themed chain despite he himself not being from the tropics. However, the incident did not develop any farther, with thousands of technetters coming to Hillenburg’s defense ontech…

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2021



Guest Panelist, political analyst and former Gov. Karl ROVE (R-UT): “So, would this referendum make it so each state does Ranking Choice Voting separately or is it at the National Level? Or somehow both?”

Co-Panelist Ana NAVARRO: “It’d be a national law, Karl, so it would be the law of all the lands – as in all the states would have to comply with it, like how all the states have to comply with the US Constitution, Karl, as a matter of principle.”

ROVE: “Nah, nah, I don’t like that. Maybe some states are already planning on doing that, rendering this useless. Or maybe an incentive that should have been added to this would be that it allows states to run their primary races, and races for the US Senate, US House, and governor races however they want to. That would be the trade-off. Is it too late for them to add that sort of thing to this?”

NAVARRO: “Well, given that this was a years-long process and the election’s less than two months away, I’m going to say no, you’re a bit too late to the party here, Karl.”

The Overmyer Network, roundtable discussion, 9/20/2018



CHOW DEMANDS SPECIAL COMMISSION AFTER R.C.M.P.’S “INCONCLUSIVE” REPORT

…the national spending scandal may have just worsened for the Prime Minister. According to recent reporting, Bachand rejected the proposal of creating a special commission to investigate federal spending discrepancies out of fear that it would lead to a high-profile item for the media to follow. Bachand hoped that a referral to the RCMP would “keep it [the scandal] out of the news”...

The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 9/21/2018



SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TO BE LEGAL IN CHILE

…the National Congress’ narrow vote will make Chile the 30th nation to legalize same-sex marriage…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 9/22/2018



US SENATE APPROVES MURPHY FOR SUPREME COURT SEAT, 59-45, WILL TAKE SEAT “IMMEDIATELY”

The Washington Post, 9/23/2018



SUPREME COURT COMPOSITION ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Chief Justice (since July 2001): Alan Page (D-MN, liberal) – succeeded Frank Johnson – appointee: J. Jackson

Associate Justice Seat 1 (since March 1999): Larry Thompson (R-GA, conservative) – succeeded Leon Higginbotham – appointee: Dinger

Associate Justice Seat 2 (since May 2000): Emilio Garza (R-TX, conservative) – succeeded Ed Levi – appointee: Dinger

Associate Justice Seat 3 (since April 2008): Aida Delgado-Colon (D-PR, progressive) – succeeded Joseph Sneed III – appointee: J. Jackson

Associate Justice Seat 4 (since September 2018): Robert Murphy (R-CA, libertarian) – succeeded William Nealon – appointee: Grammer

Associate Justice Seat 5 (since November 1971): Sylvia Bacon (R-PO, centrist) – succeeded John Harlan II – appointee: Sanders

Associate Justice Seat 6 (since May 2002): Michael Sandel (D-CT, liberal) – succeeded Herb Fogel – appointee: J. Jackson

Associate Justice Seat 7 (since July 2009): Denny Chin (D-CA, liberal) – succeeded Miles Lord – appointee: Wellstone

Associate Justice Seat 8 (since October 1990): Mary Murphy Schroeder (D-CO, progressive) – succeeded William Brennan – appointee: Bellamy

– thesupremecourt.co.usa/court_compositions/by_date/9_27_2018



28 September 2018: On this day in history, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake strikes Sulawesi, Indonesia, causing a tsunami that kills at least 4,200 people and injures over 10,500 others…

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



RUSSIAN LEGAL SHOWDOWN: Prosecutor-General Aleksandr Matovnikov Clashes With Russian Supreme Court As Probes Struggle To Make Headway

The New York Times, 9/29/2018



“…Rock-and-roll icon Elvis Presley, having recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, today announced that he is undergoing treatment to fight the cancer, but did not confirm reports that he is set to receive a lung transplant. The move to stay private about his latest health scare is possibly in response to the controversies surrounding a highly-publicized heart transplant he had in the year 2000, in which a fan donated their heart to him that was touching to many but concerning to others. Transplant or no transplant, Presley has stated that he believes he, quote, ‘can and will beat this thing,’ end-quote…”

– ABC News, 10/1/2018 broadcast



FORMER F.L.O.T.U.S. KATHRYN DENTON DIES AT 92

…Kathryn Jane Maury Denton served as First Lady of the United States from 1981 until her husband’s resignation in December 1986. She was married to Jeremiah A. Denton from 1946 until Jeremiah’s death last year...

– The Atmore Advance, Alabama newspaper, 10/3/2018



BROWN BACKS BROWN: Actress Endorses Governor Hopeful

…state senator Yvette McGee Brown (D) is aiming to become Ohio’s first African-American female Governor, and she is getting some help from some Hollywood heavyweights. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown mirrored Halle Berry-Williams and Arsenio Hall last month in endorsing the liberal politician…

The Hollywood Reporter, 10/5/2018



Rodger Albert Bumpass
(born November 20, 1951) is an award-winning American actor, director, producer, and voice actor. Bumpass has since appeared in over 70 films, including Heavy Metal (in a minor voice role), National Lampoon’s Vacation (as a minor character), The Goonies (as a police officer, a minor character), Vampire’s Kiss (as the main character), Shakes the Clown (as a secondary character), Forrest Gump (as the main character), The Blood-Red Butterfly (as a main character), Highway to Hell (as a major character), Godzilla 2000 and its three sequels (as a major character), Ghost Rider 4 (in the main antagonist role), Killionaire: The Loaded Assassin (as the main character), and Stormwrecker (as a major character). Bumpass has also appeared in, or has performed voice acting for, almost 50 TV shows, including CatDog, Jimmy Neutron, Roseanne Returns Yet Again, CSI, NCIS, and The Arizona Trail.

b34rqrS.png


[pic: imgur.com/b34rqrS ]

Rodger Bumpass was born in 1951 to Virginia and Carroll Bumpass of Bumpass Cleaners and Dryers. He was raised and educated in Arkansas before moving to California to pursue an acting career...

[snip]

…Bumpass’s rise to fame began with the release of the 1979 National Lampoon film “Fin” (also titled “Jaws 3, People 0”), in which he starred as the main character. In the film, Bumpass has a love scene with Bo Derek, who eventually married Bumpass...

[snip]

…Bumpass began directing and producing films in 1999 with the high-budget film Kneel Before Ed, starring Chris Farley as a kindhearted-but-clumsy man who receives God-like powers…

[snip]

...Bumpass has received dozens of awards for his work. In 1994, he won an Oscar for Best Actor, for his performance as the titular role in the film Forrest Gump. Actor Tom Hanks later expressed regret at declining the role over an issue with the script, remarking that he thought it was too unrealistic that the character would go into space…

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2018



…I would say it was on a cold day in October, but this was in Moscow, where every day in October is cold. However, I will say that it was in the dead of night, during The Witching Hours. And that it was a private moment, held in the den of the President’s private residence between Nikolayev and a few of his friends from Siberia.

“Their insolence is astounding,” the Russian President loudly and angrily grumbled with a sneer of contempt on his face. “I should threaten to nuke Australia for taking in that little snitch. And if they call my bluff? Hey, I’m a man of my word!” As he exclaimed, he threw his hands up dramatically.

To the remark, one of his mafia friends – a well-built bald man with a small nose, one-and-a-half chins, and a nearly all-black suit – meandered over to the seat across from Nikolayev’s armchair beside the giant window. The blinds were drawn so one could look out over the capital’s nocturnal ambiance. The Bashnya Rossiya was visible on the President’s side, standing tall above the rest of the financial sector. “Vladimir, you’re going to have to access some sort of hit in order walk away from it. Butting heads is getting you nowhere but deeper into a hole.”

“And what would you have me do?” Nikolayev asked, either dumbfounded or insulted.

The Bald Man answered candidly, “Orchestrate an investigation. Control all aspects. Make a patsy out of someone. Ever heard of a kangaroo court? Put ’em through one if you want. Or, if you want a more permanent solution, there’s always our guys.”

“Even saying that this is worthy of an investigation acknowledges their suspicions. It legitimizes the attacks on my Presidency. Why should I give my enemies the satisfaction?”

“Because you struttin’ about like you own the place is worsening your own government’s reputation. This and your temper. Which reminds me, what’s this we hear about you roughhousing National Assembly Members?”

“I was just putting them in their place, like you would with any disloyal customer.”

“Well, word on the street is that the only reason why the assembly isn’t impeaching you is because of us. Remember that. We got you here and we’re keeping you here. you’re welcome.”

Nikolayev smirked, “Last time I checked, the President is the leader of Russia. That’s me. I control the military, I appoint the justices, I can influence the legislation. You can only try to do any of that by proxy. And I’m that proxy.”

“You don’t have to be,” the Bald Man said ominously.

The President made a snort-like chuckle, and remarked sarcastically, “Oh, sure! I forgot! You definitely don’t need me!”

“You really think you’re untouchable, don’t you?”

Nikolayev answered, “Well I do have a security staff. They’re like yours, only they have a better dental plan.”

“Don’t be smart with me Vlad, be smart out there!” The Bald Man angrily bellowed and pointed out the window. “The people of the world are watching you. Be smart here, you’re acting like a moron. Listen,” he leaned in closer, and I just barely heard him say “We didn’t sign on to a moron President. Remember how you got here, my friend. Because we do.”

The following Monday, Nikolayev public reversed course by announcing that Prosecutor-General Matovnikov would lead a “corruption review board” to study the matter concerning “unwanted agents” committing acts of espionage for the benefit of Eritrea. Matovnikov made his nose browner by remarking that he was “certain” that the board would find “not a shred” of evidence connecting the President to the weapon smugglers and military members in question…

– Marina Lebedev’s tell-all memoir My Time In The Nation of Nikolayev, Perspective Publishers, 2022



NEUROBOTS MAKE OPTIC NERVE REPAIR NOW POSSIBLE!

…The transformative new procedure has just been cleared by the last of several federal boards… Because the human optic nerve goes directly to the brain, surgery on it is incredibly difficult, requiring a level precision thought impossible until now thanks to the development of neuro-nanobots. Microscopic robots that make repairs too small for human hands to perform are now able to help surgeons. The damaged nerve can now be repaired, restoring eyesight.

“This new procedure has the potential to help millions,” says the head of the research team, “especially once it stops being so incredibly expensive an operation.”

The research team also note that for optic nerves too damaged to repair, it is currently still very risky “but not completely impossible” to have neuro-nanobots carefully “break down and remove” the “dead” optic nerve” and replace it with a new one. Due to the nerve’s connection to the brain, this step is still in the hypothetical stage of development.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that the new procedure for repairing damaged optic nerves may be the first step to unlocking mental health repair efforts, “correcting brain damage brought on by accidents, genetics, or disease,” as the head of the research team explains...

– popularsciencemagazine.co.usa, 10/9/2018



10 October 2018: On this day in history, Hurricane Michael hit Mexico Beach, Florida, making for one of the most intense hurricanes to hit the mainland U.S. since Camille in 1969…

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



INTERVIEW WITH FIVE-STAR MASTER CHEF ELSA BORBOA-FIRRO

Host: “How did you get your start in the world of cooking?”

Borboa-Firro: “When I got out of High School in 1984, I got a job working at a fast food place. Chicken George. It’s a chain that’s still around, but just barely, which is a shame because it was at one point the largest chain under African-American ownership, serving chicken, gumbo, biscuits and other soul foods. It was so big, the character Chicken George in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots is a reference to the chain. I learned a lot from working there, from the coworkers, from the cuisine, and I was inspired to try out, like, actual cooking, to see how you can combine different cultures and their respective flavors to make something new and enticing.”

[snip]

Host: “So what in your opinion is the best family-friendly restaurant around right now.”

Borboa-Firro: “Well, my personal favorite would have to be one that’s real gimmicky, but it’s also real good. You ever hear of G. G. Ritzy’s Luxury Grill and Ice Creams. That place is decidedly cool. The striking art deco logo harked to the Gatsby era. The hexagonal tile floor that somehow mesmerizes me every time I walk in. The kids’ meals that, I remember, they come in little cars made out of biodegradable cardboard. The perfectly seared burgers, the shoestring fries. It all makes for a real good time, especially if you like the distinctive novelty of the 1920s as much as I do.”

Host: “That’s interesting, because last month you celebrated your grandson’s second birthday with him at a ShowBiz Pizza Place.”

Borboa-Firro: “Well, yeah. The little tyke loves that place. And, listen, that chain is a lot less annoying that it used to be. You know how only some restaurants can pull off the animatronics gimmick? Self-aware ones like SpongeBob’s, Chi-Chi’s, and Casa Bonita? ShowBiz Pizza Place wasn’t one of those places, and they realized it, and they fixed it. They didn’t dig in their heels like the stubborn idiots at Chuck E. Cheese's [5]. The people in charge at ShowBiz Pizza Place got rid of most of the noisy arcade games. They were able to adapt to changing times and evolve with their customer base, reducing the number of old-fashioned arcades and replacing them with the latest Trix multiplayer techsports, the latest vidgames, even VR headset games.”

Host: “And the food?”

Borboa-Firro: “Do you really want to get me started on that? Because I have a lot of things to say on that subject. Not all of it’s negative, but not all of it’s positive, either.”

– tumbleweed.co.usa, 10/12/2018



FRANCE’S “ENDLESS” TOWER FINALLY OPENS

…with a construction period that seemed to go on without end, the office building aptly named Tour Sans Fin (French for “Tower Without Ends”) is now open for business, with French President Bové attending the Grand Opening ceremony in Courbevoie, Paris, France earlier today. Standing taller than the Eiffel Tower, the newest addition to the city of Paris’s skyline stands at 1,396 feet tall and with 103 floors in a long and narrow cylindrical shape that gives the allusion of disappearing into the sky on cloudy days. Construction of this, one of the tallest skyscrapers in Europe, has been consistently intermittent. Work on it stalled during the economically poor periods of 1991, 1999, 2002 and 2013, but work resumed after each period and ultimately delaying its completion by 24 years…

The New York Times, 10/14/2018



THE MISSION OF THE BIGFOOT PARTY

These are the primary goals that we pledge to set out to do once YOU elect us into public office

Total Government Transparency – If we are the greatest country on earth, why does our government hide so much behind the phrase “that’s classified”? Why would the greatest country on Earth have so much to hide? The whole point of government is to have leadership reflective of the people. And the people demand to know everything that their government does!

Defend All From Government Oppression – President Grammar’s libertarianism does not go nearly far enough. We will ensure that government does not infringe onto the properties, the privileges and the rights of the people.

Use The Government To Help, Not Harm – We will keep the government out of people’s personal lives by implementing public works programs and improving UNC services to cut down on long lines and remove whatever is left of the once-dominant Big Pharma.

Sensible Taxation – If you fly a helicopter to work, your taxes won’t go to paying for roads you don’t use; the more you voluntarily donate to charity, the less amount of your taxes go to social assistance programs, and visa versa.

Limitations on Superwealth – No single human individual can own more than 0.5% of the entire national economy. Pure and simple common sense.

Environmental Protection – It will be our administration’s responsibility and duty to support, protect and defend the environment, and all species of all planets, including cryptids and the unexplained, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, animal, vegetable and mineral.

Scientific Innovation – We will use funds that the government currently wastes on war to invest in the scientific study, research and development of alternate energy and lost technology, including alternative medicine, the energy fields of the Egyptian pyramids, and Atlantean interstellar travel capabilities.

Peace on Earth and Elsewhere – Our administration will promote holistic and wholesome goodwill to all nations. We will have peaceful relations with all people in all nations, on all planets, and in all planes/dimensions of existence.

No Nukes on Earth – We will ban the military use and development of nuclear weapons, but permit “constructive” nuclear uses such as destroying Earth-bound meteors or using them in science experiments carried out in uninhabited sections of Deep Space.

– bigfootparty.co.usa/mission-statement, c. October 2018



INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST FOUND DEAD IN MOSCOW PARK

…the journalist, who had stated ontech to be following a “lead” relating to the Nikolayev-Ephrem Scandal on October 20, apparently committed suicide, according to a statement by city police…

The New York Times, 10/22/2018



NEW MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH: Has A Cure For Both Glaucoma And Paraplegia Been Found In Mustard And Starfish Trials?

…a combination of drugs (and elements found in more natural items such as mustard seed (lutein and other carotenoid compounds)), when combined with the regenerative properties found in starfish, seem to be able to “alter” human DNA strands from the central nervous system – which hosts both the optic nerve (the “cable” of nerve fibers that allows one to see) and the spinal cord. The alteration was able to cause both segments to regenerate after injury. …Experiments conducted not on detached human tissue but on paraplegic mice yielded positive results as well. The mustard-starfish serum caused damaged spinal cords to regenerate, returning partial mobility to a majority of the mice in the study. …“This is still in its infancy, and much more testing needs to be done,” says the head of the project, “but at the point is, we’re definitely getting there, and that is giving us high hopes that we are onto something that can help millions.”…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 10/24/2018



MIDTERM POLLS: Republicans “Likely” To Retain House And Senate; Voters “Evenly Split” On National Initiative’s R.C.V. Question

The Washington Post, 11/1/2018



November United States Senate election results, 2018

Date: November 6, 2018

Seats: 34 of 104
Seats needed for majority: 53

New Senate majority leader: Webb Franklin (R-MS)
New Senate minority leader: Midge Osterlund (D-DE)

Seats before election: 58 (R), 45 (D), 1 (I)
Seats after election: 55 (R), 48 (D), 1 (I)
Seat change: R v 3, D ^ 3, I - 0

Full List:

Arizona: incumbent Grant Woods (D) over David Schweikert (R)
California: incumbent appointee Jane Kim (D) over Malia Cohen (D)
Connecticut: incumbent Warren Mosler (D) over Matt Corey (R)
Delaware: incumbent Dan Frawley (D) over Rob Arlett (R)
Florida: incumbent Allen West (R) over Alan Grayson (D) and Douglas Scott Rogo (Bigfoot)
Hawaii: incumbent Mazie Hirono (D) over Ron Curtis (R)
Indiana: incumbent Jackie Walorski (R) over Mike Braun (D)
Maine: Mike Michaud (D) over Max Linn (R) and Joe Brooks (Independent); incumbent Olympia Snowe (R) retired
Maryland: incumbent Carl Stokes (D) over Tony Campbell (R)
Massachusetts: incumbent Kathleen Hartington Kennedy-Roosevelt (D) over Curt Schilling (R)
Michigan: incumbent Hansen Clarke (D) over Tagg Romney (R)
Minnesota: Farheen Hakeem (D) over Leonard J. Richards (R); incumbent Skip Humphrey (D) retired
Mississippi: incumbent Webb Franklin (R) over Mike Espy (D)
Missouri: incumbent Sarah Steelman (R) over Travis Gonzalez (D)
Montana: Stan Jones (R) over incumbent Denise Juneau (D)
Nebraska: incumbent Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D) over Charles Herbster (R)
Nevada: Doug Swanson (R) over Jan Laverty Jones (D); incumbent Patty Cafferata (R) retired
New Jersey: incumbent Upendra Chivukula (D) over Alison McHose (R)
New Mexico: incumbent Debbie Jaramillo (D) over Mick Rich (R)
New York: incumbent Tom Suozzi (D) over Chris Gibson (R)
North Dakota: David Dean Andahl (R) over Earl Pomeroy (D); incumbent John Hoeven (R) retired
Ohio: incumbent Sherrod Brown (D) over Jim Renacci (R)
Pennsylvania: Luke Ravenstahl (D) over Cam Bartolotta (R); incumbent H. J. Heinz III (R) retired
Potomac: incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) unopposed
Puerto Rico: Alexandra Lugaro (D) over incumbent Luis Fortuno (R)
Rhode Island: incumbent Myrth York (D) over Martha McSally (R)
Tennessee: incumbent Mae Beavers (R) over Roy Herron (D) and Stephen Fincher (Rational Republican)
Texas: incumbent Kay Granger (R) over Ricardo Sanchez (D) and Joaquin Castro (La Raza Unida)
Utah: Spencer Cox (R) over James Singer (D); incumbent David Marriott (R) retired
Vermont: incumbent Tony Pollina (D) over Jasdeep Pannu (R), B.J. Peacock (Independent), Folasade Adeluola (Independent) and Reid Kane (Liberty Union)
Virginia: Tom Perriello (D) over incumbent Denver Riggleman (R/Bigfoot)
Washington: incumbent Norm Rice (D) over Hong Tran (R)
West Virginia: Jesse Johnson (D) over incumbent Betty Ireland (R)
Wisconsin: S. C. Gunderson (R) over incumbent Russ Feingold (D) and Robert Welch (Values)
Wyoming: incumbent appointee Curt Meier (R) over Mike Massie (D)

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



United States House of Representatives results, 2018

Date: November 6, 2018

Seats: All 441
Seats needed for majority: 221

New House majority leader: Ed Markey (D-MA)
New House minority leader: Larry Lee Householder (R-OH)

Last election: 209 (D), 232 (R)
Seats won: 237 (D), 204 (R)
Seat change: D ^ 28, R v 28

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



United States Governor election results, 2018

Date: November 6, 2018

Number of state gubernatorial elections held: 37

Seats before: 29 (R), 21 (D), 1 (I), 1 (G)
Seats after: 28 (R), 24 (D), 1 (I), 1 (G)
Seat change: R v 1, D ^ 3, I v 1, G v 1

Full list:

Alabama: Twinkle Cavanaugh (R) over Artur Davis (D); incumbent Richmond M. Flowers Jr. (D) was term-limited
Alaska: incumbent Lesil L. McGuire (Liberty-Republican-Alliance) over Anna MacKinnon (Democratic), Craig Campbell (I) and Jeffrey Brown (Green)
Arizona: Barry Hess (R) over Marco Lopez Jr. (D/LRU); incumbent Tina Flint Smith (D) was term-limited
Arkansas: incumbent Connor Eldridge (D) over Tim Griffin (R)
California: incumbent Cruz Bustamante (D) over Steve Knight (R), Malia Cohen (Green), Oliver Stone (Bigfoot) and Mary “The Fringe Centerfold Candidate” Carey (Natural Mind) (runoff avoided)
Colorado: Mark A. Callahan (R) over Bernie Buescher (D), A. Harlan Romanoff (G) and J. A. Garcia (La Raza Unida); incumbent Bill Thiebaut (D) retired
Connecticut: Ted Kennedy Jr. (D) over Prasad Srinivasan (R); incumbent Nancy Lee Johnson (R) retired
Florida: Jenny Johnson (R) over incumbent Alex Sink (D), Danny Whitney (Country) and Lewis Black (Liberty Union)
Georgia: Ben Lewis Jones (D, endorsed by the Country and Bigfoot parties) over Newt Gingrich (R) and Dewey McClain (Teamwork); incumbent Shirley Franklin (D) retired
Hawaii: incumbent Doug Chin (D) over Ray L’Heureux (R)
Idaho: incumbent Butch Otter (R) over Michelle Stennett (D)
Illinois: incumbent Al Giannoulias (D) over Jeanne Ives (R) and Christopher Fleming (Bigfoot)
Iowa: incumbent Kim McFadden (R) over Cathy Glasson (D)
Kansas: incumbent Susan Wagle (R) over Pam Horton Curtis (D)
Maine: Cynthia Dill (D) over Emily Cain (R), incumbent Patty LaMarche (Green) and Justin Alfond (Independent)
Maryland: incumbent Kumar Barve (D) over Jonathan Bartlett Jennings (R)
Massachusetts: incumbent Maura Healey (D) over Gabriel Gomez (R) and Scott Lively (Boulder)
Michigan: Brian Calley (R) over Abdul El-Sayed (D); incumbent Michael Moore (D) retired
Minnesota: Melvin Carter (DFL) over incumbent Michele Bachmann (IRL)
Nebraska: incumbent David K. Karnes (R) over Steve Lathrop (D)
Nevada: Lucy Flores (D) over incumbent Randy Quaid (R) and Rory Reid (Compromise)
New Hampshire: incumbent Darryl Perry (R) over Andru Volinsky (D)
New Mexico: Javier Gonzales (D) over Aubrey Dunn Jr. (R) and Hector Balderas Jr. (Independent Democratic); incumbent Allen Weh (R) retired
New York: incumbent Mike Gianaris (D) over Mike Ranzenhofer (R)
Ohio: Yvette McGee Brown (D) over incumbent Jim Petro (R)
Oklahoma: T. W. Shannon (R) over Anastasia Pittman (D); incumbent Rebecca Hamilton (R) retired
Oregon: incumbent Tina Kotek (D) over Vicki Berger (R)
Pennsylvania: Paul Mango (R) over Jo Ellen Litz (D); incumbent Barry Goldberg (D) retired
Potomac: incumbent Linda Washington Cropp (D) over Martin Moulton (R)
Rhode Island: Henrique Radonski-Capriles (R) over incumbent Marilyn Ann Briggs (Independent) and Matt Brown (D)
South Carolina: Gresham Barrett (R) over Keisha Waites (D); incumbent Andre Bauer (R) retired
South Dakota: Brendan V. Johnson (D) over incumbent Brock L. Greenfield (R)
Tennessee: incumbent Rand McNally (R) over Ron Littlefield (D)
Texas: Rick Perry (R) over Annise Parker (D/La Raza Unida); incumbent Bill Owens (R) retired
Vermont: incumbent Jeffrey P. Weaver (D) over Ethan Sonneborn (Independent), Keith Stern (R) and Brenda Siegel (Humanitarian)
Wisconsin: Cory Mason (D) over Mark Neumann (R) and Wendell Harris (DSA/Socialist); incumbent Mark Green (R) retired
Wyoming: incumbent Cynthia Jo Hill (R) over James W. Byrd (D)

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



GOVERNOR-ELECT CAPRILES PROMISES POPULIST REFORM

…Our 76th and next Governor, Henrique Radonski Capriles, will be the first-ever Venezuelan-American Governor in US history. Capriles was born in Newport in 1972 to a wealthy mercantile family, but working at the family’s docks let him witnessing the daily struggles of the workers. …Capriles (R) won over incumbent Governor Marilyn Ann Briggs (I), a former adult film actress who was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2014 and became Governor after the unexpected death of Governor Bob Healey (I). The late Healey’s populist core message: “less government intervention, a strict reading of the US Constitution, and fiscal conservatism” were similar to Caprile’s campaign but differed greatly in style and presentation. Healey had been considered a possible running mate for NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan during his third-party bid for President in 2016…

The Newport Daily News, 11/7/2018



MAYOR WESSON RE-ELECTED

…Los Angeles Mayor Herb Wesson, the city’s second African-American mayor, won his first full term in last night’s decisive mayoral election. In closest challenger, Rick Caruso (b. 1959), a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, lost to Wesson by a margin of roughly 10%. Melina Reimann (b. 1972), an activist and academic of Pan-African Studies, came in third place, ahead of fourth-place finisher Benjamin J. M. Novak (b. 1979), a B-list TV actor, and fifth-place finisher Curren Price Jr. (b. 1950), a city councilman. A sixth prominent candidate, city councilman Kevin Alexander “Kal” Leon (b. 1966), dropped out two days after early voting began after being accused of sexual pestering. All six were Democrats in an officially nonpartisan race. Wesson won with a majority of 51%, versus Caruso’s 31%.

In May 2017, Herb J. Wesson Jr. (b. 1951), a city council member at the time, won a special 18-month term after Mayoral and other city elections were “adjusted” so that they now coincide with national midterm elections, in order to improve voter turnout. The shift of mayoral elections being held in the spring of odd years came about via a 2016 city law, after much debate over the record-breaking low of only 15.4% voter turnout in the 2013 Mayoral election. Wesson is eligible to run for a second and final full term in 2022...

The Los Angeles Times, 11/7/2018



Co-Panelist Van JONES: “So in response to the question, ‘Should the United States use a “Ranked Choice/Instant Runoff” Method of Voting?’, a clear majority voted ‘yea.’ Now for those watching this who are unfamiliar with the N.I.A. process, this is not the passing of a Constitutional Amendment, and so will not require a second vote to affirm Tuesday’s vote, right?”

Reporter Kevin JAYS: “Right. This is because the initiative that made its way to a nationwide vote called for the retaining of the Electoral College for ‘emergency situations’ but is pretty much otherwise stripped of its effect on the election. This is because the new national law outlaws Presidential Electors from voting for the second-place finisher in a 2008 or 2012-style election without permission from a majority vote from a joint session of congress. And that can only happen if congress fails to certify the election results due to something like, say the vote margin being too narrow to call ahead of Inauguration Day, or something akin to the Presidential Election of 1876.”

Co-Panelist Ana NAVARRO: “So can we talk about how the states voted on this thing for a second? Here’s the map behind us –”

N6mIkdt.png


[pic: imgur.com/N6mIkdt.png ]

NAVARRO: “And as you can see, 24 states voted ‘no,’ but 28 states voted ‘yes,’ and it’s interesting because it seems most people voted based on the population of their state more so than on party lines, with high-population states like Texas voting ‘yes’ and low-population states like Vermont and Oregon voting ‘no.’ Even Potomac voted against it, that’s surprising.”

Reporter Bob BECKEL: “That’s because of claims that the initiative would stifle the voices of people in ‘small’ states. I think a lot of people misunderstood that phrasing to mean small in size instead of small in population level. And, by the way, the margin in Potomac was fairly narrow.”

Guest Panelist Alisyn CAMEROTA: “It’s also interesting that West Virginia and South Carolina voted yes, because both states were expected to vote no. This result was most likely due to those two states are two of certain states where the population is going up and the economy improving. It looks like all states with those conditions voted yes, and I think that that is possibly due to citizens in these states believing that they are going to be high-population areas in the near future.”

Guest Panelist, political analyst and former Gov. Karl ROVE (R-UT): “I don’t like this. This is a move towards national centralization, the centralization of the government and the country at the national and federal levels. If I had been able to amend this initiative, I would have made it so each individual state will use the R.C.V. process, but however they choose to use it. But this National Initiative clearly states that this is at the national level, the popular vote winner is the winner of the election. That henceforth makes the states individually less significant and the vote of the nation as a whole the decider instead of key swing states.”

BECKEL: “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

ROVE: “It takes power away from low-population states like New Hampshire and gives more power to states like California. This is not a time for celebration. This is a sad day for small states like North Dakota and my home state of Utah. This is a tragedy for people such as the farmer of this country who already get ignored despite their vital role in society. I’m telling you, people were not educated enough about the negative ramifications of RCV, and soon enough, they are going to realize that this was a gigantic mistake.”

The Overmyer Network, roundtable discussion, 11/8/2018



…Nakheel Tower, next to Nakheel Harbor in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was originally designed to be exactly 1km tall (3,281 ft), only for projected financial issues to result in its size being reduced to 2,460 feet and for its grand opening to be delayed to November 12, 2018. This makes it the second-tallest building in the world, behind Dubai Tower (2,626 ft) but ahead of the US's Chicago Spire (2,000 ft) and Russia's Bashnya Rossiya (1,919 ft)....this massive superscraper is still an impressive architectural feat, with nearly all of its 120 floors being dedicated to luxury apartments…

ACLXEXG.png


[pic: imgur.com/ACLXEXG ]

– skyscrapercenter.co.usa



Heavy Winds Fueling CA Wildfire Resurgence

– AccuWeather, 11/19/2018 report



“Thanks to the heroic actions of state firefighters and the bravery of the National Guard, fire and rescue helicopters have maintained the spread of the wildfires at the town of Paradise. Only five fatalities have been reported by local hospitals.”

– CA Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D), 11/25/2018



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Based closely on this: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/blue-bee-feared-be-extinct-found-florida-180974957/
[2] Italicized parts from here: https://www.aol.com/news/ranked-choice-voting-quest-save-140318113.html
[3] Italicized passages from here: https://www.aol.com/news/ranked-choice-voting-quest-save-140318113.html
[4] It reached a peak of 240 km/h in OTL, but because of more effective efforts to combat “Global Climate Disruption” ITTL, the extremity of the climate is already starting to be chipped away at (well, a tiny bit at least)!
[5] Mentioned in a November 2011 segment as having gone defunct by then.
[6] Some phrases and/or passages are from here: https://moneywise.com/life/lifestyle/defunct-restaurant-chains

Also, here’s a quick poll for the next chapter, as the Democrats have retaken the House, but not the Senate (“Should House Democrats push for some sort of slave-reparations-via-income-tax-exemptions plan in 2019?” Yes / No): https://www.strawpoll.me/45216286

The next chapter’s E.T.A.: May 17 at the latest!

Thanks!
I mentioned Denton passing away in August 2017.
Deukmejian passed away in office in 2018 but I may have forgotten to mention it. Gov. Bustamante appointed Kim to the seat.
Blue Sky said:

Click to expand...
Thanks!
Yes, he got kicked out of office in early 2016
We'll see how the polls go!
Until it finally catches up to the present
 
Post 109
Post 109: Chapter 117



Chapter 117: December 2018 – June 2019

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”

– Robert F. Kennedy Sr., June 1966 (OTL)



…The 2018 California wildfire season one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in California history, resulting in two waves of fires in August and November of 2018 that were each worse than the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889. With over 20,000 structures damaged or destroyed in total, just under 1,000,000 acres, or almost 2% of the state’s roughly 100 million acres of land, were burned by the wildfires. …Combating the fires was an expensive and exhausting undertaking, with Cal Fire estimating that over $500million was spent on operations. A December 1, 2018 report on how the fires were successfully put out noted that quick and decisive action taken by the local, state and federal governments likely contributed to the fires’ low death toll of “roughly” 30 people…

– clickopedia.co.usa



LATVIA (FINALLY) DECRIMINALIZES HOMOSEXUALITY

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 2/12/2018



HEALEY ENDS TRADITION BY SELECTING SPONGEBOB’S FOR OFFICIAL STATE DINNER

…Governor Maura Healey (D) today broke a 31-year tradition by not selecting Red Lobster to cater the upcoming gubernatorial inauguration festivities in Boston. [1] Every Governor of Massachusetts since 1979 (Dukakis, Murphy, Dukakis again, and now Healey) has had Red Lobster, founded in 1968, cater the event, even during the seafood restaurant’s period of decline (1995-2003) following the 1994 death of its founder.

Due to the tradition, Red Lobster’s parent company, Darden Restaurants (which also owns Olive Garden), which is a part of General Mills, did not put in a large bid for the catering job. This allowed representatives of SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine to swoop in with a slightly smaller bid at the last minute. The selection is already receiving from controversy from members of the Massachusetts senate, with Republican politician Gabel Gómez claiming that “only a company with Bostonian roots should have this privilege”…

The Boston Globe, 12/3/2018



JIM: Tasker.

TASKER, a type of Natural Audio Focus-Tracking Assistant (or Virtual Intelligence Personal Assistant (a “software agent”)): Yes, Jim?

JIM: Bring up the KB Toys site.

[chime sound]

JIM: Alright, let’s see here.

TASKER: Do you wish to add to your virtual shopping cart, Jim?

JIM: Yes, Tasker. For our son, put down um, uh…honey?!

MARTHA: What’s wrong now, Jim?

JIM: Nothin’s wrong. I just want to know if you remember the name of that new transformers toy.

MARTHA: Which one?

JIM: It’s the newest one, you know, the one from the movie posters. Blue, simple design, not too busy or cluttered.

MARTHA: Is it the one that turns into an electric sports car?

JIM: Yeah, an Opal Frosted. Man, they knew how to make cars back then.

MARTHA: “Back then”? It was 2001, Jim.

JIM: It’s been too long. Now do you remember the name or no?

MARTHA: No.

JIM: Shoot. I don’t want to scroll. Hey, wait. Tasker?

TASKER: Yes, Jim?

JIM: List characters from the most recent Transformers movie. I know he shows up in the beginning somewhere.

[chime sound]

TASKER: James Cameron’s Transformers Two: The Rise of Megatron, premièred July 4, 2018. Characters In order of appearance: unnamed astronaut 1, Soundwave, unnamed astronaut 2, Al Pacino in a cameo, Arch Jumper, Mr. Jumper, Bumblebee, Prowl, Netsword –

JIM: Netsword! That’s the one! I was thinking netshield because of his hood-chest thing but it didn’t sound right. So put that down, and for Carolyn, add the green diamond Jenna Doll, it should be 20 bucks?

TASKER: Jenna Doll with green diamond dress expression edition $24.95, Jenna Doll with green diamond dress classic edition $19.95.

JIM: Express version. Why not? It’s Christmas, and it’s only five bucks more.

MARTHA: Don’t forget to add that Thunderhoof toy for Josephine.

JIM: The what?

MARTHA: I think it’s one of the more, I want to say, athletic member of the MLP cast.

JIM: What’s MLP.

TASKER: My Little Pony

JIM: That cartoon show from the 1990s? I thought that went off the air years ago.

MARTHA: They brought it back last year, dear. It’s much edgier than it was in the ’90s.

JIM: Huh. Well, I suppose it has its followers, like all shows.

MARTHA: That’s one way of putting it.

JIM: What?

MARTHA: Never mind, hun. Just add the toy to the cart.

JIM: Right. Uh, what’s it called?

MARTHA: Thunderhoof, I think. She keeps calling it an action figure though.

JIM: She takes after me, that’s why.

MARTHA: Get real, Jim. In high school, your Star Wars collection was only three figures.

JIM: Three mint-condition figures, Martha. And besides, you only had one action figure then. Compared to your lonely Leia figure, three is a lot.

MARTHA: Heh. Leia wasn’t the only “figure” I took care of back then. Remember?

JIM: Oh? Oh! Oh yeah, I remember. [chuckle] I remember a lot!

MARTHA: Good. So remember to add more Double-A batteries to the order.

JIM: Batteries?

MARTHA: For the toys.

JIM: Toys?!

MARTHA: The children’s Christmas toys, gutter-ball!

JIM: Oh, right! Right. Okay. And I’ll check the book section too, see if there’s anything there the kids might be interested in…

– transcript, Winger family security camera, 12/7/2018 (published with permission)



SMALLER TOY COMPANIES ARE LICENSING THEIR OWN I.P. TO “MAKE THEIR OWN NICHES”

…Toy licensing is a perpetually-evolving business, especially in today’s increasingly tech-savvy world. The quickening pace of today’s markets means that mimicking the latest brand or flavor-of-the-month from major companies like Hasbro, Mattel and MGA Entertainment may prove to be a poor business model for toy companies. This is especially true when the time between sudden consumer demand and sudden consumer disinterest is shorter than a toy company’s production period. To combat this pressure, many toy companies rejecting many-company trends to pursue their own paths at their own pace, rather than attempt impossible-to-achieve product turnout rates. Many of these smaller companies are capitalizing on the nation’s health economy to invest in research and development to build their own Intellectual Properties (IP), revive old IP brands, or even create all-new brands from scratch…

– toyreport.co.usa, 12/8/2018 e-article



“…In political news, the Attorney General of Wyoming, one of a handful of states to vote against the implementation Ranked Choice Voting for all future Presidential elections in last month’s National Initiative, and by the widest amount, has launched several legal court challenges to the initiative. The state’s attorney general department alleges that not only is the RCV implementation unconstitutional, but the National Initiative is as well. This litigation comes despite National Initiative supporters such as former Vice President Gravel spending the past several years pointing out that it is in fact constitutional for a national decisive to apply to all 52 states because we passed a constitutional amendment – the NIA – allowing for something like this to happen...”

– NBC News, 12/10/2018 broadcast



“This was the people’s choice, whether they like it or not. The Attorney General of Wyoming has every right to try and challenge it, but having the right to do something idiotic doesn’t make it any less idiotic.”

– Gov. Michael Gianaris (D-NY) to a reporter, 12/11/2018



Here we are Signature Tower in Nashville, Tennessee. The Signature Tower stands at exactly 1,000 feet tall, making it one of the tallest buildings in the US and the tallest in Tennessee, and as you can see…

[camera pans up from front entrance façade to the top of the building]

…it’s pretty fudgin’ tall. So now let’s check it out and see just how tall.

[cut to entering lobby, then an edited exchange at the directory desk, and then the elevator’s interior]

Fancy.

[hovers finger over light-screen display, camera pans over to window as elevator lifts up]

Whoa. Would you look at that view. That’s nice, isn’t it? Man.

[cut to elevator door opening, then cut to walking down the hallway]

And here we are on the 68th floor, the top floor. We went right by the office space and roughly 600 condos that make up the building, because you need a security pass to visit those floors, so we’re instead heading straight to the observation posts.

[cut to several panoramic views of Nashville]

So this building was developed by a one Tony Giarratana in 2004 as part of a local jobs initiative to help bring businesses back to the area after lots of companies either left or moved out of the area during the SARS shutdowns. Yeah, so it was part of the post-SARS ‘boom’ thing that happened back then, because, at least in the South, places like Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, they were hit hard by the pandemic of 2002, 2003. Um, and the building was, uh, built by Giarratana Development, L.L.C. – I hope I’m pronouncing that right, L.L.C. – in 2008, and it finally opened in 2012.

[cut to more panoramic views]

Man, it’s really, really something, isn’t it? Man.

– partial transcript of video “Let’s Check It Out: The Tallest Building In The American South,” ourvids.co.can, uploaded 12/12/2018



WSJ INDEX UPDATE 2018: Sweden, Japan Lead World In Innovation; Russia, China Exit Top 10, Australia Edges Back into Top 10

The WSJ Index of Innovative Countries analyses two dozen criteria with equally weighted metrics – including R&D, GDP, spending habits, fiscal policy, political stability, education, patents, labor relations, environmentalism, manufacturing abilities, and technological progress – to sort and rank the world’s nations by order of most and least “innovative.”

According to its most recent update, South America failed to stand out, with not a single nation from that continent reaching the Top 20. Meanwhile, [] has greatly improved from its [date] standing. Similarly, under Australia’s new leadership, The Land Down Under shot up from #15 in 2017 back to #10, knocking Israel out of the Top 10. Several Middle Eastern nations made up the “teens” and “twenties” parts of the list, while the highest-ranking African nations were Egypt (at #50), Cote D’Ivoire (at #44) and South Africa (at #27)…

[snip]

1: Sweden
2: Japan
3: United Korea
4: United States
5: United Kingdom
6: Germany
7: Canada
8: Netherlands
9: Mexico
10: Australia
11: Israel
12: Singapore
13: Iceland
14: Oman
15: Ireland
16: Finland
17: Lebanon
18: Palestine
19: Denmark
20: Luxembourg

[show: 21-180]

– wsj.co.usa, 12/14/2018



BILLY CRYSTAL TO PLAY WELLSTONE IN UPCOMING DRAMA FILM ON THE FORMER PRESIDENT!

Puq1oLE.png


[pic: imgur.com/Puq1oLE.png ]
Above: Wellstone (left) and Crystal (right)

The Hollywood Reporter, 12/16/2018



SENATOR-ELECT SWANSON CALLS FOR GOP TO “BRACE” FOR R.C.V.

…US Senator-elect Douglas Alastair Swanson (R-NV) is calling for his fellow anti-RCV Republicans to “brace” themselves for the changes that Ranked Choice Voting will have on the dynamics of future US Presidential elections… Swanson, b. 1959, served in the US Navy from 1977 to 1985 before entering business school. He operated a successful construction business, beginning in 1989, before serving as Governor of Nevada from 1995 to 2007, when he declined launching a US Presidential bid to instead join the boards of directors of two large construction companies…

The Washington Post, 12/19/2018



THE NEW HOME ALONE REUNION MOVIE IS A DECENT TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

The highly-anticipated “Home Alone: The Reunion” reunites almost all of the original cast and crew of Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2 (1992) and Home Alone (1993), including Brock Pierce as Kevin, Catherine O’Hara as Kate, and John Heard as Peter (to whom the film is dedicated, as he passed away soon after filming finished) and Daniel Stern as Marv, with Chris Columbus directing. Notably, Joe Pesci declined to come out of retirement to reprise the role.

The movie begins with Marv, now an old man, being released from prison for good behavior after the events of Home Alone 3. Going to a maglev station to head to Arizona, Marv accidently falls asleep on the wrong train and ends up back in Chicago, where Kevin spots him and comes to believe that Marv has returned to have his revenge. Meanwhile, Kate and Peter are organizing the family’s first Christmas together in years, but a multitude of family crises lead to Kevin being put in charge of the house while the rest of the adults head out to handle thing. With some help from his nieces, Kevin defends the old family homestead from real criminals just as Marv is arriving to try to make amends.

The result is a series of hilarious misevents with the kind of slapstick that made the first film such a classic. However, the film comes just short of recapturing the magic of the original trilogy, either purposely or intentionally, with some curious realism and self-awareness. For example, in one scene at a bar, where Marv is describing being electrocuted in the second film, the other bar patrons do not believe that Marv could have survived such events. In another scene, Kevin’s scenes don’t buy that a ten-year-old would have had the time to set up so many traps in just one evening.

On the other hand, the cinematography comes very close to recreating the “warmth” of early 1990s cameras. Scenes are wonderfully presented in a manner reflective of the feelings of the holiday season. Even background details are charming, such as the film-with-a-film “Angels With Filthy Souls” being shown to be going through a reboot via ads in the backgrounds of some scenes.

After the original trilogy concluded, the Home Alone franchise devolved into an anthology series following home invasion stories not otherwise connected to one another. The best of these non-Kevin installments is “Angels With Filthy Souls Part Four” (1998), presented as a sequel to three films that don’t actually exist. The rest, though, were less iconic: Home Alone 4 (1995) was set in Seattle, Home Alone 5 (1999) was set in Beverly Hills, Home Alone 6 (2001) took place in 1879 Chicago, and Home Alone: Lockdown (2009) occurs in Boston during the SARS quarantine period.

Thankfully, Home Alone: The Reunion focuses less on the tired premise and rehashed plot and more on the characters that millions of Americans enjoy watching every winter. With this fateful decision, the film manages to satisfy the nostalgic and entertain those unfamiliar with the McCallisters.

Plus, it’s violent, but not too violent. Just the right amount for today’s audiences and filmed in the humorous manner that only Chris Columbus can pull off.

Ultimate Rating: 4.5 stars out 5

Tumbleweed Magazine, movie review section, 12/23/2018



A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (franchise)

The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, also known as the Elm Street franchise, consists of several horror/slasher films, novels and comic books. The franchise began with the 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street, created by Wes Craven. The franchise revolves around a fictional child killer named Freddy Krueger, who, after being burned alive by his victims’ vengeful parents, returns from the grave to terrorize and kill teenagers in their dreams. New Lina Cinema capitalized on the first film’s success, and has credited the franchise for the company’s expansion in size and success during the 1980s.

BACKGROUND

[snip]

FILMS

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Freddy haunts, tortures and kills the teenagers of Springwood, Ohio to exact vengeance on the town where the parents of his victims murdered him.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) – Freddy attacks the Walsh children for their parent’s role in his death.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Survivors (1987) – Freddy gains the ability to possess bodies after they fall asleep, leading to exorcisms.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dreamcatcher (1988) – The most surreal of the films, Freddy’s would-be victims enter the dreamworld for most of the film to try and trap Freddy there.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Demons (1989) – Freddy’s remains are destroyed in an effort to sever his connections to the physical world, only for it to free him from being only able to haunt the dreams of people somehow connected to Springwood; now able to invade the dreams of anyone, the protagonists investigate Freddy’s origins and end up confronting demonic hellspawns in their efforts to finally destroy Freddy.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Land of Nightmares (1991) – Magic is heavily featured in first film of the franchise to not be directed by Wes Craven.

Elm Street: The Nightmare Child (1993) – Often considered the most disturbing of the Elm Street films, Krueger begins terrorizing the young children of the teenagers who survived the first film, who are reprised by the original cast.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Cosmic Dreamers (1996) – Often referred to as “Freddy In Space,” the teenagers learning to master their dream-travelling skills from previous films think they have trapped Freddy in a cosmic void. But as it turns out, they accidently sent him through a wormhole to the future. There, he invades the dreams of some of their descendants, who are cryogenically frozen onboard a “sleeper” ship heading out to a far-away colony.

Elm Street: Nightmare Realms (1999) – A sequel to Land of Nightmares that ignores the events of all the films after Land of Nightmares in an effort to reboot the franchise; characters travel into each other’s dreams in a convoluted plot.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy vs. Michael (2001) – A crossover with the Michael Myers character from the Halloween franchise, in which some of The Dreamworlders move in to the house where Michael previously lived, leading to Michael being pulled into the Dreamworld when he and Freddy strike at the same time.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy vs. Leatherface (2003) – Very similar to Freddy vs. Michael, Freddy does battle with the villains from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise in both the Dreamworld and in the real world via Freddy possessing people, including teenagers, law enforcement, and even Leatherface himself.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy vs. The Leprechaun (2005) – Often considered the worst of the Elm Street films, Freddy and the villain from the Leprechaun horror franchise fight for the souls of the Dreamworlders, using their wits, their sharp digits, and so many painful puns.

Tim Burton’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (2012) – An attempt to reboot the Elm Street franchise once again; the film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Origins (2015) – A two-hour prequel to the original 1984 film that ignores all the films made after the original

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Seventh Chapter (2020) – in preproduction as of December 2018

RECEPTION

While the first three films were popular, the increasingly over-the-top and convoluted storylines of the next several sequels began to weight down the franchise. The seventh film, featuring gory scenes and images of eviscerated people under the age of 10, led to it being banned in many places. Backlash to the film resulted in the next several Freddy films being much lighter in tone and subject matter. This culminated in Freddy vs. The Leprechaun, a film that received so much backlash from fans that it led to New Cinema taking the franchise in a much more tonally darker direction.

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. January 2019



HOUSEHOLDER WINS GOP HOUSE TOP SPOT

Washington, D.C. – US Rep. Larry Lee Householder (R-OH) was been elected to the position of Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. Householder, a libertarian-leaning politician with a moderate-to-conservative voting record in office since 2005, was seen as a “unifier” ahead of the vote. Householder won the race to succeed the retiring Speaker H. Dargan McMaster (R-SC) over just one challenger, the conservative populist Mike Pompeo (R-KS), in office since 2011. From the 204 Republicans in the House, Householder received 126 votes, while Pompeo received 77 votes, and another congressperson, the alleged LID (Liberal-In-Disguise) Dino Rossi (R-WA) voted for himself.

Pompeo made headlines in December 2016 for openly campaigning for a position in President Grammer’s cabinet. Pompeo reportedly tried to get a cabinet or cabinet-level position involved foreign affairs by “chumming it up” with Vice President Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID) during weekend luncheons and by attempting to meet often with other cabinet members. However, Grammer only offered him ambassadorships, allegedly due to Grammer viewing Pompeo’s congressional record and past comments as too hawkish for Grammar’s anti-interventionist policies. Pompeo declined the ambassadorship offers believing he would be “more helpful to the President” by stay in the House, Pompeo alleged in 2017…

The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio newspaper, 1/3/2019



NEW U.S. LABOR SECRETARY SWORN IN TODAY

…David Alan Stockman (R-MI) was a US Representative from 1977 to 1999, during which time he once served as Chair of the House Budget Committee (1993-1995) and as used President Denton, Kemp, Iacocca and Dinger on economic issues. After losing re-election in 1998, he served as the White House’s OMB Director from 1999 to 2001. ...President Grammer selected Stockman to become the US’s newest Labor Secretary roughly 14 months after US Labor Secretary Steven Craig Gunderson (R-WI) resigned from the post in 2017 in order to successfully run for a US Senate seat. The department had been led by the “acting” Undersecretary since then…

The Washington Post, 1/5/2019



RACE-BASED TAX EXEMPTIONS FALLS FLAT IN HOUSE DEBATES

…Only a handful of House Democrats are backing proposed GOP-conceived legislation to exempt slave descendants from income tax, with several Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Markey, expressing concerns that such legislation would lead to many perceiving the action as “racially-motivated favoritism.”

“It could do more harm than good by widening the divide already found between many communities,” says former Presidential candidate Gary Locke (D-WA). “So this proposal is essentially D.O.A.”

However, backers of the legislation believe that they can build up support for the legislation gradually. “We’ll probably have better luck in the upcoming presidential election cycle. Hopefully, many of the Democratic candidates will give this proposal a boost by endorsing it or, even better, running on it,” says US Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA)…

The New York Times, 1/7/2019 [2]



…2018 saw an unprecedented acceleration in national climate pledges and successes. According to a January 2019 UN report, 2018 saw United Korea become the second Asian country (the first being Japan in 2016) to set a goal of producing net zero emissions by 2050. More prominently, Brazil committed to net zero by 2050 as well, as did Argentina, Norway and Czechoslovakia. Globally, 2018 saw countries that collectively producing roughly 40% of global carbon emissions had net-zero targets that were considered to be, at the very least, “somewhat credible” by most major international anti-GCD groups…

– Manjit S. Kang’s Combating Global Climate Disruption: An Agricultural Perspective, CRC Press, 2021



…Uncertainty over How R.C.V. would actually work come November 2020 continued to rise in early 2019. The Herring Network and rural radio programs flamed the fires of trepidation and suspicion, with the network inching very close to violating the FCC Fairness Doctrine and former US Senator Bo Gritz (R-ID) promoting on his radio show the claim that RCV would be used by the Democratic Party to “manipulate” and steal the 2020 election.

But outside the realm of reactionary extremism, there were some legitimate issues with the system Americans had voted to adopt.

Firstly, the referendum did not specify if there were limits on how many candidates could be ranked. For example, in New York City, primary and special-election voters have the choice to rank up to five candidates, but no more than five, even if more than five candidates are on the ballot. This meant that a state legislature could limit the number of candidates that voters could rank on that state’s Presidential ballot to no more than just two candidates. The likelihood of some states doing just this was matched by the foreboding specifics of historic precedence. In the 2017 race for Mayor of Minneapolis, for instance, 31 candidates ran, but voters could rank only their three favorites. Critics observed how this was a major flaw in the city’s ranked-choice system, as many ballots were exhausted before the final round, resulting in the ultimate victor doing so with a majority of the final round of votes but a plurality of all votes cast.

This was the second major issue, that RCV elections has the ability to produce “plurality winners” just like the Electoral College did in 2008 and 2012. Let’s say 10% of ballots are exhausted by the time of the final vote tally between the top two vote-getters. That means that if 100 originally cast a vote, the final round includes 90 of those ballots. The winner can have a majority of the remaining ballots with just 46 votes, thus winning the election, while still falling short of the 51-vote majority based on the total votes cast. A large number of candidates can lead to more ballot exhaustion.

Proponents argue that ranked-choice winners still receive a majority more often than not, and that the average percentage of ballots exhausted is comparable to the percentage of voters who would not show up for a runoff election scheduled after the initial election.
Furthermore, under first-past-the-post systems previously established in places like New York City, one could win a special election with a very low share of the vote, if there were many candidates. In primaries, the first-place finisher could win with just 40% of the vote. As Tumbleweed Media previously reported, “according to an analysis done by Common Cause, just 35% of multi-candidate primaries in the city’s last three pre-RCV election cycles were won by a candidate that had won a majority of the vote. Furthermore, in that same time period, about roughly 30% of multi-candidate primaries for City Council were won with less than 50% of the vote.” Nevertheless, anti-RCV sources repeatedly pointed to exhausted ballots in the weeks and months following the nation’s first NI.

Thirdly, under RCV, a candidate can achieve a majority before there are only two left, but counting still continues. This person has already technically already won, but completing the rounds of vote counting ensures that the most number of people will have their votes count in the final round. Critics of RCV alleged that this “extraneous” process takes up too much time, delaying the election’s results by hours, if not days on some occasions, and thus having the potential to “severely disrupt and negatively impact the stock market and America’s foreign relations by shrouding the election winner in hours of uncertainty.”

And fourthly, THN and other sites repeatedly wondered if undecided voters would rank their candidates – randomly, in the order they appear on the ballot, et cetera. To answer this, supporters of RCV turned to citywide elections of the past, and suggested that undecided voters would lean to the former, rather than the latter, but anti-RCV talking heads continued to assert that there was an apparent lack of research on this point…

– Pat Sheffield and Rachel Joy Scott-Ireland’s Voices And Votes: The History of the National Initiative Amendment, Tumbleweed Publications, 2021 [3]



PIRRO CONFIRMS ENDING JUDGE JEANINE

…the 67-year-old former Circuit Judge announced that she wanted to “enjoy [her] retirement” after nearly 13 years of overseeing arbitration cases on The Herring Network…

The Hollywood Reporter, 1/19/2019



...Courtroom TV began in the late 1940s with fictional drama shows based on real-life cases. The rise of Reality TV programs in the 1980s eclipsing with the real-world drama of the Lukens Hush Money Scandal of the late 1980s, though, led to the rise of arbitration-based reality court shows. These new programs differed from their predecessors by using legitimate judges and lawyers and covering actual lawsuits, rather than using actors or recreations. These shows included The People’s Real Court (a spinoff of The People’s Court), Tough Justice, Throw the Book, and Court Justice, but the most popular of them all was Judge Judy, hosted by Judy Sheindlin (Assistant US Attorney General under US President Carol Bellamy, 1991-1993) upon its premier in 1994.

Pirro won the Republican nomination for Westchester County’s US Congressional seat in 2004, but lost in the general election by a margin of 14%; she began working in television soon after, appearing on TON and KNN as a “counterpoint” contributor. Believing Judge Judy had a “liberal bias,” Pirro began working with THS. In 2006, the conservative-leaning network began to broadcast “Judge Jeanine,” which was promoted as an “alternative” to Judge Judy, and hosted by Pirro…

– clickopedia.co.usa/Jeanine_Pirro



CIRCUIT COURT REJECTS CASE, INHIBITING ATTEMPT TO THROW OUT NIA RESULTS

…Efforts led by the Attorney General of Wyoming to take the pro-RCV results of last year’s National Initiative to court have taken a debilitating hit. The NIA’s results confirmed that a clear majority of voters approved of changing presidential elections so they are determined by a nationally-held Ranked Choice Voting election, also known as an Instant Runoff Voting election, with the Electoral College serving as a backup…

…Meanwhile, North Carolina’s majority-Republican state legislature continues to process a recount in response to far-right political action groups claiming that the state did not “legitimately” vote in favor of implementing Ranked-choice voting in last November’s National Initiative. This result is highly unlikely to overturn the state’s results or even find evidence of wrongdoing…

The Washington Post, 1/22/2019



Co-Anchor Julie BIDWELL: “Now, could someone, for instance, put down their preferred candidate in second place and leave the first place spot blank as, like, some kind of protest?”

Guest Panelist and former NRC Communications Director Matt GORMAN: “You can, but if your candidate doesn’t win enough votes in the first round, he could be eliminated in the first round, rendering your ballot moot.”

Co-Anchor Hans VON SPAKOVSKY: “Now that point right there is the tragic thing about this new system. They’re called exhausted ballots. It can actually be a major problem next year because if you don’t vote for a major candidate, then you’re not involved in the final round of voting.”

Contributor Karl ROVE: “Yes, which is probably why the elitists of the country supported this thing from the get-go. It suppresses all the minor parties, like the Liberty party, the Values party, even the Bigfooters! For the first time ever, people voting for President will only have two major choices, or no choice at all, in the final election night results. That’s not democracy! I’m telling you, Americans got scammed on this!”

– THN, 1/23/2019 broadcast



“…and in the world of entertainment, the noted gun smuggler known as ‘Tommy Gun Thompson’ is reportedly in talks with Paramount Pictures to negotiate and finalize a movie deal based on Thompson’s best-selling autobiography…”

– TumbleweedTV, 1/24/2019 broadcast



JOHN MAHONEY IS DEAD: “Frasier” Actor Was 78

lhU7wuG.png


[pic: imgur.com/lhU7wuG.png ]

Above: Mahoney with Kelsey Grammer during the filming of “Frasier”

The Hollywood Reporter, 1/25/2019



PRESIDENT PAYS TRIBUTE TO “FRASIER” CO-STAR

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday evening, we learned the saddening news that veteran stage and screen actor John Mahoney passed away yesterday morning from the effects of throat cancer at the age of 78. The actor was most famous for his role as Frasier Crane's dad Martin on the popular sitcom “Frasier.” Mahoney played the role alongside Kelsey Grammer for eleven years, from 1993-2004, before Grammer launched his political career.

While those that worked with Mahoney were paying tribute to the star ontech yesterday, Grammer made no official comment. However, this is not surprising, given that the President is known for paying his respects for the recently-deceased in official press briefings instead of through ontech social media posts.

Following this precedence, the President made a short but poignant comment on Mahoney’s passing at today’s White House Press Briefing. Leaving the subject until the end of the meeting, President Grammer appeared somber as the topic arrived, confirmed a report that he had spoken with Mahoney “two days ago” and with a deep sigh, cast his eyes downward, and simply noted, “He was my father. I loved him.” [4] Grammer then briefly paused, possibly holding back tears, and then politely concluded the meeting. Mahoney and Grammer had a deep friendship that stayed strong even after Grammer moved into political office and Mahoney’s health declined, with Mahoney attending both of Grammer’s Presidential inaugurations and the two men visiting and vidcalling each other frequently, according to a 2018 report by entertainment.co.usa…

– entertainment.co.usa, 1/26/2019



JOSEPH A. BUTTIGIEG

(May 20, 1947 – January 27, 2019)

St. Louis, MO – With his family by his side, Joseph A. “Joe” Buttigieg of Chesterfield, age 71, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 27, at Memorial Hospital after an undisclosed illness. Joseph was born in Hamrun, Malta to Maria Concetta Portelli and Joseph Buttigieg, the eldest of eight siblings. After earning a Bachelors and a Masters degrees from the University of Malta and a B.Phil in Oxford, UK, Joseph moved to the US to earn a doctorate at NYU in 1976, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1979. In 1976, he accepted a faculty position at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he met Donna Campbell. They were married on September 14, 1979, and in 1980 moved to St. Louis. Joseph then served on the faculty of St. Louis University as a professor of English from 1980 until he retired in 2017.

Joseph was an accomplished writer, publishing numerous treatises on a plethora of topics. Along with articles, essays, and textbooks, Joseph also wrote nonfiction books on Italian thinkers and extensively annotated translations of Italian books.

All who knew Joe will remember him as a brilliant and energetic man with a passion for academia. His wife Donna, daughters Maria and Bella (b. 1980 and 1982, respectively) remember him as a loving father and husband fond of travel and loyal to friends and family…

– The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri newspaper, obituaries section, 1/28/2019 [5]



To: Mahmoud

From: Ledington

Update: Sales Team shows another good year of growth. Improvement most likely attributed to improving sanitation standards (upcoming report: investing in hiring one additional custodian for every outlet in 2017 has improved customer satisfaction 50% and sales 25%!)

More at tomorrow’s in-place meeting.

– KFC internal memo, KFC HQ in Florence, KY, 1/29/2019



RUSSIA-ERITREA SCANDAL: Nikolayev-Appointed Review Board Claims Nikolayev Is Not Guilty Of Any Wrongdoing

The Chicago Tribune, 2/1/2019



RUSSIA IN TURMOIL: Moscow Police Clash With Protestors Demanding A “Real” Probe Into The Russia-Ertirea Scandal

– bbc.co.uk./world_news, 2/2/2019 news e-alert



…By 2019, Europe’s economy was overall back on its feet from the results of the Great European Recession of 2013. Soon, western businesses turned their attention to the increasingly prominent palm oil production competition occurring between two longtime-dominant producers and palm oil plant industry giants – Indonesia and Gabon. The palm oil plant is native to Gabon and some surrounding areas, and favorable weather patterns, coupled with both nations enjoying a stable government during much of the 2000s and 2010s decades, led to palm oil production booming to its best years in decades. 2018 alone beat several production records for the two nations, according to a February 2019 report. This success led to Gabon and Indonesia received more worldwide attention, but it also led to a rise in tension between the two nations, as each sought to dominate the other in the industry…

– clickopedia.co.usa/history_of_Gabon



TOP TEN HOTEL CHAINS

[Selected Subdivision: Economy, Midscale, {Upscale}, Luxury]

1 > Hilton Inn < (open)

2 > Embassy < (open)

3 > Sheraton < (open)

4 < Howard Johnson’s > (close)

[snip]

Fun Fact: This multi-industry Howard Johnson Company brand is also known for its chain of roughly 100 restaurants of the same name being found across the US, down from its apex of 1,000 restaurants in the 1970s. For continuing the chain’s existence, we may be able to thank restaurant entrepreneur John Y. Brown Jr. for investing in the restaurant chain when HJC entered dire financial straits after with the recession of 1978. Brown became further involved in HJC in 1984, after Brown lost a bid for public office. Brown’s work during this era allowed the restaurants to rebound, leading to them still being around today.

Most comparative prices: Diodendro (the arguably classier alternative to Double Tree) and the midscale-class Oasis Inns. See locations here.

5 > Best Western < (open)

6 > Four Seasons < (open)

7 > Aloft Hotels < (open)

8 > La Quinta < (open)

9 > Quality < (open)

10 > Destination < (open)

– triptips.co.usa, c. February 2019



…Australia has officially become the sixth country in the world to completely legalize the sale and use of all forms of cannabis …The other nations with such laws are Uruguay, Hungary, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. …In the United States, the sale and use of recreational and medical cannabis is legal in nearly half of their states, but was decriminalized at the federal level in 2006…

– BBC World News, 10/2/2019 broadcast



…We can now confirm reports that two African-American teenagers were shot and killed by Chicago police earlier today in what is being described by eyewitnesses as ‘a non-criminal incident,’…

– KNN Breaking News, 2/11/2019 broadcast



POLICE CHIEF: Cops Who Shot Teens Will Be Investigated, But Adds “They Were In a Tough Spot”

The Chicago Tribune, 2/12/2019



America in 1776: Die, Brit!
America in The 1800s: Die, Indian!
America in The 1900s: Die, druggie!
America Now: Die, robot!
Always America All The Time: die, Black!

– divisive lafpic that went fervid in late February 2019; first posted ontech 2/13/2019



“After days of protests over Chicago PD refusing to release the bodycam footage until the completion of ‘proper procedure,’ as they put it, Governor Giannoulias convinced them to change the policy and release the two videos, one from each cop. It was an attempt to show the Governor’s upholding of the ideals of transparency and accountability in government. But it resulted in renewed calls for police precinct reform. So soon after the videos were released on the 16th, those chaotic images of two jumpy fair-skinned officers firing into two scared and visibly confused teens ignited outrage. The fury was not just ontech, but out in the real world, with peaceful protests, student sit-ins, and picketing boiling out into violent skirmishes with community security forces in the days and even weeks that followed.”

– former employee of Governor Giannoulias’ office, 2022 KNN interview



“Yes, we are launching an investigation into the conduct of those officers.”

– Sharon Fairley, state Attorney General (D-IL), 2/20/2019 press meeting



…With the US’s Corporate Tax Rate currently set to 20%, the Republican-led Senate has just, effectively, ‘killed’ a bill passed in the Democratic-led House to raise said tax rate to 25%...”

– CBS Evening News, 2/21/2019 broadcast



EXPERTS WARN SOCIAL SECURITY WILL RUN OUT OF MONEY IN THE YEAR 2070: “We Can Fix It Now, Or 50 Years From Now, When It’ll Be Catastrophically Worse.”

…“President Grammer has got to be bolder on this front, and begin the process of gradually weaning Americans off of this luxury before it is insolvent,” suggests billionaire businessman and entrepreneur Harold Hamm…

The Wall Street Journal, 2/22/2019



WESLEY STUDI BECOMES THE FIRST CHEROKEE TO WIN AN ACADEMY AWARD

…David Fincher secured another Oscar, this time for directing the psychological romantic thriller “The Matterhorn Murders” starring Eleanor Bron and Tom Frost. Tom Kenny won an Oscar for his supporting role in that same film, marking his first nomination for an Oscar win in nearly 20 years and his first win overall. Tom Kenny rose to fame in the early 1990s after portraying Buddy Holly in an Emmy Award-winning miniseries in the spring of 1990…

The Los Angeles Times, 2/24/2019



MOTHER-POST: Which John Candy film is the best?

Growing up, my favorite movies were ones with John Candy, even ones where he has just a small role like Home Alone. While his filmography is not without a few duds (Delirious, anyone?), pretty much all of his films were either hilarious, touching or both. Uncle Buck has got to be the best example of this, but I think his funniest is The Great Outdoors, where he starred alongside the gone-too-soon legend Dan Aykroyd. It’s close, but I think Uncle Buck’s his best film. Any thoughts?

>REPLY 1:

I liked his performance in Uncle Buck Returns (2014), the often-overlooked sequel to the classic ’80s original, with all of the original cast. Wasn’t it one of his last films?

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:

It was, and you can really tell that he was on the decline. He was very mellow, kind of toned down, and it think that was because his weight kept fluctuating I don’t think the character was supposed to be like that. His health was slowly going out the door.

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:

It’s even worse in that movie he made right after his third heart attack. It was only a supporting role, but he looked like a wreck in that one. It’s very sad.

>REPLY 2:

My favorite one is Bartholemew vs. Neff, 1993. Sylvester Stallone (Jack Neff) and John Candy (S. Stuyvesant Bartholomew IV) as rival neighbors in a star-studded action-dramedy. [6] Awesome movie, good stuff!

>REPLY 3:

I have to say Uncle Buck

>REPLY 4:

The Great Outdoors, definitely – it’s got so many great scenes!

>REPLY 5:

Only The Lonely – his first real “serious” role; he should have won an award for it!

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 5:

Nah, he shoulda won an Oscar for Planes, Trains and Automobiles. He gave such an emotional and stellar performance in that one!

>REPLY 6:

I agree, Uncle Buck was his best role. I’ve got a soft spot for it. But I’ve also got a soft spot for Who’s Harry Crumb? Part Two (1998). It was better than the first and it’s a good movie to put on from time to time, like most of his movies, but Splash is also my Number 1 favorite. But that’s just a personal preference.

>REPLY 7:

Great Outdoors is the best John Candy film and I will fight whoever wants to fight me on this

>REPLY 8:

Pocahontas, where he voiced Tom the Turkey :p

>REPLY 9:

Iacocca, that dramatic psikological thriller from 2011. Weird movie, but his role as CIA Director Studeman was pretty good.

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 9:

I like Candy because he was able to make people laugh. I respect him because he was able to laugh at himself. His honestly and warm charm won people over. I’ve never met someone who hated him. He usually stuck to comedy while others like Belushi and Farley worked tirelessly to be taken seriously, taking all these serious roles, but ironically, Candy was taken seriously without needing to be in any dramas. The fact that he was in a few dramatic roles just shows how talented the man was, and the fact that he didn’t make it the main focus of his career just shows how humble he was about those talents.

>REPLY 10:

It’s only been five months, but I’m still glad to see that so many people remember him. He made so many smile. RIP, JC 1950-2018

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 10:

JC’s with JC now, laughing it up with Aykroyd and Radner. Peace, y’all.

– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 2/25/2019



…The White House was elated by the Treasury Department’s February 28 confirmation that, for the first time in 21 years, the US had a national surplus ($32billion, versus a federal budget of $4.9trillion) instead of an evenly balanced budget. Because the Balanced Budget Amendment’s wording is ambiguous as to what to do with budget surpluses, multiple groups began lobbying for federal funds almost immediately. Cabinet members that had previously dealt with small budgets in order to keep the feds in the red were calling in favors from previous times, quick to remind the President of times in 2013 and 2014, and even 2017 and 2018, when budget cutbacks needed.

Meanwhile, the President personally wanted to put the money into Social Security. Vice President Brown contrasted this idea with the suggestion, “How about we just give the money to the people? It’s their tax money, isn’t it? So let’s just Pull a New Jersey and start sending out little checks. Everyone gets a few hundred bucks, one-time-only deal.”…

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



DALLAIRE WINS P.L. LEADERSHIP RACE

…former diplomat Romeo Dallaire (QC) won over initial favorite France Chretien Desmarais (QC), with Helen Joanne Leadbeater (ON), Peter Stoffer (NS), Niki Ashton (MB), Christy Clark (BC) and Pierre Ducasse (QC) all failing to gather much momentum after the first round of voting…

The Toronto Star, 3/3/2019



…By March, more market activities indicated economic woe for Russia. The nation’s consumers were spending less, which was hurting company cash flows. Talk of several large telecommunications companies in the NDRR laying off workers began to pick up.

In Moscow, President Nikolayev warned, “we should advise them to not do that. Laying off their workforce will contribute to the uptick in the unemployment rate and contribute even more so to the drop in consumer spending. Lower productivity is the problem, so tell them,” he ordered his labor advisors, “to raise production and temporarily drop prices on unnecessary items in order to incentivize people to spend money on them.”

“Why not drop the prices of basic commodities?” One of the advisors reportedly asked nervously.

The President eyed the speaker, and answered slyly, “People need basics, so they’re willing to pay for them. But they can go without extraneous frills.”

The rumors of impending major economic issues renewed Nikolayev’s interest in taking on the “strongman” persona that he believed his country had been lacking on the world stage for years. Contemplating his next move amid market concerns and opposition investigations into the actions of Russian military personnel in Eritrea, the President observed a troubling pattern in Russian history. “We were in shambles in the 1940s, but we got ourselves together and picked ourselves up in the 1950s and 1960s. And we were roaring, soaring, in the 1970s, only to collapse and be in shambles again the 1980s. But we got ourselves together and picked ourselves up again in the 1990s and 2000s, and now we were roaring and soaring in the 2010s…”

– Hanspeter Kriesi and Takis S. Pappas’ In The Shadow of The Great European Recession, ECPR Press, 2021



TEXAS U SCHOOL OF LAW DEAN RETIRES

…The Dean of the University of Texas School of Law finally stepped down today to begin her retirement. Sarah Weddington, 74, had led the school for roughly 14 years. Prior to entering a career of academia, Weddington served as a progressive Democrat in the US House of Representatives from 1981 to 1985. After losing re-election in 1984, Weddington declined running for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1986, then unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat in 1988. Weddington then worked as legal advisor on women’s rights for the US Justice Department under President Bellamy before joining the staff of the U of Texas School of Law in 1993…

– houstonchronicle.co.usa, 3/7/2019 [7]



NO GAS CARS FOR YOU! Governor Healey Signs Controversial Order Banning Gas Car Sales In Massachusetts By 2030

…oil companies are outraged at this new oppressive action, with former the former CEO of Chevron saying earlier today that “this kind of thing should be illegal. It violates the constitutional right to private enterprise to say you can’t sell something. Let the people decide if they want electric cars. Don’t make it their only option! The President’s Justice Department has address egregious action immediately.”…

The Wall Street Journal, 3/9/2019



BROWN’S LATEST “HARLEYISM” POLARIZES THE TECHNET (AGAIN)

…at a private fundraiser, the Vice President of the United States gave a speech in which he reiterated his opposition to the IRS and his proposal of abolishing it. During the speech, a hot mic caught him joke, “The difference between the IRS and a whore is that a whore will quit screwing you after you’re dead.” [H1] The comment has brought about a storm of disapproving comments ontech, mostly from people who believe the comment either is offensive to women, is offensive to sex workers, is inappropriate, is rhetoric unbecoming of the Vice President of the US, or all four. Supporters of Brown, however, are coming to the Vice President’s defense once more, and are again using the rebuttal “it’s just a joke”…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 3/10/2019



“As an American, I often choose to vigorously exercise my God-given right to free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment. Lots of people have got a problem with that, but it’s ironic because they’re exercise the same right to free speech that I have to tell me I shouldn’t exercise it. As a former stand-up comic and stag party master-of-ceremonies, I am certain of my God-given talent to make people laugh and therefore classify Harleyisms to be good, both good and positive, not to mention outrageous.

Because here’s the thing, people – telling jokes is a great ice-breaker, and the laughter you hear in the tape shows that I wasn’t alone in thinking that my jab at the IRS was funny. And that’s the thing I wanted to say – I was not insulting any ladies-of-the-evening or whatever they want to be called. I was not going after them, I was going after the IRS. Anyone with a sense of humor would understand that.”

– US Vice President Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID)’s 3/12/2019 “apology,” Washington DC press meeting [9]



…TON’s answer to the UK’s Pop Idol was American Idol, which reached peak popularity during the SARS pandemic of 2002-2004. This was due to the fact, similar to animation and voice acting, the show’s production format was not significantly impacted by safezoning measures. The same was true to Jeopardy and many other game shows where the judges stood opposite from contestants. …CBS’s NCIS, ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, and CBS’s survivor dominated the post-SARS TV scene, with ABC’s Grey Anatomy, and the USA Network’s Get A Clue finishing off the decade.

American television at the start of the 2010s saw TumbleweedTV’s Undercover Health Inspector top the charts, while NBC’s Louisville Medical siphoned viewers away from other medical dramas. The TV show Child’s Play was considered an “innovative” game-changer upon its premier in the mid-2010s, and joined CBS’s Blue Bloods in being dominating the programming scene in the late 2010s. Concurrently, NBC’s America’s Got Talent competed against America’s Funniest Home Videos, but failed to pull in enough viewers, resulting in its cancellation in March 2019…

– usarightnow.co.usa/pop-culture, 2021 e-article



NASCAR, TON REACH LANDMARK DEAL

…ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series in November, NASCAR and The Overmyer Network (TON) have agreed to an extended and expanded contract in order to sanction an agreement with all tracks…

– nascar.co.usa/news, 3/18/2019



Maria de Lourdes Hinojosa Ojeda
(b. 1961) is a Mexican-American news anchor and journalist. She has been the host and producer of the bilingual radio program Latino USA on NPR since 1992, and has headed TV programs on CBS, NPR, and KNN. Hinojosa’s coverage of the “recreadrug wars” in South America and Central America (and, later, Mexico), during the 1980s and 1990s propelled her career and made her a well-known figure in Mexico. The rise in fame from the coverage has led to her often being considered one of the most influential Hispanic women in media in both the US and Mexico since the late 1990s. After hosting her own news segment on Telemundo from 2008 to 2018, she was selected to be co-anchor of TON’s most-watched program, TON Nighttime News, in March 2018…

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. March 2019



…In Olympia, the capital of Washington state, Governor Novoselic was fuming over his own party’s difficulty in reaching an internal quorum during a recent fiscal crisis. His comments, the most critical of several choice words that he had shared about his own party yet, sparked rumors that he was considering running for re-election not on a Democratic ticket, but as a proposed “Libertarian Grange” nominee. Uncertainty over Novoselic’s political future was soon compounded by Kurt Cobain expressing interest in running for President in a March 2019 Tumbleweed Media interview, saying “If I did [run], it’d be on a mental wellness platform, and I’d maybe ask Krist if he wanted to be my running mate.”…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



JERRY LITTON, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, IS DEAD AT 81

…The Litton family’s spokesperson did not specify the former Vice President’s cause of death, only mentioning that it was “related” to recent hospital visits. Those visits had led to speculation that Litton was suffering either from a return of cancer, or from the long-term effects of SARS. Litton survived cancer in 1995 and again in 2008, and had tested positive for SARS in early 2003 but had seemingly recovered…

The Washington Post, 3/28/2019



Cb1fVud.png


[pic: imgur.com/Cb1fVud.png ]

– clickopedia.co.usa



“Eritrea could learn something from the Yemens. South Yemen, which is farther north than North Yemen and should be called East Yemen, and North Yemen, which should be called West Yemen, given how they are on the map, are divided, but they are stronger because of it. Sure, the occasional war breaks out over where their borderlines should be, but once that’s finally settled the fighting should stop. But what I want to say is that the non-communist Yemen, North Yemen, got rudimentary free markets in the post-SARS era, so it’s a decentralized version of its former self, and it’s only benefited its government and its people. And their people are able to vote on which communists are elected to their congress, The Supreme People’s Council, thanks to an Election Board that almost always accepted the people’s choices. Almost always. But still, they’re better off than Eritrea’s dictatorship, which has neither basic free markets nor free elections! Meanwhile, North Yemen, the one near Djibouti, makes profit as a transportation hub for ships passing through the Red Sea. Eritrea’s dictatorship could also pick up on some of that trade cash cow if some explained the profitability of international commerce to their leader.”

– contributor Bill Kristol, KNN segment on the Russia-Eritrea Scandal, 3/30/2019 broadcast



CHIEF JUSTICE CHAIKA ORDERS PROSECUTOR-GENERAL RELEASE DETAILS OF CONTROVERSIAL REVIEW BOARD

The Motherland Times, Russian newspaper, 4/4/2019



GRAMMER ANNOUNCES PLAN TO PLACE REMAINING SURPLUS INTO SOCIAL SECURITY

…Cabinet and cabinet-level departments of the federal government received slices of the surplus pie after weeks of members of Grammer’s cabinet reportedly meeting repeatedly with the President. The remaining $15billion left of the $32billion surplus from late February will be allotted to the OASDI program, invested into Social Security to extent its “depletion date” feared by conservative analysts and pundits, including SBA Administrator Dave Ramsey (R-TN). The exact distribution will be laid out in the congressional budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, which congress has scheduled to be released in June of this year...

The New York Times, 4/5/2019



…Republicans in congress locked horns with another country in April 2019 when US Senator Mae Beavers called for denying Iraq “Most Favored Nation” Status due to “their history of cultural, ethnic, and religious controversies.” Iraqi Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani called the proposal “hypocritical,” saying “every nation on Earth would be justified in doing the same to America on the exact same grounds!”

In international economic relations and international politics, most favored nation (MFN) is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade. The term means the country which is the recipient of this treatment must nominally receive equal trade advantages as the "most favored nation" by the country granting such treatment (trade advantages include low tariffs or high import quotas). In effect, a country that has been accorded MFN status may not be treated less advantageously than any other country with MFN status by the promising country. [10]

In order to avoid accusations of favoritism within the Middle East from sprouting up, Grammer vidcalled al-Shahristani and apologized for the Senator’s “unprofessional” remarks, even though Beavers herself never apologized for voicing her “isolationist” proposal…

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



FRESHMAN CONGRESSMAN BACKS “FREER” US-JAPAN TRADE

…Clyde Kusatsu (b. 1948, D-CA), former National VP of thru SAG-AFTRA L.A. Local from 2013 to 2018, is a former actor and trade union leader of Japanese descent who believes that Japan “can and will” play fairly if granted more tariff-free trade options…

The San Francisco Chronicle, 4/12/2019



GRAMMER VETOES MAJOR SPENDING BILL!

…Democrats in the Senate managed to scrape away enough GOP votes to pass the bill, only for the President to buck Congress’ effort to turn it into national law. “The President’s veto will very likely not be overridden; we just don’t have enough votes for it,” explains US Senate Minority Whip William Tong (D-CT). “Grammer claims that the veto is to stand up for libertarianism, but it’s clear that he is actually just doing this to oppose and obstruct the actions and progress of the Democratic party, similarly to how former Speaker McMaster used to.”…

The Washington Post, 4/14/2019



Prosecutor-General Launches Probe Into Chief Justice Chaika’s Former Business Connections

…the announcement comes just two days after the Prosecutor-General released a copy of the report made by the justice department’s controversial review board earlier this year. The cop instead is controversial for omitting multiple paragraphs, which the Kremlin spokesperson stated was due to said passages containing “classified contents and other sensitive” information…

The Motherland Times, Russian newspaper, 4/17/2019



T.G.T. IDENTITY REVEALED!

…with Tommy Gun Thompson working on a movie deal, it was inevitable that his beans would be spilled! It turns out that criminal-turned-collaborator T.G.T. is neither a Tommy nor a Thomspon; the notorious gun smuggler was born Matthew Bevan Cox on July 7, 1969 in Florida [11]. Thompson/Cox began his life of crime as a manipulator of documentation. FBI documents leaked ontech shows that he was suspected of committing bank fraud, ID theft, and passport fraud, and was about to be put under surveillance when he seemingly disappeared in 1992. Thompson/Cox did not describe his early life in his best-selling autobiography, instead describing how he entered the gun smuggling game in 1992 at age 23, because “my post-college income, working as an insurance agent, was low, and the job itself was boring.” Thompson/Cox claims that this led to him becoming a travel agent, and eventually made contact with the criminal underworld amid ongoing drug smuggling in Nicaragua, Colombia and Mexico during this time period... It is currently unknown how these revelations will impact film production going forward…

The Los Angeles Times, 4/19/2019



IN HORIZON’S BLUE

Premiered: April 20, 2019
Genre(s): sci-fi/fantasy/horror/hidden history/action

Directed by: Uwe Boll
Written by: Norman Morrill and Uwe Boll
Produced by: Dean Heyde and Uwe Boll

Cast:
A. J. Clutterbuck as Richard Schirmacher
Gotz Otto as Capt. Alfred Ritscher
Raoul Bova as Ernst Hermann
Vincent Ricotta as Hans
Michael Cullen as Schultz
Peta Sergeant as Herzog

See Full List Here

Synopsis:

Believing the “Hollow Earth” theory is real, Hitler sends out a team of explorers to search Antarctica for an opening to the subterranean world described in Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s “Vril.” Reaching Queen Maud Land in 1939, the team, led by Capt. Alfred Ritscher (loosely based on the real person), quickly lays a claim to “New Swabia” and begin survey flights of the surrounding areas.

That evening, Ritscher explains to his First Mate, Richard Schirmacher (also loosely based on the real person) that their mission is based on reports of children with green skin coming from a sunless land being documented in Woolpit, England and Banjos, Spain [12]. Through a flashback, he explains how he was part of a secret team of Nazis who visited the site of the latter sighting during the Spanish Civil War, and discovered a cave containing a map of tunnel networks indicating large openings at the Earth’s poles. From this, Hitler and other Nazis hypothesized that earthquakes are really the shockwaves of “excavation bombs” going off during the construction of such tunnels. Schirmacher is hesitant to agree with this theory.

The film jumps to 1942, where the two men and a team of others are now on an undocumented second voyage to New Swabia at the height of World War Two. On one unspecified day, one of the survey planes is lost and the team follow the trail made by its leaking fuel line. They follow it to a large tunnel in the group that the team spelunkers down and uncover a long dark tunnel. Continuing further downward into the tunnel, they team, led by its speleology experts, find the remains of the plane and pilot, but Ritscher, believing this is indeed the entrance to the Hollow Earth that they are looking for, forces the team, almost at gunpoint, to continue to travel into the tunnel.

After a montage showing the length and depth of the tunnel, and that it has taken the crew days to traverse it, the men are growing concerned of the passage becoming smaller and smaller. One of the team members, Ernst Hermann, panics and attempts a mutiny, leading to he and Schirmacher fighting over a shotgun that is accidently fired. Ricocheting off the rocks, the bullet causes the ground beneath them to give way, causing them to fall down a great distance before entering what seems to be a dead end. Furious, Ritscher angrily pushes on a rock that falls back, revealing light behind it. The team crawls through the narrow opening and enter a subterranean world with a small bright orb in its “sky,” which Ritscher dubs a “mini-sun.”

Exploring the vegetation, the men soon come across the fresh corpse of a human-like creature twice their size and wearing a militaristic uniform. Climbing a nearby ledge for a better view of what sounds like a battle raging on in the distance, they discover that this world is dominated by 12-foot-tall demon-like humanoid creatures of uncertain origin in the middle of a very destructive war, with steampunk-like aerial and land-based vessels firing upon one another and large mushroom-shaped explosions going off in the far distance.

Horrified by the thought that if the team, and their entrance into the hollow earth are discovered by these giants, they will break out and take over the surface world. With Hermann’s help, Schirmacher mutinies again Ritscher (who believes that the seemingly-emotionless “Man-Gods” and the Nazis will rule the surface “and the galaxy…together”), knocking him unconscious and returning to the tunnel with a large technologically-advanced device pulled from the corpse of the soldier giant. The film cuts to a larger section of the tunnel, where Schirmacher detonates one of the giant’s explosives in order to seal in the entrance. In doing so, the device is destroyed and the team is almost killed as the explosion is larger than they expected it to be.

Upon reaching the surface, Ritscher swears he will have Schirmacher hung for treason upon their return to Berlin. The subsequent skirmish causes a rockslide that buries the entrance to the tunnel. When the team finally arrives in Europe, they discover that it is 1945 and must seek asylum in Spain as the allies seek out remaining Nazis. They conclude that time must “run faster” the subterranean world, as they believed that they had only been gone for three months, not three years. Nevertheless, with the war lost, along with seemingly all evidence of the subterranean world being gone as well, Ritscher threatens to “somehow” have Schirmacher put on trial on fabricated allegations of sabotage, but the rest of the team comes to Schirmacher’s defense, and the captain finally relents, though not after a one-on-one shootout.

The film ends with Schirmacher attending Ritscher’s funeral in 1963. A sliver of the technologically-advanced device, the only piece not lost during the trip, is placed on his tombstone. The device fragment begins to glow like it had before just before the screen cuts to black and the end credits roll.

Reception:

The film was heavily criticized for its historical, geographical, and scientific inaccuracies. The film also inaccurately portrayed major aspects of the Vril and Hollow Earth ideas. Critics panned the “nonsensical plot” and confusing ending, and criticized the poor acting and CRI effects. Critics and audiences complained about the film spending too much time in poorly-lit caves and tunnels, and not enough time exploring the land of the giants, with Richard Roeper remarking “this is not even interesting enough of a film to be one of those movies that is ‘dumb but in a good way’” and calling its plot “a poorly-researched hodgepodge of pseudo-scientific gobbledygook.” Audiences complained that the film was “a letdown even by Boll standards,” and criticized the character’s actions as “nonsensical,” especially “the protagonists just agreeing to travel back to Berlin with the captain they just mutinied against because they think they can win him over during the trip - a trip we don’t even get to see,” as one top-liked ontech reviewer put it. The film was considered a box office bomb, with the production studio reportedly losing “millions” on its release.

Trivia Facts:

Trivia Fact No. 1:

The film has developed a very small cult following among white supremacists, leading to the film being banned in Germany and even its director distancing himself from the project, calling the movie “the only mistake I’ve ever made.”

– mediarchives.co.usa



MICHAEL CHE (Weekend Update co-host): “US Treasury Secretary Gary Johnson today praised President Grammer’s vetoing of a bill to expand the Endangered Species Act, with a bizarre ramble on T.O.N. about the importance of keeping nature both alone and in line, and about how certain animals are simply destined to die. For more on this, here’s Secretary Gary Johnson!”

Richard ROXBURGH (guest star, portraying GARY JOHNSON): “Hey, [pant] great to [pant] be here.”

CHE: “Oh, you okay? You sound out of breath.”

ROXBURGH: “Well, I did [pant] run all the way [pant] here from D.C., Michael.”

CHE: “Right, because you’re a health nut.”

ROXBURGH: “No, because I refuse to take public transportation.” [during pause for laughter, takes gulp from a Beachrat Energy drink. “Yeah, that’s the stuff. Now don’t get me wrong, Michael, I do love to cycle and run. Why do you think I don’t have any eyebrows? I’m more aerodynamic without them! But the maglev trains of the eastern seaboard are a slippery slope. First it’s trains on only one rail, then it’ll be cyclists on only one bicycle. Then all cyclist will have to share. And sharing isn’t libertarian!”

CHE: “Well, then how about backing the expanding of the Endangered Species Act to protect the libertarianism of animals? Animals don’t pay taxes, thus animals are libertarian.”

ROXBURGH: “Because maximum government means minimum freedom, Michael. Regulations don’t make people responsible, it just takes people super-good at getting around red tape. We can’t let environmental oppression happen, because if it does, both humans and animals will suffer the consequences of excessive government intervention.”

CHE: “But Gary, species may die without proper protection.”

ROXBURGH: “No protection?”

CHE: “Nope, none.”

ROXBURGH: “Then here’s the answer – arm the animals. Strap knives to the wings of geese. Wire pistols to the antlers of deer. That should keep their homes and themselves protected from hunters and developers. And it'll be a boost to gun sellers, too! That’s what you call libertarianism! Whoo! I am so pumped up!”

MICHAEL CHE (Weekend Update co-host): “That guy’s been hanging out with Harley Brown for too long.”

– transcript segment, “Weekend Update” sketch, SNL, Saturday 4/27/2019



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[pic: imgur.com/LYKbvYA.png ]

– thumbnail for a video covering the 2017 Pinnacle-Sirena Collision and the then-ongoing legal proceedings stemming from it, uploaded to ourvids.co.can by The Technet Historian, 28/4/2019



TOP TEN FAST FOOD FRIES, RANKED

The burger accompaniments known as fries has always been a welcomed addition to pretty much any meal, or even as the center of attention of one’s taste buds. However, their versatile use in dishes, diverse ways of being made, and wide array of complimentary condiments make for not all fries being equal. But, after analyzing the fries of the top ten fast food chains that sell them – from Arby’s to Zantigo – we can confidently present the following ranking list:

1 – McDonald’s – Sometimes, you just can’t beat the classics; this fast food giant’s Shoestring Fries have become the iconic go-to image of what any fry looks like; but decades-long brand recognition does not trick people into thinking these are delicious; it’s the real deal here.

2 – Arby’s – The chain’s glorious Curly Fries may be too fancy for some squares, with their heavenly internal fluff and coat of orangey spice; well, that’s just their loss and everyone else’s gain.

3 – Chick-fil-A – Their circular Waffle Fries pair up nicely with pretty much anything, and the ridged texture allow them to retain much of whatever you dunk them into, be it a dip, sauce, condiment or even smoothie.

4 – Zantigo – This taco chain’s classic and beloved Nacho Fries are known for being hard to resist; plowing through a biodegradable cup of these is a common side effect of eating here.

5 – Whataburger – Their Whatafries go great with the chain’s beefy burger, but the simple and savory sticks compliment any item on their menu.

6 – Culver’s – Crinkle Cuts are distinguishable from other fries with the unique seasoning blend infused into them, allowing them to taste great with the chain’s cheese curds, frozen custard, and other concoctions.

7 – KFC – Secret Recipe fries, offered alongside Secret Recipe Potato Wedges and the much older Classic Potato Wedges, were not part of Colonel Sanders’ original design for the menu but are a welcomed addition to it, even by “purist” KFC fans; introduced only a year ago, it turns out that applying The Colonel’s classic 11 Secret Herbs and Spices to fries is a brilliant idea – probably the company’s best ideas in years.

8 – White Castle – This chains Crinkle-Cuts, while similar to Culver’s fries, differ in regards to quality control; you can always rely on White Castle to serve up these servings of deep fried goodness, but them almost always serving up a least one underdone fry in each serving bumps them down on this list.

9 – Popeyes – One can’t go wrong with Cajun Fries, the somewhat-spicy pepper-flecked sheen of orangey culinary transcendence sold at this chain.

10 – Wendy’s – This “sister” of KFC sells perfectly pleasant “Thick Cut” Fries that harness the power of sea salt to offer delightful dining delicacies, but their reputation for fries with some flimsiness to them puts them at a disadvantage when compared to those on the rest of this list.

– thriller.co.usa, 4/29/2019



…Governor Flores today reversed former Governor Randy Quaid’s 2016 state law denying heating and air conditioning to confirmed sexual predators serving time in Nevada jails…

– KELY (1230 kHz) news/talk AM radio, Ely, Nevada, 4/30/2019 broadcast



RICHARD GREEN LUGAR DIES AT 87

…the longtime US Senator and 1988 Republican nominee for Vice President passed away from complications of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy…

The Washington Post, 5/1/2019



SURVEY: KFC Customer Base Is “Diverse,” “Bipartisan”

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[pic: imgur.com/6nTk7wf.png ]

…both Democrats and Republicans sink their teeth or dentures into the soft birds at KFC…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 5/4/2019



PROJECT DAYBREAK
(released in the U.K. as DIMENSIONAL HUSKS)

Premiered: May 7, 2019
Genre(s): action/sci-fi/time-travel/philosophy/dramedy

Directed by: Lee Toland Krieger
Written by: Salvador Paskowitz and David X. Cohen
Produced by: Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Mark Canton

Cast: See Full List Here

Synopsis:

Guy Vernon (Mandy Patinkin) is a scientist in an intense rivalry with fellow scientist Petros Andros (Lee Evans) at an unnamed university. Andros may be promoted after his latest work wins several accolades and awards. Enraged and fueled by their bitter rivalry, and after years of research and testing, Vernon unlocks the secret to time travel and immediately uses it to go back in time to split up his rival’s parents so that his rival is never born. However, when he travels back to the present, he has a new rival (Vivica A. Fox) who is of different gender, ethnicity, appearance and background, but has the exact same personality, morals and ideas as his rival in the original timeline. He tries to alter the timeline again by travelling back through time again and splitting up this new rival’s parents, only for another rival (Jim Gaffigan) to have taken Andros’ place in this third timeline. Similarly, but not fully focused on, his assistant (Maddie Blaustein) keeps trying to show him something important.

After several more trips back through time, Vernon speculates about the nature of fate and destiny, as each time he travels back into time he tries to make it so he doesn’t have a rival, only for Divine Intervention to always course-correct history, probably because his rivalry is what drove him to discover time travel in the first place. He speculates further that his rival exists in some form or another because “we are all destined to be born, in one body or another. Just because you remove the mortal husk doesn’t mean you remove the soul from coming into existence.” On another trip back into time, Vernon kills his rival at the age 20. But when he returns to the present, his rival is twenty years younger, which Vernon then speculates is because “the soul just inhabited a newer newly-formed husk.” The trip after this exhausts him, prompting him to retire for the day. Returning home, he discover that his friendly neighbor (Jane Lynch) now despises him, because in this new timeline, she has three children instead of two, with the new third child being Vernon’s rival.

Vernon returns to his office the next day, defeated, and determined to resign from the university in disgrace for tampering with time travel and predetermination. However, before he can do so, his assistant finally manages to reveal to him evidence she discovered proving that his rival had plagiarized his latest work, which is what his assistants across the timelines kept discovering and trying to show him the whole time (it was never explicitly shown if his assistant was a different person each time, due to their face being obscured or the camera not focusing on them until this point in the film). Vernon presents this evidence to the school, leading to his rival (the last version being portrayed by Steve Buschemi) being fired.

Reception:

The film experienced a modest performance at the box office and received lukewarm-to-positive reviews from critics, with its witty writing often being singled out for its ability to successfully balance sci-fi elements with philosophical contemplation. It currently has a cult following that is “small, but growing.”

– mediarchives.co.usa



“…With bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition, congress has struck down a proposed bill to lower the National Minimum Drinking Age from 22 to 18. The drinking age, established in the 1980s under President Denton, has in recent years been scrutinized heavily by libertarian Republicans such as Senator Rand Paul of North Carolina, who have in the past proposed removing the national limit altogether and letting drinking ages be established at the state level. This latest bill to lower the NMDA, however, was introduced by Democrats who argued that its limit was 22 is no longer necessary, in light of the rise in semi-self-driving cars and historic drops in drunk-driving incidents due to a rise in public transportation use in many urban areas. However, the combination of progressive Democrats, libertarian Republicans, and pro-States Rights Republicans were unable to convince other lawmakers, especially many in the GOP who credit the NMDA for the slight drop in alcohol-related incidents on college campuses across the US over the past three decades..”

– CBS Evening News, 5/11/2019 broadcast



AMERICAN PIE SELLS FOR $2.1M

…Don McLean is the singer-songwriter best known for his 1971 hit single “American Pie,” an 8.5-minute folk rock song with abstract lyrics of unspecified meaning. Considered an iconic song of the era, the original manuscript for it, containing the lyrics and sheet music, was sold today at Christie’s New York for a whopping $2.1m. …Most believe McLean’s single concerns the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation at the turn of the 1960s decade, with the deaths of Buddy Holly, Richie Valence and The Big Bopper in a plane crash working almost as a prelude to the chaos and innocence lost in The Cuba War of the 1960s and the shoutnik movement that was born out of it. However, the song also touches on the music scene of the rest of the 1960s and on the Ms. Arkansas Scandal’s subsequent 1970 Arkwave. For example, the lyrics describing a Queen checkmating a King may refer to the Ms. Arkansas Scandal being described at the time as upending male dominance in American society, and the line refering to “dirt under the board” may be a reference to the social movement exposing acts of sexual pestering…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 5/15/2019



NASA CONTRACT WITH GLENN HORIZONS SPARKS DIVERSE REACTIONS IN INDUSTRY; Allies, Rivals Seek Further Details

…the exclusive $3.5billion contract to help NASA return to the front of the space industry with the planned launch of a “Lunar Bot Hub” was finalized after NASA Director J. Preston Bezos and the private space company negotiated contract specifics for weeks, after Glenn Horizons won an intense bidding process...

– popularscience.co.usa, 5/19/2019



WALESA BECOMES POLAND’S NEW PRESIDENT

…Poland’s President-elect Jaroslaw Leszek Walesa (b. 1976), a “pragmatic” politician of the Solidarity Party was sworn into office today. …On May 2, Walesa won the race to succeed the increasingly unpopular incumbent President Krystyna Bochenck of the Civility Party. Walesa’s final challenger was Jerzy Szmajdzinski (b. 1954) of the Democratic Left Alliance, after all other candidates failing to achieve more than 4% of the total national vote…

The Daily Telegraph, 5/23/2019



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[pic: imgur.com/en6EdTR.png ]

– actor/writer/comedian/producer/filmmaker Bagel Pizzazz announcing the formation of Liberty Bell Studios, an independent film company, 5/25/2019 (Pizzazz was criticized for using an outdated 50-star flag at the announcement); Liberty Bell Studios, formed in response to the problems Pizzazz and others had with “the fakeness and greediness” of Hollywood, was established as a means of supporting independent actors and filmmakers, but would develop a distribution partnership with the larger Tumbleweed Media company in early 2021



JAPAN’S TAKUMA SATO WINS INDY 500; US’s Alex Rossi Comes In Second, France’s Simon Pagenaud In Third

The Indianapolis Star, 5/26/2019



THE FUTURE IS NOW: The First 3D-Printed Car Enters Production!

…the expensive European sports car will not exactly be dominating American highways systems any time soon, but the feat nevertheless demonstrates the limitless capabilities of this technology…

– popularmechanics.co.usa/news, 5/28/2019



…In May 2019, after roughly five years at the helm, Director Bezos informed the President of his decision to leave NASA to take over as the head of Star Vapor, a space company co-founded by Martin Eberhard, a years-long ally of his. Bezos explained that this position would give him a greater ability to influence the private sector aspect of the future of space travel. Grammer was reluctant to see him. Bezos had helped restore the reputation of the Administration after the controversial McAfee years, and had successfully overseen numerous programs and projects. But ultimately, Grammer accepted Bezos’ decision, and anticipated Bezos’ resignation, which was not announced until roughly two months later, allowing ample time for the administration to search for a suitable and qualified replacement…

– researcher R. Cargill Hall’s Impact: The History of NASA, Dover Publications, 2018 edition



Merchant’s New Hit “Summer Conditions” Reaches No. 1 On The US Billboard Hot 100

…Natalie Merchant was a prominent member of the Riot Grrrl scene of the early-to-mid 1990s [13], composing and singing several hits in the alt-rock genre. Though active in music since 1981, she was best known for a string of hits released in the mid-to-late 1990s, and for being a major part of the American efforts to replicate the UK’s “The Scene That Compliments Itself” music scene. Later she branched out into pop rock, “bubble,” and even folk rock with songs like “These are the days,” bringing in new fans and followers...

– tumbleweed.co.usa/music/news, 6/1/2019



“Never stop fighting for what you believe in. Take every avenue for change that there is. Support unions; confront and challenge or coordinate with legislators; march with the marginalized communities; donate to and volunteer for positive and pragmatic organizations; encouraging others to read literature that will open their minds, open their hearts and open their ears to your views.”

– Janie Fine, Harvard University commencement speech, 6/3/2019



Greg KELLY (Co-Host): “Just us now for the in-studio analysis we have Minister Mark Burns. Hello, Mark, how are you?”

Minister J. Mark BURNS (guest): “I’m already. I’m doing better than American values are doing in Maine, at least.”

KELLY: “Yes, what do you think of Maine Governor Dill’s efforts to have religious organizations pay taxes the same way that non-religious groups do?”

BURNS: “I think it’s a sad sign of what’s happening in places across the country and that this sort of thing could have been nipped in the bud years ago. I used to work with the late, great Billy McCormack, who ran for President in 1988, when it appeared that America had lost its moral compass. He was good friends with a man named Pat Robertson, who operated many Christian organizations and was a prominent member of McCormack’s presidential campaign’s inner circle. [14] And Robertson and I agree that this all began in the early 1990s, and that only by electing truly Christian people to public offices can we fight back against this anti-Christianity tide.”

– THN, 6/7/2019 broadcast



“I’ve been involved in efforts to restore the middle-class to its former glory for years now, and I’ve seen so many ideas and projects to make it happens during my work with labor unions across this great country of ours, especially in the Midwest and in the suburbs. Take malls, for example. Across the country, they are being repurposed into churches, office complexes, hotels, apartments, even ‘malltels’ – motels inside of functioning malls. They’re being turned into affordable housing units, indoor sports centers, edutainment centers, R&D testing centers, factories, warehouses, production facilities, art galleries, theater complexes. We can do that all here in Ohio. Or we could just demolish them. But guess what? The people have a say in the matter. They have a choice. They can control what gets done for their communities. They can do that by voicing their opinion. And in an election, your vote is your voice. So vote, vote, vote!”

– Andrew Yang (D-OH), speech excerpt, 6/10/2019 rally



15 June 2019: On this day in history, the US’s NASA launches the space probe Examiner to study solar wind in an effort to discover how such streams of charged particles work in space and how they may relate to space travel in the future; being massive in size (16m long, 5.3m wide, and almost exactly 15,000kg heavy), it is the largest non-manned object that NASA has ever launched into space.

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



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[pic: imgur.com/r8nxznt.png ]

– US President Kelsey Grammer, temporarily returning to the clean-shaven look, smiles while looking upward to the probe Examiner being launched, Cape Canaveral, Florida, 6/15/2019



…as the 2020 election neared, the undeclared Democratic candidates for President were often quick to chime in on the issues of the day, from the legalization of all recreational drugs, to tighter FDA inspections for food production, to police precinct reform and Justice Departments investigating in-field police misconduct. The strength and pull of foreign policy bona fides took a back burner as these domestic issues garnered more news coverage during the summer of 2019...

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



“When I got into politics, I was initially very frustrated by how everyone wanted me to go pussyfooting around, tiptoeing around like everybody was fragile, like nobody’s ever heard of colorful language before. But soon I realized that you can still be your honest self while still making yourself look good, you know, look professional. So I was careful not to swear in front of children and to not say, for example, Jewish jokes in front of Jewish people. And the same thing for other groups too. I figured that, well, people probably don’t say mean things about bikers to their faces because it ticks us off; that’s probably what I had been doing to a lot of people, tickin’ them off. Now I usually never mean to do that, but too often people take things the wrong way. My Harleyisms aren’t for everyone. But, more to the point, the things, I think the constant talk about my personality is distracting people from knowing what great things I have done for my state and for my country, for the great achievements that I have accomplished during my life, in Korea, in Boise, and in Washington. So when I make my presidential candidacy official in a short while, I want you to all to know that I am going to focus on the issues, and avoid efforts by the liberal media leaders to goad me into making off-the-cuff Harleyisms and gaffing things up.”

– Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID), private meeting with major Republican donors, 1 Observatory Circle, 6/21/2019



“…charges will be brought against the two police officers who shot and killed two 17-year-old high school students back in February…”

– CBS Evening News, 6/25/2019 broadcast



…After two years of finding the best location, hiring the best contractors, and performing additional duties (or, more often than not, handing them over to his assistants, Don broke ground on “the future site of the Trump Megatower.” Found in Fairfield, Connecticut, Don wanted to expand into an area between New York City and Boston, where high-end urban dwellers could escape to upscale apartments, hotel rooms, and offices with a lovely view of the shoreline. Furthermore, with The Trump Organization’s newest real estate project being planned to cap out at exactly 700 feet, Trump MEGA-Tower will be the tallest building in Connecticut, surpassing the state’s City Place I, which is only 537 feet tall. “This is just one of those things where Don knows he can’t run with the big dogs, so he’s setting this up so he can at least be a big fish in a small pond,” ranted Don’s ex-wife Sarah…

– Kate Bohner’s The Art of The Don: The Unofficial Biography of Donald Trump, Times Books, 2020 edition



President Grammer’s Approval Ratings:
APPROVE: 53%
DISAPPROVE: 41%
UNCERTAIN: 6%

Vice President Brown’s Approval Ratings:
DISAPPROVE: 46%
APPROVE: 43%
UNCERTAIN: 11%

– Gallup, 6/28/2019 poll



NIKOLAYEV SCANDAL BOMBSHELL LANDS WITH A BANG!: Eritrea’s Former National Security Advisor Alleges Nikolayev And Ephrem “Were In Full Control Of The Situation”

The New York Post, 6/30/2019



SOURCE(S)/NOTE(S)
[1] I based this idea on the fact that Massachusetts’ Legal Sea Foods (a fish market founded 1950 and that expanded into a casual dining seafood restaurant in 1968) has been serving their clam chowder at every Presidential inauguration to represent Massachusetts since 1981 in OTL (and since 1977 ITTL)!
[2] based on the last chapter’s poll’s results.
[3] Italicized lines were pulled from here: https://www.cityandstateny.com/arti...ed-choice-voting-will-work-new-york-city.html
[4] Grammer’s OTL comment: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/02/08/john-mahoney-kelsey-grammer-frasier-dead/
[5] Some phrases and partial parts of passages were politely pulled from his OTL obituary: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/s...?n=joseph-a-buttigieg&pid=191400113&fhid=7050
[6] Previously mentioned in Chapter 67.
[7] Weddington was previously mentioned in 1969 and 1984.
[8] OTL joke from the “Harleyisms” page of his 2014 website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[9] Italicized parts are OTL quotes pulled from here: https://web.archive.org/web/20201112035531/https://www.governorharley.com/harleyism.htm
[10] Entire italicized paragraph pulled from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_favoured_nation
[11] This guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Cox
[12] Both OTL claims: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_children_of_Woolpit and http://anomalyinfo.com/Stories/1887-august-green-children-banjos
[13] Yeah, I definitely could have and should have mentioned her way back in the 1990s chapters.
[14] So, yeah, Pat’s less prominent here.

Also, @PNWKing:
“I suspect Lando Sanders is Steve Jobs, just based on the clue that he was adopted, as Steve was” – Steve was born in 1955; it’s been stated that Lando was born in 1959; two of Lando’s children are adopted, he himself was not.
Rebecca Sugar – would they still be born in 1987, 55 years after TTL’s POD?
Lily Singh – would they still be born in 1988, 56 years after TTL’s POD?
Rachel Scott – mentioned briefly in Chapter 115 (she’s the co-author of one of the “sources,” a book on the US’s NIA)
Rupert Murdoch – mentioned before in the 1990s chapters as having a feud with Robert Maxwell until the latter’s death several years later than in OTL; Murdoch’s influence is mostly confined to Australia, NZ, Canada and the UK, due to the US restoring the FCC Fairness Doctrine during the 2000s.
Lewis Black – politically-involved comedian/writer, similar to OTL; he was a third-party candidate for governor of Florida in November 2018 (he was on list of gubernatorial election results in the Chapter 116)
Carly Simon – pretty much the same as in OTL; were there any specific songs you were interesting in knowing about?
Adam Schlesinger – award-winning songwriter and record producer involved in the alt-rock, razor rock, reeflex rock and “bubble” scenes of the 1980s and 1990s; he’s not as prominent as he was then, but he’s still active and successful in the music scene behind the scenes.
Gene Shalit – still a film critic and book critic on NBC from 1970 to 2010, pretty much like in OTL
Siskel and Ebert – very similar to OTL, with Siskel getting a slightly earlier diagnosis of cancer and living lost enough to help Ebert through the early months of his own cancer problems upon being diagnosed in late 2001. Siskel passed away in mid-2002 but from the cancer, not from SARS as some initial reports claimed. Due to America having UHC ITTL, Ebert’s June 2006 happens a bit earlier and is done in a way that does not cause a carotid artery to burst, and so he does not lose his voice until 2011, from other complications, and he passes away in 2015, age 73, shortly after reviewing the third Trump-Wiseau film and giving it his last “two thumbs down.”

And @Ogrebear:
Iacocca wanted to be buried in his home state, similarly to how RFK wanted to be buried in Massachusetts IOTL.
NRA leadership never got taken over by radicals ITTL, and so they still focus much of their time on gun safety here.
According to my research, the neighboring states and Canada were not as severely impacted by the heat wave as Chicago was; it was bad, but for The Windy City it was worse.
The 1995 Mutant basically had a bunch of “unknowns” in the cast along with 1990s staples such as Edward Norton, Matt Frewer, Geena Davis, Ken Wahl, Angela Bassett, Robert Davi, and Harley Jane Kozak.
Yes, Turner-Kennedy Broadcasting purchased the rights to Count Duckula among other shows in competition with T.O.N.
Since the Colonel’s been dead for five years at this point: archival footage of Colonel Sanders is shown on a TV monitor near the beginning of the film, along with a photoshopped image showing the main character shaking his hand.
Thank you for the comments, they’re very much appreciated; better late than never I guess!
 
Post 110
Post 110: Chapter 118



Chapter 118: July 2019 – December 2019

“The highest form of appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

– John F. Kennedy (OTL/TTL)



…As the pre-primary season began in America, a multitude of issues began to be discussed in earnest by the Presidential hopefuls. Pension reform, repealing Taft-Hartley, lowering military spending back to Jackson-Wellstone levels, defend and protecting labor unions, improving LOSHA (passed under President Sanders but amended extensively over the years), income inequality, and collective bargaining all had their moments on major network television and on the campaign trail…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



…At the start of the campaign, I wanted to go after the Federal Reserve, but Lisa Marie, who took charge of my campaign from the get-go, thought it was much more important that we galvanize the voters that felt ignored and disaffected. Voters that Republicans had failed to notice and that Democrats had been ignoring. A part of that was my image, but another, more cerebral part of that was my campaign’s tax plan. I’ll admit it, I’m not much of a numbers guy unless we’re talking about sports stats, motorcycle stats, or military stats, but luckily, Presidents don’t run the Treasury Department. The US Secretary of the Treasury does that. So when my campaign wrote up my tax plan, I went over it with the best fiscal experts the GOP has, and they approved it, so I approved it. Basically, it calls for a flat tax, clear across the board, plus eliminating the national payroll tax. It’s kind of like what libertarians often say, “Minimum taxation, maximum freedom,” or however it goes…

– Harley Brown’s Riding Through Hell (a.k.a. Congress): The Political Career of Harley Davidson Brown (So Far), Simon & Schuster, 2020



GOVERNOR SCRUTINIZED FOR MAX WORK HOURS

…Governor Kumar Barve (D-MD) signed legislation into law establishing maximum limits on working hours per week for employees working in the state of Maryland, saying “government has responsibilities too large for any one individual or local community to oversee on their own. Combating wage theft, like protect communities and preserving our natural resources, requires constructive intervention at the state and federal levels.”…

The Wall Street Journal, 7/10/2019



CANDIDATES STAY PEACEFUL IN EARLY PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

...the debate, formatted similarly to a roundtable discussion, was held far early than is typical for the Presidential season due to the high number of Democratic candidates who have formally launched their bids unusually early this season.

After a random drawing, Congressperson Lewinsky began the debate’s opening statements with the forward-thinking message, “We need to prepare for the world of tomorrow!” Governor Pritt piggybacked off this with the comment, “It’s not enough to prepare our children for the jobs of tomorrow. We also need to help people who are working right now to adjust to the changing ways of our economy so they don’t get left behind and so America doesn’t fall behind other rising global powers like China and India.”

All of the candidates agreed that the nation’s Top Marginal Tax Rate needs to be risen, but differed on how greatly. The candidates also disagreed on specifics concerning how to pay for federal spending on “green” infrastructure projects, debating to feasibility of applying new technology to highways, bridges, country roads, public transit, EVs and Maglevs, airports and seaports. Half of the candidates voiced support for using private contracts, while the other half favored better tax reform.

Governor Weaver responded to a question on workforce development with the one-line reply “Should the private sector fail, government must prevail.” The comment was criticized by Senator Suozzi, who called it a “superficial buzzline” before promoting his own record on backing R&D in government and in the private sector. The candidates also discussed manufacturing and small business woes, with Governor Moore swearing that unemployment rates would drop even further by rejuvenating the Federal Jobs Guarantee and “crack[ing] down” on outsourcing. The FJG was defunded under President Grammer, “making businesses pick up the slack, but the smaller the businesses, the more slack they have to pick up,” Moore observed…

The Washington Post, 7/12/2019



…We can now confirm that Russia’s economy has indeed crashed; the markets have collapsed, and after two consecutive fiscal quarters of economic decline, we can say that Russia is in a state of recession…

– KNN Breaking News, 7/15/2019 broadcast



…Nikolayev was conflicted about how to respond to the economic “dip” as he called it. All he knew was that with the nation’s eyes now being fixed to the economy and no longer on the “alleged” scandals surrounding his administration, the man could breathe easier. “A weight is now off my chest,” he apparently informed his secretary, “And if we fix the economy and bounce back from this quickly enough, the people will forget all about all of that Eritrea nonsense.”…

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2020



…Upon closer analysis, it became apparent that the Russians were, essentially, living off borrowed time. The NDRR had not survived the 2013 recession practically unscathed as was initially believed. The recession’s effects on the NDRR economy had nearly been delayed by closed-market factors such as food price control kept stable during the crisis to minimize drops in consumer confidence. But this was a false confidence; six years later, the recession had finally caught up with them…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



CO-ANCHOR 1: Welcome back to our continued coverage of former Vice President Ross’s controversial and divisive rhetoric over the years. Before the commercial break, we were discussing the implication of the following quote: “It’s so important to do something every day that will make you happy.[1] Our panel concluded that this was clearly Ross promoting drug use in schools, since that’s where children are almost every day. But now, let’s look at an even more offensive comment. Roll the clip.

BOB ROSS (archive footage): “We want happy paintings. Happy paintings. If you want sad things, watch the news.” [1]

CO-ANCHOR 2: Oh, now that is just an outright attack on us.

CO-ANCHOR 1: Yes, that is obviously Mr. Ross promoting his decades-long support of censorship. If Ross decides to run for President again, he is going to have to explain these assaults on the free press of this nation. And can we see the other clip?

BOB ROSS (archive footage): “That’s a crooked tree. We’ll send him to Washington.” [1]

CO-ANCHOR 2: Oh my goodness! What kind of thing is that for a politician to say? He’s a former Vice President!

CO-ANCHOR 1: Exactly! He was sent to Washington! Thus, this is a very clear admission from Bob Ross himself, admitting to anyone who cares to listen to him, that he is crooked – that he is a corrupt elitist and he doesn’t care who knows it!

CO-ANCHOR 2: Definitely!

CO-ANCHOR 1: And now, we are legally obligated to adhere to the FCC’s unfair and unconstitutional Fairness Doctrine, and once more present the “Alternate Viewpoint” segment of our program, where we allow some Beltway blaggard to try and fail to defend these comments. Once again, if you want to change the channel or mute the screen or take a snack break or bathroom break, now’s the time to do so. You have 2 full minutes, 120 seconds, we won’t blame or judge you. And now, “Alternate Viewpoint.”

GUEST 1: Wow. Where do I even begin? First off, all of those clips were from his painting show in the 1980s, before he even entered politics. You can tell because his voice doesn’t have that little gravelly sound in the back from the affects of aging…

– The Herring Network, 7/19/2019 broadcast



A NEW LEADER FOR A NEW DECADE: PRC’s Most Powerful Female Politician Is a Leading Candidate To Replace Premier Yang

The Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Guo Jianmei, is the highest-ranking female politician in the PRC. Formerly the PRC Minister of Health, Jianmei rose to her current position in 2007 for her work in gender equality both nationally and worldwide, and for her coordination efforts to combat SARS earlier in the decade. With Premier Yang Gang expecting to leave office in September (Chinese premiers are limited to a single twelve-year term), Jianmei has become the frontrunner to replace him, as she is popular within the Chinese Communist Party and among the Chinese general population…

– Associated Press, 7/22/2019



RADICAL FEMINISTS: Finally, a female dictator!

ELENA CEAUSESCU: Am I a joke to you?

UNITED ROMANIA: Yes!

– text of lafpic posted 7/23/2019



“CALVIN AND HOBBES: THE MOVIE”? Comic Series Creator Finally Agrees To Movie Deal!

…Tumbleweed Media has convinced Bill Watterson, the highly reclusive creator of the beloved comic strip series Calvin and Hobbes, to allow for a limited-theatrically-release/ontech downstreamable film of Calvin and Hobbes with final say over the final product. “The theme is going to be childhood, its innocence, its adventure, and its insanity,” says a representative for Watterson. “The conflict will be adulthood-based issues interrupting a family camping trip, causing Calvin to have to face some harsh realities.”

One rumor ontech claims the film will feature the main characters, a rambunctious little boy named Calvin and his talking toy tiger Hobbes, becoming lost and separated in the woods; another rumor states that the film will finally address the ambiguity of how much control Hobbes has over his own actions, thus questioning the power of imagination.

Calvin and Hobbes was in syndication from 1985 to 1995, and was wildly popular for its humor and wholesomeness, which was paired with social commentary and philosophical observances. Its creator, who views comics as an art form, has held off on allowing his iconic cartoon characters to be depicted on screen for decades due to his negative views on licensing, along with other issues, saying in a 2001 interview “I want the characters to have whatever voice the reader wants to give them. The pacing of what they’re saying, the way that they’re saying them, are no longer controlled by the readers when something like Snoopy switches from the paper to the screen.” Due to these reservations, technetters believe the unsubstantiated claim that Watterson will either have final say on casting, or will allow people to vote ontech on which auditionees are hired for the roles…

The Hollywood Reporter, 7/27/2019



wimNyu5.png


[pic: imgur.com/wimNyu5.png ]

– US Vice President Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID) visits a hospital for disabled veterans in Atlanta, GA, 7/30/2019



…one of the largest pieces of immigration legislation in over a decade was attempted in the summer of 2019, with the Democratic-held House attempting to pass a bill to lower legal fines and penalties for immigrants who violated the rules and requirements of their work visas. Grammer agreed to sign it in exchange for Democrats approving of a slashed budget for border/customs officials to make up the funding losses that such changes would bring about. However, a majority of Democrats did not believe this was a good deal, and negotiations stalled. The situation was rendered moot in August, when the Republican leaders of the GOP-held Senate announced their opposition to the proposed bill. With an insufficient number of Republicans being willing to cross the aisle to pass the bill in the Senate, the proposed legislation died in a House committee…

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



“KOREAN STAR WARS” FINALLY PREMIERS TO BOX OFFICE SUCCESS BUT MIXED CRITICAL REVIEWS

…Kim Jong-nam’s “Regime of The Fire Nebula,” a magnum opus two decades in the making, hit theaters worldwide yesterday. Starring Yu Nan, Ni Dahong and Miki Yeung, with Kim’s 24-year-old son Kim Han-sol in a minor role, this story of a cosmic conflict between unapologetic villains, imperfect heroes, and suspicious allies is filled with homages to various sci-fi franchises, from “Dune” and “Valerian and Laureline” to South Korea’s “Viva Freedom!” (1946), most obviously, the “Star Wars” franchise, too…

…After the fall of his family’s dictator in KW2, Kim maintained a low profile, serving as a technical supervisor for the PRC’s state-run media and publishing memoirs and newspaper op-eds on global issues. He also made a living off a stipend from the United Korean government in exchange for helping them to “un-brainwash” Northern radicals. In the 2000s, he attended film schools in Europe and worked with archivists and historians in both the PRC and United Korea. Kim’s actual filmography, though, begins in 2008, when he co-wrote a low-budget Steven Segal vehicle under a pseudonym. Three years later, the first screenplay he penned under his own name was a French-Korean fantasy horror film; he directed a film for the first time in 2013, for a Korean drama he co-wrote about an ex-con wracked with guilt…

The Los Angeles Times, 8/5/2019



In 2019, Ollie’s Trolleys and Ollieburgers experienced a second rebound, thanks largely to the people of the late 2010s and the 2020s developing much nostalgia for paraphernalia from the 1990s. This trend included nostalgia for the first rebound that the niche burger chain had in the 1990s.

After all this time, Oliver Gleichenhaus is still not viewed as another “Colonel,” but many do still consider him to have been a great and wonderful chef. And to the supporters of his Ollieburger – his greatest legacy, providing good food for so many people – being a great chef makes him a “Colonel” in their eyes. As much of an honorary Colonel as was The Colonel himself.

– proudsoutherner.co.usa/food/ollies-trolley/you-could-be-the-next-colonel-sanders, 2022 article



…In August, another police shooting incident unfolded in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, when police opened fire on an alleged shoplifter, killing the suspect and severely injuring three bystanders in the process. Of the four shot, three were African-American, and a fourth, who was shot in the knee, was a white business owner.

With Bob Ross living nearby, the former Vice President immediately visited to comfort the survivors of the shooting at the local hospital, offering kind words to them and their families. As word of the shooting spread, Ross spoke to a crowd outside the hospital and called for people to “honor the wounded” with peace. Refraining from using some catchy pun like “beat a paintbrush, don’t beat a person” or anything to that effect, Ross instead spoke bluntly about how peaceful protests and sit-in would be more effective than violent rioting.

NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan, who was born and raised in New Smyrna Beach, criticized the comments, claiming that his improved speech was “rife with elitist talking points.” But the fact remained that after the speech went fervid ontech, none of the coast-to-coast protests turned ugly and violent…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



Report: Ex-Diplomat Mike Leavitt Considering Primary Run Against VP Brown

…Since leaving politics eight years ago, Leavitt, who served as the US Ambassador to New Zealand under President Wellstone and as a Republican US Representative from Utah from 2003 to 2009, has served as the head of several NGOs and charitable organizations primarily aimed at combating the effects of Global Climate Disruption… “I don’t think Harley has what it takes to lead our country into the next decade. He loves the great outdoors, as do I, but I don’t think he takes our planet’s climate crisis serious enough,” Leavitt quickly said to reporters…

– 545towin.co.usa, 8/9/2019



…The second doubly-landlocked nation in Africa, and the third doubly-landlocked nation in the world, came into existence on September 12, 2019. The Arab-majority region of Birao, which made up most of the northern half of the Vakaga Prefecture, which itself made up the northern tip of the Central African Republic, broke off to form the Federation of Birao. Years of intermittent fighting had led several regimes taking advantage of the region’s oil reserves, and the locals had had enough of it. Though surrounded by the landlocked nations of Darfur, Chad, and the C.A.R., it contained enough resources and diplomatic recognition to maintain trade with other nations. Naturally, the C.A.R.’s government at the time refused to recognize the declaration of independence and declared war on the “treasonous” region.

Remembering the backlash his administration received that last time a nation in Africa fell into a state of regional warfare, President Grammer immediately called for the leaders on both sides of the conflict to sit down and negotiate, or face “severe economic ramifications.” The two countries ignored the bluff and continued fighting. Grammer then replied with recognizing Birao to the surprise of political pundits.

“The C.A.R. government is not respecting any international groups or authorities,” US Secretary of State Richard Morningstar later explained. “The United States is not in the business of tolerating these kind of oppressive regimes, and to turn our back to Birao would be a grave irony, given the history of how our own country was formed.”

Framing the struggle of the people of Birao as an “underdog” combating a “big dog” was effective, but misleading. The Central African Republic was even less regionally important than Burkina Faso and The Fulani Republic, with a total population of just under 4.5 million, a weak economy, and an even weaker military – one that was exhausted and leaderless after several decades of irregular and sporadic warfare, and rampant assassinations of military leaders.

As a result of this administration’s improving handling of foreign policy developments, and the 2020 Presidential primary season beginning at home, American media concentrated less on Birao and more on domestic concerns, much to the relief of President Grammer…

– David Tal’s US Strategic Arms Policy After the Cold War: Globalization & Technological Modernization, Routledge, 2020



Below: Bob with his first wife, Vivian “Vicky” ridge, and their son Steve, many years ago

cX6Cw7w.png


[pic: imgur.com/cX6Cw7w.png ]

…The worrisome possibility of running for President only for his long-dormant cancer to return plagued Bob. “My mean old friend went away, but he could come back at any time, so I stay alert,” Bob once explained in a 2019 interview. “I still have so much to live for, just like how everyone has something to live for whether they know it or don’t, but if you do everything to keep the mean old friend away, and he comes back anyway, then it’s your time. I’ve made my peace with that, but that lack of a definite date still worries me a bit. It makes me want to do the most I can while I still can, but it still worries me a bit.”

– Kristin G. Congdon, Doug Blandy, and Danny Coeyman’s Happy Clouds, Happy Trees: The Bob Ross Phenomenon, University Press of Mississippi, Second edition, 2021



…unemployment in Russia has just eclipsed the percentage rate it had at the height of the SARS pandemic in late 2002…

– NBC News, 8/15/2019 broadcast



“Americans can’t afford to let another Democratic Presidency re-implement restrictive government regulations and an over-taxation of the economy. Republicans need to win next year, and when they do, they need to utilize the tax code to incentivize economic expansion. At lower tax rates, the economy expands, and collections into the Treasury actually increase. Ronald Reagan saw how this low-rate incentive worked and repeated its success as Governor. It is a travesty that it has never been tried out at the national level.”

– prominent conservative Canadian economist Robert Mundell, TON News, 8/17/2019 interview



“We have the ability and the resources to eliminate poverty in this country. We can’t turn our back to our fellow Americans calling out for rescue. It is our patriotic duty to save them from hunger and war, and to then hand them the tools to control their own destiny – training programs, vocational schools, employment and education opportunities that the generations of yesteryear could only dream, of but are a reality and are right here and right now.”

– US Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), 8/21/2019



TOKYO SEXWALE ELECTED SOUTH AFRICA’S NEW PRESIDENT

…former Sanitation Minister and former Gauteng Premier Mosima G. “Tokyo” Sexwale (b. 1953) won over Sherry Chen, a female politician born and raised in China who served in several positions under Presidents Kgositsile and Balindlela, and was initially the race’s frontrunner…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 25/8/2019



…After the two-year anniversary of the Independence Day Stabbings passed, President Grammer began ramping up his Justice Department’s efforts to go after domestic hackers. With a greater amount of intensity, and with US Attorney General Susana Martinez reassigning dozens of agents, the number of hackers who were successfully tracked down and arrested rose significantly. Just 10 were arrested in all of 2018, while that number of “technet terrorists” were arrested in just the first month of the new policy being in effect (August 2019).

However, many activists and technetters soon began accusing the administration of going after anti-government whistleblowers, and with each passing month and its rising number of arrests, the criticisms increased. Politically active technetters soon enough began claiming that Grammer and Martinez were essentially running a low-key police state, despite many of the arrested hackers being released on bail, or being cleared of wrongdoing later on in court…

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



“No, I’ll tell you what I’m angry about. The Bigfoot Party. Who knew conspiracy theorists had the balls to step onto my turf with a joke as big as that one? Have you seen their platform? It’s way better than my fake political party. I called it the ‘Wine Party,’ that’s w-i-n-e, not w-h-i-n-e, though its members do that, too. Both of those things. Very heartily. The fictional Wine Party is the ultimate form of left-wing elitism, supporting social justice reform the same way your friend tells you ‘Oh don’t worry, we’re right behind you,’ right before you try and fail to fight someone twice your size. You turn around and see them on the other side of street cheering you on. But could the UFO-seeing, third-eye-having, cactus-juice-drinking, ghost-chasing people of America let me have that turf? No! They had to go and create a party that is such a good joke, it got 11% of the vote in Arizona’s 2016 Senate race! You can’t make up stuff like that, which pisses me off, because now I have to work even harder to try and make jokes that are funnier than reality itself. I’m dealing with existentialist stuff now over here! Gives me a headache. I need some wine, hold on a sec...”

– actor/stand-up comedian Roy Wood Jr., “The Roy Wood Jr. Program,” 8/29/2019



“A True Gentleman”: Biaggi Is Dead At 101

…the retired icon of New York state politics passed away less than two months shy of his 102nd birthday…

The New York Post, 9/1/2019



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[pic: imgur.com/HjEDXDj.png ]

– clickopedia.co.usa



JESUITS AND CARMELITES EXPEL 20 CLERGYMEN IN AS MANY DAYS

…two independent orders of the Catholic Church have cleaned house after separate investigations into allegations of abused minors concluded that, despite strides over the years to make the church more transparent and ethical, sexual pestering is still a major problem. Several ex-clergymen face criminal charges, and may join the many other members of the cloth convicted in recent decades…

– Associated Press, 9/5/2019



uroPfn6.png


[pic: imgur.com/uroPfn6.png ]

– A Presidential candidate, Governor Charlotte Pritt (D-WV), while canvassing early in an early primary state, discusses her campaign platforms with five people on a street near Reno, Nevada, 9/1/2019; Pritt’s campaign started with poor name recognition in many western states, but this quickly changed as the campaign season continued on



MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (COMPLETE SERIES) MLD

Price: $229.99 or Best Offer

Condition: Good

Seller: YardSaleMan654

Description: The complete series of the American TV comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000, containing every episode ever made, from its 1988 pilot to its 2005 finale…

– globalgaragesale.co.usa, ontech shopping site, 9/9/2019 listing



…The issues of this election currently seem to be more on the domestic side of things, especially for registered Democrats. Their party leaders claim that the recent drop in worker wages is not the result of immigrants but from automation, deregulation, and anti-union policies. Hopefully, independent voters know better than that. Said voters may also understand the hidden negative aspects of the Democratic proposals of guaranteed vacation time and government-controlled maternity/paternity leave…

– John A. Nichols’s article “The (Proposed) Federal Freedom Fund: A Brief History,” The Nation, 2019 issue



ROCKY MCCAIN DECLINES PRESIDENTIAL RUN, ENDORSES BROWN

The Washington Post, 9/14/2019



(redirected from “Conan the Barbarian 3”)

CONAN THE KING

Premiered: September 16, 2019

Genre(s): action/epic/fantasy/adventure

Directed by: John Milius

Written by: John Milius, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway

Produced by: Raffaella De Laurentiis

Cast:

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Vivica A. Fox
Dina Meyer
Jake Busey
Eric Marlon Bishop
Gerry Lopez
Valerie Quennessen
Harland Williams
David Bautista

See Full List Here

Synopsis:

Taking place decades after the events of the second film, Conan the Destroyer (1984), the retired Conan picks up his sword to once more do battle and defend his family and kingdom from an army of evil forces.

Reception:

The film received mixed-to-positive critical reviews, and generally positive responses from critics. The film performed modestly at the box office, and it has since developed a strong cult following.

Trivia Facts:

Trivia Fact No. 1:

Despite typically working on non-horror projects, Aaron Fechter, the engineer behind the animatronics of the fast food chain “SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine,” worked on some the practical effects for this movie, as well as for several other independent films.

– mediarchives.co.usa



The way my style is, I tell it from my heart with the bark on. You know, I’m not politically correct. I tell the truth and don’t varnish what I say. But, you know, Lisa Marie, my campaign manager and Chief of Staff, she is on me for using some adjectives that would make a sailor blush, so I got to clean up my act that way. But other than that, expect the same Harley Brown you saw riding in 2012, b*tches – babies, whoops, sorry, I meant to say babies.” [2]

– Harley Brown to a male reporter, 9/19/2019



Anonymity [3]


Premiered: September 22, 2019

Genre(s): action/spy thriller/thriller

Directed by: Tony Gilroy

Written by: Shawn Christensen

Produced by: Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel

Cast:

Robert Pattinson
Julia Cumming-Harden-Smith
Regina Hall
Andy Garcia

See Full List Here

– mediarchives.co.usa



…“Kitchen Table” issues dominated the pre-primary phase of the 2020 election cycle. Senator Lugaro called for clean drinking water and broadband accessibility for all Americans via a return to the electrical infrastructure/power projects begun under President Wellstone. Mayor Warren advocated for affordable housing, Representative Teachout championed public school/early-learning centers/community colleges/vocational schools, and pledged to dismantle the practice of their funding being linked to its area’s income level. Governor Moore always had disparaging remarks to make about America’s largest tech company, the e-commerce behemoth that is haggle.co.usa and its reluctance to allow their workers to unionize, saying for instance in September 2019 that “Unions have a shameful reputation of covering up abuses, but collective bargaining is a right that comes with the territory of running a business. If the people a haggle had any business acumen they would know this, and if they had any business ethics they would accept this!”

Many Democratic candidates backed the proposals of free Pre-K, taxing the top 1%, and implementing paid family leave and paid sick leave, but disagreed on how to implement such changes. Only some candidates strongly backed free school lunches at the national levels…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



…The latest Chicken Dinner Summit in Jerusalem was not as exception as other ones in recent years, failing to reach the level of attention or even attendance level as the 2013 and 2017 summits. Nevertheless, the convergence of local community leaders from across the region continued the tradition of keeping open the channels of communication between trade partners. This annual celebration of regional unity continues to demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s commitment to working alongside others, even Israel and Iran, to keep the Middle East a powerful bloc and a nexus for innovation on the world stage…

– Madawi al-Rasheed’s The History of Modern Saudi Arabia, Sunrise Books, 2019 edition



…In September, roughly 1,00 unemployed Russians organized a sit-in outside the office of St. Petersburg’s Mayor. The incident resulted in the Mayor promising to redirect funds to the city unemployment office and to local homeless shelters. The Mayor also pledged to work with the city council and landlords to organize a temporary halting of rent payments in order to keep families out of the cold and off of the streets, but this policy would not be put into effect until late November…

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2020



“This is not some vanity project. I’m not doing this for the fame. I’m not here for the money. God pays for his plans. I running to win. Where God guides, he provides. And this is something from what God told me long ago, and I’m letting him foot the bill because when I do become President of the United States it’s gonna give tremendous glory to God. I’m a military man. The norms of military service are duty, honor and country. But can you tell me the three R’s of politics? Raises, Revenge and Re-election. But that all changes when I become Commander-in-Chief, just you wait and see.” [2]

– Harley Brown, 10/2/2019




Co-Panelist Van JONES: “Do you think Ranked-Choice Voting will encourage rural towns and states to try and get more people to move in to such communities?”

Guest Panelist, political analyst and former Gov. Karl ROVE (R-UT): “They’ll have to! It’s now the only way to ensure farmers have more of a voice in Presidential politics from here on out!”

Guest Panelist Alisyn CAMEROTA: “Yes, especially farther down the line as people become used to the RCV –”

ROVE: “Because who has more value in society, ten I.T. guys or one farmhand? Not all jobs are equal, but farming is necessary for us to have food to eat so we can live, and, you know, not die, so maybe all of these candidates should really focus on that, because more attention is needed on agricultural issues.”

The Overmyer Network, roundtable discussion, 10/4/2019



HOME ALONE PREQUEL FILM CONFIRMED!

…currently going with the title “Harry and Marv,” a Home Alone prequel movie is in the works, with Robert Smigel and Drew Pearce co-writing the script, Smigel confirmed on social media earlier today… The titular main characters are to be recast for a film that aims to show their origin story. Smigel did not specify any expected release date…

– The Hollywood Reporter, 10/6/2019



“Just imagine what this country would look like if we put more money to our national education budget than our national defense budget. If we spent more money on schools than war. It is shameful that we can only imagine it, and not live it, at this point in time. Especially since the federal government did care more about education than warfare under Presidents Jackson and Wellstone. We have to bring back that kind of America, and make it even better than it was back then.”

– Gov. Charlotte Pritt (D-WV), campaign stop in Laconia, NH, 10/8/2019



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[pic: imgur.com/9CRBxSd.png ]

– Before speaking at a rally for KY Governor Hal Heiner’s re-election bid, Harley Brown talks to supporters among the crowd, 10/10/2019; here, he is standing in the back of the crowd listening to the KYGOP Chair speak, a few minutes before Brown’s turn at the podium



…Inside the GOP, prominent leaders were still having a semi-serious debate over whether or not some major party member should run against Vice President Brown. Former RNC Chair Ed Rollins reported noted, during a DC think tank meeting in October 2019, that “Outside of Wellstone, no VP has ever won a Presidential election in over 180 years.” Indeed, even in the modern area, all such attempts between 1948 and 2008 had ended in failure (Nixon in 1960, Humphrey in 1968 and 1972, Scranton in 1972, Gravel in 1980 and 1984, Polonko in 1992, Litton in 1996 and 2000, and Ross in 2016). These Republicans were concerned because Brown was very popular within the party, but they were not confident that he could reach out to independents and undecided voters and was instead limited to his admittedly-large base of libertarians, populists, and religious conservatives.

However, few Republicans prominent enough to mount a meaningful bid were willing to do so out of fear of reprisals from within the party should they fail. “Nobody with a promising career was going to put it on the line for something like that,” explained Michigan Governor Brian Calley in a late 2020 interview describing his decision to not challenge Brown for the nomination. “It’s what you call risk assessment.”

Instead, the most prominent anti-Brown Republican to declare themselves a candidate by October 2019 was former US Congressman Kevin Mannix of Oregon. Mannix’s first critiques of the VP, however, came about in a gaffe-filled rant in a radio interview, where criticized President Grammer’s knife buyback policy. “It will lead to further restrictions on guns,” Mannix complained, “And only way to truly exercise the Second Amendment is to join a militia, and because it has to be a well-regulated one, they’ll make you actually do stuff besides shooting stuff! That’s ridiculous!”

A political gadfly at the start of his career, Harley Brown still had a dynamic presence over the party, practically reeking of anti-establishment despite becoming a part of it in 2012. Critics excoriating his “jokes,” or “Harleyisms” as he called them, did little to discourage Republicans from backing the second-in-command for their party’s nomination for commander-in-chief…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



GUO JIANMEI TAKES OVER A CHINA’S NEW HEAD OF STATE

…In a boon for women’s rights in China, PRC Vice Chair Guo Jianmei (b. 1961) entered office today as the first female head of state in modern Chinese history. Guo succeeded Premier Yang Gang (b. 1953), who was term-limited to a single twelve-year term, after a close internal party fight between her and three more conservative ministry members who failed to form a united front against her ascension to the top spot. To placate party conservatives, Zhu Xiaodan was selected to become China’s new Vice-Chair…

…Guo Jianmei, the nation’s former Health Minister and a party member from Hua province, won international accolades and several awards for championing human rights and promoting safezoning measures during and after the SARS pandemic. Guo’s selection to succeed Gang Premier of the People’s Republic, and the official Chair of the PRC’s Communist Party, may have additionally been in response to a pro-reform “Green Stars” movement, a small-but-growing movement inside China that opposes the country’s rising pollution rates, which are impacting life quality at “un-ignorable levels” (which this newspaper covered last month). Guo is supportive of “better” regulations of pollution levels, and is highly popular among ontech supporters of the “Green Stars” movement. Furthermore, she is very popular among the international community – or at least, is more popular than Yang Gang…

The Boston Globe, 10/15/2019



…The Grammer White House immediately congratulated Guo for the job promotion, with President Grammer hoping to soon begin talks with the new PRC premier in hope that this reform-minded leader would reverse, or at least curb, her country’s cybersecurity attacks. Grammer offered to sit down with Guo for an in-person discussion on “bilateral security measures,” and sought to have it happen as soon as possible…

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



…And in Russia, the Mayor of Vladivostok has been arrested on corruption charges. The Mayor of that city is an associate and ally of Russian President Nikolayev, but local police can neither confirm nor deny any connection between the corruption and the President at this time. Nevertheless, the fact remains that one of Nikolayev’s biggest regional supporters has possibly fallen from grace in a development that may refuel anti-Nikolayev protests across Russia…

– NBC News, 10/22/2019 broadcast



“Before October was even over, we began the process of reaching out to Guo’s inner circle to see if we could agree to sign an accord of some kind. We wanted them to not conduct or promote cybersecurity attacks or hacks or any other kinds of technet-based economic espionage. If we reached that kind of deal, we understood that it would be a great improvement over our ineffective and damaging response from roughly two years prior, when the US Justice Department charged several members of the PRC’s military of being cyber hackers. That didn’t do much of anything but worsen tensions at our embassies. But a redefining of US-Chinese relations, now, we knew that would do much more good for us.”

– Former US Secretary of State Dick Morningstar, 6/18/2021 interview



…“Obviously, optics play a vital role in any visual, and that includes campaigning. How you keep your hair and face, what you wear, how you walk and talk, even how you eat,” explained professional stuntman Thomas Mopather in a December 2020 interview, “Because [Presidential candidate Amanda] Bearse is only 5-foot-4, she had to wear high-heeled footwear and have podiums and chairs inspected by her staff prior to her using them. In October, her campaign hired me, the best stuntman in the business, to give her some height illusion tips.”…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



CDC: SARS Cases This Year At Their Lowest Ever

…the SARS virus, once an economy-halting plague that struck fear into the hearts of billions worldwide, has become a seasonal allergy, but while it is not as common as the flu, it is more deadly and damaging than the flu. …the record-low for the past ten months is certainly a sign of progress, especially when compared to when the virus evolved once again in 2017, leading to thankfully-brief public health scare…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 10/28/2019



Kentucky General Election Results, 11/5/2019:

For Governor:

Inc. Gov. Hal Heiner (Republican) – 919,375 (57.56%)

Fmr St. Auditor Adam Edelen (Democratic) – 656,309 (41.09%)

Fmr St. Rep. Everett Corley (Independent) – 20,285 (1.27%)

Mr. Blackii Effing Whyte (Liberty) – 1,277 (0.08%)

Total votes cast: 1,597,246 (100.00%)

– ourcampaigns.co.usa



TONIGHT’S ELECTION: Gray Wins A Second Term!

…truck driver-turned-union leader-turned-Governor of Mississippi Robert Gray won re-election tonight with 51% of the vote and a new Lieutenant Governor, the former state Attorney General Jamie Franks…

The Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi newspaper, 11/5/2019



YANG WINS! Will Become Columbus’s First Asian-American Mayor

…Yang, who earned a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1999 and has lived in the city since then, was joined by his wife Evelyn and their three children in thanking voters and congratulating Yang’s opponents for running “clean” campaigns focused on “the real issues.” …Yang promises to implement his signature “Democracy Dollars” program proposal within a year of taking office…

– The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio newspaper, 11/5/2019



…Local elections using RCV/instant-runoff processes, such as the Mayoral elections held in Boston, Massachusetts and Aurora, Colorado, as well as most mayor races held in Kentucky, gave psephologists another batch of election results to study, in turn giving media outlets the latest examples of the RCV process ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.

…Many of these new results were examined to better understand how undecided voters cast their ballots in the wake of rising anti-RCV scrutiny. RCV critic and former RNC Communications Director Matt Gorman expressed concern that, in the Denver, Colorado Mayoral Election, a small post-election survey found a majority of “the truly undecided” ranked the main party candidates interchangeably; he and others frequently claimed that this observation put the integrity of the entire upcoming election into question. Gorman would never mention, though, that the number of undecided voters who made such comments were noted in the survey as being just 23 – out of 205,145 votes cast. And that the margin of victory in the final round was 7,251.

Confronted by this in a KNN roundtable discussion, Gorman denied taking the survey comments out of context, but eventually entered a shouting match with the interviewee, who countered, “That is not how facts work, Matt!” The moment went fervid and quickly became a lafpic ontech. Both talking heads eventually agreed that American voters needed to be better educated about the candidates and which ones aligned with their own beliefs; KNN’s interviewer encouraged voters visit the netsite rankedchoice.gov.usa, while Gorman suggested visiting THN’s home-page instead...

– Pat Sheffield and Rachel Joy Scott-Ireland’s Voices And Votes: The History of the National Initiative Amendment, Tumbleweed Publications, 2021



LUCASFILM ANNOUNCES NEW STAR WARS SERIES

…“The Coruscant Chronicles,” which is planned to be both a world-building anthology series and a syndicated series following the adventures of several character both old and new, will be the first live-action Star Wars series to air since Star Wars: Renegade (2008-2015, 2017-2018) finally concluded last year…

The Hollywood Reporter, 11/9/2019



MOTHER-POST: Was The Colonel Truly A Good Person?

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[pic: imgur.com/RAJiXQn.png ]

Above: The Colonel at some indoor crowd, c. 1961

I know a lot of people are going to e-snipe me for this, but was he really as great as so many make him out to be? Democrats often point to him as the kind of Republican can would support, and some Republicans worship him like a God, and KFC outlets are the shrines and alters. But didn’t he start a whole bunch of wars and promote state-sponsored censorship? And, most obviously, the guy was a pervert, wasn’t he? So was a good person overall, and for the country, and for the world, and for the GOP, or is everyone looking back on his administration through rose-colored glasses?

REPLY 1:

He didn’t start those military conflicts so much as he inherited them from the Johnson and Eisenhower administrations; Cuba was pretty much over by the time he got in, so the wars in question were the Indochinese wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. To put it in the quickest way possible, Sanders studied the problems and spent two years laying out the groundwork for the invasion of Hanoi, which ended the conflict; he used diplomacy to get the King of Laos to work with US forces to drive out the communists from there; the messiest war was in Cambodia, but once the dictator Pol Pot was killed, the regime collapsed. Those wars had casualties, yes, but they were victorious under his watch.

REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:
But @OP he was a pervert, per se. He got called out for being gropey in his younger years, but unless others who would deny, deny, deny, he confessed and apologized for it. That wouldn’t be enough nowadays, but back then, it was damn progressive. And there’s ample evidence to support the notion that he did feel genuinely remorseful about it. I think it’s up to each of us individually to decide if he can be forgiven for not being absolutely perfect.

REPLIES 1-7 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 (show|hide)

REPLY 2:

His rhetoric brought populists into the GOP, but it also invited in sexists.

REPLY 1 to REPLY 2:
What are you talking about? How? Before the Ms. Arkansas Scandal, The Colonel won a large majority of the female vote in the 1964 and 1968 elections because KFC was a quick go-to solution for mothers wanting to put dinner on the table in a hurry. It’s how he swept the suburbs! And he restored his reputation after the scandal, so if anyone invited sexists into the party, it was the likes of Bob Packwood and Buz Lukens.

REPLY 3:

No, he end conflict that were already escalating by the time he enter office, and but you are right about the censorship. He firmly opposed swear words from being printed (making him a hypocrite, given his own legendary swearing history), and thought comic books were too violent and bloody for young people to be reading. That’s why he supported the USIA, America’s now-defunct propaganda department. And yes, everyone forgets about that.

REPLY 1 to REPLY 3:
Except for comic book experts. Some of those guys hate The Colonel for that reason and pretty much that reason alone. But they’ll still eat KFC. Interesting.

REPLY 4:

I’d say he was good for the GOP overall. He indirectly got a lot of baddies out of the woodwork. His opposition to racists kept the worst kind of conservatives at bay, keeping them from becoming active in the party in earnest until Denton came to power, and even then, that element is not so tightly woven into the GOP as you would think. And the first Arkwave contributed to the women’s rights movement.

REPLY 5:

The Colonel was good for the world because he ended the Cold War! He was the one who met with the Chinese in 1968, further dividing the Sino-Soviet split and creating a domino effect that ended with the USSR collapsing in 1984! He ended a decades-long period of people being scared out of their minds by the very real possibility of dying in a nuclear WWIII! Who even cares about his negative qualities when his positive qualities more than wake up for them??!!!

– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, thread began 11/12/2019



Democrats Win Back Governor’s Seat In Louisiana Election

…state senator Caroline Fayard (D) won over former state senator Clay John Schexnayder (R) by a comfortable margin…

– The Houston Chronicle, 11/16/2019



…Another factor is The Pendulum Effect. Historically, people tend to vote for the opposite of the incumbent, be it major policies or shallow optics such as age, gender or place of origin. The latter is especially true for elections held after the rise of television. In 1972, Sanders was 82, and was succeeded by Mondale, who was 44. In 1981, Mondale – who was from the North, was succeeded by Denton – who was from the South. Eight years later, Kemp, a sports-loving he-man near-stereotype, was succeeded by Bellamy, a feminist icon; and it was the reverse in 1993. In 2000, Dinger, who was pro-war, lost re-election to Jackson, who was pro-peace. And in 2012, Wellstone, who was viewed as part of the DC establishment, lost re-election to Grammer, who was from outside The Beltway.

So now another question whether or not the pendulum will swing away from the incumbent administration in 2020. And if it does, in what way?...

– Tumbleweed Magazine, 11/20/2019



…the fields of candidates are large and diverse on both sides because each major party sees the next election as winnable. Grammer is still very popular among Republicans, while Democrats believe that after eight years of “small government” policies, people want change...

– thecalbearreport.co.usa, 11/24/2019



Late Night (NBC)
David Letterman (1982-1993)
Greg Kinnear (1993-1999)
Craig Kilborn (1999-2005)
Dave Chapelle (2005-2015)
Andy Samberg (2015-present)

The Late Show (TON)
Joan Rivers (1986-1989)
Arsenio Hall (1989-1993)
Jay Leno (1993-2014)
Jimmy Fallon (2014-present)

The Tonight Show (NBC)
Steve Allen (1954-1957)
Jack Paar (1957-1962)
Johnny Carson (1962-1993)
David Letterman (1993-2015)
Greg Giraldo (2015-present)

The Night-Time Show (CBS)
Arsenio Hall (1993-2008)
Jimmy Fallon (2008-2014)
Tina Fey (2014-2019)
Jessica Williams (2019-present)

Politically Incorrect (TON)
Bill Maher (1993-present)

The Daily Show (CBS)
Jon Stewart (1999-2017)
Wyatt Cenac (2017-present)

The Late Late Show (CBS)
Tom Snyder (1995-1999)
Bernie Mac (1999-2004)
Craig Ferguson (2004-2012)
Samantha Bee (2012-2018)
Patton Oswalt (2018-present)

– mediarchives.co.usa/American_talk_shows/list/hosts [4]



POLITICAL ACTIVIST VLADIMIR PUTIN ARRESTED FOR LEADING PROTEST OUTSIDE THE KREMLIN

...Putin, who uses a wheelchair, was reportedly “knocked out” of his chair by police and “dragged” into a police van. A longtime critic of the Russian government’s political establishment, claiming that all Presidencies since 1995 have been “rife with corruption,” Putin’s arrest has sparked additional protests across eastern Russia, where President Nikolayev is becoming increasingly unpopular…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 1/12/2019



JIMMY MCMILLAN IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN

…the anti-establishment NYC Mayor’s unique brand of bipartisan populism could be a wild card in the November election…

– The Washington Post, 12/4/2019



“Our pre-primary focus was winning over former Bob Ross backers in New Hampshire and Georgia. Being next door to the Granite State was no guarantee, and if we couldn’t gather momentum in or after the Peach state, we knew we’d be DOA for the First April Cluster. So we highlighted Jeff’s track record on preserving Vermont woodlands. We tried to replicate the social media presence that the Bob backers seemed to have, and bolster Jeff’s own ontech presence. We tried to appeal to young people by focusing on his success in school problems in Vermont, and we worked on winning over suburban areas as well.”

– Adam Parkhomenko (D-VA), former National Field Director of the Weaver2020 campaign, 2021 interview



…Bob turned off his TV and went out for a walk, his Secret Service team staying not too far behind. His mind must have been swimming with conflicting thoughts, for he traveled for quite a while, strolling across town into Ocala, until he found himself at the Bob Ross Nature Reserve just north of the Ocala National Forest. As he entered, he continued to ruminate about mounting a third Presidential bid. Deep in contemplation, he rested for a moment at a small pond, and looked out over the beauty that laid before him. He smiled warmly, probably thinking about how he had helped keep this old patch of nature around for his children and grandchildren…and great-grandchildren.

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[pic: imgur.com/10jVZTW.png ]

Bob looked up to the dusk-filled sky. “Hey, Jane,” he whispered, “did you hear the news, Audrey’s expecting. Twins. I’m going to be a great-grandpa.” He chortled softly, then paused, and sighed, “What do you think I should do, honey? I’m old, I’m tired, and I’ve done more than what I think God wanted me to do down here. But then again, maybe they’re seeing something in me that I’m not. Maybe I could win it this time. Maybe. Maybe.”…

– Kristin G. Congdon, Doug Blandy, and Danny Coeyman’s Happy Clouds, Happy Trees: The Bob Ross Phenomenon, University Press of Mississippi, Second edition, 2021



HAGGLE.CO.USA IS NOW SELLING HUMAN-SIZED DRONES!

…with a selling partnership with Palin Drones, Inc., haggle.co.usa is now selling drones large enough to hold the weight of an average 200-lb person sitting on it. These all-new, state-of-the-art drones can reach speeds of up to 80 miles an hour, but they are more expensive than the average four-seater car…

[snip]

Comments Section:

COMMENT 1:
Of course they’re more expensive than a car – they’re more valuable than a car!

COMMENT 2:
Are these things going to be street-legal? Because either way, these things are going to become a nuisance.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2:
Yeah, this is a troubling development. Still a fun one though.

COMMENT 3:
And just in time for the winter shopping holiday rush! How convenient.

– usarightnow.co.usa, 12/9/2019



PRITT: “FDR was right when he proposed an economic bill of rights in 1944. He understood that employment, food, clothing, and spare time were not luxuries but rights.”

HEALEY: “All workers, from customer services to factory workers to farmers to retail to medical care, share the right to fair and just incomes. All small business owners deserve freedom from unfair competition and monopolies.”

BURWELL: “I back Mayor-Elect Andrew Yang’s proposal of a Federal Freedom Fund because we have the money to do it. And I served as the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget under President Jackson, so you know I have the experience to and the track record to oversee its implementation. At this point in history, with automation on the rise, a Federal Freedom Fund is the most effective and straightforward way to guarantee Americans the right to adequate basics like food, clothing, and shelter.”

CLODFELTER: “I think the Triple-F proposal would drive up inflation and damage the national and global value of the American dollar. If the American people want to get no-strings-attached free money at the start of every month, they can vote for it in a National Initiative. That way, it can be implemented regardless of who is the President.”

WEAVER: “I agree with how Charlotte views the role of the federal government. The federal government has the power, the ability, and the responsibility to guarantee all Americans their basic rights – rights that include, in the paraphrased words of FDR, ‘the right of every farmer to raise and sell their products at a return which will give them and their family a decent living; the right of every business owner, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad; the right of every family to decent housing; the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of aging, sickness, accidents, and unemployment; and the right to a good education.” [5]

– snippets from the Democratic Primaries Presidential debate, 12/14/2019




Anchor Anderson COOPER: “Okay, and in your respective opinions, what are the odds of Democrats or Republicans winning the race for the White House next year? Robert?”

Guest and former US Secretary of Labor ROBERT REICH: “It’s very good for the Democrats, I think after eight years of ineffective government, people are more than ready for change.”

COOPER: “Alright. Max?”

Guest and political consultant Max A. BOOT: “The economy and the stock market are in great shape right now, even with Russia’s economy slipping into the toilet, because the Grammer administration learned from the 2013 recession and is keeping America protected from its effects. The White House can definitely be kept in GOP hands next year, but some Republican LIDs are less certain that Harley Brown can deliver the party that very deliverable thing.”

COOPER: “Okay, and Alec?”

Guest and political activist Alec JONES: “The age of cowardice is coming to an end. The age of strength will return.”

COOPER: [pause] “Um, so, uh, are you saying either party has a shot.”

JONES: “It all depends on the nominees, Anderson, it all depends on the nominees.”

– CBS News, roundtable discussion, 12/17/2019



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[pic: imgur.com/Xr4GPTL.png ]

– Christmas being celebrated in Japan with Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC-Japan advertisement, 12/22/2019



List of United States Cities by Population

[snip]

1: New York City, NY
2: Los Angeles, CA
3: Chicago, IL
4: Houston, TX
5: Phoenix, AZ
6: San Antonio, TX
7: Philadelphia, PA
8: Dallas, TX
9: San Diego, CA
10: Austin, TX
11: San Jose, CA
12: Columbus, OH
13: Fort Worth, TX
14: Charlotte, NC
15: San Francisco, CA
16: Denver, CO
17: Seattle, WA
18: Jacksonville, FL
19: Indianapolis, IN
20: Louisville, KY

– clickopedia.co.usa



Music

The globalization of music in the 2000s splintered off into the personalization of music in the 2010s, resulting in multiple subgenres rising and falling in popularity and prominence throughout the decade. Nostalgia for the Razor Rock and country music stylings of the early 1980s saw soft-pop and country songs dominate global charts during the first half of the decade, while vaporwave became a highly prominent subgenre during the second half. The genre Country Rock also continued to be prominent, and rose in popularity in parts of Asia and Africa.

Film

After the lukewarm reception of “Poison Ivy: The Injustice Gang” (2010), superhero films enter a nine-year slump; the “dry spell” led to comic book enthusiasts correctly hoping that the 2020s decade would see a resurgence in comic book interest. Traditionally animated films began to have a “renaissance” period in 2019 that continued into the 2020s, but animated films overall remained predominantly CRI.

Theaters continued their steady decline in use as ontech viewing became the most common form of film-watching. By 2019, the number of theaters in the US was almost half of what it was in 2001, before SARS led to people discovering the benefits of watching films at home. Ontech viewing in the aughts spurred advances in media distribution technology; the 2010s saw the development of greater and more stable infrastructure for this technology.

Television

Late-night talk shows began to change and adjust formats to adopt to modern forms of joke-telling and joke-framing developed ontech, with the rise in prominence of “side-away” moments and “lafpic” humor, especially in western countries. Korean dramas became more popular internationally, while TV shows from India’s Bollywood entered a “golden age,” especially in Europe in the years after Great European Recession of 2013.

[snip]

– clickopedia.co.usa/2010s/popular_culture, c. 2022



POLICE VIOLENTLY DISPERSE PRO-PUTIN VIGIL, HUNDREDS ARRESTED

…roughly 5,000 Russian citizens stood outside a Moscow jail where political activist Vladimir Putin is being held indefinitely. Putin’s request for bail to be set is still “being processed” by local officials, nearly a month after his initial arrest for “disturbing the peace of the public” with an anti-government protest…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 26/12/2019



J. CHARLES JONES IS DEAD AT 82

…over a decade before James Meredith was appointed Vice President, Mike Gravel selected this African-American US Congressman and noted civil rights activist from North Carolina to be running mate in the 1984 Presidential election…

The Washington Post, 12/27/2019



TINA FLINT SMITH BOWS OUT: Former Governor Drops Long-Shot Presidential Bid

…describing her short-lived campaign as having “drowned in a sea of candidates,” the announcement comes one week after California Governor Cruz Bustamante bowed out amid low showings in polls, and one month after Governor Lisa J. Simpson declined a second bid for similar reasons…

…even on the Republican side, the field is crowded, with Brown being challenged by former Congressmembers, and incumbent Senators threatening to oppose him as well. With so many candidates on both sides of the contest only two months ahead of New Hampshire, it is still not clear who the major parties will nominate next year [6]

The Washington Post, 12/29/2019



SOURCE(S)/NOTE(S)
[1] OTL Bob Ross quote!
[2] Italicized segments found here: https://time.com/105512/idahos-gop-biker-candidate-on-life-as-a-viral-sensation/
[3] I’m surprised that there is no movie with this title (at least, according to Wikipedia) in OTL!
[4] Conan O’Brien was passed over for the more famous Greg Kinnear, like how he almost was in OTL; here, Conan serves as a writer for Futurama for a bit longer than his OTL stint writing for The Simpsons, then lands his own Talk Show on The Overmyer Network. Rivers left over creative differences and Arsenio Hall left to head his own show, The Arsenio Hall show, until concluding it in 2017. Bernie Mac passed away four years earlier than he did in OTL due to the effects that SARS (which he catches during the pandemic) has on his already-compromised health (lung inflammation problem, OTL/TTL). Also, in OTL, Stephen Colbert’s father and two of his brothers were all killed in a plane crash; here, that didn’t happen, so Colbert didn’t turn to comedy as a coping mechanism; instead, he followed his father into medicine but got into comedy to cope with the “shellshock” of the SARS pandemic; he began appearing in movies and TV shows in minor and recurring roles in the late 2000s/early 2010s, but began to take on major roles by the late 2010s.
[5] Italicized pieces pulled from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bill_of_Rights



[6] Ahead of the 2020 Democratic primaries, here’s a preference poll for y’all!: https://www.strawpoll.me/45281910

And here’s a quick breakdown of all 25 candidates, both declared and undeclared, found on the poll:

Ms. Amanda Bearse of Florida, age 62 – The Hollywood writer/director and political activist best known for her acting career in the 1980s and 1990s, Bearse “unmasked herself” and revealed she was BLUTAG in 1993, four years before the less-famous Ellen Degeneres did so in 1997; Bearse, a prominent proponent of BLUTAGO-American Rights for decades, is pulling a page out of Sorkin’s playbook and running on police reform and protecting families and minority groups, but with a more fiery and anti-establishment kind of rhetoric.

Fmr US Pres. Carol Bellamy of New York, age 79 (undeclared) – Many in the party still hold a candle for the former President due to her lifetime devotion to improve life quality; in her post-POTUS years, she’s been praised for contributing to the fight against SARS, for improving international relations as the UN Secretary-General (1997-2007), and for working to end child poverty as the Head of UNICEF (1993-1997, 2007-2017); despite declining bids in 1996, 2000, 2008, and 2016, some still hope that she will finally relent to calls for her to seek a second term.

US Sen. Sylvia Mathews Burwell of West Virginia, age 55 – Elected the US Senate in 2014, this Greek-American “darling” of suburban Appalachia previously served as President Wellstone’s HHS Secretary and as President Jesse Jackson’s OMB Director and HHS Undersecretary; her campaign seeks to capitalize on her regional appeal, and popularity among swaths of immigrant voters, female voters, and other groups.

US Sen. Dan Clodfelter of North Carolina, age 70 – The lawmaker serving in the US Senate since 2015 has a lengthy resume, starting out as a Rhodes Scholar and law clerk before serving on Charlotte’s City Council from 1987 to 1993, and then as the city’s Mayor from 1994 to 1998; a member of the state senate from 1999 to 2014, he is running on a job-centric platform, calling for better upward mobility and better employment opportunities to help people pursue better living quality and higher take-home pay.

US Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado, age 63 – Representing District 1 (Denver) since 1997, DeGette is known for being a fierce defender of Women’s Rights, BLUTAGO Rights, and America’s UHC system; her campaign focus on children’s health, food safety, medical research (including renewing Wellstone-era levels of federal involvement in stem cell research), plus OurVid snippets of her singer in her church choir, may bring in a wide and diverse group of supporters.

Fmr US Interior Sec. Larry J. Echo-Hawk of Idaho, age 72 – After serving as Governor from 1999 to 2007 and in the Wellstone Cabinet from 2009 to 2013, this Pawnee-American Mormon Marine Corps veteran believes his unique background, and his connections to and understanding of the people of the VP’s home state, are the key to besting Harley Brown in November 2020; his signature proposal is making rural America “superhubs” for renewable energy projects.

US Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau of Nebraska, age 61 – In office since January 2018, this African-American “rising star” with deep roots to community activism is running on a platform of defending families, farmers, seniors, and students, but also has GOP overlap in backing ZEDs; she also promotes easing America’s workforce shift from manufacturing to services, investing in medical research, and working with governors to implement civil justice measures.

Gov. Al Giannoulias of Illinois, age 44 – first elected governor in 2014 at the age of 38, this Greek-American former professional basketball player served as state Treasurer from 2007 to 2015; his gubernatorial tenure has seen state government direct more funds to combating child illness, improving disaster relief programs, and curbing urban and rural poverty, along with the implementation of securities lending programs and “creative” green energy projects.

Fmr Gov. Barry Goldberg of Pennsylvania, age 51 – Barreth Norman “Barry” Goldberg was Governor from 2011 to 2019, and was on Gary Locke’s shortlist for running mate in 2016; with an ebullient personality appealing to middle-class and suburban voters, Goldberg’s optimistic campaign is running on the slogan “Jobs, Technology, Progress,” or JTP for short, and is highlighting his successes as governor (such as being able to stop and then reverse the state’s economic “bleeding” during the 2013 recession, resulting in there being more jobs in the state when he left office than there was when he entered).

Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts, age 49 – Her home state’s first openly-BLUTAG Attorney General (2011-2015) before becoming Governor in 2015, Healey who also was previously a professional basketball player and law clerk, has spearheaded several initiatives as Governor concerning civil rights, criminal justice, antitrust, police reform, renewable energy, and urban development; her campaign is already winning over large swaths of the youth vote.

US Sen. Lisa Perez Jackson of New Jersey, age 58 (undeclared) – Developing an interest in environmentalism after the Trojan Tower Disaster, Jackson began working for the EPA in 1987, and served as the agency’s Director from 2004 to 2013, where she worked to combat carbon dioxide levels, CO2 emissions, and successfully getting congress to set stricter smog pollution limits; elected to the US Senate in 2014, many of her supporters believe that she needs to bring her experiences and skills confronting Global Climate Disruption to the Oval Office.

US Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan, age 66 – A longtime supporter of education, Lawrence has been serving in the House since 2015, after serving as Mayor of Southfield from 2001 to 2015; involved in Racial Justice, Government Oversight, Transportation, and Housing activities, Lawrence is heading a campaign focused on “bread-and-butter” issues, and could appeal to voters in urban, suburban and rural areas.

US Rep. Monica Lewinski of California, age 47 – Representing a “competitive” seat since 2011, the feminist Lewinski was almost picked to be Gary Locke’s running mate in 2016, but was not selected due to not being from a swing state; however, with the electoral college being reformed, the race’s dynamics have changed, and with her being from the union’s most populous state, she could lead the party to victory with her campaign and its emphasis on promoting women’s rights and reversing President Grammer’s tax reforms.

US Sen. Alexandra Lugaro of Puerto Rico, age 39 – This young Latina “firebrand” served in the House from 2011 to 2019, and in the US Senate since January 2019; a strong advocate of education, economic development, and job creation, she is running on a pro-labor platform that includes calling for the protection of workers from wage theft, “unjust” automation-related layoffs, immigrant abuse, and anti-union endeavors.

Mr. Bear McSavory of New Jersey, age unknown – The founder and CEO of Bear’s Hotdogs since 1971, this mysterious businessman has launched a low-key campaign that may just be a bizarre promotion of his chain of hotdog stands (his generic and vague campaign netsite has an autolink to the stand closest to one’s location on literally every page); despite his political positions being unclear (apart from backing small businesses and startups) and allegations of being a “joke” candidate, he has already gathered enough signatures and spent enough money to get his moniker on the ballot in several early primaries.

Fmr Gov. Michael Moore of Michigan, age 66 – Despite serving in various public offices since the age of 18, this former Governor (2011-2019) has developed an anti-establishment record and reputation; with his unique brand of populism, and using the same “anti-capitalist, pro-democracy” mantra he ran on in 2016, Moore is running on his job creation and community development successes made as Governor.

Gov. Krist Novoselic of Washington, age 55 (undeclared) – With streaks of libertarianism in his record, the reformist Governor of Washington since 2017 may forego re-election to run for President, as a Democrat if not as some third-party candidate; a hypothetical candidacy by the semi-retired guitarist whose political views cannot be easily categorized would focus on grassroots organization, ensuring fair tax distributions, and protecting individual rights.

Gov. Charlotte Pritt of West Virginia, age 72 – Intermittently serving in state offices since 1984, the pragmatic Pritt has become a “darling” of the Appalachian, Midwest, and Rust Belt regions in recent years; since entering office in 2013, Pritt, who calls herself an “FDR Democrat,” has transformed her home state, launching urban beautification, land reclamation, air quality and “green suburban” infrastructure plans, and diversifying the state economy to include tourism and wind energy; labor unions, nutritionists, educators, environmentalists and feminist groups are backing her candidacy.

US Sen. Kwame Raoul of Illinois, age 56 – Elected in 2008 and again in 2014, this charismatic Haitian-American lawmaker is retiring from the Senate to run for the White House on a liberal-to-progressive platform; similar to his unsuccessful 2016 run, he is calling for recreadrug policy reform to combat abuse through education, prevention, and assistance programs, and for stronger police precinct reform and civil justice (in connection to recent riots over police shootings).

Fmr US VP Bob Ross of Alaska, age 78 (undeclared) – The Happy Painting Warrior hasn’t held public office since 2013, he hasn’t won an election since 2008, and he hasn’t won an election on his own since 1990, but darn it, he’s Bob frickin’ Ross, and Ross The Boss is still wildly popular among a section of the party for his longtime of promoting peace, love, environmental protection, humanitarianism, and the arts; since leaving office, he has actively participated in numerous charities, and was a source of comfort and support to survivors of hurricanes in 2017, and of a police shooting in the summer of 2019.

US Sen. Tom Suozzi of New York, age 58 – A US Senator since 2007 who is third in line for Senate leadership, this enthusiastic Italian-American candidate was previously the Executive of Nassau County, NY from 2002 to 2006, and the Mayor of Glen Cove from 1994 to 2001; he is running on the proposal of creating jobs by establishing more hydrogen power projects and revitalizing urban centers nationwide.

US Rep. Zephyr Teachout of New York, age 49 – In office since 2015, this advocate of campaign finance reform and government transparency started out in academia, as a college professor and law firm associate; her platform calls for reversing President Grammer’s tax cuts for the wealthy, investing in transportation and technet infrastructure, implementing anti-corruption measures, and centralizing America’s education system.

Fmr Gov. William Thiebaut Jr. of Colorado, age 73 (undeclared) – A former state senator and former Governor (2011-2019), this father of 15 has floated the idea of running for months now, and may do so on a platform emphasizing his strong support of consumer rights, unions, community, ontech ID protection, and seniors; he could win over Republicans and Independents by leaning on the “family values” themes that got him elected Governor in the first place.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Ann Warren of New York [not Massachusetts as mistakenly stated on the poll, sorry :( ], age 43 – In office since 2014, the Mayor of Rochester gained national attention in recent years for her apparent success at police precinct reform, neighborhood development, and expanding education opportunities for her city’s youth and vocational opportunities for the city’s workers; she is running on a platform focused on consumer protection, economic renewal, and social safety net improvements.

Gov. Jeffrey P. Weaver of Vermont, age 54 – Active in statewide politics since the 1980s, he began his career working on local voter registration drives before being elected St. Albans City Ward 4 alderman in 1987, then Mayor of St. Albans in 1990; he served in the state House (1995-2001), then briefly left politics to open a comic book and gaming store in Burlington before serving in the state senate (2007-2011) and as Lieutenant Governor (2011-2015); since becoming Governor in 2015, Weaver has combatted income inequality and public utility issues; he has been endorsed by media mogul Bern Sanders.

If there’s no clear poll winner after 3 days, I’ll post a second poll with the top 15, 10, or 5 vote-getters, depending on how exactly things play out here.



Also, since I’m curious how popular Brown is, here’s a preference poll for y’all for the 2020 Republican primaries!: https://www.strawpoll.me/45281931

And here’s a quick breakdown of all 14 candidates, both declared and undeclared, found on the poll:

US Sen. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, age 57 (undeclared) – In office since 2011, the Greek-American son of former US Senator Mike Bilirakis has been an outspoken critic of the Vice President’s demeanor, calling his actions and gaffes “uncouth” and “unbecoming of someone in his position”; if he yielded to those calling for him to primary the VP, he would run on a platform supportive of the President’s tax cuts and regulation policies.

Fmr Lt. Gov. Lewis Kevin Billings of Utah, age 64 – A technocratic conservative Mormon with strong ties to Japan, Billings served as the Mayor of Provo from 1998 to 2010, and was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2012 but lost re-nomination in 2016; he is campaigning on his experience in economic development and his reputation for eloquent public speaking skills, claiming the Vice President is too inexperienced and divisive to win the general election.

US VP Harley Davidson Brown of Idaho, age 66 – What a character America has for a Vice President; the brutally honest biker-turned-KW2 War Hero can tout an impressive resume over his opponents, having previously served in the US House, as the Mayor of Nampa, and as a Governor; supportive of BLUTAGO-Americans “before it was cool,” Brown’s campaign is an inimitable combination of libertarianism, interventionism, and Christian Values, with his colorful language, rural roots, and brazen personality reminding many GOP voters of another (albeit less controversial) Republican politician - Colonel Sanders.

State Sen. Edward A. Buchanan of Wyoming, age 53 – Starting out as an attorney before serving in the state House (2003-2013) and state senate (since 2013), Buchanan believes Brown is giving their shared geographical region, and their political party, “a bad rap,” and, because Governor McCain of Montana declined to do so, Buchanan is running as a “more tolerant and tolerable” alternative to Brown.

Min. Mark Burns of South Carolina, age 41 – An evangelical minister and televangelist already endorsed by former US Rep. Marion Hammer (R-SC), this African-American conservative who passed up a run for Congress in 2018 believes that the Vice President is damaging the reputation of Christian activists despite Brown being highly popular among religious conservatives; Burns also disagrees strongly with Brown’s support for trans rights.

Fmr US Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, age 87 – This Cheyenne-American former member of the US Olympic Judo Team (1964) held several political offices from 1983 until his retirement from the US Senate in 2005, and previously ran for President in 2004; Campbell is running to keep the election focused on “the real issues at hand” (backing green energy and proper land use, curbing immigration, and cutting taxes and regulations), as he believes Brown would, as President, fail to implement certain policies and spend too much time “bickering with everybody.”

Fmr US Rep. Raymond J. “Chip” Cravaack of Minnesota, age 61 – This Libya War veteran served in the US House from 2011 to 2015, and lost re-election in an upset he blamed on a third-party conservative candidate on the ballot allegedly spoiling the race for him; with a military background, he considers himself to be a “sensible alternate” to the Vice President, and is running on a platform of “opening up” large sections of preserved land to developers and mining.

US Sen. Steve Gunderson of Wisconsin, age 69 (undeclared) – Gunderson has served in multiple offices since 1975, most notably as the US Secretary of Labor from early 2013 to late 2017, and has been in his current office since 2019; Gunderson has been openly BLUTAGO since 1995, when he revealed he was in a relationship with a fellow congressman, Harvey Milk (D-CA), which ended amicably in 2002; Gunderson has openly disapproved of Brown’s decorum and style on numerous occasions despite, and may run against them despite their very similar policy positions.

Fmr US Amb. to New Zealand Mike Leavitt of Utah, age 69 – A pro-EPA Mormon who started out in the insurance business, Leavitt was Lieutenant Governor under Governor Huntsman, from 1993 to 2001, and after losing a bid for Governor in 2000, served in congress from 2003 to 2009; he was the US Ambassador to New Zealand under President Wellstone from 2009 to 2011, stepping down to head a major international organization determined to reverse Global Climate Disruption; he is running due to his belief that Brown would not do enough as President to confront GCD.

Fmr US Rep. Kevin Mannix of Oregon, age 71 – Developing a moderate-to-conservative record while in congress from 2009 to 2019 (he lost re-election in 2018), Mannix is supportive of ballot measures, and worked on the victims’ rights legislation passed under President Grammer; he is running to “restore prestige to the Republican party,” cut taxes, strengthen the economy, and encourage partnerships between businesses and colleges.

US Sen. Rand Paul of North Carolina, age 58 (undeclared) – Taking a medical residency in North Carolina led to this technocratic “constitutionalist” libertarian ophthalmologist running for a US Senate seat from there in 2010 and again in 2016; several individuals, including his father, former US Senator and former Presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX), believe he should run in order to “save libertarianism’s reputation” from Brown, and return America’s focus to the troubling issues of cybersecurity and the size of the federal government.

Gov. Darryl W. Perry of New Hampshire, age 48 (undeclared) – This “radical” libertarian, who considers other libertarians like Rand Paul to be “weak moderates,” served as the Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama (2007-2011), then moved to New Hampshire in 2012 and served as a state senator (2015-2017) before being elected Governor in 2016 and 2018; his controversial gubernatorial tenure includes minimizing vehicle license requirements (possibly explaining a recent spike in NH car accidents) and decriminalizing all recreadrugs; supporters ontech want him to bow out of his re-election bid to run for President.

Fmr Gov. William S. Scranton III of Pennsylvania, age 73 – The son of the late Vice President Scranton already ran for President back in 1992, after being elected Governor in 1986 and 1990, but he is coming out of retirement and returning to the political arena to challenge Brown from the left with a moderate campaign focused on implementing a flat tax and a less isolationistic foreign policy; already, many in the party are calling him a LID (liberal in disguise).

Fmr WH Chief Foreign Policy Advisor Rob Sobhani of Maryland, age 60 – President Grammer’s former “go-to” man for oversees issues is an Iranian-American born in Kansas with deep ties to Iran (even being friends with Shah Reza Pahlavi) dating back to the 1970s, when he and his parents lived in Iran but moved back to the US to escape political turmoil; he is running to oppose Brown’s “aggressive” tendencies and “hawkish” approach to international diplomacy.



@Trevor807:
Mel Blanc – pretty much the same as OTL, surviving a car wreck, voicing Hanna-Barbera cartoons as well as Warner Bros. cartoons; he quit smoking in 1981 and passed away in 1997, having retired from voicing certain characters due to how aging had affected his voice.
Russi Taylor and Wayne Allwine – both still ended up voicing Mickey and Minnie like in OTL and both married each other like in OTL; however, due to the US having UHC here, he lives long enough to coach/train Bret Iwan and give a few tips to Chris Diamantopoulos, retiring from voicing duties in 2016 amid declining health, and passed away from diabetes in 2018 at the age of 71, with Taylor passing away in September 2019 (there was no Martin Prince character, but she did voice minor characters on Futurama and many other shows).
Roseanne Barr – similar to OTL; star of “Roseanne” (1988-1995, cancelled), “Roseanne Returns” (2004-2006, cancelled), “Roseanne’s Nuts” (2011-2012, cancelled), and “Roseanne Returns Yet Again” (2014-2018, cancelled); got into politics in the late 1990s in opposition to the War on Recreadrugs, and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Hawaii in 2002 (she lost the election to Mike Gabbard, as mentioned in the November 2002 chapter).
Joe Alaskey – voice actor like in OTL; mentioned in Chapter 116 as voicing Akbar on “Life In Heck,” and ITTL he died from cancer in early 2019, age 66.
4Kids Entertainment – still around, but has been primarily involved in various anime projects since the late 1990s.
Ronald McDonald and McDonaldland from McDonald’s – I previously mentioned McDonaldland in March 1994 as being showcased in McDonald’s commercials in the 1970s and being the inspiration for the “Waikiki Sea” and worldbuilding done for SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine; McDonaldland remained a popular gimmick until the 1990s, when McDonald’s sought to copy the popularity of SpongeBob’s hybrid animated-live action commercials by making Ronald McDonald and friends animated, but the premise continued to fall out of favor; commercials that had Cartoon Ron (1995-2002) interacting with celebrities also failed, resulting in the premise of McDonaldland being scrapped as a marketing tool; however, in recent years, some technetters have voiced support for the idea of McDonald’s bringing it back, either in commercials, or even as its own TV show, similarly to the SpongeBob show of the 1990s.
The Bugs Bunny Show – pretty much the same as OTL, except here it ran from 1948 to 1978, and the 1965-1972 episodes were noticeably less violent than the rest of them due the Sanders administration looking down on the depiction of violence in children’s programming; the closest thing this TL has to Space Jam would be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar playing a universe-jumping superhero in a live-action/animated hybrid film called “Toon Slam,” a “spiritual successor” to Who Framed Roger Rabbit made in 2001 that parodied the superhero films coming out at the time, produced by Warner Bros and also starring Brendan Frasier and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The Looney Tunes – Without Space Jam, there is no Lola Bunny; instead, after the Arkwave of 1970, a recurring female character, the tough-but-lovable Bonnie Bunny, was created and introduced on the Bugs Bunny Show in early 1972; Looney Tune shows like Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Baby Toons, and Duck Dodgers still come about in the 1990s/2000s, along with a new road-runner series called “Coyote Falls,” and a surprisingly mature series on the fastest mouse in all of Mexico called “Speedy.”
Greg Burson – got sober in 1999 but relapsed in 2002 due to the isolating effects of the safezoning shutdowns brought on by the SARS pandemic; he took a lengthy leave of absence in 2003 to enter rehab and returned to voice acting in 2004; passed away suddenly in 2018 from diabetes complications.
Alex Trebek – pretty much the same as OTL
Bob Barker – also pretty much the same as OTL
Dale Earnhardt – still alive, still racing.
Derek Savage – the poet? OTL. The footballer? Also OTL. EDIT: Wait, you meant Derek Chauvin, didn’t you? If you did: served in KW2 and became Cottage Grove’s youngest Sheriff in 2006 at the age of 30, but he resigned in 2009 in protest of Governor Johnson’s efforts to reform police precincts across Minnesota; after working for a security guard training agency, his record as sheriff came under scrutiny by Minnesota’s Attorney General, leading to him being acquitted on two counts of abuse of power in 2013 but guilty on a third one in 2014; he was pardoned by outgoing Governor Bachmann in 2019, and currently teaches law enforcement at Northern Arizona University.
Chris Savino – lead storyboard artist for several animated TV shows in the 1990s and directed several direct-to-MLD movies in the aughts and 2010s.
John Kricfalusi – taken down in the Arkwave of 1986 and failed to get his career back off the ground under pseudonyms; currently teaches social studies at Seneca College in Toronto and was recently reprimanded after being caught drinking on the job; he plans on retiring to Florida in 2022.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film adaptations – the one starring Gene Wilder was still made, and a remake directed by Chris Columbus was released in 2005 (MLD sales of the original film just prior to the SARS quarantine renewed interest in the original).
Mel Brooks – When Spaceballs came out in 1988 in OTL, it was initially criticized for being a few years too late for satirizing the series, but I saw it as possibly keeping Star Wars fans entertained enough to give Lucas time to work on the prequels. So here, it comes out about a year early with pretty much the same cast; after the third prequel film is set for 2001, Brooks begins work on Spaceballs II in earnest in order for the film to not come out too “late,” only for the SARS pandemic to delay the film’s release until the summer of 2004; starring most of the original cast, including Pullman, Candy and Zuniga, it’s considered to be not as good as the original classic but still a funny and fun self-aware parody film.
Jerry Springer – he was already mentioned as being a US Congressman in 1970 and as being the Governor of Ohio from 1987 to 1995; after an unsuccessful bid for a US Senate seat (he’s not eligible for the Presidency in OTL/TTL!), he began hosting a talk radio show before landing a TV deal with The Overmyer Network in 1998, leading to The Jerry Springer Show, a serious issues-oriented political talk show, premiering in 1999; the show did better in ratings the more it focused on younger viewers and addressing major controversial topics, but with his reputation on the line – he’s even offered an ambassadorship in 2009, and serves as a special UN Ambassador in 2011 – he refrains from making his show “smutty” or what have you; he ended his show in 2015 and then worked on Locke’s presidential campaign; he currently is an advisor for the Burwell campaign, and could be selected for DNC Chair in 2021.
Code Monkeys – never heard of it; I’ll cover it in the next chapter
US Coins, Stamps and Paper Money – The half dollar still has Ben Franklin on it, though calls for the mint to add Colonel Sanders and/or the assassinated Lee Iacocca to the currency still persist to this day; Eisenhower dollars were still minted from 1971 to 1978 like in OTL, and a copper-nickel half-dollar coin of LBJ was printed from 1981 to 1999. Iacocca was on the silver 1-dollar coin in Ecuador from 1997 to 2017, and on a commemorative nickel in the U.A.E. in 2005; commemorative 1-dollar coins were introduced in 2014 to honor the 90th birthday of Lee Iacocca, and soon after, coins were made honoring Eisenhower, LBJ, and the Colonel, with special coins being made depicting Kemp and Denton soon after their respective deaths. The only major change to paper currency was replacing Jackson for Tubman on the 20-dollar bill (announced in 2005, printing began in 2007). I have no idea how stamps would be different ITTL.
List of Pixar films – will be included in a 2020 chapter, along with a list of Disney animated theatrical films
I’ll address “Mickey Mouse franchises,” Horror hosts Elvira and Svengoolie, Seltzer and Friedberg, and the COPS TV show in the next chapter.



@Rochester1202:
Law & Order – still got created, but has even more spinoffs, prequels and other related shows and international versions than in OTL, including one strictly covering real-life cases, one called “Night & Day,” an X-Files rip-off called “Law & Order: Paranormal,” and several more “localized” versions such as “Law & Order: Louisville” and “Law & Order: Las Vegas.”
Perry Mason – original version aired from 1957 to 1968; a continuation in 1976 performed poorly in the ratings; a second TV series ran from 1983 until Raymond Burr died in 1993; a fourth series, a reboot starring Glenn Close as Perry Mason, ran from 2004 until its cancellation in 2010.
Friends – Runs from 1994 to 2005, with production halting temporarily in 2002 to write the SARS pandemic into the series; I’m not at all sure if the cast stays the same (Tea Leoni for Rachel? Janeane Garofalo for Monica? Who’d replace Matthew Perry if he even could be replaced at all – Jason Bateman, William Ragsdale, Scott Waara (if he’s not too old)? I think Kudrow may still play Pheobe instead of Megan Mullally, Ross was written specifically for Schwimmer, and I can’t picture anyone playing Joey better than Matt Le Blanc); Chandler was kept a gay character as he was originally going to be, and ends up marrying a recurring character played by Ron Palillo in 2004; Monica ends up with Joey, which is funny given his reckless impulsiveness and her fidgety cleanliness habits (diagnosed as mild OCD in a serious episode, that showcases Matt’s caring nature, in 2000), and they marry in 2002, but Joey struggles to adjust to married life until Monica gets pregnant in 2003 and he enters Dad Mode in 2004; There are more prominent African-American recurring characters, played by Victoria Rowell, Karen Malina White, and Jason Bernard (who survives a 1996 heart attack and dies in 2012); Phoebe’s tragic backstory (abandonment, homelessness, etc) gets a bit more focus and she ends up founding and heading a major charity organization after helping with community assistance efforts during the SARS pandemic (and survives SARS in a serious 2003 episode); an annoying recurring character from Season 1 that didn’t really “fit” into the show disappeared after that season and it was releaved in Season 6 that he joined the army and was killed in KW2; Season 9 (2003) has Joey trying and failing to skydive off the WTC; Ross and Rachel finally settle down in Season 11, but, beforehand, Rachel also married and divorced two people which made her a hypocrite for insulting Ross for doing the same earlier on in the series; Gunther dates Phoebe in Season 4, and in Season 10 marries Janice, which the show suggests he already regrets.
Happy Days – not sure; how much of the 1960s did that show depict in OTL? Since the turbulence of the 1960s happened much earlier ITTL, it’s possible the show keeps the characters in the 1950s a la That 70s Show, or simply wraps up earlier than it did in OTL, I don't really know.
Andy Griffith – The Andy Griffith Show still airs from 1960 to 1968 like in OTL; same goes for Matlock, 1986-1995.
Murder, She Wrote – pretty much the same as OTL, except it runs from 1984 to 2001, and episodes after season six more often depict her stumbling across murders outside of her hometown, while visiting various locations that are high in crime.
Party of Five – similar to OTL
Wonder Years – Airing from 1988 to 1994 and taking place from 1968 to 1974, it initially (Season 1, 1968-1969) focuses more on the coming-of-age side of things before focusing more on the changing social events of the time period it covers (Seasons 2-6, 1969-1974), especially women’s rights in Seasons 2 and 3; the series ends with the main character starting a spontaneous cross-country road trip to celebrate graduating from high school. Also: Boy Meets World is cancelled after season three due to the show becoming way too serious, costing them viewers.
Facts of Life – basically the same as OTL; same goes for Diff’rent Strokes.
NYPD Blue – similar to OTL, airing from 1993 to 2004; it was criticized by Jesse Jackson for its depiction of violence, nudity, and racist stereotypes, continued allegations of racial insensitivity led to the show being rebranded to try and address the concerns, but this instead alienated viewers; these missteps combined with controversial statements made by some cast and crew members in regards to Jackson’s police precinct reform efforts and the Goetz campaign led to the show being cancelled in 2003, with the final episodes airing in early 2004.
Homicide: Life on The Street – also similar to OTL, airing from 1993 to 1997, with many people who worked on TTL’s Popeye Doyle (TV show starring Ed O’Neill, 1986-1992) working on its early seasons.
Saved by the Bell – “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” begins airing in 1988, but after three seasons, the show evolves into an anthology-like series with new student and teacher character entering the series and then leaving after a few seasons, similar to a real school; the series concluded with a 10-year-anniversary (Season 1) “class reunion” episode in 1998, but a feature-length TV special was later made in 2017.
Family Matters/Urkel – Given it was a spinoff of another ’80s series and Urkel, the character that made the show so popular, was originally supposed to be a minor role and doesn’t even appear until episode 4, I’m honestly not sure what happened with this show/character, or if they even come into existence at all. Any ideas or suggestions?



@DARTHSAND:
According to what I’ve read online, the premise of Phineas and Ferb was based on Povenmire’s mother telling him to never waste a single day of summer vacation, so I think the show would exist. Both Povenmire and Marsh met when they worked across from each other as layout artists for The Simpsons, so here, if they meet, it may be because they both end up getting hired for work the layout for Life In Heck. Then they work on Rocko’s Modern Life and Futurama together. Around this time, they develop ideas for the show, though I don’t know if they still come up with the “Triangle Kid” doodle or pick a platypus instead of some other animal. The two pitch the show to several networks in 2002, when animation was one of the few industries to not be severely impacted by the SARS pandemic, thus creating a rush to produce animated content to placate the masses stuck indoors. Phineas and Ferb, if it’s even called that here, gets greenlit during this time, and receives a limited run during the summer months of 2003 and 2004. In 2005, the show begins airing more regularly, and concludes after five seasons and three movies, with three spinoff shows (airing in 2007-2008, 2012-2017, and 2014-2018) being made as well.
 
Post 111
Post 111: Chapter 119

Chapter 119: January 2020 – June 2020

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”

– John F. Kennedy (OTL)



“How does ranked choice voting work?”

[vid: youtube.com/ watch?v=oHRPMJmzBBw ]

– video frequently “shared” on social media as the 2020 President election neared, first posted 1/2/2020, ourvids.co.can



…The feud between the Prosecutor-General and Chief Justice bringing the investigation into the Russia-Eritrea Scandal to a standstill. With advancements only being possible at the oblast level, the Chief Justice quietly supported local circuits to take on the role of prosecutor. Given the international elements of the case, he believed that the Nikolayev administration’s “lock” on information was a false perception – that the truth could be extracted from the case’s Eritrean elements if not from its Russian elements.

Meanwhile, the number of voices demanding activist Vlad Putin be either released or given a fair trial only continued to grow. In January 2020, former National Assemblyperson and liberal Presidential candidate Boris Nemtsov led a peace rally of roughly 10,000 people in Yaroslavl demanding Putin be released, calling Putin “more of a patriot” than Nikolayev...

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2022 edition



CLAIM: Terraformation chemicals were released on Mars, either in 2003 or 2018

Rumors circulating ontech have different “culprits” (usually either the US, China, or the Middle Eastern Bloc) but the same claim, that greenhouse gases and other chemical elements were illegally released into Mars’ atmosphere to start a terraformation project by “introducing” oxygen to the Red Planet.

VERDICT: 100% FALSE

EXPLANATION: The motive makes no sense. If such technology even exists (and it doesn’t, as explained in the links here and here), why try and hide it (and we say try because NASA’s autorover Hyperion 1 is currently on Mars, and routinely tests the soil and analyzes the planet’s atmosphere, temperature and other measurements; if there were any signs of such a project occurring, the Hyperion 1 would surely find it (but it won’t, because there was no such thing), and because NASA maintains a live feed of Houston Control, such a discovery from the autorover would be difficult to coverup)? According to the theories ontech, major governments are keeping the technology under wraps in order to have complete control over Mars. However, even if this was the case (which it isn’t), what would stop other countries from landing on Mars? Going deeper down the rabbit hole of these rumors, filled in talks on extraterrestrial property rights, the lack of any current “globally binding” documentation prohibiting “people from littering on Mars” (which its own entry here) and other discussions, makes us conclude that these rumors are much closer to works of sci-fi/fantasy fiction writing set in the distant future than it is to reality.

– factorfiction.co.uk, a rumor/conspiracy theory debunking website, 1/2/2020 entry



“The fourth industrial revolution is already here. We are seeing technology become involved in every aspect of our jobs, culture, and communication. History-wise, where are we at this point, the “era” that we are living through, began at the turn of the century. Technological innovation jumpstarted by the SARS shutdown to did create it. It only quickened our era’s arrival – an era of merging and blending the physical, digital, and biological with one another, an era of advanced automation, artificial intelligence, remote 3D printing, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and quantum computing. This is our time, this is our present. The reason why we’re failing to realize it is because only some people truly have any actual access to it, and even less are utilizing its potential.”

– Dr. John Baruch, technology and language professor at MIT, TumbleweedTV interview, 1/3/2020



…The moment of truth came on the appropriately “lazy” Saturday afternoon on January 4, 2020. Bob Ross announced that he wasn’t going to run for President for a third time, citing his satisfaction with the field of candidates, especially leading candidates Pritt, Moore and Lugaro, whom he described as having “the right kind of constructive, vibrant and positive attitude and energy that we all need to see more of more often.” Painter Bob made the announcement on his front yard, wearing sweats to reinforce his proclamation that he was “staying comfortably” in semi-retirement.

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[pic: imgur.com/X46WgSg.png ]

Ross concluded the declaration with the reveal that he would instead be starting an anti-poverty NPO with media mogul Bern Sanders and several humanitarian individuals to send school supplies to children in poverty-stricken nations abroad.

Meanwhile, enthusiasm for the top four frontrunners continued on, as their campaign messages resonated highly among those polled. US Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau (dubbed “OFG” by technetters) sought to become a fifth member of the top-tier group, but struggled to expand her base…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



..As Air Force One readied for descent, the First Lady went over to her husband’s office. “Are you coming, Kelsey? Or do you want to want to meet with her in here?”

“Alright, alright,” Grammer exhaled a worried huff. Standing up from the plane’s Presidential desk, he closed the book in his hands; for the past several minutes, he had reading about another famous trip to Beijing. “You made it look so easy, Colonel,” he said to the treatise as he put it down on the desktop. Governor Hal Heiner of Kentucky had given him a copy of Rick Perlstein’s Colonel’s Country: The Trials and Crises of Chicken King Presidency – a copy signed by Perlstein and several members of the Sanders family – in 2016, but only began reading it in December 2019. However, after several decades of breezing through scripts, the President could read very quickly, and had already reached the chapter covering the 1968 Beijing Summit.

“The man established quite the precedence, didn’t he?”

With a sympathetic sigh, First Lady Marissa said, “You’re going to be fine. You’ve done so many of these diplomatic meet-and-greets.”

“Yes, but not one quite like this. This one is with the PRC. You only get one shot with the PRC.”

“Kelsey, you and your advisors are going to sit down with Jianmei and you’re going to tell her what the two of you already know – cyberattacks from China are a bad look for them, and in today’s world of international trade, they can’t afford a repeat of 1988.”

“Yeah, yeah, the whole Uyghur Crisis, the global boycotts,” he paused, “Wait, how do you remember that? You were twelve then.”

“It’s called research, honey. That and you keep bringing your work home with you,” she answered as she exited the room.

“Well it’s kind of hard to avoid doing that when you live on top of your office,” Grammer called out as he put on his jacket and followed her out, “As everyone found out during the SARS Pandemic!”

Premier Guo greeted her American counterpart on the tarmac and the two world leaders exchanged pleasantries in an amicable and friendly way. Soon enough, they were sitting across from one another in a secluded room to discuss how to better US-Chinese relations. While exact words not recorded, advisors who witnessed the meeting allege Grammer brought up cybersecurity immediately but slyly, telling Guo that her administration would greatly benefit from starting off on the right foot. Guo agreed with the sentiment, and assured Grammer that her tenure’s first priority was taken in “a better direction” and combat alleged domestic terrorists and hacks in China. Grammer presented the equally vague promise that America would “work in solidarity with any and all countries” hit by cybersecurity attacks, hacks, and other forms of technet-based economic espionage.

After further discussions of the economies and security concerns of their respective lands, Go and Grammer agreed that Russia’s President Nikolayev was a destruction element on the world stage, with Guo trying to indicate that all cyber attacks were from Russia, which Grammer considered calling her out on, but instead let the comments slide by. They next discussed the dynamics of labor and its relations with types of government structure. The high point of the evening for Grammer was Guo conceding that union representative could keep open the lines of communication between workers, management, and government. However, she did not stand down from her belief that markets were too “destructive” when they were truly “free” from government intervention, and even pointed to the immediate devastation brought on by the global recessions of 2002 and 2013, and from the Russian recession still occurring as “the best examples” of this “pattern.”

The meeting concluded on a handshake in private, and another one out in front of the cameras. Grammer later called the meeting “a scratch,” with neither leader gaining – or losing – much from it outside of being able to claim diplomatic prowess.

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[pic: imgur.com/s4sikGv.png ]
Above: Premier Guo Jianmei

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



…The US’s NASA announced that the world has reached a milestone today – there are now more space probes out in space functioning at the same time than at any other point in world history, with the number of probes, sent out by space agencies in the states, and in Europe, the Middle East, China, Russia and Japan, totaling in at 32 probes...

– BBC World News, 1/12/2020 broadcast



“So here’s another op-ed (pause) published in the New York Times (pause) in which another elitist – not Bill Krystal this time, it’s one of his friends this time – and it’s really something (pause) it’s really something else. (long pause) So look at this – this guy is complaining about the lack of a ‘steady hand’ in the race. He’s lamenting the lack of a status quo candidate. He writes ‘moderate voices are shying away from the democratic process’ because they are not being represented by either candidate. (long pause) So (pause) this is ridiculous. This guy is essentially complaining that there’s no pro-establishment moderate do-nothing standard politician in the race, even though all the candidates – let me know you – yeah – voter satisfaction with the current selection of candidates is at an all-time high. (long pause) Of course it is, because the major candidates are either progressives or populists, and, to various and different degrees, want to actually do something to help people. (pause) Now, you all know I don’t like Harley Brown’s policies, but at this point, he effectively IS the Republican party base. (pause) So, this guy, man, he must be really delusional if he thinks he sounds smart by saying that people want a do-nothing candidate in this race. Only the super-wealthy top 1% of the country would back such a candidate. (pause) Which really shows what kind of elitist bubble Bill Krystal and his friends really live in, man.”

– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can, 1/16/2020



“I’m suspending my campaign for President, and I am endorsing Monica Lewinsky’s Presidential campaign, because we have to defeat Harley Brown, and Monica is our best shot at that.”

– US Senator Tom Suozzi (D-NY), 1/24/2020



…scientists working on trying to develop artificial parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction and the merging of ova) for same-sex couples have made a technological breakthrough… …The discovery comes at an “exciting” time for the medical field… “Artificial wombs are starting to become a thing for the very wealthy,” the project manager explains, “and the experimental testing of the artificial insertion of donor womb into male bodies also in its first trial stages.” The field of reproduction is truly blossoming at the moment…

– scientificamerican.co.usa, 1/29/2020



NEW REPORT CLAIM FAST FOOD “STILL” #1 CAUSE OF WEIGHT GAIN ISSUES IN CHILDREN

…40% of Americans today are either overweight or obese, with over 30% of children and adolescents consuming fast food on any given day while. The report also alleges that 75% of overweight children say that McDonald’s is their favorite place at which to eat, while 11% of them say that KFC is their favorite, and 6% of them say that SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine is their favorite...

Wall Street Journal, 2/2/2020



“Teddy Roosevelt said ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick.’ Under a Brown administration, that phrase is gonna be updated to ‘speak softly, act kindly, and pack a lot of heat.’”

– VP Harley Brown, televised rally in Concord, NH; 2/3/2020



RAND PAUL LAUNCHES LAST-MINUTE ANTI-HARLEY CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT

The Washington Post, 2/5/2020



HOST: “We are honored to have Governor Pritt be joining us now, live from her campaign bus. Hello, Charlotte.”

Guest Charlotte PRITT (on VidCall): “Hello everyone, thank you for having me on your show.”

HOST: “No problem, Charlotte. So let’s just get right to. Charlotte, automation – good or bad?”

PRITT: “Good long-term, but bad short-term. It can replace a lot of dangerous and demanding jobs, but we have to focus on finding and creating new jobs for workers because their livelihoods are automated.”

Guest Ronald BAILEY: “But Governor, as someone who’s worked in Silicon Valley, I know that automation can lead to great advancements. Right now there’s work being done on robot military soldiers, so not too many decades from now, instead of us killing each other, we’ll be sending robots to kill other robots.”

PRITT: “Ron–”

Guest Janice FINE: “Or to kill people. Did you stop to think about that? Because they did, and they liked the idea – that’s why they’re working on it!”

HOST: “Alright, alright, let’s stay focused here. Charlotte, you were saying?”

PRITT: “Well, Ron what you’re describing is going to be a major issue a few years from now at the least. It’s not a pressing issue right now, and even if it was, you still didn’t address how replacing people with robots is going to help families afford food, school and housing. Our priorities need to change. I understand more than anyone else in this race that automation means that people will no longer have to physically perform menial factory positions, hazardous area inspections, and other dangerous tasks. But each job eliminated must be replaced by at least one new job – before the old job is automated away in order to ensure that American workers can still be employed. For every robotic arm that replaces ten workers on an assembly line, at least ten more jobs have to be created. They can be jobs to deploy, monitor and control the new technology from a safer point, or they can be new jobs in America’s growing services industries. But the workers who need to be retrained for new jobs must get the re-training help they need. As Governor, I’ve established programs to do this very thing, but it needs to be done at the national level.”

BAILEY: “Alright, alright, fair points, but you’ve got to admit that automation can replace hospital attendants and work as TAs, help us in space exploration and sewage/pollution cleanup, serve as dog walkers and pet sitters, and work as security guards, cafeteria workers, janitorial staff, and surgery assistants.”

PRITT: “I know – that’s why we need to have programs to create jobs to and retraining programs to help workers before they lose their jobs – so they can find work immediately afterward and thrive, instead of struggling to get by.”

HOST: “It would also mean no more waiter positions, Ronald.”

FINE: “Well, asking for tips means that the worker has to beg the customers for the income that their employers won’t provide, so maybe that’d be a good thing!”

– KNN roundtable discussion, 2/14/2020 broadcast



In February 2020, President Grammer, Secretary Morningstar, and Secretary Rodham-Clinton reviewed the recent talks with China. Discussing its effects and implications in the Oval Office, Grammer seemed uncertain of its success. “According to my Chief Foreign Policy Advisor, the summit is trending on China’s social media sites, but because of China’s censorship policies, its all because of China’s glowing reviews for Guo. The people are not being made aware of their country’s hacking even though that was why we met with her in the first place! Their media outlets are saying that she reached out to us first when it was the other way around, and they are claiming that she dominated the talks. She didn’t dominate, she spoke just as much and just as confidently as me, and I should know – I was there!”

Morningstar nodded before confessing, “We are basically in a Cold War-like state of tension with the Chinese right now, Kelsey. We’ve been so for over a decade at the least, and restrictions on speech is becoming an increasingly prominent player in it.” He vented, “we keep hoping that exposing them to western ideas will lead to communism collapsing. But it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“It has to work,” Grammer added, “China needs to embrace free internal markets and basic human rights like freedom of speech if they want to compete on the world stage, but it seems everyone in their government is fighting like crazy against it! Even Guo Jianmei.” Grammer sighed, “She is not as reformist as I expected her to be.”

“Well,” Rodham-Clinton observed, “It’s like how the tired, old line goes, ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’.”

“Either that or China’s Communist Party pulls far more strings than we thought,” suggested Morningstar.

Leaning back in his chair behind the Resolute Desk, Grammer checked the time on his techslab. He said to himself, “Right, right,” before returning his attention to he two Secretaries. “We’ll discuss this some more later. Right now, I have got to head out to New Hampshire to speak at one of Harley’s rallies.”

“Oof. My condolences,” commented Rodham-Clinton.

“Oh, Hillary, I don’t think he’s that bad once you get to know him,” Grammer defended his Vice President as he packed his techslab into his case. “I mean, sure, he’s a bit rough around the edges –”

“A rough as a chainsaw,” Rodham-Clinton murmured.

“–but he means well.”

“Yeesh! Do not include that in your speech, Kelsey,” Morningstar advised. “The phrase ‘Meaning well’ is, like, the worst thing you can say about someone. It indicates that they always fail to do well.”

As he went to put on his jacket, Grammer replied, “Well, that’s not true! Don’t forget that when I had that heart attack seven years so, and he had to step in as Acting President, he was the one that pressured congress into passing the stimulus bill I was failing to get through. And he worked with the Senate on the tax reform acts of 2013 and 2017. And he spearheaded all those successful road repair initiatives, and vastly improved relations between bikers and police! The reason why the man’s ideology is all over the place is because he’s too busy trying to get things done to even care about keeping track of what labels people keep wanting to put on him!”

“Okay,” Morningstar conceded, “fair points.”

“And he’s, you know, he’s a good family man,” Grammer added, “Great with kids, loves his wife.” The President was possibly thinking back to Second Lady Rita Gravel, who separated from her husband in 1980 and divorced him soon after he left office in 1981 over his infidelity while in office. Handing his suitcase over to a Secret Serviceman awaiting to escort him to the President’s helicopter resting outside, Grammer declared, “A sex scandal is not the kind of scandal I’d expect from him.”

“Many said the same thing about Denton, Kelsey,” said Morningstar.

“No, I’m confident Harley wouldn’t be another Denton,” Grammer reiterated. “First of all, he genuinely believes God spoke to him and thinks he’s destined to do great things, so he wouldn’t risk throwing that away, and, you know, fail to follow the 'un-see-able' path God has laid out for him. Second of all, I have never heard the man lie – not even a polite little white lie! So he wouldn’t be able to hide a scandal even nearly as well as Denton did – well, almost did.”

“That’s true,” Rodham-Clinton remarked curtly, “Last Christmas, at a GOP Senate meeting, he overheard Senator Stovall ask her husband if she looked overweight in this new dress, and Harley bellowed out ‘It’s not the dress that makes you look fat, it’s the fat that makes you look fat!’ Classy.”

“Oh, come on, Hillary, now, really! After eight years of him making those kind of remarks, you and everyone else should be used to it by now,” Grammer bellowed. “But once you look past his grisly appearance, you can clearly see that he’s a good guy. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working with him for so long, but, well, what can I say? He’s grown on me. He grows on you.”

“Yeah, like a fungus,” Rodham-Clinton suggested.

“No,” Morningstar countered, “like a fungus that cocoons into a leather-clad butterfly!” The two Secretaries shared a small chortle.

“Well regardless of what you two think of him, I really think he can win in November, and if he can win it, that means he earned it, and maybe that means he deserves it, too!” The President shouted as he walked out the door.

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



…Major fast-food brands remain popular thanks to these improvements in maintaining cleanliness, fast service, and child-friendly atmospheres, distinguishing them in the industry as family-friendly choices over foul-mouthed greasy spoons and snobby high-end restaurants. However, while fast-food companies promote healthy menu options, their offerings are still no substitute for purchasing more nutritional products from supermarkets, local small farms, and locally-sourced farm-to-table markets…

– Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Sunrise Publishers, 2021



Sign The Petition Below! Bring Back The TV Show “COPS”!

…the gritty reality TV series was unfairly cancelled in 2001, shortly after President Jesse Jackson entered office. After twelve controversial years on air, the series was axed just because a rising number of Hispanic Americans were complaining about its presentation of non-white suspects. The show covered the everyday lives of law enforcement in a unique way that no cop show has truly replicated since. Allegations of supposed prejudice against non-white citizens should not stand in the way of high-quality entertainment. Please sign the petition today to tell The Overmyer Network to bring back “COPS.”

– ontech petition, circulated across multiple sites, first posted 2/20/2020; within the next 3 months, only 657 people signed the petition



…In recent months, the parent company has heightened efforts to expand the menus and technet presence of its businesses.

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[pic: imgur.com/RPCrHTf.png ]
Above: KFC Special Roasted Chicken platter

Under the command of Finger Lickin’ Good, Inc. Head Executive David Novak, KFC-US’ R&D department turned to KFC-Japan for guidance as the corporation sought to better promote healthy menu options to their customers. In February 2020, a team of roughly 50 “food specialists” traveled with KFC-Japan executives to Okinawa, known for its locals’ longevity, to analyze their eating habits. The American team observed that the traditional Japanese diet was rich in fish, seafood, and plant-based foods with minimal amounts of animal protein, added sugars, and fat. Two months later, KFC and Wendy’s began promoting their fish fillet burgers more prominently.

The specialists also studied the people’s manner of eating, called “washoku,” which consists of small dishes of simple, fresh, and seasonal ingredients. This eating pattern is rich in nutrients and may provide numerous health benefits, including improved weight loss, digestion, longevity, and overall health. [1] The main problem KFC-US had with this, though, was that such eating habits run counter to the large portions of fast food items that Americans were used to and enjoyed consuming.

Not long after, the American answer to washoku was introduced at select locations with the offering of KFC “mini-meals” – half the portions for half the price! The promotion received overwhelmingly positive media attention, but was considered to be only a “decent” financial investment for FLG Inc., and in the past a few weeks, the parent company has scaled back the halved portions option even further, to outlets found in only 11 states…

– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020



CLAIM: Michael Moore Once Said “I Hate America”

VERDICT: 100% False!

EXPLANATION: While the comments of politicians are often taken out of context, a widely-circulated 20-second video allegedly showing Presidential candidate Michael Moore declaring “I hate America” during some kind of stump speech. This video being shared ontech is part of a rising wave in video manipulation. …Advancements in facial recognition technology in recent years has seen such software be used in high-budget Hollywood films to de-age actors, meaning that this is not the first time that that this technology has been used. This is not the first time a politician’s face has been convincingly edited into digital footage, either. Last year, Vice President Brown’s face was “pasted” onto a Nazi character in a scene from the 2008 WWII film “Children of Winter.” While quickly debunked, the video confused and convinced many, especially when given the fact that Brown did cameo in the T.O.N. drama series “Sons of Anarchy” in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The rise in manipulated digital videos must be matched by a rise in vigilance; it is always important to inspect the sources of videos prior to sharing them or even believing them. For example, this Moore video was first posted ontech in early 2016 by a now-dead OurVid account that was known for uploading videos that prominently featured photo manipulation…

– factorfiction.co.can, 3/1/2020 entry



PRITT SCORES UPSET WITH 1ST PLACE IN N.H. PRIMARY! Moore Finishes In 2nd Place, Lugaro In 3rd

…on the Republican side of the night, Senator Paul overperformed with 25% of the vote, versus Vice President Brown’s 67% of the vote, with the remaining 8% going to various other candidates…

The New York Times, 3/3/2020



WEAVER BOWS OUT OF LONG-SHOT WHITE HOUSE BID, ENDORSES PRITT

…the progressive politician also announced that he will not make a last-minute entry into the ongoing gubernatorial race and so will retire at the end of his third and current term…

– The Burlington Free Press, Vermont newspaper, 3/4/2020



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[pic: imgur.com/D4s8xng.png ]

– Charlotte Pritt vidcalling supporters in near Fort Davis, rural western Texas, from her home in Hurricane, West Virginia, 3/5/2020



“I want to take this minute to pay tribute to the working people of West Virginia, especially my father, Garnet Pritt, who was the United Mine Worker President of Local 1766, and to my mother, Tina Pritt, who spent the night on the picket line with me when I was a senator. I wear this red scarf – I know, it’s not the same as the red bandanas that the miners wore on Blair mountain when they were fighting for the union – but it is the scarf that my mother had worn during those cold nights out there, and I wear it to remember her and my father, who are no longer with us. And I know they’re looking down on me and on us, from up there, and they’re smiling because of what we’re accomplishing here. And I want to thank them for the values they taught me.

Growing up, my family and I knew that if we were ever in trouble, there were two places to go to – the union hall and the church, where there were people who understood the importance of working together in a community...”

– Gov. Charlotte Pritt, televised stump speech in Macon, GA; 3/7/2020 [2]



…The shared feelings of goodwill in the Balkans were exemplified on 8 March 2020, in a scene at the UN building, in which the President of Turkey and the Prime Minister of Greece hugged each other after each gave an impassioned speech about the other’s country. The moment highlighted how, against all odds, Greek-Turkish diplomatic relations are currently at a record high in terms of strength, closeness and friendliness…

– 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, 2020 edition



…Since then, the Peoples Temple church founded by Jim and Marceline Jones as dwindled in size considerably. As of 2020, the Temple Church only has roughly 20,000 followers, a far cry from its mid-1980s peak of roughly 600,000…

– clickopedia.co.usa



GEORGIA PRIMARY RESULTS: Charlotte Bests Oletha, Alexandra In Three-Way Nail-Biter; Harley Beats Rand By 5% Margin

…mobilizing the state’s rural and suburban voters allow Pritt to edge out her closest challengers. Meanwhile, in the Republican primary, support for the Vice President appeared weaker than polling suggested, with Senator Rand Paul coming surprisingly close to pulling off an upset victory…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 3/10/2020



“Beards have grown in popularity in this decade because of the current administration. It started off as a way of showing support for then-Presidential candidate Harley Brown, but once President Grammer began sporting one in 2014, the facial choice quickly caught on in the rest of the party. It’s why Rand Paul grew out a beard, for instance. And I’ve noticed that even some Democratic politicians, many who live in Republican states, grow out beards now to try to appeal to Republican voters, like Senator Perriello over in Virginia.”

– Bearded politician John Moorlach (R-CA), US Rep. since 2017, 3/11/2020 interview



“GENERATIONS OF POWER”: D.R.C. Breaks Ground on Grand Inga Dam Project

…When completed in 2025, the series of seven dams, located at the Inga Falls on the country’s Congo River, will be the largest hydroelectric power station in the world at over twice the power levels of China’s Three Gorges Dam. …The $90billion project was initially developed as a public-private partnership project to restore the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the aftermath of its destructive civil war in the aughts. It is currently being primarily funded by the European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, the People’s Republic of China, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and several international private businesses. Each dam is either partially or fully owned by different investors from around the globe, including South African mining billionaire Elon Musk (Dam 1) and American politician Harry W. Braun (50% of Dam 7)…

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 15/3/2020



…We can now confirm reports that Senator Lugaro has won the Democratic Presidential primary in Nevada, with Congressperson Lewinsky edging out Governors Pritt and Moore for second place. The victory, which is the first primary win for the Lugaro campaign, comes more than three hours after Vice President Brown was declared the winner of Nevada’s Republican Presidential primary. Brown easily defeated token opposition, as Senator Paul did not make it onto the Nevada ballot due to his late entry into the race, and the state GOP deciding against allowing Republican primary voters to cast their ballots for write-in votes in a controversial decision still being challenged in state court…

– KNN Breaking News, 3/17/2020 broadcast



MD PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RESULTS: Oletha, Rand Score Surprise State Sweeps

…Paul won a plurality of the vote (47%), with Brown coming in second place (45%) and several other minor conservatives making up the remainder of the vote (8%)…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 3/24/2020



NEMTSOV ALLEGEDLY SURVIVES SHOOTING INCIDENT

…the controversial Presidential candidate was reportedly fired upon by an unknown assailant that Nemtsov and witnesses described as being a “sniper.” Local police are investigating the alleged scene of the supposed attack, but have yet to announce a formal investigation…

Kommersant (The Businessman), Russian newspaper, 30/3/2020



MONICA WINS VERMONT PRIMARY, RAND COMES CLOSER TO BESTING HARLEY

…Lewinsky grabbed a plurality of the vote thanks to the state’s progressives being torn between Pritt, Healey, Lugaro, and Moore, and with many writing in the names of Vermont Governor Jeff Weaver, who is no longer a candidate, and Bob Ross, who declined to run. The results have renewed calls for the state to adopt ranked-choice voting for their presidential primaries, as the Green Mountain state has RCV for state-level and statewide elections such as for governor, and both chambers of the US Congress, but not for interparty primary contests…

…Harley winning only 48% of the GOP primary to Paul’s 45% either reflects Paul’s popularity or Brown’s unpopularity in the state…

The New York Times, 3/31/2020



MAURA HEALEY SUSPENDS WHITE HOUSE BID, ENDORSES LEWINSKY

…the decision comes after weeks of the one-time frontrunner’s standing in state-level and national polls gradually declining…

The Washington Post, 4/2/2020



…the Vice President took Paul’s ascension in the primary results very seriously, and began to visit state hosting upcoming primary contents much more frequently. Brown touted his success at combating forest fires while governor, and his time serving as Acting President in 2013, as proof of his ability to lead during times of crisis. He also reminded voters of his road safety and repair initiatives, and (in a move that was greatly disputed by many for its alleged inaccuracy) stated that he played an “instrumental” role in the Grammer administration’s “successful efforts” to “confront, combat, and take out” the Unlucky Recession of 2013...

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



TRUDEAU BROTHERS ENDORSE DALLAIRE

…action film stars Michel and Justin Trudeau, the sons of former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau, are throwing their support to PL leader Romeo Dallaire. The two join several PL MPs, including Niki Ashton and Jim Prentice, in endorsing Dallaire in the past two weeks…

The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 4/4/2020



“I naturally care deeply about my country as a patriotic American and disabled veteran. The fact that I have many children and grandchildren kindles a burning desire deep in my heart to hand them even a better country than our baby boomer generation inherited from the greatest generation of Americans - the World War II generation of American heroes.

I love North Carolina. Truly this splendid dominion is majestic in natural beauty, blessed with wonderful people clinging tenaciously to a broad spectrum of conservative and righteous values. And the state has no vile motorcycle helmet laws to boot.” [3]

– Harley Brown giving a stump speech in Asheville, North Carolina, 4/5/2020




Electronics Technician Richard Costelow: “I’m voting for Harley Brown; we need to show the Chinese we mean business, and a KW2 veteran will do that.”

Police officer Kaitlin Coleman: “I like Brown, but I wouldn’t trust him with a BB gun, let alone our billion-dollar army. Pritt, though, is one tough momma.’

Farmer Orson Gordon: “I back Brown. He’s been in the mud. He knows how tough things are. He’ll do what’s right.”

Beautician Marlene Harrison: “I honestly am not sure who to vote for, but I’m leaning to Pritt. I’ve heard a lot of good things about her.”

KYU Student Jasmine Troyon: “I will be casting my vote for Monica Lewinsky, thank you very much.”

Mechanic John Jeffers: “I don’t know, maybe Lugaro or Moore. Or you know what, maybe Pritt. She’s always talking about, uh, something about FDR.”

– ABC News report asking random Kentuckians which Presidential candidates they support, 4/6/2020



…Ahead of the first “cluster” of primary contests on April 7, Harley embarked on a highly-publicized motorcycle ride/listening tour from Washington, D.C. to Baton Rouge and back again in order to travel to and campaign in the southern states where Paul was polling strongest. The publicity stunt was Harley’s way of balking at suggestions from members of the RNC, the White House inner circle, and even his own inner circle, of “polishing,” “editing,” and “amending” his “presentation.”

Each time, Harley essentially asked, “I didn’t have to deny to himself and my country who I really am to make it this far, so why would I start doing so now?” And each time the reply did not convince the Vice President to submit to a more conventional campaign.

“I’m avoiding swear words and slurs, which f#@king suck – excuse me – but straying from my true self would betray his loyal supporters. And those stuffy establish types would see right through the bull anyway!”

Harley Brown also later stated, “I wanted to see how the paparazzi would chase after me when I’m speeding away from them on my ride.” Smiling, he also remarked, “They kept losing track of where I was. Even my Secret Service detail – all of them on their bikes – they got lost a few times, too, heh-heh-heh.”

While the media’s attention was on Harley driving, the voters he met with focused on Harley the candidate, and appreciated his blunt and straightforward answers to their questions.

April 7 was a busy election night for the south, with ten states hosting contests for both major party, making for twenty races in total. On the Democratic side, Pritt won six states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee) and large delegate shares from South Carolina and Virginia, proving the night was indeed a blowout in the governor’s favor. Lugaro won Louisiana and her home state of Puerto Rico, while Moore edged out a victory in South Carolina and Lewinsky did the same in Virginia. These impressive results made Pritt backers cheer, and all other candidates sweat from the fear of losing momentum after such disappointing performances.

On the Republican side, Brown won all states, with Paul only winning a small handful of delegates. Paul decided to stay in the race, even with these results suggesting that there was little chance of the Senator winning the nomination or even earning a substantial amount of delegates in the upcoming contests…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



…In entertainment news, John Belushi, the 71-year-old comedian and Oscar-winning actor, today announced that he has been diagnosed with lewy-body dementia, the same health condition afflicting semi-retired actor Robin Williams. In his statement, Belushi revealed that his decline has been in declined for, quote, a little while now, unquote, but was not more specific as to when he was diagnosed…

– NBC News, 4/9/2020 broadcast



“We’re living in a time where there is an unprecedented number of ‘international nations.’ Those are nations that do business and trade, have similar people and customs and culture, and are so well-connected and integrated with one another along multiple line that if they are side by side, the borders are superficial, like with North and South Yemen. And if they are separated by an ocean, then that ocean is no more than what Bob Ross would call a ‘happy, little pond,’ like with Canada and the United Kingdom.”

– former US Ambassador to the U.K. and former US Senator Paul Vallas (D-IL), 4/11/2020 interview



…To recap the night’s Democratic primaries, Senator Faust-Goudeau picked up Potomac but faltered everywhere else. The night also saw Lewinsky, Moore and Lugaro only win one contest each: Lewinsky won in Massachusetts, Moore in Rhode Island, Lugaro in Florida. As my colleagues have pointed out, Moore’s campaign has failed to bounce back from last week’s poor performances in contests across the south, and we are already receiving reports of him planning on either reorganizing or firing some of his campaign staff. But the big winner of the night was, once again, Governor Pritt, who picked up Indiana and North Carolina by large margins. On the Republican side, Senator Rand Paul only won Indiana and lost the popular vote in his home state of North Carolina, but might win a plurality of the state’s RNC delegates. The loss of his home state’s contest comes after weeks of the Harley campaign running anti-Paul attack ads on cable outlets and local news stations in that state…

– KNN, 4/14/2020 broadcast



“I don’t see a clear pathway forward for my candidacy, but I do see a clear pathway forward for my campaign to bring forth true American Democracy. That pathway is my supporters rallying behind Governor Pritt.”

– Former Governor Michael Moore (D-MI), 4/16/2020



…Pritt continued to gain momentum thanks to her stump speeches and debate performances. For example, a debate scheduled for April 18 – the final debate of the primary season – and held among the top four candidates (Pritt, Lugaro, Moore, and Lewinsky), saw Pritt once again dominate the stage, with her calm but captivating demeanor contrasting sharply against the passionate vernacular of her challengers, which were viewed as desperate attempts to take down the frontrunner. “Charlotte’s blue-collar personality, progressive ideology, and pragmatic record made for a very fortunate blend,” her communications director later said. “She could have just ended up on a VP shortlist if she hadn’t found her inner strength to enter the race in the first place”...

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



…The first “Western Cluster” of primaries was held on March 21 and yielded surprising results for both parties. On the Democratic side, despite him declining to run, voters still wrote in former VP Bob Ross’ name in Alaska and Colorado; the non-existent campaign’s victories were pluralities, arguably brought about by Pritt and Moore failing to appeal to libertarian-leaning and small-government-leaning voters in those states. Meanwhile, Lugaro secured victory in Arizona, while Lewinsky continued to lose momentum and failed to surpass 25% in any of the night’s contest. Pritt, on the other hand, won the states of Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, and Oregon…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



RAND PAUL SUSPENDS WHITE HOUSE BID

…last night was the worst performance of his campaign, with his best showing being a second-place finish of 7% in the Colorado primary. Since the primary season began, the politician has won only two states and a handful of delegates…

– 545towin.co.usa, 4/22/2020 “e-alert”



“So, I finally repelled the little f@#ker, huh? Heh! Winner, winner, chicken dinner, baby!”

– Harley Brown, upon learning of Paul suspending his bid (allegedly, possibly anecdotal), c. 4/23/2020



LEWINSKY DROPS BID FOR PRESIDENCY

…Lewinsky had been “mathematically eliminated” from receiving a majority of convention delegates since the 14th, but still had a chance of gathering enough delegates to try and force a contested convention at the DNC in August. On the 20th, Lewinsky commenting to a reporter that she had not been “mathed out” of the race went fervid, and is still being mocked ontech. …Despite gaining some delegates from Ohio and Oregon this Tuesday, Lewinsky’s chances of winning were waning considerably…

The Los Angeles Times, 4/24/2020



“When I am elected President this July, I promise to investigate and prosecute Nikolayev and his corrupt cronies to the fullest extent of the law! We must make an example of them to stop this kind of corrupt administration from ever rising to power again! This country does not belong to them, nor to the mafia, nor even to the elite. It belongs to all of its citizens, and to all of the Russian people!”

– Boris Nemtsov, Russian-1 TV segment, 4/26/2020 broadcast



PRITT CLINCHES NOMINATION IN LATEST PRIMARY CLUSTER!

…rising momentum behind the Lugaro campaign failed to prevent what pundits were calling the inevitable, given Pritt’s substantial delegate lead over Lugaro… Pritt narrowly secured victory in all but one of tonight’s four primary contests – Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands – with Lugaro winning American Samoa and coming in a close second place in the rest of them…

The Washington Post, 4/28/2020



DOZENS DISPLACED AFTER MASSIVE SINKHOLE RIPS OPEN UNDER SOUTH DAKOTA HOMES

…over 30 residents have been evacuated after a sinkhole opened up under the Hideaway Hills neighborhood of Black Hawk, South Dakota. After the ground gave way on April 27, revealing the community was built over an abandoned gypsum mine, fear of the sinkhole expanding has had locals on edge – and on the edge of a huge chasm right in their own neighborhood…

The New York Times, 4/30/2020



PICS OF BLACK HAWK SINKHOLE GO FERVID ONTECH

…the images highlight the sheer depth and sublime scale of this subterranean discovery…

– weirdsouthdakota.co.usa, 5/2/2020



HARLEY BROWN CALLS FOR NATIONAL SINKHOLE PROJECT

lufPMLr.png


[pic: imgur.com/lufPMLr.png ]

Above: VP Brown With VP Chief of Staff Lisa Marie

…the Vice President continued, “We need to implement a federal jobs program that has specifics written up by the states and essentially hires thousands and thousands if not millions to survey land and monitor for potential sinkholes, detect them, mark off where they are, and have them filled in or opened up to be used for something, like landfills or underground storage. The displacement of people, like what happened in Black Hawk, South Dakota shouldn’t happen in America, and it can’t happen again. When someone buys a house, they shouldn’t have to wonder, ‘Gee, could a hole open up underneath this place and kill us all?’ That’s not right.”…

The New York Times, 5/3/2020



LATEST PRIMARY RESULTS: Pritt Sweeps Midwest and Rust Belt

…with only minor or withdrawn candidates remaining on state ballots, Governor Pritt easily won tonight’s cluster of primary contests, which were held in Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and her home state of West Virginia…

– 545towin.co.usa, 5/5/2020



BACHAND IN A BIND AFTER BREAKING NO-TAX PLEDGE

…the Prime Minister has also been criticized for essentially directing a smear campaign again the leader of the opposition…

The Toronto Star, 9/5/2020



PRIMARIES UPDATE: Pritt Wins Hawaii, Americans Abroad Delegates Unopposed

– 545towin.co.usa, 5/12/2020



PRITT, BROWN SWEEP ARCADIA CLUSTER: Presumptive Nominee Secure CT, DE, ME, NY, WA Delegates

– 545towin.co.usa, 5/19/2020



The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional shared universe comprising of multiple comics, TV shows, and film franchises. It is the setting for stories involving “classic” Disney cartoon characters created by company founder Walt Disney, with the most prominent characters being Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, George “Goofy” Goof, Pluto, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Peter “Pete” Katsup. Unofficially beginning with the 1928 short Steamboat Willie, cartoonist Floyd Gottfredson “stabilized” the universal with the Mickey mouse comic strip that debuted in 1930 and is still in syndication. Disney fans use the term, as well as some who have worked on related projects, but the Walt Disney Company itself has never used the term “Mickey Mouse universe” in any official capacity.

[snip]

Films:
Mickey Mouse film series (1928-1953)
Swabbies (1991)
Goofy film trilogy (1993-2001)
The Three Mouseketeers (2003)

TV shows:
Mickey And Friends (1992-1995)
House of Mouse (2002-2011)
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2004-2012)
Mickey! (2014-2016)
The Wonderful World of Mickey (2019-present)

– clickopedia.co.usa/mickey-mouse-universe



DANA, CELTIC POP SINGER, BECOMES PRESIDENT OF IRELAND

…Dana Rosemary Scallon, known to her fans as simply Dana, was today sworn into the position of President of Ireland to cheering crowds. Scallon, a best-selling singer of Celtic pop and Christian folk music, was a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004. Officially Independent but running on a populist campaign focused on “protecting family values,” she defeated former Mid Ulster MP Bernadette Devlin McAliskey of the Socialist Party in the Irish Presidential Election held on 23 April. She succeeded President Avril Doyle of the Fine Gael party, who was term-limited…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 22/5/2020



TOP FIVE TELECOM COMMERCIALS, RANKED

1) Passing The Torch, Verizon – Airing ahead of the 2008 Olympics, the promo follows a close-up of a lar phone, held up like a torch, as its carrier runs through various landscapes without getting a weak signal; upon reaching a pedestal, a zoom-out shows James Earl Jones, the retiring “voice” of Verizon Cordless, handing the phone over to his successor, then-newcomer Kevin Michael Richardson. The pairing of two celebrated actors to swelling music, courtesy of Hans Zimmer himself, has made for an iconic moment.

2) Selena, UnitedTalk – The celebrated singer rarely gives endorsements, but this 2002 spot was an exception. Promoting UnitedTalk’s “Explore” Package by showing her using the service to VidCall and sing to a young fan in a hospital bed from her studio, the ad’s proceeds were donated to SARS research. Heartwarming and sentimental without being overwhelming, shmaltzy, or cheesy, this was a welcomed treat for many Americans during the SARS pandemic.

3) A “Tit-for-Tat” Treat, AT&T – Between her show’s cancellation in 1987 and its short-lived revival in the mid-2010s, horror hostess Elvira teamed up with 1990s Ton-o-Toons star Richard “Svengoolie” Koz to trade risqué puns and fourth-wall gags over the phone in this 1997 segment. At a time when what is currently the largest telecom company in the US was in dire financial straits, this controversial match-up gave AT&T enough media attention to bounce back in time for the new millennium.

4) Smooth Ride, Frontier – A fun and self-aware 60-second commercial that first aired during the 2001 Superbowl, the ensemble cast of “Star Trek: Liftoff” teams up with several real-life former astronauts to travel via wormhole to U.F.P. headquarters – and without losing their lar phone connections. Over-the-top? Yes. Worth the 14million views it’s gotten on OurVids.co.can? Also yes!

5) Kyrie Irving In The Zone, Charter – The least commonly used telecom company on this list is quickly becoming than Comcast when it comes to promoting itself, as this ad from 2016 exemplifies. Following the famous Celtics player having a seamless phone call – free of static and buffering – while at the same time weaving through other players and making a slam dunk during a finals game, the 30-second-spot is a highly-energetic marvel of an ad.

– usarightnow.co.usa/culture/TV, 5/21/2020



PRIMARY NIGHT: Nominees-In-Waiting Win All Contests In Second Western Cluster

…Brown and Pritt won all Republican and Democratic elections, respectively, held in Texas, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Brown also won the GOP primary held in North Dakota…

The Houston Chronicle, 5/26/2020



SOUTH DAKOTA HOMEOWNERS ARE SUING OVER “DANGEROUS” SINKHOLE

…the sinkhole exposed an abandoned mine, endangering the properties above it… the residents have filed a $75million lawsuit claiming government entities, along with private contractors and developers, were negligent in the matter, either knowing of the mine or failing to properly study the land prior to developing it…

– insurancejournal.co.usa, 5/29/2020



…in other news, the states of Mississippi and South Dakota held their Presidential primaries today, with each of them voting for presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees, Governor Charlotte Pritt and Vice President Harley Brown, respectively. Brown also won contests held in California, Montana, New Jersey and New Mexico, which concludes the 2020 primaries for the Republicans but not for the Democrats…

– NBC News, 6/2/2020 broadcast



h4LZ0yV.png


[pic: imgur.com/h4LZ0yV.png ]

Popular vote:

Harley Brown – 21,618,797 (86.2%)
Rand Paul – 1,830,826 (7.3%)
Ben Nighthorse Campbell – 451,436 (1.8%)
William Scranton – 426,356 (1.7%)
Mike Leavitt – 351,117 (1.4%)
Rob Sobhani – 225,718 (0.9%)
Edward A. Buchanan – 125,399 (0.5%)
All other votes – 50,159 (0.2%)

Total popular votes – 25,079,812 (100%)

– clickopedia.co.usa [4]



DALLAIRE DOES IT!: Progressive Liberals Wins Parliament Majority

…In a fatal blow to the Bachand government, blasted for weeks for backpedaling on key issues, which bolstered blowback from Bachand base of businessmen and blue-collar backers, PL leader and former diplomat Romeo Dallaire has democratically dethroned the incumbent administration. Under Dallaire’s leadership, the Progressive Liberals won 175 seats, 5 seats more than needed for a majority of the total 338 seats in the House of Commons, while the Progressive Conservatives won 140. …The Quebec party, led by Mario Beaulieu, predictably came in a distant third with only 9 seats, while the People’s party, led by Jean-Francois Archambault, came in fourth place with 7 seats. Furthermore, the Green party, led by Jody Wilson-Raybould, came in fifth place with 4 seats; Purple Dawn, led by Naheed Nenshi, won 2 seats; and the New Maple party, led by Alanna Koch, retained its sole seat... Dallaire is expected to enter office on 14 June…

The Vancouver Sun, Canadian newspaper, 6/6/2020



…And in political news, the final round of Presidential primaries was held tonight in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. They all were for the Democratic party, as the GOP wrapped up its primary season last week. As expected, the Democratic party’s nominee-in-waiting, West Virginia Governor Charlotte Pritt, won all five contests…

– KNN News, 6/9/2020 broadcast



CxbJdi2.png


[Pic: imgur.com/CxbJdi2.png ]

Popular vote:

Charlotte Pritt – 23,621,975 (51.5%)
Alexandra Lugaro – 7,935,149 (17.3%)
Monica Lewinsky – 4,082,244 (8.9%)
Michael Moore – 3,119,018 (6.8%)
Oletha Faust-Goudeau – 2,522,735 (5.5%)
Bob Ross (undeclared) – 2,339,264 (5.1%)
Carol Bellamy (undeclared) – 871,490 (1.9%)
Maura Healey – 550,414 (1.2%)
Jeff Weaver – 366,943 (0.8%)
Dan Clodfelter – 321,075 (0.7%)
All other votes – 137,604 (0.3%)

Total popular votes – 45,867,912 (100%)

– clickopedia.co.usa [4]



LEWINSKY BLAMES “BOTTOM-HEAVY” PRIMARY SCHEDULE FOR DASHED PRESIDENTIAL HOPES: “If The DNC Had Moved Up The Most Populous State In The Union To Earlier In The Primary, My Candidacy Could Have Gathered More Momentum”

[snip]

Comments Section:

COMMENT 1:
No, Monica, you running a disappointing campaign dashed your Presidential hopes.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Yeah, she focused way too much on cultural stuff and not enough on the real issues. Always attacking Grammer and rarely saying how she would be better.

COMMENT 2:
California’s race is always later in the schedule. It was finalized over a year ago, so she should have known this when she jumped in, and focused more on trying to reach out to voters in the early states instead of hoping to rely on home state advantage.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2:
But she did reach out to early states – how else did she win VT & MA?!

COMMENT 3:
Decent article, I give it 4-out-of-5 stars

COMMENT 4:
She lost momentum because she came off as too elitist, especially in the debates. She was too fancy for this modern era, where politicians are like reality TV personalities and have to be relatable and have interesting personalities like our salty sea-dog VP and Mountain Mama Charlotte.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
I thought they always have to be deceivable. Andrew Jackson ran as a man of the people. It was an outright lie, but it worked.

REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
Fair point

REPLY 2 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
That was in the 1820s, dude. We’re talking about nowadays.

REPLY 2 to COMMENT 4:
I agree. Pritt and the Veep just come off as more humble, you know? More human are relatable. Lewinsky seemed too professional, too streamlined, too rehearsed, not raw or sincere. That doomed her campaign when put up against the energy of Lugaro and the rustic charm of Pritt.

– usarightnow.co.usa, 6/10/2020



“We had the approve of Republican voters. It was wealthy elitists Republican donors that we had to win over next. That was actually more challenging, at least for my department. We had to hammer in the fact that Rand Paul’s ‘Populist Within Reason’ schtick crashing and burning proved that Brown’s campaign style and candidness would, in the end, win the day – and the Presidency – for the GOP.”

– Sarah Taylor Fagen (R-IA), media strategist for the Brown’2020 campaign, 2022 interview



MANGO DECLINES RUNNING MATE CONSIDERATION

Philadelphia, PA – Governor Paul Mango today announced that he is not interested in serving as presumptive GOP nominee Harley Brown’s running mate in the November 2020 Presidential election. Mango, a 61-year-old Republican former businessman who was elected to the governorship in 2018, told reporters that his “current responsibilities are the people of this state.” He also joked, “for some reason, asking people to pick a Brown-Mango ticket doesn’t sound appealing to me.”…

The Philadelphia Enquirer, 6/12/2020



LIST OF PIXAR FILMS

{sort by: decade}

1990s: Toy Story (1994), Bugnificent (1997), Monkey Town (1999)

2000s: Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2001), Tugboat Hotel (2003), Fair Games (2004), Lost In Scaradise (2005), The Adventures of Jerrie Parsec (2006), The Lost Clownfish (2007), The Incredibles (2008), Chasing Leopards (2009)

2010s: Joy (2010), Space Spy (2011), Life (2012), Happy Smekday (2013), Chasing Leopards 2 (2014), Shademaker: The Shadow King (2015), By The Light of The Rocks (2016), Earth 2 (2017), Driven (2018), Gigantic (2019)

2020s: Memory (2020) {see: upcoming releases}

– mediarchives.co.usa, c. June 2020



…McMillan was highly critical of both major-party nominees, believing that their populist rhetoric was a “damn façade.” In private talks with his presidential staff, he explained “Harley’s not a man of the people anymore – he’s been in the Beltway for eight years now. And unless she picks a ‘Brother’ for running mate, I don’t see how Charlotte can win over Our People. Because, damn, have you ever been to West Virginia. I have, and let me tell, you – she’s the Governor of an overwhelmingly white state!”…

– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021



QUERY: Who do you guys think will be Pritt’s pick for running mate?
Analysts on TV are saying she’ll throw a bone to the Lugaro-progressive wing of the party, but I think she’ll pick another populist like herself to reinforce her core campaign messages. What do y’all think?

COMMENT 1 (by Republic_of_Nationland):
Over on NBC, one of their idiot analysts claimed she’s too inexperienced to be POTUS. Ha!

COMMENT 2 (by PoodleFace):
I think she needs to try and cut into Harley’s share of the vote. Brown has somehow retained his anti-establishment aura after eight years as VP, so she has to break out those grassroots strategies that won her the governorship in the GOP-leaning years of 2012 and 2016. She needs to focus of social organizing and mobilizing, and reminding voters on how she proved herself to be electable in the primaries, and showed off her debate skills in those debates.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2 (by ConservaTim321):
Okay, but who do you think should be her R.M.?

REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2 (by PoodleFace):
I don’t think it matters as much as how she herself runs, but probably someone from an urban/high-population area. Maybe someone from Texas or California.

COMMENT 3 (by Ultracoolmanguy01):
She’s geographically interesting because WV is between three major spots, the Midwest, the Northeast, and the South. So maybe she should pick someone from west, like Mark Udall or Cruz Bustamante.

COMMENT 4 (by George_Greekman):
I’m hoping she picks a fellow Greek for RM, like Governors Gianaris or Giannoulias, or Senator Atsalis. They’re all from high-populated states and urban areas not too close to West Virginia, and all three of those guys have done a lot since entering office.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4 (by LadyBloodsplatter):
Of those three, Giannoulias has the most name recognition b/c of how he handled those race riots in Chicago last year. Plus, with Pritt in her 70s putting a young person on the ticket (heh, Giannoulias is 44 – that’s young in politics but ancient in the modeling world! Hilarious!) may give the ticket a good balance.

COMMENT 5 (by JoxeyCoxey):
I hereby predict that she will select a Democrat to be her running mate! :p

– ahdiscussionboard.co.usa, “current politics” subsection, thread opened 6/16/2020



…As of 2020, the NY-NJ Storm Barrier Project is still not finalized. NYC Mayor McMillan has spent his tenure spending funds on housing in his mostly-successful efforts at rent control. NY Governor Gianaris recently expressed interest in founding a private-public partnership to help the state and city governments involved cover the cost of the project, but has otherwise not been too keen on the proposal... …The rising apathy towards the barrier does not bode well for the region. What was a major concern in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has shifted father and farther to the political backburner despite Global Climate Disruption being an increasingly pressing national and global concern that only raises the odds of another Sandy-style storm hitting the bi-state region in the near future...

– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021



LIST OF THEATRICALLY-RELEASED ANIMATED DISNEY FILMS

(Note: List does not include live-action/animated “hybrid” films, direct-to-MLD films, or digital-downstream-only films)

{sort by: decade}

[snip]

1960s: One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967)

1970s: The Aristocrats (1970), Chanticleer (1972), The Snow Queen (1974), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), The Rescuers (1979)

1980s: The Fox and the Hound (1980), The Magic Broomstick (1981), The Rescuers 2: The Search For Scruffy (1984), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Don Quixote (1987), Oliver & Company (1989)

1990s: The Little Mermaid (1990), Swabbies (1991), Beauty and the Beast (1992), Aladdin (1993), The Lion King (1994), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1995), Pocahontas (1996), Twelve Dancing Princesses (1997), Treasure Planet (1998), Tarzan (1999)

2000s: Hercules (2000), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Goldilocks (2002), Treasure Planet 2 (2003), Yennenga (2005), Baba Yaga (2006), Treasure Planet 3 (2007), Tiny The Alligator (2008), Newt (2009)

2010s: The Troll King (2010), Dumbo 2 (2011), The Upside-Down House (2012), Dinosaur Days (2013), The Lilliputians Under The Sink (2014), The Last Polar Bear (2015), Puss in Boots (2016), Stoneflight (2017), A Fool’s Errand (2018), Thunder Over Glasgow (2019)

2020s: Deep In The Heart of Texas (2020) {see: upcoming releases}

– mediarchives.co.usa, c. June 2020



…polling for next month’s Presidential election in Russia shows the incumbent Nikolayev leading by a plurality, with opposition being almost evenly divided among several challengers, making it unclear who may challenge him in a runoff election should Nikolayev fail to win a majority in the primary round…

– BBC World News, 6/20/2020 broadcast



CODE MONKEYS REVIVAL SERIES CANCELLED AFTER TWO SEASONS

…the “cult classic” animated series has a tumultuous history, with its dark jokes and crude humor often getting itself into hot water during its original run of four seasons, which aired on TumbleweedTV from 2007 to 2010…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 6/21/2020 [5]



No Aid For South Dakota Residents After Sinkhole Collapse, ODERCA Says

…evacuated residents are not eligible for federal aid, according to the Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency…

The Chicago Tribune, 6/22/2020



“I’m aware that ODERCA’s budget has been cut dramatically since 2013, but I’m still very disappointed in them. …[President] Kelsey [Grammer] thinks response and relief to these kind of situations should be confined to the state level only, and I strongly disagree with that.”

– US Postmaster General Ralph Nader (I-CT), 6/23/2020



Rank | Maker – Console – Released – Units Sold

1 | Nintendo – Vision – 2004 – 56M

2 | Nintendo – Gem – 2008 – 52M

3 | Sony – PlayStation5 – 2015 – 44M

4 | Sony – PlayStation2 – 2000 – 41M

5 | Nintendo – Vapor – 2000 – 39M

6 | Sega – Genesis – 1989 – 31M

7 | Olympus – Alpha2 – 2006 – 29M

8 | Sony – PlayStation – 1995 – 28M

9 | Sony – PlayStation3 – 2005 – 21M

10 | Sega – Genesis3 – 1998 – 15M

– gametime.co.usa/stats/video-game-consoles/lists/best-sellers/region/United-States, c. June 2020 [6]



“…As the Democratic National Convention approaches, the selection of running mate for Governor Pritt is still without a clear frontrunner. Several underdog candidates are being considered, along with options that may appeal to minority group, but southern, conservative, and blue-collar Democrats are reportedly being vetted as well. The presumptive nominee could select an establishment-friendly running mate, or an anti-establishment one; a western favorite, or someone from a more densely populated area to raise the chances of a decisive popular vote victory in November. With all these possibilities, Governor Pritt’s vetting team is casting a wide net to find her the best running mate [7]...”

– NBC News, 6/25/2020 broadcast



…A major issue with Brown’s “image” was that it appealed to many ultra-conservatives of the neo-hippy, formerly Goetzite, uber-right, Wide-Awake variety, many of whom were now coming out of the woodwork in support of the Vice President. The need to add to his base of supports with support from less populist Republicans along with independents and undecided voters, but without upsetting these “fringe” elements too much, kept Brown’s VP vetting team work intensely on finding a suitable running mate.

For Harley Brown, the considerations for the Number 2 spot on the ticket could go one of two ways – a “dove” or a double-down. Brown could go with a more moderate, or as he called them, a more “polished” politician, to improve enthusiasm for his campaign among unsatisfied members of the party. Independents, undecided, and the White Whale that is the conservative Democrat could all potentially be swung be a non-offensive “compromise” selection. Even the most conservative Democrat in the US Senate in the nation, Brian Moran of Virginia, and the most conservative Democratic governor, Ben Lewis Jones of Georgia, were each allegedly considered for the position prior to both publicly declining interest.

On the other hand, Brown saw little downside to doubling down and picking an early supporter of his candidacy who could still strengthen the ticket. However, the VP refused to consider Rand Paul or anyone of the 7 Congressmen who had endorsed his primary challenge. Senator Gunderson politely declined, as did former Governor Dave Ramsey. US Secretary Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R-TN) expressed approval in being vetted, but the two of them did get along well, with Harley believing that she would try to grab more of the limelight than a running mate should, and so was vetted, but not actually considered due to the lingering animosity. …With so few weeks left before the convention began, the shortlist was still not finalized [L1]...

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



Build A Better Future

Restore America’s Future

Restore America’s Promise

Pritt Won’t Quit

For The Future

Real Solutions

New Leadership For A New Tomorrow

In To Win

In It to Win It For All of Us

Working For Change; Working For You

Bet On Charlotte

The People’s Choice

– unofficial “Pick Pritt” 2020 slogans, first used c. June 2020



Ride To Victory

(It’s) Time for Destiny

Harley – For Family

Duty Calls

Destiny Calls

A Leader You Can Depend On

Telling It Like It Is

For The Truth

Tried And True

Brown’s The Best

Tested And Trustworthy

Ready To Lead

– unofficial Harley Brown 2020 slogans, first used c. June 2020



“There were lots of rent control supporters out there, but few of them were politicians. And there were few politicians out there who openly backed rent control, and even fewer of them were willing to consider becoming Jimmy’s running mate. So, he had to look high and low for the right running mate.” [L1]

– Brynja McDivitt
Booth, former legal advisor to NYC Mayor McMillan, 2022 interview



POLL: “If the election for President was held today, who would you vote for?”

Charlotte Pritt: 42%
Harley Brown: 41%
Jimmy McMillan: 5%
Undecided/other: 12%

Hypothetical RCV Final Round Matchup:

Charlotte Pritt: 50%
Harley Brown: 50%

– Gallup, 6/30/2020



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Italicized pieces pulled from here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/japanese-diet
[2] Passage is edited dialogue from here:
youtube.com/watch?v=0o3-_7tEqb4
[3] OTL quote (except for the italics this time)!: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119020540/http://www.governorharley.com/why.htm
[4] Vote composition are based on the polling results as they were on May 29
[5] So this show, plus Happy Tree Friends (2 seasons), Slacker Cats (8 seasons) and other shows sort of fill in the void left by South Park and Family Guy not existing ITTL on account of their creators working on other projects instead.
[6] FYI: I’m not a gamer (I’ve never even owned a video game console), so this is all alien territory to me @Sharky1234



[7] But you can help select the running mates by voting in these here polls!:

Poll #1) “Who should Charlotte Pritt select to be her running mate for the 2020 Presidential Election?”: https://www.strawpoll.me/45319063

And a quick breakdown of that poll’s 20 candidates:

US Sen. Demetrius J. Atsalis of Massachusetts, age 56 – The junior US Senator from the Bay State, in office since 2015, could balance out Pritt’s rural roots with urban appeal, and Pritt’s blue-collar appeal with Atsalis’ history defending white-collar jobs from automation.

US Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, age 68 – Previously serving as a Governor (2003-2007) and in office, since 2007, Brown has progressive bona fides and decades of political experience; however, he is right next door to Ohio, so his selection may cost the ticket votes in other regions.

Gov. Cruz Bustamante of California, age 68 – In office since 2012, this Hispanic-American politician has for years strived to improve the quality of life found in California’s communities, from curbing crime rates and confronting recreadrug abuse to overseeing revitalization projects in the Salton Sea.

Gov. Douglas S. Chin of Hawaii, age 54 – In office since 2014, Chin made national news for his decisive handling of volcanic eruptions and subsequent lava flows affecting his state for during much of 2018; his leadership skills and progressive stances make him an interesting prospect to some in Pritt’s inner circle.

Fmr US Interior Sec. Larry J. Echo-Hawk of Idaho, age 72 – Experienced, Native-American, and with some libertarian streaks, the selection of a fellow septuagenarian from a growing rural state would nevertheless be seen as Pritt doubling down on her campaign’s themes, but some argue that’s a good thing.

Gov. Michael Gianaris of New York, age 50 – In office since 2015, the Greek-American overseer of several NY-based energy projects could bring in more urban, ethnic, and younger voters, and possibly complement Pritt’s gubernatorial tenure with a governing record of his own.

Gov. Al Giannoulias of Illinois, age 44 – This youthful and energetic governor, former state treasurer, and former professional basketball player could win over urban, ethnic, and younger voters both in and outside of the Midwest, and would contrast sharply against the elderly and rural-based Pritt.

Fmr Gov. Barry N. Goldberg of Pennsylvania, age 51 – The selection of the rambunctious “Big Tasty,” with a background in radiology and financial reform, could energize the Jewish-America vote concentrated in high-population states such as Florida, California and New York, as well as the youth vote.

Gov. Robert Gray of Mississippi, age 51 – The selection of an African-American running mate for a ticket led by a woman would certainly be historic, and with Gray’s past as a truck driver, then union leader, before becoming Governor in 2016, this Southerner may be a part of such a historic moment.

US Sen. Alexandra Lugaro of Puerto Rico, age 39 – Selecting this former opponent to create the first major-party all-female Presidential ticket could unite the party, help win over Hispanic voters, and dispel questions concerning Pritt’s age; however, it’s possible Lugaro’s alleged lack of experience (2 years in the Senate, 10 in the House) could be questioned instead.

Gov. Cory Mason of Wisconsin, age 48 – A rising star in the party and only in office since 2019, this stripling of a politician is focused on promoting technical schools and working with unions on commercial development projects; selecting him would be a reinforcement of many of Pritt’s proposals.

US Sen. Michael H. Michaud of Maine, age 66 – Selecting the only Openly-BLUTAG Democratic US Senator for running mate, while historic, may not win over certain conservatives; regardless, he may be selected due to his latest efforts to promote stem cell research and relief for small businesses.

Fmr Gov. Michael Moore of Michigan, age 66 – He bitterly feuded with Pritt during the primaries, but some in her inner circle believe they can bury the hatchet over their similar but distinctly different policies and ideologies; other concerns are Moore’s age, and his being from a nearby state.

US Postmaster Gen. Ralph Nader of Connecticut, age 86 – Despite expressing disinterest several times, some pundits think that adding Nader to the ticket would provide it with decades of experience, as he served in the US Senate for 12 years and in the cabinets of 8 of the last 10 Presidential administrations.

US Sen. Kwame Raoul of Illinois, age 56 – Retiring from Senate, this Haitian-American former candidate would focus on Civil Rights and criminal justice matters as running mate and as a Vice President; he could potentially win over large swaths of the urban, ethnic, immigrant and youth vote.

Fmr US Navy Sec. James G. Stavridis of Florida, age 65 – This celebrated and award-winning Greek-American retired US Navy Admiral served as the US Navy Secretary from 2013 to 2019; his selection would beef up the ticket’s national defense credentials and could improve turnout among ethnic voters.

Louisville Mayor David Tandy of Kentucky, age 48 – In office since 2015, the African-American Tandy is overseeing the continued growth of his city’s population, cutting taxes for lower-income residents but not for major employers to pay for public services; he agrees with nearly all of Pritt’s ideas.

US Rep. Ivy Ruth Taylor of Texas, age 50 – Previously the Mayor of San Antonio from 2014 to 2017, and a member of the House since 2017, Taylor campaigned for Pritt across the South during the primaries, and her selection could help mobilize young, ethnic, and southern voters.

Fmr US Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, age 70 – During his time in the US House (1999-2005) and US Senate (2005-17), he backed renewable energy projects, defended national parks, and criticized Grammer’s handling of domestic hackers; he could win over former Ross supporters and many voters out west.

US Rep. Antonio R. Villar Jr. of California, age 67 – In office since 2017, Villar has backed increasing funding for public schools, criminal justice legislation, water accessibility efforts, and immigration reform; selecting this Mexican-American former DNC Chair could possibly increase Hispanic voter turnout.



And Poll #2) “Who should Harley Brown select to be his running mate for the 2020 Presidential Election?”: https://www.strawpoll.me/45319055

And a quick breakdown of that poll’s 20 candidates:

Fmr Gov. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, age 64 – The socially conservative Bachmann served as Governor from 2016 to 2019 after spending time as Lt. Gov. (2015-16) and as a state senator (2001-15); even though she lost the 2018 governor’s race, she has been a consistently loyal and strong Brown Backer.

Fmr Gov. Rudolph Andreas “Andre” Bauer of South Carolina, age 51 – While governor (2011-2019) he faced controversies of his own over his opposition to free school meal programs, but budget cuts led to him leaving S.C. with a surplus in 2019; a strong Brown ally, he is friends with former Speaker McMaster.

US Sen. Mae Beavers of Tennessee, age 73 – In office since 2013, this conservative “spitfire” from Pritt’s neighborhood is critical of Grammer’s handling of the US Department of Education and supports abolishing all forms of income tax and business regulations; plus, she and Brown have a friendly rapport.

Gov. Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh of Alabama, age 54 – Since entering office in 2019, Cavanaugh has backed tax incentives for opening small businesses in her state, maintained low utility rates, and criticized ODERCA’s “over-reaching” regulations; she could improve the party’s standing among female voters.

Gov. Brian Calley of Michigan, age 43 – The youthful former US Secretary of Commerce has been in office since 2019, but has already passed legislation to fund autism research, end the state’s “unfair” business tax, and pass a 5% flat tax on corporate income; he appeals to anti-Brown members of the GOP.

Fmr Gov. Mark Green of Wisconsin, age 60 – Serving in public offices from 1993 until retiring from the governorship in 2019, this experienced politician has spent years opposing and combating human rights violations, and backs interventionism and economic reform; he could put parts of the Midwest into play.

Circuit Chief Judge Neil Gorsuch of Colorado, age 53 – The Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit since 2015 has some libertarian streaks in his overall conservative voting record, has a reputation for being “polished” and “refined,” and would do an “grand” job presiding over the Senate.

Gov. Hal Heiner of Kentucky, age 69 – In office since 2015, the former Mayor of Louisville has overseen public work projects and economic reform to improve his state’s employment rates following the 2013 recession; commended for handling anti-police protests in 2019, he’s a moderate from Pritt’s neighborhood.

Gov. Jennifer Sandra Johnson of Florida, age 61 – This Trinidadian-American woman of color served in the Navy (retired at the rank of Commander) and fought in Libya and in KW2; a conservative politician since 2002, Johnson could win over female and ethnic/minority voters, and help the ticket win Florida.

US Rep. Joe Kyrillos of New Jersey, age 60 – Serving in various offices since 1988, Kyrillos’s eastern and urban ties would balance out Harley’s affinity for the west and the countryside; with deep donor connections and even deeper personal pockets, picking Kyrillos could unite the party and win ethnic voters.

US Amb. to Cuba Connie Mack IV of Florida, age 53 – One of the few former members of the Grammer administration to be heavily considered, this “polished” former Paul-backer served in the House from 2003 to 2013 before serving in the US Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh; he could put Florida into play.

Gov. Rocky McCain of Montana, age 59 – The retiring libertarian-leaning moderate Governor, in office since 2013, has military bona fides and could win over ethnic/minority voters with his “inspiring” backstory and “superb” oratory skills; however, a Brown/McCain ticket would not be geographically diverse at all.

Gov. Kimberly Ann McFadden of Iowa, age 61 – Born in Iowa and starting out her career in law enforcement, even serving of the Sheriff of Des Moines before entering the state senate; since becoming Governor, McFadden has defended Iowa’s police precincts and recreadrug policies, and is popular across the state.

Gov. Lesil Lynn “Lizzie” McGuire of Alaska, age 49 – A youthful career politician in office since 2014, McGuire has lowered taxes and has combated state issues such as wage theft, housing, homelessness, and domestic violence, along with approving anti-GCD efforts; she could possibly win over female voters.

US Army Gen. (ret.) Mark Milley of Potomac, age 62 – If Brown wants to double down on his foreign policy chops, selecting this early supporter of his, who has led an impressive military career of the years, may do the trick, and allow Brown to focus more on domestic issues.

Gov. Glenn K. Rieth of New Jersey, age 63 – Similarly to Kyrillos, Reith is a well-connected conservative, but like Milley, he is a military veteran; since becoming Governor in 2018, Reith has worked to simplify state business laws, defend police precints, and promote economic development.

Gov. T. W. Shannon of Oklahoma, age 42 – Since entering office in 2019, Shannon has worked on diverting tax revenue to repair infrastructure and protect farmers; despite his opposition to certain social program specifics, this half-Black, half-Chickasaw politician could appeal to young and non-white voters.

US Sen. Sarah Hearne Steelman of Missouri, age 62 – A “rising star” in the party since 2008, and serving in the US Senate since 2013, Steelman has served on multiple committees and has developed a moderate-to-conservative voting tenure that is very similar to Brown’s; she could win over female voters.

US Rep. Mark D. Siljander of Michigan, age 69 – With a lengthy resume (US House from Michigan (1981-87/2007-13/2017-present) and from Virginia (1993-99); US Ambassador to Paraguay (1987-89) and Poland (2013-15)), this 2-time nominee for the US Senate (2012, 2014) is a strongly conservative Harley ally.

US Sen. Allen West of Florida, age 59 – West has been a consistent supporter of the VP, working with him on legislation since both entered their current positions in 2013; as military veterans the two mutually respect each other; a strongly conservative African-American, West could win over minority voters.



Also, a third poll: “Who should Jimmy McMillan (I-NY) select to be his running mate for the 2020 Presidential Election?”: https://www.strawpoll.me/45335248

And a quick breakdown of that poll’s 8 candidates:

Rev. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. of California, age 82 – The Nobel Peace Prize recipient endorsed both of McMillan’s mayoral bids, and has defended his rent control policies on major networks; he would add humanitarian bona fides to a “people-centric” ticket.

Fmr US Rep. John James Capozzi Jr. of Potomac, age 64 – With a consistent track record and having worked with the NYC Mayor on rent issues in both Potomac and NYC for years now, McMillan’s running mate in 2016 may be selected for the same role again.

Prof. Janice R. Fine of Massachusetts, age 59 – a lawyer, community organizer, political activist, labor advocate, feminist icon, and academic, convincing Fine to join the ticket could do much to bring in female supporters; while she is to the left of McMillan, the two get along well together.

US Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, age 74 – repeatedly in and out of public office, this progressive politician has served 11 terms in the U.S. House on five non-consecutive occasions and from three different states (Ohio, California, New Mexico and Ohio again); his labor appeal could win over blue-collar voters.

Fmr Gov. Richard “Cheech” Marin of New Mexico, age 74 – This semi-retired political prisoner-turned-activist filmmaker-turned politician is a prominent promoter of recreadrug legalization, and could help McMillan win over Hispanic voters and other ethnic minorities.

Gov. Krist Novoselic of Washington, age 55 – Though it is unknown if a guitarist can play second fiddle to a Mayor, the retiring Governor Novoselic’s libertarian ideology has enough overlap with McMillan’s populist ideology that the two could make for an interesting ticket.

Fmr st. sen. Steve Rauschenberger of Illinois, age 64 – The only former Republican on this list, Rauschenberger served in the state senate from 1993 to 2007 and twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress; he is an early supporter of McMillan, having played prominent roles in his 2016 campaign.

Fmr ODERCA Dir. Rodney Slater of Arkansas, age 65 – In charge of overseeing disaster rescue and relief efforts during Hurricane Sandy and other storms from 2005 to 2009, this African-American “beltway politician”-turned-legal advisor would bring much experience to the ticket.



@Sunstone77
Adult Animation – I agree that cynical humor is tied to economic strife; some shows similar to Bojack Horseman, in that they are dramas tackling serious issues but are animated, do exist ITTL, but are less popular among the general population and are instead considered to have strong “cult” followings. BTW, I love your “Media Circus” idea over in this TL’s pictures thread, so I hereby declare it canon! So I guess, other than “Media Circus,” the most prominent “dark” toon shows ITTL are “Invader Zim,” and “Neurotically Yours” (the show with Foamy the Squirrel), among others.

@PNWKing
“Did the Bell System still break up? If so, what are the top telecom companies?” Yes, but a bit sooner under President Mondale; the top 10 telecom companies, globally, are, in descending order, AT&T (US), Verizon (US), Nippon (Japan), Telekom (Germany), America Movil (Mexico), Softbank (Japan), Comcast (US), PRC Uni-Com (China), Vodafone (UK), UnitedTalk (US). The top 5 in the US are AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, UnitedTalk, and Frontier.
“Are cable and satellite still things?” – Yes, but they’re presently used even less often than IOTL.
Nick Offerman, Amy Poehler, Jim O’Heir, Marietta “Retta” Sirleaf, Paul Schneider and Aubrey Plaza – comedians. IOTL, Parks and Rec came about after co-creator Daniels and Schur failed to come up with a spinoff of The Office, then abandoned the idea of a government official trying to rebuild their political career after a fall from grace; they were also inspired by The Wire, and the optimism surrounding OTL’s 2008 election. The guy who created The Wire do so after working on Homicide: Life on The Street, which still came into existence ITTL, but the 2008 election ITTL was closer to OTL’s 1988 election in regards to public sentiments, with the incumbent administration retaining the White House. And the original UK Office was created by Ricky Gervais in 2001 IOTL. That’s a long time from this TL’s POD, but let’s kill some butterflies and say it somehow still gets made. I think the “redemption” idea would have been interesting, so let’s say Poehler plays a somewhat optimistic former state senator who lost a very winnable congressional seat over a gaffe, and now works for the state Parks and Rec but keeps looking for a way to redeem herself. The character could be a former introvert, and be used by the writers to explore issues surrounding social anxiety, as she wants to help people, but she’s nervous in front of crowds, thus complicating her ambitions. The show, whatever it’s called, is tertiarily connected to The Office, in that one of the side characters is a cousin of one from The Office and the joke is characters from The Office pop up in the background of scenes visiting this cousin but they’re never directly addressed because it’s not their show. The other P&R actors – all still comedians ITTL – may play characters similar to the ones they played in OTL.
Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke and Michael Stipe – all are still singers ITTL
Chris Pratt – After winning a high school state wrestling tournament, his wrestling coach convinced him to take it up professionally; he joined WWE in 2001 but retired in 2019 after a series of arm and leg injuries, and is currently (2020) trying to transition into professional acting.
Ken Jeong – He was too busy working on the front lines during the SARS pandemic to try and appear on the “Funnyville Laughdown” program (Funnyville is a basic cable channel, kind of like OTL’s Comedy Central but not really), but he was able to transition into comedy in the late 2000s/early 2010s, with his role in the 2017 dramedy film “Chasing Snails” being his breakout performance.
Jenny McCarthy – Hmm, IOTL her autistic son was born in May 2002, so if he was born here too (and given how long it’s been since the POD, that’s a big “if”), that’d be 3 months into the pandemic; upon him being diagnosed in 2005, she may claim the autism didn’t appear until after her child got vaccinated and so she would end up an anti-vaxxer anyway; but that’s only if she still conceives an autistic child (at some point, not necessarily this same kid, 70 years after TTL’s POD), and since it’s not clearly understood what causes autism, I’m really not sure how her personal life plays out here; but her acting career is similar here, being most prominent in the 1990s and shifting to hosting shows and judging shows in the 2010s. (BTW: my older brother has medium-functioning autism, PPD-NOS (reading, communication, and short-term memory issues), and he’s the most innocent and least annoying person in my family!)
Seltzer and Friedberg – Friedberg’s father was a Hollywood screenwriter, so he’d probably still get into scriptwriting at a young age like in OTL, but the two of them didn’t meet until both went to the same university, so maybe here, Seltzer goes to a different school. IOTL, the two originally made a living and paid for tuition by selling t-shirts, starting a food delivery service, and opening up a shoe store; given the younger one was born in 1974, this would be c. 1992; maybe here, Seltzer, going in alone b/c he never met Friedberg, capitalizes on the growing possibilities of the technet and makes his food delivery service into a legitimate business (possibly named “Seltzer’s Food and Seltzers” or something like that), and it struggles for years until the quarantines of 2002-to-2004 allow it to expand into a major multi-state operation, and so here he’s a wealthy businessman too busy living in luxury to make terrible movies. Friedberg, meanwhile, may end up working with more talented writers, and his movies, while still playing to a certain audience and still having a distinctly crude style, are closer to the grossest moments of OTL’s Family Guy, Rick & Morty (which doesn’t exist here at all), and Seth Rogen films and are still shunned by critics, but are not as awful as his OTL films are considered to be. (Confession time: I think I’m one of the few people out there who actually doesn’t hate “Disaster Movie,” finding it bad, but not terribly awful enough for me to hate it; watching it again a few months back, I found that its now-dated pop culture references have unintentionally made it into a time capsule of sorts for the year 2008, as it makes several references to films and TV shows most relevant in that specific time period, and so it reminded me of those “YouTube Rewind” videos; plus, its production values (its budget was so very obviously low) made me chuckle a few times (both when I first saw it in early 2009, and again in December), and I remember the Crazy Princess character actually getting a few laughs out of then-14-years-old me some of the time, but, admittedly, much less so now).
Natalie Wood – In 1971, after friends inspired by the first “Ark Wave” convince her to tell her story, Wood reveals that she was raped by “a powerful actor” when she was 16 (IOTL, Wood died before she could ever actually identify him by name, but here, we learn who it was). In 1981, she and Wagner have their argument sooner, right before they can even get to the yacht, so she spends the weekend with her sister until they reconcile a few days later. She stars in a movie based on the play “Anastasia” in 1985. Wood finally wins an Academy Award in 1988 for her performance in the 1987 film “Country of The Heart,” which also starred Timothy Hutton. In 1990, Wood and Wagner divorce after a chaotic night in 1989 in which Wood catches Wagner sleeping with Jill St. John in a room at their guest house, and Wagner catches Wood sleeping with Christopher Walken in a second room at the guest house just minutes later (which was the inspiration for a 1993 comedy film starring Steve Martin). Wood semi-retired from acting again in the 1990s, and once more in the 2010s, the latter being due to dissatisfaction with repeatedly playing “older” characters; outside of acting, she has worked with SAG and other organizations to support film preservations efforts.
Bob Dole – Already mentioned as still serving in the senate (longer than any other incumbent, in office since 1969), and is the current President Pro Tempore of the US Senate; re-elected in 2016, he announced in 2017 that he will “very likely” not run for re-election in 2022.
John Grisham – Until looking over his bio on Wikipedia, I didn’t realize how many movies for which he was responsible; it’s interesting that he got elected to public office at a time when he was struggling to become a writer; ITTL, he still becomes a prominent writer, but writes a best-seller based on the real-life stories that come out during the Ark Wave of 1986, while the OTL girl that was the inspiration for “A Time To Kill” stays safe from harm ITTL.
Paula Deen – Very similar to OTL (plus more prominent criticisms of her use of sugar) until 2006, when she is caught on a hot mic using the N-word to refer to President Jackson; her show “Paula’s Home Cooking” was soon cancelled, and she kept a low profile until returning to relevance with a new TV show in 2014.
Mary Hart – She was First Runner-Up for Miss America in 1971 before working for programs such as Entertainment Daily, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter; she also conducted informal interviews for People Magazine and other publications, and made minor appearances in some films and TV shows.
John Tesh – Pretty much the same as OTL, but he’s not as famous as Yanni.
“What is the fate of Judaism ITTL?” – What do you mean by this?
“Are infomercials a thing ITTL?” – Yes
Tucker Carlson – Born in 1969, he still develops an anti-liberal mindset in response to his mother abandoning the family “to pursue a ‘bohemian’ lifestyle” like IOTL; his father, still marries Senator J. William Fulbright’s niece in 1979 and becomes the head of the USIA in under President Denton, which has even more influence ITTL; after the Ark Wave of 1986, President Kemp fired his father; in 1993, after spending two years working for “Uncle Fulbright” (who didn’t retire until 1995), the Senator helped Tucker get into the CIA (he failed to join IOTL); as a field specialist, he oversaw anti-recreadrug campaigns in Colombia and then Mexico under Presidents Iacocca and Dinger; after Jackson became President in 2001, Tucker was fired for insubordination and soon began a career working on the campaigns of deeply-conservative political candidates (Goetz in 2004, Gritz in 2008, and Goetz again in 2012); in 2013, he failed to land a job working for VP Brown because Brown “could smell the BS from the outer office”; he currently works as a Foreign Policy analyst for THN.
Laura Welch (since she never met George W. Bush ITTL) – she actually did meet GWB, but only decades later, when she was running for a second term in the U.S. House and he was MLB Commissioner (see the September 1998 Chapter for a photo); she entered office in 1997, declined interest in being Goetz’s running mate in 2004, was considered for US Secretary of Education in 2013 but ultimately declined the job, and lost re-nomination in 2014 due to allegedly being “insufficiently conservative,” as her challenger put it.
“Was Heathcliff a thing ITTL?” – Given that Heathcliff was created in 1973 and Garfield was created in 1976/1978, I think both cats exist ITTL, with the latter feline peaking in popularity in the late 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s, similar to OTL, except the “rivalry” between the two is more prominent, both in advertising and within their respective 1980s/1990s TV shows.
“What are the most memorable ‘lafpics’ ITTL?” – Hard to say; the internet/technet is a very unpredictable place, but most likely lafpics/mems have easy-to-understand formats and a “universal” sort of humor to them (e.g.: “Mr. Bean”); but given the hundreds if not thousands or more memes out there, I’m really not sure what an alternate internet would cook up specifically (there’s just too many possibilities) so feel free to offer any suggestions/ideas you have.
 
Post 112
Post 112: Chapter 120

Chapter 120: July 2020 – December 2020



“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”

– C. S. Lewis



She started out as the daughter of a coal miner and ended up the personification of the John Denver line “Mountain Momma.” Charlotte Pritt, whose candidacy hinged on the success of her tenure as Governor of West Virginia, was increasingly viewed as a “Worker Warrior” after winning the Democratic nomination for President, and as the 2020 DNC approached, her populist ideals and personal charm slowly but surely won over Democratic primary voters who has opposed her in the interparty contests held just a few months prior.

The biography aspect of her candidacy – her humble origins as a schoolteacher, her father passing away from the effects of Black Lung Disease/Coal Lung, and her life-long pragmatic involvement with labor unions – highlighted she was truly determined to promote education, prevent workers from dying from hazardous workplaces, and protect worker rights. Her enthusiasm for the issues central to her candidacy came from a personal place, which led to voters finding her to be sincere and relatable.

Furthermore, Pritt was one of only a few Presidential candidates of the modern era who had both a popular policy platform and the “success story” to back it up. Since becoming Governor in 2013, West Virginia’s industrial hubs were noticeably changing for the better, with empty factories being renovated into promising business centers, public market spots, and housing complexes. The Mountain State’s physical landscape and ecological conditions were improving thanks to Pritt expanding the state’s economy beyond mining, to tech services, retail, Green Energy projects, and tourism.

With only a soupcon of emphasis on her most far-left proposals, Pritt’s campaign team touted the Governor’s additional successes in promoting mental health, responsible recreadrug use, and tax reform. They also touted her replacing her gubernatorial predecessor’s lackluster “clean coal” initiative with efforts to diversify her state’s economy in order to wean the state’s workers off of mining later on down the line – which, in the aftermath of the 2013 recession, yielded an economic boom for the state and led to her winning re-election in a landslide despite 2016 being an overall very poor year for Democrats…

…Pritt had served as a State delegate from 1984 to 1988, then as a State senator from 1988 to 1992. While working as legal advisor for several local unions from 1992 to 2000, she was the unsuccessful Green Party nominee for Governor in 1992 and an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for her old state senate seat in 1996. But despite these election losses, she refused to bury her political career, and in 2000, successfully ran to be West Virginia’s Secretary of State, and served a single term from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and won re-election in 2006 and 2008, but lost re-election in the “red wave” year of 2010…

…The only “weakness” they saw in her candidacy was her lack of experience in military affairs…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



“I’d like to wish everyone a happy Independence Day. …The ideals and the people of our nation will always prosper because our brave citizens in uniform will always defend them. So I’d like to make a toast [opens beer bottle with the edge of the Theodore Roosevelt desk] to all who have ever served in the US military, and that goes for all the good people at the Veterans Administrations, all the nurses, all the desk clerks, and all the swabbies – everyone who’s ever played any small part in keeping America safe, sound and secure.”

– VP Harley Brown in a video posted onto his official VP netsite, 7/4/2020



The Democratic National Convention was held in Charlotte, North Carolina from July 17 to July 20. On July 7, Pritt formally announced that she had selected Kwame Raoul to be her running mate. Pritt’s campaign team was enthusiastic for the selection. Selecting Raoul, who was retiring from a safe US Senate seat he had held since 2009, would potentially bolster the ticket with foreign affairs credentials, as Raoul had served on the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee for the past eight years, and had Chaired it for four years. The selection, they believed, would also shore up support among minority voters, as Raoul was a Haitian-American lawmaker popular among Illinois’s African-American population. Plus, Raoul’s urban hometown of Chicago, Illinois complicated Pritt’s rural home town of Hurricane, West Virginia quite nicely. However, to Pritt herself, the key factor in his selection had been Raoul’s support for a Federal Freedom Fund as a means to minimizing poverty issues brought about by the effects of automation…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



The 2020 NDRR Presidential Election was held in the National Democratic Republic of Russia (Natsional’no-Demokraticheskaya Republika Rossiya) on July 13, 2020, with a runoff election being held on July 27, 2020. Incumbent President Vladimir Nikolayev, endorsed by the National and Iron Fist parties, was facing scrutiny at home and abroad for his handling of Russia’s 2019 recession, his aggressive relationships with other world leaders, and, most notably, for his involvement in the Russia-Eritrea Nuclear Scandal, along with investigations into multiple allegations of corruption and mafia ties. Despite these controversies, Nikolayev’s approval ratings fluctuated between 35% and 45% until the eve of the election, when the continued economic impact of the recession led to his ratings waning further. However, as opposition to Nikolayev’s bid for a second five-year term remained divided, with most of the candidates being hostile to one another, the race was left without a clear favorite ahead of the first round.

Candidates (8):

Alexander Beglov, b. 1956 (independent) was a former Governor of St. Petersburg and former ally of Nikolayev who supported the President’s tax reform laws but opposed nearly all of his other policies

Oksana Dmitriyeva, b. 1958 (Motherland) was center-right “rising star” of the National Assembly whose campaign centered on combating corruption and defending socially conservative talking points

Sholban Kara-ool, b. 1966 (Protectionist) was a former champion wrestler and the leader of the Tuva people as First Chairman of the Government of Tuva since 2007, and had shifted politically from right to center-left over the past decade

Sergey Mitrokhin, b. 1963 (Democratic) offered a more professional and experienced version of Nikolayev’s administration, touting his record as Mayor of St. Petersburg (2013-2017) and in the National Assembly (1993-2013)

Oleg Mitvol, b. 1966 (Green) was an eco-friendly businessman and former Chair of Russia’s Environmental Protection Department at the start of the decade

Boris Nemtsov, b. 1959 (Progressive) was a longtime academic who ran for President in 2015; a leading Nikolayev critic and the race’s initial frontrunner

Vladimir Nikolayev, b. 1973 (National) was the scandalous incumbent accused of corruption, but his poor response to the economy was what was truly hurting his standing in the polls

Valentina Petrenko, b. 1955 (Strong Arm) was a senator in the National Assembly since 2001 who wanted to invest in biotechnology, improve child protection programs, and negotiate “fairer” international trade deals

[snip]

Results:

The 13 July primary results were considered a major upset in light of election-eve polling showing Nemtsov in second place and Kara-ool in fourth. Instead, Kara-ool made it to the runoff, with Nemtsov coming in third place, Mitvol in fourth, Petrenko in fifth, Beglov in a distant sixth, and Dmitriyeva and Mitrokhin coming in a very distant seventh place and eighth place, respectively. These results thus pitted the incumbent against a politician that had been a highly obscure figure just eight months prior.

Upon the results being made official, Nemtsov immediately endorsed Kara-ool and urged all of the other candidates to back the Tuvan’s candidacy. …On a more trivial note, many on social media noted that both Nikolayev and Kara-ool had receding hairlines, putting into question and leading to ontech debates over the details, semantics, and continuity of Russia’s “Bald-Hairy” pattern…

– clickopedia.co.usa



BROWN SELECTS FLORIDA GOVERNOR JENNIFER JOHNSON FOR RUNNING MATE

…The selection is surprising given the frequent talk of Brown selecting Montana Governor Rocky McCain for running mate. However, according to the former Communications Director of the RNC, “Those two were just too similar. Both were governors from the north Rockies who impressive military backgrounds. The logic here is that Rocky’s selection likely wouldn’t bring in enough undecided and independent voters as Johnson would.” [1]

Brown also may have selected Johnson in response to Pritt selecting US Senator Kwame Raoul of Illinois to her running mate; both Johnson and Raoul are Caribbean-American, with Johnson being of Trinidadian descent and Raoul being of Haitian descent. If true, then this year’s Presidential nominees are both attempting to win over minority voters with their respective running mates…

The Washington Post, 7/15/2020



ELVIS CANCELS LAST 4 TOUR STOPS AFTER PNEUMONIA DIAGNOSIS!

…the weeks-long tour was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of the iconic singer-songwriter’s 1970 album “That’s The Way It Is”…

eo3qY30.png

[pic: imgur.com/eo3qY30.png ]
Above: Elvis Presley, then and now

…According to his doctors, Presley is expected to recover but needs time to recover…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 7/16/2020



“…Americans are tired of companies turning their backs on workers and embracing automation without a care in the world for the jobs and livelihoods lost in the process. They are tired of the past eight years of ‘Do-Nothing’ Libertarianism actually causing more harm than good. …During my tenure as Governor, dependence on welfare dropped as businesses were held accountable for pensions, while nationwide, the federal government has turned its back on the long-lived, the differently-abled, the mentally and physically ill. …When we win in November and truly begin the 2020s decade, we will increase federal funding for research in agricultural, medical and technological innovations, such as hydrogen power, land fertilization techniques to maximize crop yields, and leading the fight against cancer and mental illness. We will lift farm workers, factory workers, and retail workers out of the wells of hopelessness, recreadrug abuse, and suicide that the effects of small government, automation and income inequality have placed them into. And we will restore the hope and the faith and the promise on which with country was built…”

– Charlotte Pritt, accepting the Democratic nomination for President at the DNC, 7/21/2020



CUBA WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT

…In his inaugural address, 59-year-old Oscar Elias Biscet of the Progressive party laid out plans to reinvigorate Cuba’s economy in response to recent hiccups, and reminded the cheering masses of his career as a physician and as an effective champion for human rights and democratic freedoms… Biscet won the Presidential election over General Leopoldo Cintra Frias of the National Coalition…

The Miami Herald, 7/24/2020



SUMMER OLYMPICS OPEN IN SANTIAGO

The New York Times, 7/24/2020



…After several more days of mudslinging, Russian citizens went to the polls on July 27. Amid rumors of voter suppression and intimidation from Nikolayev supporters, Kara-ool doubled down on his morally-correct “strongman” persona by encouraging his supporters to visit polling stations in large groups in order to “match” any intimidation. This action, however, possibly contributed to several minor non-lethal skirmishes a several polls...

– Maskim Gorky’s After the Iron Curtain: Eastern Europe, 1984-to-Today, Academic International Press, 2010 edition



NIKOLAYEV LOSES!

…With a diverse ad-hoc alliance of anti-incumbent citizens behind his candidacy, Governor Kara-ool has unseated the scandal-riddled President Nikolayev in tonight’s Russian Presidential election by a margin of over 11%… According to exit polls, the top issue on the minds of most voters was not Nikolayev’s alleged criminal connections, but his poor handling of the Russian economy…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 27/7/2020



COLONEL SANDERS WOULD-BE KILLER OSAMA BIN LADEN AGAIN DENIED PAROLE

…his vitriolic ideology clashes sharply with his actions while in prison. Many of his fellow prisoners regard him as bright and calm, but many reportedly respect him either out of admiration of his fame and rhetoric or out of fear. “He speaks like preacher, but he has the eyes of a demon and the smile of a madman,” says one anonymous ex-con who served time with bin Laden at the Mario Biaggi Correctional Center in upstate New York from 2000 to 2004; “he wants to cause as much trouble as he possibly can for everyone more powerful than him. And given that he’s in prison, probably until he dies, there’s a lot of people more powerful than him.” …Prison guards that testified before the parole board swore that the would-be assassin’s attitude to authority figures “repeatedly alternates between quietly compliant and unapologetically unruly,” as one of them put it…

…Bin Laden, age 63, was transferred to another prison for garnering a small and violent cult following in 1991. After converting a handful of fellow prisoners to Wahhabist (Puritanical) Muslim and reportedly being supportive of a prison riot held at the height of the SARS virus permeating prison systems in the early aughts, bin Laden was again transferred to another prison in 2004. For this and several other infractions, bin Laden served time in solitary confinement from 1991 to 1992 and again from 2004 to 2008…

…However, the Number 1 issue for the board was bin Laden’s lack of any remorse for trying to kill a former US President, though he seems to have never expressed remorse for his activities in prison, either. …bin Laden became eligible for parole in 1991, one year after Colonel Sanders’ death; this marks the sixth time that the attempted murderer has been denied parole…

– washingtonpost.co.usa, 8/1/2020



“So here’s an op-ed from The Washington Post penned by someone named Nancy Pelosi (pause) Who, apparently, is a wealthy Democratic elitist – her father and brother held public offices way back when – sorry for sounding like Jim Croce there for a second – but Nancy couldn’t cut it, losing a congressional bid in 1987 to BLUTAG Rights champion Harry Britt and losing efforts to run for other offices in the 1990s. So she became a political lobbyist (pause) And in this op-ed, she tries to go after Governor Pritt for, quote, abandoning core Democratic values, unquote. (long pause) The problem Pelosi has with Governor Pritt, the thing she complains about specifically, by the way, (pause) Is the fact that in a speech she gave a few days ago, she praised President Harland “Colonel” Sanders for producing jobs without depriving workers of their human dignity, and then Pritt noted that The Colonel embraced the sentiment expressed in a Bible quote – let me pull it up here – “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,” Luke 18:22. (pause) The Colonel was a refreshingly sincere politician, and Harley Brown is tapping into that nostalgia. So Charlotte Pritt is doing the same, to remind voters of the policies of Colonel Sanders instead of just the personality of Colonel Sanders. (long pause) And Ms. Pelosi is against that. (very long pause) she is an elitist who is upset that her party’s nominee is trying to win over Republicans from Brown in order to win the election. Even though the whole point of an election – even an election held under the prior system of the Electoral College – is to win over a majority of the people, and that means reaching out to people outside of your base! (such a long pause that most viewers mistake it to mean the video is over and “flip” to the next video at this point). You know, I’m not familiar with this Pelosi person, but I think I know why she kept losing elections.”

– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can, 8/3/2020



KFC RETURNS TO FIJI AFTER INGREDIENT ROW RESOLVED

…government reform in Fiji recently resulted in the deregulation of imports used in making KFC products, including salt, milks, eggs, and, according to KFC, “most of the secret herbs and spices.” …The multinational corporation shut down KFC activities in Fiji in 2003, citing “restrictive” importation tariffs and regulations. “Requiring more documentation to fit the island nation’s narrow government standards threatened to infringe on our ability to serve customers top-quality food,” Herman Cain, who was the CEO of KFC at the time of the withdrawal, claimed about the incident in 2004. At the time of the withdrawal, Fiji’s government counterclaimed that the global company was “abandoning” Fijian supporters of KFC amid rising costs, compounded by the effects of the SARS global pandemic and Cain’s conservative fiscal spending habits. Additionally, Fiji commerce secretary Mason Poulos claims, “KFC was concerned that the government was trying to force them to reveal the 11 secret ingredients, despite the fact that such a demand would go against already-established rules regarding international trade secrets.”…

– Associated Press, 8/4/2020 [2]



SHARON TATE, B-MOVIE STAR TWICE NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR, DIES AT 77

Sharon Marie Tate Polanski Hart Hartman Smith, known professionally as Sharon Tate, passed away from the long-term effects of emphysema yesterday evening, according to a comment posted on her FriendChat page by her youngest son, Lenny Hartman.

Born in Dallas, Texas on January 24, 1943, Tate made her film debut in 1961, and played small roles in films and TV shows during the 1960s. She also modeled regularly for magazine magazines. In 1967, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the cult classic “Valley of the Dolls.” However, despite being initially considered a promising actress, she failed to land high-profile roles in the 1970s, during which time she gave birth to and raised three children with her first husband. After playing one of J.R. Ewing’s secretaries in the first season of TV’s soap drama series “Dallas,” Tate disappeared into relative obscurity in the 1980s and 1990s, appearing intermittently in several low-budget and independent films, before having a career comeback in the early 2000s. In early 2002, she was nominated for her performance in a supporting role in the 2001 neo-noir thriller “Before Midnight.” Tate retired from acting entirely in 2015.

Tate is survived by three of her four ex-husbands, five of her six children, and all of her 12 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

COMMENTS SECTION:

Comment 1:
I’ve never heard of this person. I’ve never heard of these titles either, but they sound interesting; I’ll check them out. My condolences to her family.

– theguardian.co.usa/obituaries/5August2020



“…Coming up next, we review the ontech drives and rising calls for the major party nominees for President to debate the third party candidates in the race…”

– CBS Evening News, 8/7/2020 broadcast



“…Gabe Kaplan, retired from both acting and politics, is now making more money as a professional poker player than he ever did as the star of ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ or as a US Senator… While Hilton-Jacobs and Travolta continue to act, Ronald Padilla tragically died in 2015 from a heart attack at the age of 66. The event prompted Epstein to continue his health advocacy until passing away from many years of heart-related health issues this past February. …The fact that many members of the show’s cast have died five years apart – Melonie Haller in a private plane crash in 2000, John Sylvester White from a heart attack in 2005, Marcia Ann Strassman from pneumonia and SARS complications in 2010, Palillo in 2015, and now Epstein – has become known ontech as ‘The Kotter Curse,’ though technetters have wildly different and contradictory theories about its cause, ranging from serious and conspiratorial to self-aware and fun…”

– Special Guest Host (former regular host, ret.) Leeza Gibbons, TON’s Entertainment Daily, “Where Are They Now?: The Cast and Crew of Welcome Back, Kotter” segment, 8/9/2020 broadcast



“There’s this ‘free and equal’ debate organization thing held every four years that hosts a debate among all the Presidential candidates, but it’s basically a debate for the third-party candidates because the Republican and Democratic nominees always get invited but never show. I don’t think that should be the case this year, especially when I keep being told that RCV is going to make third-party voting more important or prominent than ever before. It’s also dumb on a basic level. When you’re in a competition, like in a battle, you confront all your opponents, you don’t just go after the boss and ignore all the little ones. I got invited to this little debate of theirs next month. And you know what? I have decided that I will accept their invitation, and I will debate the minor party nominees.”

– Harley Brown, 8/11/2020



PRITT CAMPAIGN STILL SILENT ON IF SHE WILL DEBATE 3RD-PARTY CANDIDATES OR NOT

The Washington Post, 8/16/2020



KARA-OOL SEEKS “JUSTICE” IN LAUNCHING NEW INVESTIGATION: Two Days Into Office, Russia’s New President Seeks “Real Answers” To Nikolayev’s Role In The Russia-Eritrea Missile Affair

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 19/8/2020



…After intensifying into a tropical storm on the 21st, Laura moved across Hispaniola, ultimately killing 28 in Haiti and 2 in the Dominican Republic…

– clickopedia.co.usa




[vid: youtube.com /watch?v=JyRfTC6ErVs ]

– ourvids.co.can



…Laura devastated large swaths of Louisiana, with severe flooding and extreme damage to houses in several parishes. With Texas and Arkansas also being impacted, the storm killed 35 people in the US and cost roughly $17billion in damages…

…the storm was used as a talking point by Democratic candidates, ahead of that year’s Presidential and congressional elections in the US, as an example of why the country needed a stronger and more centralized federal government during multi-state emergencies, as opposed to the small-government policies of the Grammer administration…

– clickopedia.co.usa



“At the very least, people should treat Ranked Choice Voting like how Black people should treat the police – respect the rules, but know your rights, and fight back against all the rules that oppress your rights!”

– Utah Governor-turned-political analyst Karl Rove, KNN roundtable discussion, 8/26/2020 broadcast



TUMBLEWEEDTV ANNOUNCEMENT: Ty Burrell To Star As 1940s Business Leader Wendell Willkie In Drama Mini-Series on FDR

– thehollywoodreporter, 8/29/2020 “e-alert”



...After much internal debate over the best way to respond to Vice President Brown accepting an invitation to debate McMillan and other third-party candidates, Pritt announced on September 2 that she would accept her invitation to debate said candidates as well…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



SNL FAILS TO TOP REALITY

…the long-running show’s latest depiction of Presidential nominees Charlotte Pritt (recurring guest Katy Mixon) and Harley Brown (guest Jim Cummings) bombed, with Mixon giving a passable performance and Cummings lending his iconic voice to a lackluster script. Tonight’s sketch, in which Pritt challenges Brown to an arm-wrestling contest, demonstrated how SNL’s efforts to satirize the two candidates – especially Harley Brown – continue to hint at potential at the start only to miss the mark by the end of the segment…

– variety.co.usa/tv/reviews, 9/5/2020



Legacy

[snip]

MEMORIALS TO COLONEL SANDERS [note: this section is incomplete; you can help by expanding it]

Airfields and Airports

Colonel Sanders Airfield – opened in North Corbin, Kentucky in 1992, roughly 30 years after Sanders’ initial efforts to build an airport for the region

Col. Harland Sanders International Airport – opened in Louisville, Kentucky in 1995; often referred to as simply “Colonel Airport,” “Harland Airport,” or just “The Harland”

Bridges

Harland D. Sanders Memorial Bridge – opened in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1999

Sanders Family Bridge – opened in 1977 near the same ravine in which Sanders and his son almost died in an accident back in 1926

Education

Harland Sanders High School – opened in 1985 in Paducah, Kentucky

Colonel Sanders Institute of Culinary Innovation – founded in Washington, D.C. on September 9, 2020 (the 130th anniversary of Sanders’ birth) by the Sanders Association of Potomac, an organization formed in 2007 that hosts a banquet in Foggy Bottom, Potomac every September 9 to honor Sanders

The Colonel Sanders Presidential Library and Museum – opened in 1979 in Louisville, Kentucky

Colonel Sanders Public Policy Institute at Howard University – established in 1989, initially to promote the study of Sanders’ détente and negotiation skills, policies, and successes before, during, and after his Presidency

Hospitals

Colonel Sanders Children’s Hospital – founded in Canada in 1981; according to his son Harley Sanders in a 2003 interview, this was the building named after him of which Colonel Sanders was most proud

Kitchens

The White House’s “Colonel Kitchen” – a small auxiliary kitchen built during the Colonel’s second term as President, considered to be a “butler’s pantry” type of nook/mini-kitchen

Parks

Sanders and Harman Memorial State Park – founded in southern Utah in 2016 to honor the two businessmen responsible for bringing KFC to Utah

Vessels

The USS Harland Sanders – a DDG-80 Navy vessel commissioned in 1997 and set to be decommissioned in the near future

Other

Holidays – Sanders’ birthday, September 9, is observed as a “state holiday” in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Utah (all of which are states in which he lived at various points in his life)

International – Several nations honor Sanders, mostly with buildings and university scholarships named after him; Sanders is honor most prominently in Japan, Pakistan, and many countries in the Middle East; a statue of Sanders also stands in Ireland to honor his Irish ancestors

Sculptures – due to statues of The Colonel often being found outside of KFC outlets, there are not that many park statues for the former President, though official memorial statues (over 30 in the US alone) are distinctly different regarding material, size and composition. The most iconic of these memorial statues is one of him sitting on a bench in Ottawa, Canada’s Besserer Park. See also: list of statues of Colonel Sanders

Et cetera – Various streets, roads, boardwalks, and (due to his support of rail transportation) train stations around the globe are named after Sanders, with the most recent train station Sanders Station, the Dallas terminus of Line 1 of the Dallas-Phoenix maglev transit system, which opened in 2017

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



DOWNBALLOT ELECTIONS: Can The Democrats Win Back The Senate?

…several Republican-held seats are vulnerable, but inconsistent polling is putting the dynamics several races into question…

Comments Section

>COMMENT 1:
I would say that Woodfin is a long-shot, but according to the latest polling, he’s within striking distance; he could pull off an upset!

>COMMENT 2:
If Hadley wins in Georgia, it’d be the first time ever that both Senators of one state are Black!

>COMMENT 3:
I doubt Mathis can unseat Branstad in Iowa, even with her shifting to the right.

>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
She initially tried to tie him to HDB, which was an idiotic move considering Brown’s actually very popular in Iowa!

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Yeah, that was just dumb of her; for her to win, she has to hope voters forget about that

>COMMENT 4:
I wonder if Thomas can retain Osborne’s seat

>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
In deep-red Kentucky? Yeah, good luck with that

>COMMENT 5:
I’m waiting to see how well Chafee will perform in Wyoming

>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
I’m more interested in how well Stollings will do in WV, especially since it looks like Farrell’s siphoning votes away from him

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Isn’t that a governor election?

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Yes.

>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
What about North Dakota’s governor election? Somehow a former candidate for NYC Mayor in 2013 is the Democratic nominee? WTF?

>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Hi, North Dakotan here, and um, yeah, he moved up here in 2014 to, uh, get away from his past life, so to speak…

– majoritytowin.co.usa, 9/12/2020 thread



…In other news, in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, members of the Arthur Nibbs Cult are protesting violently in front of the prison holding him, demanding his release…

– BBC World News, 13/9/2020 broadcast



…The extensive new study reveals that the nine leading causes of death in the US are the following in descending order: heart disease, cancer, accidents/unintentional injuries, respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, pneumonia, and nephritis…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 9/14/2020



Moderator Christina TOBIN: “Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Free and Equal elections Foundation Presidential Debate. These election debates aim to give a voice to all Presidential candidates regardless of their party affiliations or standing in the polls. Tonight, we are honored to welcome eight candidates onto tonight’s debate stage: Vice President Harley Brown of the Republican Party, Governor Charlotte Pritt of the Democratic Party, New York City Mayor Jimmy McMillan of the People’s Party, Doctor Steve Novella of the Bigfoot Party, Reverend Dario Hunter of the Green Party, Ms. Stacey Prussman of the Liberty Party, Mr. Dennis Michael Lynch of the Sensible Party, and Professor Jodi Dean of the Socialist Alliance.”

PRITT: “We need to raise the minimum wage concurrently with anti-inflation efforts to keep wages and prices in step with one another in a way that is fair.”

BROWN: “The government needs to keep it’s grubby mitts out of state-level affairs. Read the Constitution, people! I have, and I’ll admit, it’s not exactly an easy read, but it’s worth getting through because the Constitution is this country’s instruction manual. So read the constitution, and you’ll see that the tenth amendment specifically states that, if the Constitution doesn’t say it’s a federal responsibility, then it’s a state-level responsibility.”

PRITT: “One thing that Harley Brown recently said that I actually agree with is the fact that a dollar stretches much father in Idaho or West Virginia than it does in L.A. or New York. But Harley doesn’t support raising the national minimum wage so it reflects places like New York where the dollar stretches the least, even though doing so would encourage an economic flattening of the wildly different price ranges found across the country and strengthen connections and trade between states.”

DEAN: “Cybersecurity would not be an issue if we nationalized the technet in this country. The People’s Republic of China has a somewhat oppressive version of such a policy, so we could take that model, improve it, and apply it to our technet services here at home. That’s how you protect private information, Harley.”

HUNTER: “I agree with Pritt on the notion that there needs to be a Child Tax Credit for the NITR, and Unemployment Insurance Reform in the wake of the rise of automation, but we have to go father than that. Maybe not as far as Jodi wants to go, but still much father than what Charlotte’s proposing.”

McMILLAN: “Neither Mr. Brown nor Ms. Pritt will pledge to supporting and signing into law a Federal Rent Control Act. In fact, I and Professor Dean are the only candidates in this race that support this vitally-important measure.”

LYNCH: “Charlotte, you’re wrong. The feds shouldn’t invest in schools and small businesses and public transit agencies, businesses and the people of this country’s many communities have to do all that. Hard work and determination is what built this country 244 years ago and it is what will keep this country great 244 years from now.”

McMILLAN: “I’d like to take a minute to talk about some brothers and sisters of the Great American Family that get ignored way too often – the Native Americans. Their tribal governments need assistance to catch up with the rest of America. Even basic needs like water, food and healthcare are lacking, and it is abhorrent. In this country, children deserve only the best breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

– transcript snippets, the Free & Equal Presidential Debate, 9/21/2020



…The debate was considered “bizarre” by many outlets, but in retrospect it became quite apparent and understandable why the major party nominees (both considered to be the biggest “winners” of the affair) participated. Some studies had suggested that Ranked Choice Voting’s friendliness to third party candidate would lead to undecided and independent voters ranking third-party candidates above the Democratic and GOP nominees. Hoping to reverse the trend and have those voters rank the major party nominees first, the plan of the Harley Brown campaign was to get everyone who supported the third-party nominees to select Brown as their second choice, which could be vital if the election was not determined until the second “round” of vote-counting. And Brown believed that the best way to do this was to be on the F&E debate stage, where his “professionalism and experience,” as he reportedly put, would contrast sharply with the “radical half-baked ideas of people clearly not ready national politics or even national television.” When the Pritt campaign figured this out, they followed suit. Indeed, post-debate polling showed support for “unpolished” candidates like Hunter and Prussman dropping…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



CHICKEN DINNER SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM SEES RECORD TURNOUT

…the summit saw the biggest turnout of both participants and viewers in years. …Controversy preceded the summit because the focus of these annual events “is meant to be on local organizers from across the middle east,” explains the head of the Oman delegation. “But this time, Iraq’s former President was part of the Iraqi delegation.” There was concern that the Summits are developing into a “Mini-U.N.,” which the Oman delegation leader claims could negatively impact their usefulness in maintaining peace in the region. “Shifting focus from the local scale to the leaders of the region’s nations may inhibit the effectiveness of these summits to bring the region’s citizens together in the name of harmony and keep open the lanes of dialogue that have kept us strong, united and stable for most of the past forty-plus years.”

i3qqfo1.png

[pic: imgur.com/i3qqfo1.png ]
Above: a rabbi and an imam shaking hands in Jerusalem at this year’s “CDSiJ”

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 27/9/2020



…the celebration of the birth of his latest grandchild on September 29, 2020 resulted in the very rare assembly of all of Donald’s children, who totaled in at 11 children (6 sons and 5 daughters) from 5 out of 7 marriages and 1 engagement to 7 women total:

Mary Theresa Hinterberger (1976-1979) – Donald Jr. (b. 1976) and Eric (b. 1978)

Sarah Heath (1985-1994) – Pepper (b. 1986), Charlie (b. 1988), Katrina (b. 1990), Maryanne (b. 1991), and Richie (b. 1993)

Jennifer Prodgers (engaged 1994, broke up 1995) – Barron (b. 1994)

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (2001-2002) – Timothy (b. 2002)

Ericka Cruz (2002, annulled 2002) – 0

Oksana Fedorova (2005-2006) – Alexandra and Zia (twins; b. 2007)

Vanessa Minnillo (2014) – 0

Sarah Heath (2019-present) – 0

[snip]

If Donald has a favorite child not named Donald, it’s Timothy, the product of Donald’s brief time as an in-law of the British royal family. Noble blood courses through Tim’s veins, and his father’s pride in that ironically has kept Tim all the more aware of his non-royal heritage. Rejecting his father’s “corporatism,” Tim currently supports multiple charity projects with his mother, Lady Sarah, the niece of Queen Elizabeth II. Donald’s third favorite son is most likely Barron, followed by Eric…

The Trump Organization currently consists of roughly 300 business entities of which Donald Trump is the principal, or, in some cases, sole owner. Roughly half of them use the Trump name. Founded in 1923, the company remained in his father’s hand while Donald was playing for the MLB, but took over the company in 1984. The organization has a diverse portfolio with investments in real estate, primarily regarding casinos, hotels, restaurants and film studios…

– Kate Bohner’s The Art of The Don: The Unofficial Biography of Donald Trump, Times Books, 2020 edition



KFC COMES TO THE CONGO: First Outlet Opens In Kinshasa After 8-Year Effort

The Associated Press, 9/30/2020



BROWN: “I think space exploration should be funded by companies instead of the government. Charlotte wants NASA to work with companies, though, while I want to expand NASA’s military potential before countries like China try and lay a claim to the cosmos.”

PRITT: “As President, I would raise the nation’s Top Marginal Tax Rate. From 1944 to 1951, and again from 1954 to 1963, it was at 91%. Under President Sanders it was lowered to 75% and under Presidents Denton, Dinger and Grammer it’s slowly dropped all the way down to 33%. I am an FDR Democrat; as President, I will raise it all the way up to 90%.”

MODERATOR: “Governor Pritt, how would your administration pay for federal spending on ‘Green’ infrastructure projects?”

PRITT: “By raising taxes on the wealthy, the people who can afford it the most. It is important that we research the feasibility of applying new technology to highways, bridges, country roads, public transit, electric vehicles, Maglevs, airports and seaports. Under my Governorship, several such projects have been launched in West Virginia, so I have seen what works and what doesn’t.”

BROWN: “No, no, no, if you want to fiddle around with infrastructure, own up to it, don’t stick other people with the bill just because they can afford it. You want the rich to pay? Incentivize them! Get them to work with the government through private contracts and tax breaks.”

BROWN: I’m gonna take a SWAG – that’s short for Scientific Wild-Ass Guess – and say that 90% of what the feds do under Democratic administrations is as unconstitutional as the Communist Manifesto.” [3]

BROWN: “As President, I’d slash the budgets for the federal Departments of Labor, of Education, of Energy and Technology, and even two of my favorites, the VA and NASA, because while they all provide important services they’ve become too big for their britches. If America was a Volkswagen beetle, it’s taking a load that’d crush a 20-ton dump truck. [3] I’m talking about student loans – monitoring the border and recreadrugs – it’s all too expensive, so I say we place the burden onto those who want recreadrugs, and onto state governments that want to build up the border. I’d take Grammer’s support of private enterprise picking up the slack for NASA missions and I’d kick it up to 11.”

BROWN: “I strongly defend all kinds of freedom, including religious freedom, freedom from oppression, and freedom to pursue whatever makes you happy so long you don’t purposely target others. But if purposely hurting others is what makes you happy, guess what, I support mental health programs, too – funded at the state level, of course.”

PRITT: “We need to take the tax burden off the working class and the most vulnerable and put it back onto the billionaires. …No more tax breaks for corporations.”

PRITT: “You want to avoid violating the Balanced Budget Amendment, Harley? Then don’t strip the meat off the bones of badly-needed social services. Instead, demand the elitists with all the money pay their fair share. A tax system that treats people fairly is possible. The money for programs is out there, and it can be available… I am tired of tax dollars being used to give incentives for businesses to come into states only to use that money give themselves raises and hire local workers part time for minimum wage and zero benefits. That is criminal. That is criminal. And we have to stop that. We have to stop corporation from holding communities hostage. We have to invest more in small businesses than in giant mega-conglomerates.” [4]

BROWN: “I agree, you hit the hammer right on the nail with that one. We should invest more into small businesses. But, you know what, that’ll make small businesses become big businesses, and you hate those, so your plan of attack needs some tweaking. It’s got some weak spot. And another thing, Charlotte, not all big companies are bad. A mom-and-pop shop doesn’t suddenly switch into some Evil Corporation Mode once it hires its 100th worker. Look at Harley motorcycles! I’ve been a strong supporter of them for years not just because of their awesome products, but because they treat their workers with respect and pay them decent wages.”

– transcript snippets, the first Pritt-Brown Presidential debate, 10/6/2020



INTERVIEW: John Lennon on Turning 80

…“I’m not old. I look it, but I’m not. Maybe I’m Immortal. I Feel It And I Look It, After All.”…

Tumbleweed Magazine, 10/9/2020



PRITT: “The government is obligated to give people the opportunity to do well in life.”

Moderator Jennifer RUBIN: “Mister Vice President, Americans are converting to electric and other renewable energy modes at historic rates. How can you justify driving a gas-powered Harley Davidson when the leader of America is often viewed as a reflection of the American people?”

BROWN: “I can justify my driving an ol’ Harley with three simple words: freedom – of – choice. I yield the rest of my time for answering that insulting and un-American question.”

BROWN: “We must restore constitutional enumeration and power back to the people and the states. On this front, I will charge in like Grammer, only I will go even farther than all the good stuff he’s done these past eight years.”

RUBIN: “The next question is for both of you. The death penalty – yes or no?”

PRITT: “All lives are sacred, from a newborn child to a hardened criminal. It is immoral to condemn people to death, and due to the number of times that an innocent person has been found guilty, only for the evidence proving their innocence to come out after they have been executed, it is irresponsible, too.”

BROWN: “I actually agree with you on this point, Charlotte. A dead criminal can’t atone for their sins. Instead of electrocuting these monsters, or giving them a lethal injection, I say we just flog them – that’s right, bring back the ol’ fashioned, tried-and-true methods of making criminal bastards truly pay for their crimes. [5] Hey, it’s not as permanent a solution as killin’ em. And for those who can’t or won’t atone, isn’t a lifetime of denied freedom more appropriate than what to them might be the sweet release of death anyway? Come on, it’s common sense!”

PRITT: “Harley, you say you are a constitutionalist, but what about the fact that the constitution’s preamble states that the constitution is meant to, quote, ‘form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity’? You know what all that means, right? It means that it is not unconstitutional, but in fact very constitutional for the government to protect the public welfare of this country. It is the duty and responsibility of the federal government to promote peace – like with police precinct reform – to provide common defense – which you definitely support – and to support the well-being of its citizens.”

BROWN: “Charlotte, Welfare doesn’t mean free money, it means helping out those who need help. America is a strong place, but, people, liberals would have you think that every single one of you is a weakling who needs a nanny state telling you exactly what to do with your lives. Like we can’t make the right decisions on our own. That’s not how it’s been in this country since Grammer and I won in 2012 and 2016 and it won’t go back to that under my administration.”

PRITT: “The median household income must match the median house price and median gross rent for month.”

PRITT: “For the last thirty years, a larger share of America’s Gross Domestic Product has been from financial, insurance, and real estate than from manufacturing. Customer service and technical innovation and assistance is not just America’s future but it is its present and it is its recent past as well.”

BROWN: “You have a choice, folks: either me and Jenny, or Charlotte and Kwame. Either a biker and a beauty queen, or a schoolteacher and a normal guy. Take your pick!” [6]

– transcript snippets, the second Pritt-Brown Presidential debate, 10/10/2020




…Another political controversy received national attention on October 13, when Pritt voiced her “strong opposition” to a proposed state bill in Texas that would outlaw workers from electing union leaders by secret ballot. Pritt remarked that an “open ballot” would illegally inhibit he workers’ right to privacy and leave them exposed to reprisals from management. “It’s a clear effort to stop workers from unionizing before voting can even be scheduled, let alone held. …Workers have the right to vote however the workers see fit, not how management sees fit.” The bill, introduced by Republicans in the Texas Senate, would also oppose current labor rights established under Governor Friedman in 2007, such as the right to recall union leaders, a transparency regulations meant to minimize the possibility of back-door deals between management and union officials. “As President I would do everything in my power to protect worker pension funds,” Pritt explained.

Brown, on the other, took a different approach to the controversy. “I think unions should represent all employees who desire membership, but any union must be scrutinized if that union discriminates against any worker who chooses to stand by their rights and not be intimidated into joining said union.” Brown elaborated, “my main problem with unions – and this is from experience – is the excessive union fees. Unions have to be kept in line, and management has to be kept in check, but neither of those things are government responsibilities. It’s up to the people – the customers, the locals, the workers themselves – to monitor and manage those kind of things.”

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE SOLE JOHNSON-RAOUL VP DEBATE

…each Vice Presidential nominee touted their respective resumes, with Raoul boasting his voting record in the US Senate and Johnson describing her success as Governor… The debate was unique in that it was between two non-white candidates... Raoul fiercely criticized Vice President Brown for his history of divisive comments, while Johnson accused Pritt of capitalizing of greatly exaggerating her gubernatorial tenure and questioned the ability of both Pritt and Raoul to lead during a hypothetical military crisis… Most may agree that this debate was a draw, but still was an insightful look into the dynamics of both the race and the major-party tickets…

Associated Press, 10/15/2020


BREAKING: Former Russian President Nikolayev Flees Home Amid Investigations, Current Whereabouts Unknown!

– KNN, 10/16/2020



SPONGEBOB’S NOT-SO-UNDERSEA CUISINE: Seafood Chain to Expand Menu to Non-Oceanic Offerings

D3Sfgyg.png

[pic: imgur.com/D3Sfgyg.png ]
Above: some of the many food items offered on S.B.U.C.’s new menu for people who suffer from seafood allergies, such as shellfish and shrimp

…the company has a history of striving to display and promote health and safety information in order to expand its base of customers to those who typically avoid eating out due to allergies, or because “greasy spoon” stereotypes…

Nation’s Restaurant News trade publication, mid-October 2020 issue



PRITT PICKS UP STEAM IN FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

…when it came to cybersecurity, Pritt gave a nuanced answer concerning balancing privacy and individual activities ontech with combating cyberterror and hacking endeavors, calling for a strengthening of President Grammer’s hacking prevention efforts. Brown disagreed and claimed Grammer “won’t go far enough,” and made the controversial statement “we really should treat a cyberattack from another country – that we can confirm was greenlit by that country’s government – as an act of war,” citing cyberattacks in previous years as being damaging to America’s economy and national defenses. “Hostile foreign elements have got to understand that when you poke a bull, you get its horns.” Pritt contrasted Brown boisterous sabre-rattling by applauding President Grammer’s efforts to improve US-PRC relations and be “caring but cautious” on the world stage…

[snip]

…The discussion then moved on to automation, Pritt gave an impassioned answer defending her support for a Federal Freedom Fund to cover workers left jobless from the effects of manufacturing jobs going oversees or disappearing due to automation. Brown commended her enthusiasm, but suggested that instead of the federal government working with state governments to provide for workers and fund rehiring programs, he, as President, would promote high tariffs on foreign imports and persecute businesses who commit “the treasonous act” of outsourcing…

The Washington Post, 10/20/2020



…In the final weeks of the election, Brown complained of the US military becoming less influential overseas as Americans turned “inward,” concerned more about domestic issues than foreign ones. However, upon seeing that such talk was failing to gain support from voters, Brown’s campaign considered shifting focus more to the Vice President’s personal side.

Brown had been married three times and had fathered nine children during his lifetime. In 2020, his youngest was 11 and his oldest was roughly 38; his third oldest daughter had had a child out of wedlock, and the child was raised alongside his younger siblings. Brown said in 2014 that “they motivate me to give them a world better than the one they got now.” [7] Brown had legally changed his name to Harley Davidson Brown in the mid-1990s and had originally planned to change his name back to what it originally was when he became President, saying “if you have a passion for something, changing your name is the easiest way to bring it up in conversation.” Brown became a born-again Christian in November 1994, when during a dark and rainy day, the recently-divorced commander-turned-taxi driver “felt God mentally, and non-audibly speak to him.” In 1997, a Kenyan priest signed and notarized a document stating that the mystical encounter had been a message from God.

Brown’s campaign decided to only promote certain aspects of this bio, and only to certain groups…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



“Because the American government is so powerful, the American people must keep it in check to ensure it works for them, not against them. The government is meant to be a vessel, funding services to help people reach their dreams! …We need to improve the quality of American education, reverse Global Climate Disruption, and increase worker representation! We need to fix old concepts and introduce new concepts, like ‘Assured Employment,’ and protect our planet from further corporate abuse.”

– Charlotte Pritt, 10/22/2020 rally



“Reality doesn’t yield to dreams, Charlotte. Fiscal restraint isn’t fun put it’s needed, and badly, to assure economic security and stability and to maintain basic programs for healthcare and retirement like Social Security. That thing has to be protected or else it’ll empty out in a decade or so. …The next generation of Americans must be encouraged, not discouraged, to keep their morals, for when it is their turn to lead this nation. And that preparing starts with respecting all lives, both fetal and post-fetal. It starts with a strong military to protect families at home and allies abroad from would-be evildoers... It is time for America to return to its roots – its basic foundations of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness – as we step into this new decade together. Now who’s with me?”

– Harley Brown, 10/23/2020 rally



…One last political topic was the calls to diversify the sources for social security, with Pritt, Brown and even Jimmy McMillan promoting various assortments of US and international stocks, bonds, private equity, real estate, clean energy sources, and other strategies. One news item that received much attention and seemingly served as this cycle’s mini-“autumn surprise” was a White House report on the 2019 federal budget which revealed that a fiscal deficit had been covered in 2013, 2014 and 2019 (and one under a previous administration, in 2003) by dipping into the fed’s Social Security fund. The report concluded that, even with surplus investments in 2019, Social Security was still set to dry up in roughly 12 years. Whoever won the 2020 election would thus have to diversify the funds for Social Security to keep it solvent…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



“The time has come to choose which path our country will go down over these next four years. ‘What future do we want?’ Is the question. It’s time to determine what future we want for our children, our country, our veterans, our families, ourselves, our countrymen, our retirees, our grandchildren, our communities, our workers, and our planet.”

– Charlotte Pritt, 10/29/2020



jMYJRrz.png

[pic: imgur.com/jMYJRrz.png ]

Gov. Charlotte Jean Pritt (WV) / US Sen. Kwame Raoul (IL) (Democratic) – 77,912,051 (45.79%)

US VP Harley Davidson Brown (ID) / Gov. Jennifer Sandra Johnson (FL) (Republican) – 72,076,263 (42.36%)

NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan (NY) / Gov. Krist Novoselic (WA) (People’s) – 8,235,319 (4.84%)

Dr. Steven Paul Novella (CT) / fmr state Assistant Att. Gen. Brett Joseph Talley (AL) (Bigfoot) – 2,126,890 (1.25%)

Rev. Dario Hunter (OH) / Ms. Monica Moorehead (NJ) (Green) – 2,024,799 (1.19%)

Ms. Stacey Hope Prussman (NY) / Mr. Asif Mahmood (CA) (Liberty) – 1,786,587 (1.05%)

Fmr st. GOP Chair Dennis Michael Lynch (NY) / Ms. Claudeliah J. Rose (TX) (Sensible/Moderate) – 1,565,391 (0.92%)

Prof. Jodi Dean (MA) / US Army Cpl. (ret.) Michael D. Prysner (CA) (Socialist Alliance) – 969,862 (0.57%)

Fmr st. Rep. Emily Payton (VT) / Charles Kraut (VA) (independent) – 833,741 (0.49%)

Mr. H. Brooke Paige (VT) / Mr. Konstantinos Roditis (CA) (True Republican) – 442,393 (0.26%)

Fmr st. sen. Max Abramson (NH) / fmr st. sen. Nancy Argenziano (FL) (Reform) – 408,362 (0.24%)

Mr. Ben Zion (AZ) / US Air Force Sgt. (ret.) Tamika Lyles (FL) (Future) – 204,184 (0.12%)

Ms. Kim Ruff (AZ) / Mr. Erik Gerhardt (PA) (Union Labor) – 119,105 (0.07%)

Min. Creflo Dollar (GA) / Ptr. Randy Alan White (FL) (Salvation/Becoming One Real Nation Again (B.O.R.N. Again)) – 68,061 (0.04%)

Ms. Cris Ericson (NY) / Mr. Dan Burke (NJ) (Exposure) – 34,729 (0.02%)

Prof. Eric Thomas Chester (MA) / Mr. Kenneth Blevins (PA) (Civic) – 33,431 (0.02%)

Mr. Reid Kane (VT) / Mr. Dan Vacek (MN) (Liberty Union) – 17,015 (0.01%)

All other first-round votes cast – 84,975 (0.05%)

Total first-round votes cast – 170,151,235 (100%)

Final Round count

Dem – 89,176,262 (52.41%)
GOP – 80,345,414 (47.22%)
Exhausted ballots – 629,559 (0.37%)
Total votes cast – 170,151,235 (100%)

– clickopedia.co.usa




Presidential Elections by Popular Vote Share:

Year: Democratic-Republican-Other
[snip]
1960: 49.7-49.6
1964: 44.5-43.4-11.7
1968: 55.1-40.6
1972: 48.2-43.9
1976: 58.1-39.7
1980: 51.5-43.3-4.7
1984: 57.8-41.2
1988: 46.5-41.6-7.6
1992: 50.0-48.8
1996: 60.3-38.1
2000: 51.0-47.9
2004: 58.2-40.1
2008: 43.7-44.3-11.2
2012: 47.7-48.9-2.1
2016: 49.2-45.0
2020: 52.4-47.2

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



November United States Senate election results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020

Seats: 35 of 104
Seats needed for majority: 53

New Senate majority leader: Marjorie Osterlund (D-PA)
New Senate minority leader: Webb Franklin (R-MS)

Seats before election: 48 (D), 54 (R), 2 (I)
Seats after election: 56 (D), 45 (R), 3 (I)
Seat change: D ^ 8, R v 9, I ^ 1

Full List:

Alabama: Randall Woodfin (D) over incumbent Spencer T. Bachus III (R)

Alaska: Scott Kawasaki (I) over incumbent Kevin Meyer (R), Corey Flintoff (D) and John Wayne Howe (Alaskan Independence)

Arkansas: incumbent Jim Guy Tucker (D) over Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (R)

Colorado: Amy Stephens (D) over Darryl Glenn (R); incumbent Langhorne “Lang” Sias (R) retired

Delaware: incumbent Marjorie “Midge” Osterlund (D) over James DeMartino (R)

Georgia: R. J. Hadley (D) over Buzz Brockway (R) and Amy Kremer (Bigfoot); incumbent Bob Barr (R) lost re-nomination

Idaho: incumbent Dr. Rex Floyd Rammell (R) over James Vandermaas (D)

Illinois: Napoleon Harris (D) over Chuck Weaver (R), Willie Wilson (ID), Martine Rothblatt (Bigfoot) and James Comey (I); incumbent Kwame Raoul (D) retired

Iowa: Elizabeth Ann “Liz” Mathis (D) over incumbent Terry Branstad (R) and Jason Buckley (Liberty)

Kansas: incumbent Carla J. Stovall (R) over Monique Singh-Bey (D)

Kentucky: Whitney Westerfield (R) over Reginald “Reggie” Thomas (D); incumbent Martha Layne Osborne (D) retired

Louisiana: Antoine Pierce (D) over incumbent appointee Suzanne Haik Terrell (R)

Maine: incumbent Angus King (I) over Jared Golden (D) and Derek Levasseur (R)

Massachusetts: incumbent Demetrius J. Atsalis (D) over Kevin A. O’Connor (R) and Raymond Eveleth Fowler (Bigfoot)

Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed (D) over incumbent Terry Lynn Stern Rakolta (R) and Valerie Willis (Taxpayers)

Minnesota: incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton (D) over Karin Housley (R) and Christopher Fleming (Bigfoot)

Mississippi: incumbent Peter H. “Pete” Johnson (R) over J. P. “Jay” Hughes Jr. (D) and Woody Evans (Bigfoot)

Montana: Jenny Eck (D) over G. Bruce Meyers (R) and Rebecca Douglas (Bigfoot); incumbent Larry R. Williams (R) retired

Nebraska: incumbent Orrin Hatch (R) over Preston Love Jr. (D)

New Hampshire: incumbent Yvonne Katrina Lantos (D) over Regina Birdsell (R)

New Jersey: incumbent Lisa Perez Jackson (D) over Hirsh Singh (R) and Dan Burke (Larry McDonald Was Right)

New Mexico: incumbent Roberto Mondragon (D) over Elisa Martinez (R) and Bob Walsh (Liberty)

North Carolina: incumbent Dan Clodfelter (D) over Theodore Paul “Ted” Budd (R) and Shannon Bray (Liberty)

Oklahoma: incumbent Steve Largent (R) over Sheila Bilyeu (D)

Oregon: incumbent Jefferson Smith (D) over Brad Avakian (R), Winona LaDuke (Green) and Ibrahim Taher (Pacific)

Potomac: incumbent Anthony A. Williams (D) unopposed

Puerto Rico: Brenda Lopez de Arraras (D) over incumbent Norma Burgos (R) and Maria Elvira Salazar (Conservative)

Rhode Island: incumbent Elizabeth H. Roberts (D) over Scott Avedisian (R)

South Carolina: incumbent J. Gary Simrill (R) over Mandy Powers Norrell (D)

South Dakota: incumbent SuAnne Big Crow (R) over Dennis Feickert (D)

Tennessee: incumbent Dr. Manny Sethi (R) over Madeline Anne Rogero (D)

Texas: incumbent Mac Thornberry (R) over Ruben Hinojosa (D), Solomon Ortiz Jr. (La Raza Unida) and Ronald Bailey (Bigfoot)

Virginia: incumbent Donald McEachin (D) over Omari Faulkner (R) and Nick Freitas (Boulder)

West Virginia: Charles S. Trump IV (R) over Mike Pushkin (D); incumbent Sylvia Mathews Burwell (D) retired

Wyoming: incumbent Foster Stephen Friess (R) over Lincoln Chafee (Liberty) and Jason Shogren (D)

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



United States House of Representatives results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020

Seats: All 441
Seats needed for majority: 221

New House majority leader: Ed Markey (D-MA)
New House minority leader: Larry Lee Householder (R-OH)

Last election: 237 (D), 204 (R), 0 (I)
Seats won: 245 (D), 195 (R), 1 (I)
Seat change: D ^ 8, R v 9, I ^ 1

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



…[Dennis] Kucinich won his first congressional term in 1972, in what was a decent year for Democrats. Initially maintaining a strongly anti-abortion voting record (which would continue until 2002), Kucinich also maintains a voting record that was otherwise ideologically between the moderate-leaning President Mondale and the progressive Vice President Gravel. After losing re-election in 1978, Kucinich moved to Anaheim, California to accept a teaching position, but four years later, was elected back to the US House from that city’s Congressional seat. Repeatedly called a carpetbagger, Kucinich lost re-election in 1984, which was a deplorable year for Democrats. Kucinich then moved a third time to New Mexico to work for an alternative energy company. In 1988, he won a fifth non-consecutive term in the US House, but again lost re-election in 1990. In early 1991, Kucinich became a US Undersecretary of Energy and Technology under President Bellamy, and in 1993, moved back to Ohio. After re-establishing himself in his initial home town and practicing law for a few years, he lost a bid to return to the mayorship, but then successfully ran for his old House seat in 2000; he served until losing re-election in 2010. He then unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 2014, then won election back to the House in 2018. He just won re-election, and will begin his twelfth term in the House on January 3…

– clickopedia.co.usa



ED FOREMAN (b. 1933)

…Foreman, a Republican, served in the US House of Representatives from Texas for three terms (1963-1971) before retiring to unsuccessfully run for a US Senate seat. After serving as an assistant to the US Secretary of the Interior (1971-1973), he won election back to the House from New Mexico in 1974, but lost re-election in the “blue wave” of 1976. He served in Congress once more, from Arizona (1981-1987) and controversially supported Denton long after Arizona voters had stopped, resulting in him losing re-election. In 1996, Foreman was elected to the House yet again, this time from California, in the Red Wave of 1996, where he supported President Dinger’s handling of the War on Recreadrugs; he retired from his seat to unsuccessfully run for Governor. After moving yet again, he returning to the House after winning a House special election in Nevada in 2007, but after receiving a higher-paying role at a political think tank in Idaho, resigned in early 2008 and moved to Nampa soon after. In 2020, he launched an unsuccessful Independent write-in bid for Idaho’s 1st district House seat, and in December 2020 announced his permanent retirement from active politics due to poor health…

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



“The amazing – and scary – thing about the Republicans is that, even when suffering defeat, the GOP manages to display an impressive capacity for comeback. (short pause) Even in the bleakest moments of the Lukens Hush Money Scandal, when polls showed that only 20% of people were comfortable identifying themselves as Republican, polls a year later bucked predictions of the demise of the Republican party, as those numbers had already risen to 40%. (long pause) Think about that for a moment. (long pause) So, what I’m saying is, Harley Brown caused them to lose tonight, and lose badly, but I am certain that pro-Brown Republicans are just going to blame this on Pritt or Grammer or the anti-Brown Republicans, while anti-Brown are going to point to the truth – that if Brown had not been such a controversial candidate, he definitely would have won this race. (short pause) So, make no mistake, they are going to bounce back from this.”

– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can livestream, 11/3/2020



United States Governor election results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020

Number of state gubernatorial elections held: 12

Seats before: 26 (D), 26 (R)
Seats after: 28 (D), 24 (R)
Seat change: D ^ 2, R v 2

Full list:

Delaware: incumbent Stephanie Hansen (D) over John Machurek (R)

Indiana: Ben Quayle (R) over Jonathan Weinzapfel (D), Karen Freeman-Wilson (Green) and James J. Hughes (Bigfoot); incumbent John R. Gregg (D) retired

Missouri: incumbent Catherine Hanaway (R) over Sylvester “Sly” James Jr. (D)

Montana: Robert Ernest Quist (D) over Albert Olszewski (R) and Danielle Egnew (Bigfoot); incumbent Barack “Rocky” McCain (R) retired

New Hampshire: Martha S. Hennessey (D) over incumbent Darryl W. Perry (R) and Nicholas Groff (Bigfoot)

North Carolina: Rachel Hunt (D) over incumbent Cherie K. “Cherry” Berry (R)

North Dakota: incumbent Jasper Schneider (R) over Anthony Weiner (D)

Puerto Rico: Eduardo Bhatia (D) over incumbent Raul Labrador (R) and José Jaime Pierluisi (I)

Utah: incumbent Robert Wood Young (R) over Jani Iwamoto (D)

Vermont: Faisal Mahmood Gill (D) over Emily Payton (R) and Cris Ericson (Independent); incumbent Jeffrey “Jeff” Weaver (D) retired

Washington: Ron Sims (D) over Drew C. MacEwen (R) and Jeffrey Paul Bishop (Bigfoot); incumbent Krist Novoselic (D) retired

West Virginia: Craig Blair (R) over Ron Stollings (D) and Paul T. Farrell Jr. (Independent Democrat); incumbent Charlotte Pritt (D) retired

– knowledgepolitics.co.usa



“HARLEY-CHARLIE” LAFPICS RESURGE AMID BROWN LOSS

…one of the many lafpics going fervid ontech right now is one that makes a reference to the October 29, 1972 Peanuts TV special “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown” [8]:

tFjinMv.png

[pic: imgur.com/tFjinMv.png ]

Above: The screenshot image, edited to “Harley” (left) vs. the original unedited screenshot (right)

– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/4/2020



…The Defense party endorsed Brown while the Progressive and Pragmatic parties endorsed Pritt… Because the total number of candidates on each state ballot varied, write-in candidates claimed the vote-counting process under the new RCV system lowered the chances of write-in votes impacting the election unless they reached “impossibly high” numbers, as candidate Emily Payton put it…

Most Green, Moderate and Socialist Alliance voters wrote down Pritt as their second choice, while Brown was the second choice for most who selected the True Republican, Liberty, Reform and Bigfoot parties as their first choice. Voters who ranked the People’s ticket first equally divided their second-place ranking on their tickets between Pritt and Brown...

…As voting did not conclude until a candidate received a majority, counting the votes took longer than usual, with Pritt not being officially declared the winner until 7:00 AM the next morning, and confirmed with President Grammer and Vice President jointly VidCalling Pritt to congratulate her on her victory...

– clickipedia.usa.org



“You all won’t be disappointed by this unprecedented opportunity. …The people have chosen the way forward. Tonight was the first step. …The time has come for a government that works for the people, that works to create jobs, protect our planet, teach our children, and build a better present and future for everyone!”

– Charlotte Pritt, 11/4/2020



Analyst Paul SOGLIN: “I’m not surprised that counting the votes took so long – RCV has never actually been performed on a scale this large before.”

Analyst Janice FINE: “Indeed, and, about that, can I also say this? It’s interesting that, according to the rules laid out by the National Initiative, if the popular vote winner had not been determined by December 22, the Emergency Electoral College would have gone into effect. But in this election’s instance, with Pritt having won 283 EVs, she still would have won the Presidency.”

Analyst Karl ROVE: “There, right there, see? This election didn’t need the RCV mucking it up – Pritt would have still won without it, so why do why need it? The answer is we don’t, and that’s why I support another National Initiative be held to vote to reinstate the Electoral College.”

FINE: “Well, if that’s the hill you’ve chosen to die on, sure, go for it, whatever.”

– KNN roundtable discussion, 11/4/2020 broadcast



…Grammer’s graceful acceptance of the results contrasted with Brown, who openly questioned the “security” of Ranked-Choice Voting but nevertheless formally conceded the day after the election and congratulated Pritt with a short phone call. However, in a phone interview with KNN on November 5, the Vice President ranted about losing. …At one point, he suggested that voters whose ballot were exhausted ahead of the final round should be allowed to vote again to have a say in which final two choices they were prefer “Lots of people who backed conservative third party candidates all wrote their preferred candidates down for second place, so many of them received boosts in the initial runoffs before ultimately being eliminated during the runoff process. That’s not fair at all!”

Religious supporters of Brown appeared even angrier over the election results, with many ontech claiming it “defied God’s will.” Within a few hours of the results being declared official, and possibly spurred by Brown’s rant on KNN, rioting engulfed parts of cities across the US, with the most violent incident being a religious biker throwing a Molotov cocktail into a police car in Amarillo, Texas on November 6, injuring two. Conspiracy theories ontech quickly began spreading the rumor that “the Democratic establishment” had stolen the election from Brown. Other pro-Brown technetters who did not take the results well claimed Pritt was morally corrupt (without providing much detail) and would lead the nation “down a dark path of despair,” as one put it…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



DmwMeEN.png

[pic: imgur.com/DmwMeEN.png ]

– A lafpic showing Brown being upset at the election loss, first posted, 11/6/2020



…However, on November 7, Brown went on national TV to urge his supporters to respect the rule of law and “prove that you are above this sort of thing. Trust me, nobody is more upset over this election than I am, but what’s done is done, there’s no changing it. On January 20, 2021, Charlotte Pritt will become President, but on January 20, 2025? That might be another story.” Brown’s hint at a possible second run in 2024 seemed to have done the trick, as the angry crowds stayed online, but they emptied the streets and returned order to the affected cities…

– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022



“Poor Harley. He worked so hard for this job.” As he leaned back into his half of the loveseat, the President reflected on the past several days, accepting of the people’s choice, but disappointed at what their choice was.

“I’m just happy it’s all over,” said the First Lady as sat beside him. “After almost eight years in this place, we’re finally almost out of here.” She kicked off her shoes and sank into the soft upholstery, resting comfortably after a long and tiring day of calls and meetings. The staff had retired for the night, the youngest had been asleep for over an hour, and the Upstairs Residence was refreshingly silent.
“Oh, it hasn’t been that bad,” her husband replied.

“No, it’s been worse,” Marissa rebutted. She wrapped her arm around her husband, and added softly and uneasily, “This place almost killed you, Kelsey. You haven’t forgotten the heart attack. And I don’t remember there being so many wrinkles and white hairs when we started here.”

“You’re still beautiful.”

“I was talking about you.”

“Oh. Well then, um, well I have been getting on in years, and I’ll admit, I am getting a bit sick of these walls. It’s probably why I keep agreeing to meet with people in other places.” Indeed, Grammer often traveled to visit governors and other political leaders at their home turf, and would invite such individuals to the White House less frequently than typical Presidents would have.

Marissa groaned as she nestled into the loveseat and watched the small bits of flame flickering in the fireplace. “But we’re stuck here until January. Another three months of running around and running ourselves ragged. Especially for you.”

“Me?”

“You have to meet with Pritt, help her wean into the office.”

“Oh yeah, right. But after all her attacks on my Presidency, I’m not looking forward to it. I wish it were Harley with whom I was meeting. He’s prepped for this job for years.” As Grammer looked into the fireplace, an idea formed in his mind. “Honey.”

“Yeah?”

“Where did you say you wanted to spend Thanksgiving.”

“Same place where I wanted to celebrate Christmas, our old home in L.A.,” Marissa answered.

“Hmm,” Grammer thought aloud as he reached over to the coffee table and folded open his lar phone. “Let’s see. The Senate’s going to be in session from the 16th to the 20th. The House is staying in session until then. But both chambers reconvene on the thirtieth and stay open until December 18th. He could get some stuff passed.”

“What?” The First Lady asked, confused.

“Marissa, dear,” Grammer said, “How’d you like to beat the holiday rush and blow this popsicle stand early?”

--- --- ---

Color returned to Brown’s face. Excitement filled his falcon-like Irish-blue eyes. “What?”

“You heard me,” the President reiterated his decision. “We told our kids this morning. They’re surprisingly indifferent to it. I guess this place never truly felt like home to any of them either. Not even to Billie,” referring to his six-year-old son. “Then again, Billie’s first question was if his toys are coming with us, which they are.”

“I-I don’t know what to say, Kelsey.”

“Now you do understand that it’ll just be until January 20, right?” The President emphasized.

“Yeah, I get it.”

“I’m not cancelling the election results here.”

“I know that, I’m not an idiot,” Brown said.

“Okay then.”

Brown “played it cool,” but even Grammer could tell that the man was holding back a beaming grin of joy that would have stretched wider than a Cheshire Cat’s.

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



“…We have freed millions of Americans from the binds of federal red tape. We have lowered taxes, brutalized criminals, and confronted kingly dictatorships in Africa. We did it all together, without inflating the size of government, or inhibiting the innovation of the American individual. However, as my friend Harley Brown puts it, you can’t get a car out of the mud without getting dirt on yourself. The past eight years have been trying, and they have been tiring, and I do not believe that I am up to the task of executing the remaining duties and responsibilities of this office in my current state of exhaustion. In light of this, I will resign from the Presidency, effective noon tomorrow… …Harley Brown will serve out the remainder of my term until Governor Pritt is sworn in on January 20th…”

– President Kelsey Grammer, 11/9/2020 televised address



>COMMENT 1:
What?! I’m sorry…What??!!

>COMMENT 2:
Wow. I did not see that coming.

>COMMENT 3:
Frasier has left the building!

>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Get out.

>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Yes, that is what Grammer just did, how observant of you.

>COMMENT 4:
Huh, I didn’t know he was in poor health

>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
He’s not, he’s just sick and tired of the office.

>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
No, no, he’s only doing this to win over the evangelicals in love with Harley

>>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
That makes no sense. He’s leaving office and active politics

>>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 4:
I think he’s done this b/c legacy

>>REPLY 3 to COMMENT 4:
He’s doing this so his friend Harley gets to be President, even if just for a little while. Pure and simple

>COMMENT 5:
Wait, after tomorrow, there’s 71 days left until Pritt gets sworn in. And if HDB gets sworn in at noon, that’s only half a day. Pritt also gets sworn in a noon on the 20th. So if we only count the actual full days, the number of (full) days for which HDB will be President is…69.

>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Nice

>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Nice

>>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Nice

>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Nice

– usarightnow.co.usa, comments section of 11/9/2020 e-alert



1IhM9q6.png

[pic: imgur.com/1IhM9q6.png ]

– President-Elect Charlotte Pritt (D-WV) reacting to President Grammer’s sudden and unexpected resignation, 11/9/2020



“I’m just happy Joni’s okay with all this,” Brown chuckled as he took his hand off the Bible. The new First Lady, Joni Brown, had suddenly found herself in charge of planning Thanksgiving and Christmas activities at the White House, and all the hosting duties connected to them. But Joni was a quick thinker, and swiftly merged Marissa’s abandoned ideas with the plans Joni had had for 1 Circle Observatory.

The biker left the small-scale swearing-in ceremony on the South Lawn and entered his new office with a smile sprawled out across his face. Brown had reportedly been despondent in the days immediately after the election, with one of Brown’s daughters later stating that he had seemed “lost.” Another daughter says he was “perplexed” and “confused…he had been so certain he’d been President,” and that many around him sought to cheer him up by suggesting he run again in 2024. When Grammer decided to resign, though, Brown’s attitude immediately turned around. Brown reportedly told his second-oldest son that he saw Grammer’s decision as “God opening a window… It proved to Dad that Grammer was a true Christian and that he had believed in Brown all along.” Other Brown supporters, especially evangelicals thought similarly, and immediately began to hold Grammer in high regard.

Entering the Oval Office, Brown’s Chief of Staff, Lisa Marie, dramatically presented to him his new work station. “The Resolute Desk: for the next 71 days, she’s all yours.”

Brown knew it was all just temporarily, but he was determined to do as much as he possibly could with the time in office he’s just been granted. The new President sat in the Presidential chair and began to leak tears of joy and he carefully caressed the desk. Looking up, he put his arms outward and proclaimed, “I am here for you, God. I am here for you at last. I will not disappoint you!”

– Jon Herbert’s Firecracker: The Paths of Harley Davidson Brown, Borders Books, 2022



BrpQhVX.png

[pic: imgur.com/BrpQhVX.png ]

Harley Davidson Brown, the 46th President of the United States of America


Anderson COOPER: “So what exactly can he actually do during his time as America’s second-shortest-serving President?”

Former US Senator Daniel MONGIARDO (D-KY): “It depends on congress’ schedule. Two major recesses are fast approaching, so he may have to just try and get something that has already been introduced, or is in committee, uh, to get a vote when congress is still in session.”

COOPER: “And when Congress is not in session?”

MONGIARDO: “He’ll have to resort to signing lots and lots of Executive Orders.”

– KNN roundtable discussion, Wednesday, 11/11/2020 broadcast



After promoting Christianity and small-government policies, Brown’s third order of business was selecting a Vice President. The decision came after a major debate in the first hours and days of the Brown administration unfolded over whether or not the Vice Presidency should even be filled.

“If it’s vacant, who’ll preside over the certification of the election results on January 6?” Asked Brown. Several Cabinet members – all of whom were "retainees" from the Grammer administration – were not sure of the answer. Secretary Rodham-Clinton believed that the responsibility went to House Speaker Markey, but was not “100% certain.”

“That settles it, then,” Brown decided.

Despite continued support for the notion of not “wasting time,” Brown proceeded with his support of “legitimizing” his short time in office with a Vice President of his very own. However, the dynamics were unique in that no incumbents wanted to yield their current offices for less than three months of the Vice Presidency. Not even Brown’s running mate, Jennifer Johnson, expressed interest in stepping down from the governorship of Florida when she was already planning out her gubernatorial agenda for 2021.

Immediately, another debate developed, this one being over who the Vice Presidency should go to – a politician, or pretty much anybody interested in what Brown dubbed “the ultimate temp job.” Knowing time was limited, Brown wanted someone who could leave the biggest impact by simply holding the position, but also wanted an ally in the seat as well.

Subsequent conversations with Brown’s inner circle led to the White House writing up a long-form shortlist of 20 considerations on November 12. These candidates were the following:

Outgoing US Ambassador to South Africa Andrea Barthwell of Illinois – an African-American diplomat with a background in medicine, her nomination would potentially win over Democrats in the Senate

Former state Lands Director Walt Bayes of Idaho – at almost 80 years old, this religious “fanatic” would “keep the snipers away,” as Brown half-joked

Outgoing State Senator Judy Burges of Arizona – firmly in favor of minimizing immigration to the US, her nomination would appeal to many GOP Senate conservatives

Former US Senator Patty Cafferata of Nevada – the experienced retired politician still had many friends on the Capitol Hill

US Army Brig. Gen. (ret.) John Alan Coey of Wisconsin – also deeply religious, this political activist veteran of Libya and North Korean was often viewed as a more extreme and less successful version of Brown himself

Outgoing US VP Domestic Policy Advisor Bonnie Dumanis of Potomac – Brown appreciated this openly BLUTAGO former Californian prosecutor’s law-and-order chops and had endorsed her unsuccessful bids for elected office

Activist Derrick Evans of West Virginia – having worked on the Brown campaign in his home state, this unsuccessful candidate for public office openly “applied” for the job in a social media stunt that caught the White House’s attention

Businessman Darryl Glenn of Colorado – an African-American donor and unsuccessful candidate for public office, his deep pockets appealed to several of Brown’s wealthier supporters

Former US Senator Bo Gritz of Idaho – this former Presidential candidate had been an early supporter of Harley Brown, so selecting him would be almost like returning the favor

Former US Senator Betty Ireland of West Virginia – selecting this former politician was an idea backed by “Ken,” the White House’s new Communications Director [9]

Activist Jo Rae Perkins of Oregon – Perkins worked on the campaign in her home state; an unsuccessful candidate for public office, she was passionate, but had “wild” claims concerning Ranked Choice Voting

Former Governor Bernard Peters of Vermont – the “King” of Vermont’s “Northeast Kingdom” region, this long-beard outdoorsman and deer hunter got along well and agreed on most policies

Former Governor Sharon Woodall Hewitt of Louisiana – Brown considered this retired politician and former “oil rig worker” to “one tough Momma”

Former US Senator Paul Hillyard of Utah – supporters of the retired “heart of the Senate” urged him to express interest in serving out the position

Outgoing Undersecretary of the Interior Diane Humetewa of Arizona – selecting this career politician appealed to “Kelly,” the new Counsel to the President [9]

US White House Chief of Staff Lisa Marie of Idaho – Marie had been in her new office for only two days, but she had served as Brown’s “right-hand ma’am” as VP Chief of Staff from 2013 to 2020 and as his 2020 campaign manager

US Attorney General Susana Martinez of New Mexico – she and Brown got along well; her selection would make her America’s first Hispanic Vice President

Radio talk show host Laurie Roth of Washington – Roth was a big-time supporter of Brown and a very generous donor, shoring up money from listeners of her show to donate to his campaigns in 2012 and 2020

Businessman Clay John Schexnayder of Louisiana – this unsuccessful candidate for public office was a fierce supporter of Brown, and Brown appreciated it

Former Governor Lynn Swann of Pennsylvania – an African-American personality on ESPN since leaving the governorship, Brown was a fan of this former star athlete

On Friday, November 13, Brown finalized a second shortlist of 10 people: Barthwell, Bayes, Dumanis, Evans, Glenn, Ireland, Marie, Perkins, Peters, and Schexnayder. On Saturday, November 14, after discussing the shortlist with several Senate leaders, the list was narrowed down again, this time to just five people:

RlRmDLn.png

[Pic: imgur.com/RlRmDLn.png ]
Left to right: Barthwell, Bayes, Dumanis, Marie, Peters.

Wanting to announce a nominee by Monday, Marie pulled her name from consideration after Barthwell withdrew and threw her support behind Dumanis; Marie followed suit under the belief that Dumanis would “perfectly double down” on Brown’s most prominent themes – law-and-order, small government, and protection of BLUTAGO rights. This narrowed the list down to “the lesbian lawmaker, the long-bearded logger, and the doomsday prepper,” as Brown reportedly put it. “There’s no time for a second option, a fallback choice, since there’s barely enough time to push through the first option.”

After additional talks with Marie, Brown went with Dumanis. Wanting to give out “consolation prizes,” Brown also decided to nominate Bayes for Secretary of Education, on account of him homeschooling his 16 children, and Peters for the Interior.

Brown announced his nominations on Sunday, November 15, and urged Congress to begin hearings for them on Monday, or at least prior to the Thanksgiving break, scheduled to occur from the 21st to the 29th. Almost immediately, several conservative political figures pushed back against selecting Dumanis over Bayes or Peters, with Bayes being the preferred candidate among many evangelical members of the party. Some figures, especially ontech, even claimed that Brown had “betrayed” conservative values despite the fact that the new President had supported gay rights for years. “This just shows how many HDB voters were unaware of his actual dedication, or thought that it was all just talk,” noted political analyst Kyle Kulinski at the time. Dumanis’s selection was also criticized for her opposing to cannabis legalization and having an anti-drug record much earlier in her career; a 2008 incident in which she was investigated for corruption but found not guilty was also scrutinized. However, Brown refused to change his mind, and met with Republican Senate leaders to smoothen the process of confirming such a “historic” nominee…

– Jon Herbert’s Firecracker: The Paths of Harley Davidson Brown, Borders Books, 2022



BROWN MEETS WITH SENATE ALLIES TO PUSH THROUGH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BILL

…the proposed legislation would bolster a similar bill passed in 2017 that exempted religious organizations from several federal taxes and regulations…

The Washington Post, 11/18/2020



THE SENATE IS “BREEZING THROUGH” THE VP NOMINATION PROCESS

…The interviews and hearings are being conducted at a record pace when compared to the weeks-long processes that occurred for VP-appointees Jack Kemp in 1985, J. J. Polonko Jr. in 1987, and Jim Meredith in 1995… One final hearing will be held tomorrow, and then congress will reconvene on the 30th…

Comments Section:

>COMMENT 1:
Why are they spending their time on this instead of something more important?

>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Spitefulness. They want to be able to say they were the party that gave America its first BLUTAGO VP and first female VP

>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
But why?

>>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Because Republican know they have to win over undecided/independent voters to win national elections. By doing this, their appeasing socially liberal people without actually promoting BLUTAGO rights.

– politico.co.usa, Thursday, 11/19/2020



SENATE QUICKLY PASSES AND BROWN QUICKLY SIGNS DIVISIVE BILLS IN LINE-ITEM CONTROVERSY

The Chicago Tribune, 11/20/2020



BROWN, PRITT MEET AT WHITE HOUSE

…the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office to discuss the peaceful transferring of power in a conversation that was calm and professional, but noticeably lacking warmth between Brown and Pritt…

The Washington Post, 11/21/2020



PRESIDENT BROWN JUST BROKE THE RECORD FOR PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS SIGNED IN A SINGLE DAY

…with Congress in recess, Brown is using the powers of the executive office to pass several minor policies, ranging from personal to international. Brown is ordering the capping of fines for motorcycle parking violations in federal territories such as national parks and the capital district, and ordering the phrase “In God We Trust” be added to several federal buildings, statues, and even minor items such as office and gift shop supplies like stationary and pens. Brown also signed several E.O.s meant to “beef up” America’s military defenses, especially federal cybersecurity policies. Many of these Executive Orders – such as one demanding “draconian” forms of punishment for acts of cyberterror and treason – will “very likely” by revoked under President Pritt, or struck down by America’s courts, says legal expert…

The New York Times, Monday, 11/23/2020



POHOTO GALLERY: A Harley Brown Thanksgiving

…Take a peek at how President Brown’s family hosted Thanksgiving at the White House yesterday…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/27/2020



SENATE CONFIRMS DUMANIS, 83-21

…In the US Senate’s first day back in session, several moderate Senate Democrats joined a majority of the Senate Republicans in voting “yea” on Dumanis’ appointment to the Vice Presidency… Dumanis will be sworn in “immediately,” according to the White House Press Secretary…

The Washington Post, Monday, 11/30/2020



DUMANIS ENTERS OFFICE AS AMERICA’S FIRST BLUTAG VP

– The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/1/2020



“I’m not surprised the Republicans would rather have a BLUTAG VP than a VP who looks like me.”

– Mexican-American US Congressman Tony Villar (D-CA), private conversation, leaked 12/2/2020 (Villar received much controversy for the statement)



SENATE NARROWLY APPROVES BAYES AND PETERS FOR CABINET POSTS

The Washington Post, 12/3/2020



“Every child and every student has the freedom and the right to worship however they see fit. I’ve seen modern grade schools, there’s always some room off to the side for kids to pray to Mecca during the school day. If they can worship in school, then so can Christians and all the other groups out there. This bill will protect from legal persecution anyone who wishes to express their Christian faith on public school grounds, and that includes teachers and their curricula.”

– Harley Brown, backing a controversial “pro-prayer” bill introduced earlier in the year, 12/4/2020



BROWN SWEARS INAUGURATION SECURITY WILL BE “HIGHER THAN USUAL”

…The capitol district’s security officials are working with the Secret Service and police departments in Virginia and Potomac to secure pathways and checkpoints ahead of President-Elect Pritt’s January 20 inauguration…

The Washington Post, 12/9/2020



“…In political news, the Senate and House have managed to narrowly pass a controversial “pro-prayer” bill. We take you now to the White House, where President Brown is signing the bill into law…”

– NBC News, 12/10/2020 broadcast



“…Already, there’s talk of Brown running for President again in 2024. (long pause) Pritt hasn’t even been sworn in yet, and the next election is already on everyone’s minds…”

– Kyle Kulinski, 12/12/2020



…2020 has seen several medical and scientific breakthroughs. …In Europe, the first 3D-printed cars (Volkswagen’s Horizon) entered production, and 5% of domestic consumer products in the US were being manufactured with 3D printing technology. Internet access levels were rising gradually, and in New Delhi, India, scientists are finishing work on preparing for the first transplant of a 3D-printed liver, which is scheduled for 2021. …Drugs to reverse glaucoma are in the vetting process. …France’s President Bové’s “homegrown” movement continued to be hostile to “foreign” innovation. While changes are inevitable, the rising trend of new technology being detrimental to current job markets and how one makes a living is leading to significant social backlashes, especially from those whose jobs are being “automated away” as well as from population groups struggling to either access, utilize, or adapt to new technology. This is nothing new, but in this current era of rising automation, it is a dilemma that must be addressed immediately…

– scientificamerican.co.usa, 12/14/2020



REPORT: Russian Officials Claim They Are "Closing In" On Nikolayev's Location

The Washington Post, 12/15/2020



“…Winter Recess began tonight for the United States Congress; it will last for the rest of December, and Congress will reconvene with the start of the 117th Congress on January 3rd…”

– CBS Evening News, Saturday, 12/19/2020



…Brown’s next executive order ordered the relevant federal departments and agencies to ease regulations and “restrictive policies” at airports in order to shorten lines at airports in what Brown expressed as “a calling for a return to the golden age of flying.” Brown cited the policies put into place during the 1960s in the midst of the threat of “cam bombs” from Cuba as being “outdated.” Additionally, Brown dubbed additional policies established during the early 1980s in response to Libyan hostage crises and terror attacks “overkill.” These executive orders also increased funding for the express purpose of hiring more employees to shorten lines and purchasing more scanner machine so travelers would no longer have to unpack their bags before boarding. However, the effects of these E.O.s were not felt until after he left office…

– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022



“PRECAUTIONARY” ELECTORAL COLLEGE UPHOLDS PEOPLE’S CHOICE

The Huffington Post, 12/22/2020



“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from our family to yours.”

– Harley Brown in official White House “Season’s Greetings” video, posted 12/23/2020



“I am very upset by America’s cowardly turn inward. America needs to be bold and assert itself on the world stage, but as this election showed, too many Americans would rather focus on trivial domestic issues than important foreign issues.”

– Bill Krystal, The Overmyer Network, 12/27/2020



…Brown was both frustrated and exhausted from trying to “cram in” as much work into 71 days as he possibly could. Complaints about the lack of time led to one of Brown’s advisors, Lisa Marie, slyly suggesting “Maybe Dumanis can give you some more time, huh? Maybe she could overturn the election on the 6th?”

Brown shook his head, “Don’t be delusional, Lisa. I lost fair and square. And by a lot. And besides, the VP can’t overturn an election on that day. If they could, it would have happened before, and I checked it out – it hasn’t happened before because it can’t Otherwise Gravel, Kemp, Bellamy, Dinger or Wellstone all would have tried.” Brown continued, “But here’s the thing. Even if they could, they wouldn’t because this capital is a district of can’ts and won’ts, and there’s a lot more won’ts than can’ts. Trust me, I’ve been here for eight years now, and for the first two, the Senate was split evenly, so I had to spend a lot of my time listening to long, boring, drawn-out bullsh*t. This is not the kind of place where huge systemic changes happen easily or overnight. So, we’re not going to waste the next 20-odd days here fighting a battle that’s impossible to win. We’re going to stay the course and do God’s work.”

– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Plus, I don’t want to get into a debate over whether or not including Obama in this TL, even if he is not even called that here, would be considered “Current Politics.” I’d rather avoid potentially getting into trouble over it.
[2] Based (loosely?) on an OTL issue: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14401512
[3] Edited line pulled from this interview:
youtube.com/watch?v=dBUV0nEnGBw
[4] Based on her comments in this video:
youtube.com/watch?v=OQEw0zcgsoY
[5] Based on a comment heard in a video of his found on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/2018HarleyBrown/ .
[6] A reference to his OTL 2014 closing statement
[7] I swear I either read this line somewhere or heard him say it in a video, but now I can’t find the source… D’oh!
[8] OTL special!
[9] “Ken” was his information technology director IOTL, and “Kelly” was his campaign manager IOTL:
youtube.com/watch?v=RK7qPey3oF8
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: June 26 at the very latest!
 
Post 113
Post 113: Chapter 121

Chapter 121: January 2021 – June 2021

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

– Charles Swindell



“I remember most of the cabinet members learned of his decision only a few hours before it happened, myself included, and pretty much all of us insisted he reconsider. But he wanted to make what he saw as a kind gesture to a friend and ally. Most would gift a friend the latest techslab; Grammar gifted Brown the Presidency. Almost immediately, phone calls and VidCall requests came pouring into our offices at the State Department, as our allies sought answers. Some less familiar with our election system mistakenly though Grammar had committed some sort of self-coup, or had cancelled or postponed the election. Even some American citizens thought that, too, if I recall right. But, yes, our allies were certainly surprised by Grammer’s premature departure. And more of them wanted to reach out to the outgoing president, especially in the few hours between his announcement and the resignation itself, than to the incoming one.”

– Former US Secretary of State Dick Morningstar, 2022 interview



RUSSIA CONFIRMS: Nikolayev Is In Eritrea!

The Daily Telegraph, 1/5/2021



“…and in political news, Vice President Bonnie Dumanis officially certified the results of the 2020 election earlier today. Outside the grounds of the US Senate building, a small crowd of roughly 25 Harley Brown supports picketed the certification process, believing in unfounded technet-based claims that the election was, quote, tainted, unquote, by America’s new Ranked Choice Voting Presidential Election voting system…”

– ABC News, 1/6/2021 broadcast



“…Some trouble unfolded in the Senate today when the visiting Harley Brown got into a verbal shouting match with a group of Democratic lawmakers who met with the President. The incident reportedly saw both parties to raise voices angrily, and saw Brown scream a slew of obscenities, over the Senators refusing budge on their decision to table a controversial education deregulation bill…”

– NBC, 1/7/2021 broadcast



…In his final weeks in office, Brown failed to get more bills passed due to the new majority-Democratic Senate being sworn in on the 3rd. Instead, Brown hosted televised Bible Study meetings inside the Oval Office, inviting prominent religious figures to “stop on over” and promote the Word of God. Privately, he spoke with GOP leaders and religious figures to discuss if there were any possible ways to combat and abortion during his final days. According to Gordon Paterson, Brown discussed the matter further with him and other in a private conversation on January 10, in which the outgoing President remarked, “Here’s my plan of attack, okay? You go in there and you use spiritual warfare. Because everyone talks about the natural, but I want to talk about the other realm we exist in. You bind those evil spirits that are behind the liberals with the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of God. I’m talkin’ Blitzkrieg!” [1] Brown believes that Americans reconnecting to our country’s Christian roots will lead to citizens becoming aware of the immoral practices of lawmakers, and bring about an anti-corruption “wave…that’d intimidate Noah” that would “wash out” crooked politicians in the 2022 midterms, if not through their expulsion from congress. Brown continued to host Bible Study group twice a week for the rest of his Presidency…

– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022



…Brown’s last days in office saw him pardon several dozen people, over half of whom were notable bikers facing minor charges. After becoming President, hundreds of American citizens had written to him requested pardons for various minor charges and crimes. Brown’s pardons were almost all related to regulation, policy, accounting, trespassing, lacking various permits, and many other nonviolent and “victimless crimes.”

[snip]

Ahead of inauguration ceremonies, Brown wished Pritt good luck, and reportedly told her to “take it easy…it’s only because of my superior stamina and strength that I was able to get so much done in so little time, and it tired me out, so you take your time on things.”

Charlotte allegedly observed, “Thanks for the advice, Harley. You’re as sharp as a marble and you look it.”

Brown reportedly replied happily and somewhat bashfully with, “Aw, thanks, ma’am!”

– David Lienemann and Eva Osnos’ The Far-Left So Far, Meridian E-Books, 2022



PRITT BEGINS PRESIDENCY: Promises Jobs, Civil Justice, Green Energy Projects in Inaugural Address

The Washington Post, 1/20/2021



1N2Ws7b.png

[pic: imgur.com/1N2Ws7b.png ]
Charlotte Pritt, the 47th President of the United States of America


THE PRITT WHITE HOUSE’S CABINET AND OTHER OFFICES

Vice President: Former US Senator Kwame Raoul (D-IL)

CABINET

Secretary of State: former US Senator and former EPA Administrator Lisa Perez Jackson (D-NJ)

Secretary of the Treasury: former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich (D-MA)

Secretary of Defense: US Army Gen. (ret.) Curtis Michael “Mike” Scaparrotti (I-PO)

Attorney General: former state Assemblyperson and former US Representative Paul Fong (D-CA)

Postmaster General: former state representative, former state senator, and former US Representative Kevin Bacon (R-OH)

Secretary of the Interior: former state representative and former US Representative Faith Spotted Eagle (D-SD)

Secretary of Agriculture: former Administrator of the National Roadways Safety Administration, former US Transportation Secretary, former EPA Administrator, former US Labor Secretary, former US Senator, former US Attorney General, and former US Postmaster General Ralph Nader (I-CT)

Secretary of Commerce: former OMB Director, former US HHS Secretary, and former US Senator Sylvia Mathews Burwell (D-WV)

Secretary of Labor: former Governor Michael Moore (D-MI)

Secretary of Education: former US Representative and former crisis manager for the NY Education Department Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)

Secretary of Health and Humane Services: former Governor Krist Novoselic (Liberty-WA)

Secretary of Transportation: former Mayor of Tacoma and former US Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-WA)

Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs: former Rutgers University Chief of Police and former New York City Chief of Police Kenneth B. Cop (I-NY)

Secretary of Energy and Technology: Professor and expert on civil and environmental engineering Gobichettipalayam Vasudevan “G. V.” Loganathan (I-VA)

Secretary of Community Development: former San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz (D-PR)

CABINET-LEVEL POSITIONS

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): former CIS Chief Risk Officer and former CIA Cybersecurity Operations Director Anne Neuberger (I-NY)

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): former FBI agent and former Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best (I-WA)

US Trade Representative: environmentalist businessman Theodore Roosevelt V (b. Theodore Roosevelt VI in 1976) (I-NY)

Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA): former US Representative Jorge Santini (D-PR)

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): former US Representative and former Campbell, CA Mayor Evan Low (D-CA)

Administrator of the Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency (ODERCA): former state senator and former ODERCA Deputy Administrator Brooks McCabe (D-WV)

THE PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE OFFICE

White House Chief of Staff: senior campaign manager Nani Coloretti (D-HI)

White House Deputy Chief of Staff: senior campaign strategist Thomas A. “Tad” Devine (D-RI)

Chief Domestic Policy Advisor: Labor Professor Janice R. Fine (D-NJ)

Chief Economic Policy Advisor: union organizer Chuck Rocha (D-TX)

Chief Foreign Policy Advisor: former US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy James Northey Miller Jr. (D-IA)

Chief National Security Advisor: former Assistant to the WH Chief National Security Advisor Daleep Singh (D-CA)

Director of the Office of Management and Budget: NYU Finance Professor Aswath Damodaran (I-NY)

Director of the Domestic Policy Council: political advisor Faiz Shakir (D-FL)

Unofficial Counselors and Advisors: businessman Bern Sanders, environmentalist May Boeve, and national policy advisors Analilia Mejia and Jess Mazour

White House Communications Director: political technology consultant Zack Exley (I-CT)

White House Appointments Secretary: former intern and speechwriter for various Democratic and Republican US Senators Ja’Ron K. Smith (R-PO)

White House Press Secretary: campaign press secretary Briahna Joy Gray (I-PO)

OTHER MEMBERS

Solicitor General (representative of the Federal Government before the Supreme Court): US District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown (D-LA)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: US Army Gen. (ret.) John E. Hyten (I-AL)

Secretary of the Army: US Army Maj. Gen. (ret.) Richard Ojeda (D-WV)

Secretary of the Navy: former US Undersecretary of Veterans’ Affairs William Scott Gould (D-MA)

Federal Reserve Chairman: former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Christina Duckworth (D-IL)

NASA Director: former NASA Deputy Director, former Chief of Staff to US Senator John Glenn, and former US Representative Lori Beth Garver (D-OH)

NOTABLE AMBASSADORS

To the United Nations: former US Ambassador to the U.K. and former US Senator Paul Vallas (D-IL)

To the U.N. Commission on Human Rights: former US President, former UNICEF Director, and former US Secretary-General Carol Bellamy (D-NY)

To Argentina: former US Senator and former state Attorney General Grant Woods (D-AZ)

To Australia: former US Ambassador to United Korea Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (D-NY)

To Canada: former US Representative and former candidate for US Senate Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

To China: former Air Force intelligence specialist and Columbia U economics professor Tim Kane (R-OH)

To France: former Governor Jeffrey P. “Jeff” Weaver (D-VT)

To Germany: former Governor Barry Norman “Big Tasty” Goldberg (D-PA)

To India: former Director of the US Liaison Office to UNESCO Marianne Williamson (D-TX)

To Iran: former state Secretary of state and former assistant to the US Ambassador to the UN Roman W. Prezioso (D-WV)

To Japan: former Chief Economist of the World Bank and former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Joseph Stiglitz (D-IN)

To Korea: state campaign manager, political activist, and Green energy investor/businessman David Keith Cobb (Green-TX)

To Mexico: former state secretary of state and former US Representative Natalie E. Tennant (D-WV)

To Russia: former US Ambassador to Armenia, Alania, and United Turkestan Ian Crawford Kelly (I-IL)

To South Africa: former US Representative Maurice Antonia Jonesy (D-VA)

To the U.K.: former US Ambassador to the OSCE Daniel Brooks “Dan” Baer (D-CO)

To Yugoslavia: former Portsmouth, NH Mayor and former US Representative Steve Marchand (D-NH)

– whitehouse.gov.usa/administration/cabinet-and-other-offices



RUSSIAN A.G. HITS LEGAL ROADBLOCK, LOWERING CHANCES OF PUTTING NIKOLAYEV ON TRIAL

…the primary issue is the lack of a Russian-Eritrean extradition law…

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 22/1/2021



…International relations between the US and other major nations shifted either significantly or only partially upon Charlotte and Kwame replacing Kelsey and Harley at the White House. While Jenny Leong of Australia, Romeo Dallaire of Canada, and Oscar Biscet of Cuba easily welcomed the new administration, the more conservative Gerhard Schroder of Germany and Stefanie Craxi of Italy were less enthusiastic. Notably, President José Bové of France, who had had a cold relationship with Grammer, nevertheless congratulated President Pritt and expressed interest in working with her on the trade and nutrition issues he was fighting for, but nevertheless continued his “France First” policy.

Goo Jianmei of China gave standard congratulatory remarks; privately, she thought that Pritt was “impressive,” but would “ever easier to deal with” than Grammer, according to a government document leaked early 2022. Similarly, Aloizio Mercandante of Brazil privately thought “little” of her, according to a late 2021 expose covering lingering sexism in his administration.

Guy Standing of UK, Renho of Japan, and N. Chandrababu Naidu of India expressed interest in working with Pritt on major Green Energy/Technology projects, while most of the Heads of State of the Middle Eastern Bloc (especially Hussein al-Shahristani of Iraq, Tzipi Livni of Israel, Boutros Harb of Lebanon, Salam Fayyad of Palestine, and Farouk al-Sharaa of Syria) generally “approved” of her, with the Sultan of Oman expressing “she will be better at helping us continue Our Delicate Peace than Mr. Brown would have been.” Ji Seong-ho of United Korea was more enthusiastic for Pritt, praising her infrastructure record and agenda and seeing her ascension was a “great and promising” thing for the peninsula, according to a 2021 interview with his Chief of Staff. Cem Uzan of Turkey and Vangelis Meimarakis of Greece jointly congratulated Pritt on her victory, and also wished to work well with her administration.

Miguel Chong of Mexico and Pritt reportedly have a somewhat-cordial relationship due to tension over the issue of jobs and border crossings. Both leaders are collaborating on minimizing illegal immigration, but do not have as close a working relationship as the ones Pritt maintains with the leaders of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, according to several sources.

However, not all world leaders were so cordial. Sebhat Ephrem of Eritrea was just as hostile to the US under Pritt and he had been under Grammer. Only under President Brown – which Ephrem erroneously believed had come about by a coup and that Brown would stay in power indefinitely – did Ephrem show signs of intimidation and worry, given Brown’s reported “trigger-happy” nature. In fact, according to a 2021 report, in the hours after Brown took office, Ephrem met with his advisors in the nation’s capital of Asmara and briefly considered rejecting Nikolayev’s political asylum, which would have left the former leader of Russia vulnerable to extradition back to the NDRR...

– clickopedia.co.usa, 2022



Military expenditures by Country at the start of 2020 (in US$ billions):

1 US: $378.8

2 China: $260.0

3 India: $66.5

4 Russia: $59.7

5 Saudi Arabia: $58.2

6 France: $57.9

7 UK: $51.0

8 Germany: $48.9

9 United Korea: $45.1

10 Japan: $30.5

11 Italy: $27.5

12 Brazil: $25.4

13 Australia: $23.9

14 Canada: $22.1

15 United Turkestan: $20.3

– researcher Siemon T. Wezeman’s Trends In World Military Expenditure, The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 1/25/2021 report



THE PROGRESSIVE POWER PLAYERS OF PRITT’S POTUS PLANS

…well-connected individuals such as media mogul Bern Sanders are said to have the new President’s ear and are “guiding” the specifics of her many key policies and proposals…

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[pic: imgur.com/lkAfjFi.png ] [2]

Above: businessman Bern Sanders of New York

The New York Post, 1/26/2021



…Retaining funding for American UHC, the NITR, and Social Security meant reversing Grammer’s generous spending habits on the US military. Combating opioid abuse was also challenging given the limitations that the BBA placed on spending. To free up additional funding, minimizing the wealth gap – before the 2022 annual budget had to be finalized in September – became a “front-burner” goal of the administration. And making the nation’s wealthiest pay their fair share in taxes, Pritt argued, meant reversing the 2017 tax law. Implementing green infrastructure projects to lower unemployment and poverty rates would generate funds as well.

…Several suggestions for how to improve American test scores (in order to reverse America’s “brain drain” and in turn give students and workers a fighting chance on the world stage) were studied and tested…

…Food insecurity was becoming a rising issue among some parts of the country, much to the concern of former Agriculture Secretary Jim McGovern, who pushed for the new administration to return to the policies of the Jackson and Wellstone years. Implementing a Federal Freedom Fund for farmworkers and factory workers to keep them out of poverty during the automation of their livelihoods would certainly help combat this pressing issue. When Pritt and company finally made headway in June with a national FFF pilot program, McGovern celebrated the move as “a step in the right direction”…

…Pritt was relieved that addressing Veterans’ mental health was a mostly bipartisan issue, and so left the matter mostly in the hands of Secretaries Scaparrotti, Cop, and Novoselic. Similarly, addressing civil justice and combating social prejudices, as well as improving financial literacy among US citizens, was the passion project of Vice President Raoul...

– David Lienemann and Eva Osnos’ The Far-Left So Far, Meridian E-Books, 2022



SCHROEDER TO RETIRE FROM THE SUPREME COURT

…Associate Justice Mary Murphy Schroeder’s decision to vacant her seat “after a successor has been chosen” comes after Schroeder strongly supported Pritt during her Presidential bid… Schroeder, age 80, is a progressive-leaning law expert from Colorado who has served as a Supreme Court Associate since October 1990. Justice President Bellamy successfully nominated her for the Supreme Court seat vacated by Justice William Brennan earlier that year…

The Washington Post, 1/30/2021



CONFIRMED: Sigourney Weaver Signs On To New Marstronauts Miniseries

…Weaver is set to play Julie Payette, the mission’s Canadian astronaut. The cast is perfect because the two women are very similar in appearance [3]

– thehollywoodreporter.co.usa, 2/9/2021



PC LEADERSHIP ELECTION: Tony Clement Prevails Over Gareth Bacon And Jason Kenney

…the PCs are already warming up for the daunting task of unseating incumbent PM Dallaire in less than five years…

The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 2/2/2021



“WATCH: Groening Confirms Futurama Is Coming To An End!”

Description: After years of declining ratings, the long-running animated series will conclude next year.

COMMENTS SECTION:

>COMMENT 1:

To everyone here thinking it’s ending right now – it’s not! Watch the video, Matt says the next season is their last one, and there’s going to be some kind of final episode “special” for the series finale in May 2022.

>COMMENT 2:

NO!!! I love this show! I’ve been watching it my whole life!

>>Reply 1 to Comment 1:

I just got into this show, so how do ya think I feel??!!

>COMMENT 3:

Dang, I never thought they’d cancel this. Here’s hoping Grammer returns to play Dr. Schwarzchild one last time.

>>Reply 1 to Comment 3:

It’s not cancelled, didn’t you watch the vid? It’s series creator Matt Graining taking Qs from the press at an official press briefing, and he says at the 3:05 mark he chose to end the series and move on to other project ideas!

>>>Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Comment 3:

Why can’t he just work on both this and another show, or just work his new ideas into this show? This sucks, I love this show!

>>>>Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Comment 3:

Really you serious? Futurama stopped being good years ago. It’s why TRUE fans of the show call 1994-2008 the “Classic” Era of Futurama, and everything since then the sucky “Modern” Era.

>COMMENT 4:

I get why they’re doing this, but I’m still sad to see it go. Not only is Futurama a cultural milestone, but it was a big part of the childhoods of so many ’90s kids.

>COMMENT 5:

I wouldn’t say the was a big part of pop culture nowadays, even though it still has its fans, but it was a big thing in its heyday. Ah well, not everything lasts forever.

– video/comments section, OurVids.co.can, on 2/3/2021



…Under Schroeder informing Pritt of her intention to retire from the court, the new President began viewing several considerations. She was torn between seeking out a populist “game changer” or a candidate that would have more appeal among the progressive wing of the party. Her vetting team considered NJ District Court Judge Zahid Nisar Quraishi (b. 1975), PO District Court Judge Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson (b. 1970), prominent PO attorney and professor on constitutional law Canadace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi (b. 1979), Circuit Judge of the Tenth Circuit Veronica Sophia Rossman (b. 1972 in Moscow, Russia), NM District Judge Margaret Irene Strickland (b. 1980), and Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court Tiffany Cunningham (b. 1976) as heavy favorites for the nod. Others, mainly Wellstone appointees such as Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Paul J. Watford of California (b. 1967), Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Raymond T. Chen (b. 1968), and FL District Court Judge Carlos Eduardo Mendoza (b. 1970), were viewed – by both the vetting team and by the media – as potential nominees as well. The Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, the openly BLUTAGO Beth Robinson (b. 1965), was also under consideration. Pritt and her inner circle rejected suggestions from several Republicans to nominate a more libertarian-leaning consideration such as Judge Janice Rogers Brown, Judge Randy Barnett, Professor Jonathan Turley, and Judge Miguel Estrada.

Quraishi, Rossman, Strickland, Cunningham, Watford, and Chen were reportedly on Pritt’s shortlist, but according to two separate reports, she remained unsatisfied with their views on worker rights. Because of this dissatisfaction, President Pritt requested her vetting team re-examine the overlooked, lesser-known potential picks in one last effort to find a nominee who would best represent her administration’s populist readings of the role of government and laws. After several days, Pritt’s team found her ideal nominee in North Carolina…

– Linda Greenhouse and Morton J. Horwitz’s Sustaining Liberty: The Supreme Court Under Our Current Chief Justice, Sunrise Publishing, 2022 edition



US Sen. David Dean ANDAHL (R-ND): “I don’t know why we’re still making a big deal out of this. It’s already over. It was just for a lame-duck period of less than three months, how much could he have really done?”

Political Analyst KRYSTAL BALL: “He was able to get a lot done. He replaced a quarter of the White House Cabinet and got a new VP sworn in before the Winter Recess. He allocated funding to several military projects. He demanded federal buildings showcase religious phrases, and tried to get the federal government involved in school policies by demanding states allow religious electives to be offered in public schools. He got into political and physical fights with people, and, in what I’ll admit was an impressive feat, he reversed several decades of federally-mandated airport security measures on the claim that all of them were placebos.”

Political correspondent VAN JONES: “Yes, which means Harley actually proved that the lame duck period is actually not so lame after all!”

ANDAHL: “Which just shows what happens when a politician like Harley Brown gets in office.”

BALL: “Exactly my point.”

ANDAHL: “Wait, you’re agreeing with me?”

BALL: “Yes and no.”

JONES: “I’m just concerned that, with his early resignation and his successor’s ability to actually get some things done during the transitional period, Kelsey Grammer may have established what could become a very dangerous political precedence. I mean, what if some future president tries to pull off something like this and allow an even more dangerous person to occupy the Oval Office? We count our lucky stars that Brown didn’t start a war with China during those 69 days.”

ANDAHL: “It was 71 days, and if it’s so dangerous, then future Presidents won’t do it. Snobby establishment types like you will pressure them into doing nothing as usual during the lame-duck phase to keep it a lame-duck phase.”

JONES: “David –”

ANDAHL: “Because you’re only saying all that because he’s not from your side of the aisle. If Pritt loses re-election in 2024 and lets Kwame serve for 72 days or so, you’ll be whistling a way different tune then, wouldn’t ya?!”

BALL: “That’s nearly four years from now, Senator let’s focus on the present – ”

ANDAHL: “Yes! That’s just what I think! Again you’re agreeing with me.”

BALL: “But for very different reasons, sir.”

– KNN roundtable discussion, 2/6/2021 broadcast



PRITT PICKS N.C. JUDGE GEORGE FLOYD FOR SUPREME COURT SEAT

…George Perry Floyd Jr. (b. 1973), known as “Perry Floyd” in his earlier years, has been a Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit since January 2013, being nominated and approved at the very end of the Wellstone administration. Standing at 6-foot-4, Floyd’s colleagues often call him a “gentle giant” for his calm and thoughtful demeanor on the bench. …Floyd went to Duke University School of Law in 1991 on a football scholarship, and began working as a paid intern for the North Carolina Supreme Court upon graduating in 1996. …Floyd’s appointment would fulfill a childhood dream of his to become a Supreme Court Justice… [4]

– The Asheville Citizen-Times, North Carolina newspaper, 2/7/2021




McDonald’s To Expand “Robot Drive-Thrus” To All 52 States!

Chicago, IL – McDonald’s embracing of automation in response to rising wages is clashing with President Pritt’s efforts to crack down on “surprise layoffs.” But now the global corporation is going even further with the phasing-out of low-skill, low-wage positions. McDonald’s has just publicly acknowledged that automated voice ordering for drive-thrus will be expanded from select locations in 5 states to at least one outlet in all 52 states. “We are also considering expanding our pilot program of automated grills and fryers to nationwide use to push the envelope of utilizing the latest technologies to help our American customers,” says the company’s spokesperson… …the fast food mega-giant’s turn to automation is similar to Pizza Hut’s harnessing of self-driving delivery cars, as they established an auto-delivery partnership with the bot car company BotWheels in 2019 after aggressively testing during the mid-to-late 2010s. In late 2018, BotWheels – its name a play on the Hot Wheels toy car line – became the first autonomous on-road delivery vehicle company to receive regulatory approval of its vehicles by the US Department of Transportation…

– financialtimes.co.usa, 2/8/2021



Chat Forum Section:

My Neighbors Are Complaining About Americans Like Me Living In Mexico!

…Back in November 2007, I announced both here and on my plog (personal net-log) that I was moving to Mexico to take advantage of the expanding services markets… …but in recent years, I’ve gone from being “that one American” who lives in Cabo to being “one of the” many Americans living and working down here. A lot of my neighbors and coworkers are complaining about people like me taking ontech services jobs despite the fact that we spend our money here. We contribute to the local economy. I’m not asking for special treatment, I’m just looking for some fairness here...

>REPLY 1:

You want fairness? Move back here to the U.S.!

– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 2/9/2021 posting



PRITT PUSHES PROGRESSIVE AGENDA IN S.O.T.U. SPEECH: Calls For “A Clear and Clean Path Forward”

The Washington Post, 2/11/2021



WHITE HOUSE, SENATORS WORKING WITH TEACHING AND TECH EXPERTS TO MAKE EDUCATION MORE AFFORDABLE

…Georgia Tech’s online Engineering Master’s program (a fraction of the cost of residential tuition) is an early example in making university education more broadly available. Similarly, nanodegrees or microcredentials provided by online education platforms such as Udacity and Coursera can be used for mid-career adjustments at low cost. A.I. itself may be deployed to supplement the learning process, with applications such as A.I.-enhanced tutorials or personalized content recommendations backed by machine learning. The Pritt Administration is also backing the notion that a training stipend can be issued to individuals as means to upskill…

…The Senate is seeking to intervene and reverse recent historical trends that have shifted incomes from labor to capital owners.

“The balance could be shifted back to labor by placing higher taxes on capital,” suggests US Senator Tom Suozzi (D-NY). “An example of this is the recently proposed ‘robot tax,’ where the taxation would be on the work rather than the individual executing it. That is, if a self-driving car performs the task that formerly was done by a human, the rideshare company will still pay the tax as if a human was driving.” Suozzi believes that enough federal lawmakers would sign onto passing such a federal law “if written right.”

…Other solutions to increasing America’s test scores and college enrollment rates are looking at how work is distributed throughout work weeks. …Some countries, such as France and Sweden, have experimented with redistributing working hours. The idea is to cap weekly hours, with the goal of having more people employed and work more evenly spread. So far these programs have had mixed results, with lower unemployment but high costs to taxpayers, but are potential models that can continue to be tested... [5]

– thewashingtonpost.co.usa, 2/14/2021




…Upon Sholban Kara-ool entering office, the Tuvan outsider began work on expanding technet access for rural Russians and nearly doubled the funding of Russia’s Department of Justice. One of most immediate first acts was allowing Justice Minister Boris Nemtsov release activist Vladimir Putin from prison, leading to an iconic photo of the teary-eyed political prisoner hugging Nemtsov and Kara-ool.

Legislatively, Kara-ool backed a national bill to provide “maternity capital” for the birth or adoption of a child, and another bill to provide free broadband access for publicly-funded universities for students, teachers and university staff. Kara-ool also supported a bill to change the colors of the national flag from a tricolor of red, white and blue to a tricolor of black, yellow, and white, in reference to the flag of the Russian Empire. “Under the imperial flag, we scored a brilliant victory, and were able to unite all the citizens of Russia,” the supporter of the bill told the Izvestia newspaper at the time.

However, the most prominent aspect of the Kara-ool administration so far has been the launched investigation into the business actions of billionaire oil tycoons associated with Nikolayev, including Vladimir Bogdanov and multiple alleged members of the Russian Mafia. “[President Vlad] Volkov pushed them back in the 1980s and 1990s. We will now push them back once more.”

Meanwhile, Nikolayev remained in Eritrea, essentially in exile, yet continued to claim innocence. Multiple reports indicate he currently resides in “the most luxurious apartment building in Eritrea’s capital city” of Asmara…

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2022 edition



SENATE APPROVES FLOYD NOMINATION FOR SUPREME COURT SEAT, 71-33

The Washington Post, 2/20/2021



…With Democrats controlling a majority in both chambers of congress (with 56 Senate seats and 245 House seats), the real battles on Capitol Hill were fought within America’s oldest political party to get its most moderate members to get onboard the 117th congress’s most progressive proposals. …The misleadingly-titled “Power For the People” Act of 2021 rededicated funding to Wellstone-era electric power projects, lowered costs for homeowners to switch to adopting next-generation solar panels, and established a tax cut system for companies that adopted “green” energy use and/or re-trained employees for green energy-related occupations. …The Voting Rights Act was heralded by Vice President Raoul and US Senators Stokes, Sayles-Belton, Hirono, Mondragon, and Clarke, among others, as a way of combating rising efforts to curb minority voter turnout at the state and local levels (for example, the Governor of Alabama backing such a state bill in the aftermath of the African-American Democrat Randall Woodfin unexpectedly unseating incumbent Spencer Bachus in the 2020 US Senate election… …The Equality Act, and the American Dream and Promise Act, were only narrowly passed by congress, as conservative Democrats such as Jim Guy Tucker sided with Republicans in opposing them over language they believed went “too far,” or gave too much power, or responsibilities, to the federal government. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act and Securing Ontech Banking Act, on the other hand, received “yea” votes from several Republicans concerned with foreign efforts to disrupt ontech banking with cyberattacking and account hacking. However, the Recreadrug Opportunity, Investment and Expungement Act was the most “bipartisan” of the first year of the Pritt administration due to its approval from the pro-recreadrug/libertarian wing of the Republican Party. …The Ending Qualified Immunity Loopholes Act, which narrowly passed both chambers in late 2021 and was signed into law in early 2022, went after legal loopholes that allowed some state and local officials to retain the “qualified immunity” practice that had been, essentially, nationally discontinued under Presidents Jackson and Wellstone during the 2000s and very early 2010s…

– David Lienemann and Eva Osnos’ The Far-Left So Far, Meridian E-Books, 2022



JOHN MCCAIN, US NAVY ADMIRAL, DIES AT 84

The Washington Post, 2/25/2021



…President Pritt has announced that she will sign into law the Corporate Tax Rate Reform bill passed by the US Senate last night and by the House of Representatives last week. The bill, which has received much criticism from Republican lawmakers, will more than double the current national corporate tax rate, raising it from 20% to 48%...

– NBC News, 2/24/2021 broadcast



PAYCHECK FAIRNESS BILL PASSES HOUSE, EXPECTED TO PASS IN SENATE

…with Pritt’s backing, the bill, if signed into law, aims to “crack down” on illegal “wage theft” acts and policies...

The Washington Post, 2/27/2021



FLOYD JOINS SUPREME COURT BENCH!

SspdZj7.png


[pic: imgur.com/SspdZj7.png ]

The New York Times, 3/3/2021



SUPREME COURT COMPOSITION ON MARCH 4, 2021

Chief Justice (since July 2, 2001): Alan Cedric Page (D-MN, liberal) – succeeded Frank M. Johnson – appointed by: J. Jackson

Associate Justice Seat 1 (since March 10, 1999): Larry Dean Thompson (R-GA, conservative) – succeeded Leon Higginbotham – appointed by: Dinger

Associate Justice Seat 2 (since May 14, 2000): Emilio Miller Garza (R-TX, conservative) – succeeded Edward H. Levi – appointed by: Dinger

Associate Justice Seat 3 (since April 3, 2008): Aida M. Delgado-Colon (D-PR, progressive) – succeeded Joseph Tyree Sneed III – appointed by: J. Jackson

Associate Justice Seat 4 (since September 26, 2018): Robert Patrick Murphy (R-CA, libertarian) – succeeded William J. Nealon Jr. – appointed by: Grammer

Associate Justice Seat 5 (since November 16, 1971): Sylvia Bacon (R-PO, centrist) – succeeded John M. Harlan II – appointed by: Sanders

Associate Justice Seat 6 (since May 10, 2002): Michael Joseph Sandel (D-CT, liberal) – succeeded Herb Fogel – appointed by: J. Jackson

Associate Justice Seat 7 (since July 28, 2009): Check Kong “Denny” Chin (D-CA, progressive) – succeeded Miles W. Lord – appointed by: Wellstone

Associate Justice Seat 8 (since March 3, 2021): George Perry Floyd (D-NC, populist) – succeeded Mary Murphy Schroeder – appointed by: Pritt

– thesupremecourt.co.usa/court_compositions/by_date/3_4_2021



T.H.N. ANNOUNCES HARLEY BROWN MOVIE IN THE WORKS: “The Biker President” Is In Pre-Production, Scheduled For 2022 Release

…Randy Quaid and Roseanne Barr are reportedly being considered for the roles of Harley Brown and First Lady Joni Brown, respectively…

The Hollywood Reporter, 3/7/2021



ROBERT KENNEDY, FBI DIRECTOR UNDER BELLAMY, IS DEAD AT 95

– thenewyorktimes.co.usa, 3/11/2021



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…His wife of almost 71 years, Ethel Skakel (b. 1928), gave birth to their 15th and 16th children at age of 45 in what was described as a “very difficult” pregnancy. …Their children were: 1) Kathleen (b. 1951), 2) Joseph II (b. 1952), 3) Robert Jr. (b. 1954), 4) David (b. 1955), 5) Courtney (b. 1956), 6) Michael (b. 1958), 7) Kerry (b. 1959), 8) Christopher (b. 1961), 9) Maxwell (b. 1962), 10) Rory (b. 1965), 11) Douglas (b. 1967), 12) Evelyn (b. 1968), 13) Sandra (b. 1970), 14) George Washington (b. 1971), and twins Jessica and Jennifer (b. 1973). …Robert and Ethel later adopted five more children: 1) 5-year-old Betty from Ireland in 1983, 2) 4-year-old Maurice from Quebec in 1989, 3) 1-year-old Arjav from India in 1992, 4) 2-year-old Kim from the People’s Republic of China in 1993, and 5) 4-year-old M’Bali (“Li”) from Burkina Faso in 2005, making for 21 children total...

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. March 2021



MOST VALUABLE COMPANIES IN THE WORLD IN {March | 2021}

1: Microsoft
2: Apple
3: Netsearch
4: Berkshire Hathaway (UK)
5: Ta-da
6: Tencent (China)
7: Haggle
8: Alibaba (China)
9: Buddytalk
10: IBM
11: Motorola
12: Nintendo
13: Packard Bell
14: Chevron
15: NeXT
16: Johnson & Johnson
17: GreenTeam

[see: more | less]

– financialreview.co.usa



BROWN TALKS PRESIDENCY, POST-POTUS PLANS

…Brown has reportedly been in talks with the conservative network T.H.N. since leaving the Presidency, and is interested in producing or even starring in either a movie about his life, or a reality television series. In this interview, Brown explained that he decided to pursue both a film and a TV series because “We politicians crave publicity like an alcoholic craves his next drink. This is essentially giving me my own liquor store!” [6] The series aims to capitalize on his political career and his controversial “Harleyisms,” but also focus on his passion for Harley motorcycles, Brown’s nuclear and extended family members, his “wildest” friends and allies, and Brown’s other opinions and passions. “We [the cast and crew] are going to go around the country visiting lots of different places and at each place, I’m going to help out in any way I can,” Brown says the show’s premise will also feature him participating in local events such as motorcycle competitions, charity drives, and other activities in order to raise funds for local projects, meet with supporters, and “showcase the rugged and real side of America.”...

Time Magazine, mid-March 2021



MOTHER-POST: Is “Going Cashless” Going to be a Good or Bad Thing?

There is a rising trend is stores that don’t accept cash. They’re popping up all over northern Europe, especially in Denmark, but there are even some places in the US that not longer accept cash, only credit cards, e-commerce cards, or e-commerce accounts!

>COMMENT 1:
Oh boy, I’ve seen enough sci-fi stuff to know trying to become a cashless society is always a bad thing

>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Yeah, I remember one movie from a few years ago when terrorists successfully shut down technet access for a whole cashless region or zone somewhere, for one reason or another, and basically all hell broke loose!

>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
You’re worrying about nothing. There’s way too many people in this country alone who can’t get a good handle on technet stuff, and too many small businesses that can’t afford to go cashless for one reason or another.

>>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Yeah now but what about later. Eventually basic dollar bills and coin might go like the horse. Everyone used to use horses in this country, but now only very, very few people here do.

>COMMENT 2:
Cashless e-banks can become plagued by viruses, or susceptible to power outages from storms. Records can be easily damaged, or corrupted or altered, affecting millions of e-bank accounts. This has already happened, but if we go cashless, the next time will be 100x worse!

>COMMENT 3:
Banks are going to have to invest into having self-contained network hubs independent of exterior technet hubs in order to avoid hacking or accidents. But that all might just make e-bank hacking more complex, not a thing of the past.

>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
And like a real bank establishing more and more physical security measures, the situation becomes a mess that discourages e-banking, bringing us back to physical currency so you have nothing to worry about!

>COMMENT 4:
I think Pritt should found a federal task force to look into the matter

>COMMENT 5:
I’m okay with this. I haven’t felt comfortable handling paper currency ever since the SARS pandemic. I remember reading about how germs spread so easily through paper money (so many cashiers died during that pandemic!), so if we go cashless that could seriously inhibit the next “big bug.” I say let’s give it a try and see what happens!

– euphoria.co.usa, thread begun 3/15/2021



IOC Session No. 139

Date: March 17, 2021

Location: Baghdad, Iraq

Subject 1 of 1: bidding for hosting the 7/21/2020-8/6/2028 (or XXXIV) Summer Olympics

Description:

Rome campaigned for hosting duties early and aggressively, as the city had not hosted any Olympic Games since 1960. Mexico also attempted to launch a bid for Mexico City in order to capitalize on the city’s economic growth. However, after struggling with several qualification issues, Mexico City’s bid was withdrawn. Soon after, a joint bid of San Diego and Tijuana was announced, which, if elected, would make for the world’s first binational Olympics. It would also be the first two-city Olympic Games since Zagreb, Yugoslavia and Belgrade, Yugoslavia shared hosting duties for the Winter Olympics of 1992. Budapest, Hungary; Busan, United Korea; Doha, Qatar, and Casablanca, Morocco all sought to host the Olympic Games as well; additional potential host cities failed to qualify for the selection process for several reasons.

Ahead of the hosting process, much media attention had been on the early rivalry between Italy and Mexico, with the former alleging it would be unfair to allow the US to co-host the Olympic Games so soon after hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics in New York City, and the latter alleging Rome had grown “too crowded [and] corrupt” to host “feasibly” host the games. In the midst of this feud, most of the other cities offered themselves up as a “compromise” choice. Various other factors influenced the voting process as well, including weather, accommodations, medical services, local public support, economic wellness, security, and travelling variables.

Results Breakdown:

Rome – 25 (Round 1) – 27 (Round 2) – 29 (Round 3) – 37 (Round 4) – 59 (Round 5)

San Diego-Tijuana – 27 (Round 1) – 28 (Round 2) – 29 (Round 3) – 33 (Round 4) – 42 (Round 5)

Budapest – 22 (Round 1) – 24 (Round 2) – 26 (Round 3) – 31 (Round 4)

Doha – 13 (Round 1) – 14 (Round 2) – 17 (Round 3)

Busan – 9 (Round 1) – 8 (Round 2)

Casablanca – 5 (Round 1)

End Result:

Rome won hosting duties on the fifth round, acquiring a majority of 59 of the total 101 votes. Although the San Diego-Tijuana bid lost, its strong showing during the voting process has renewed interest in and support for the idea of multiple small cities splitting hosting duties for Olympic Games in the future.

– aldaver.co.usa/votes.html



SENATE PASSES MAJOR IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION

…the new “shift” in immigration policy aims to ease immigration restrictions and “speed up” the immigration documentation process, which has slowed in recent years. The bill will not allocate additional funds to the border in response to Republicans repeatedly reminding and “warning” Democratic lawmakers of the Balanced Budget Amendment. However, the bill, which President Pritt will most likely be sign into law, will lower federal visa and travel requirements to “just above” than the historically low levels of requirements passed under President Jesse Jackson...

The Washington Post, 3/21/2021



“ELECTRONIC SKIN”: Safety Rating: 4 out of 5 (Proceed With Caution)

…advancements in the field of bio-technology recently led to a breakthrough, with researchers at MIT and Calcutta developing “electronic skin,” artificial skin meant primarily for burn victims and amputees. Capable of granting its wearer the ability to feel sensations in their prosthetics, electronic skin is becoming increasingly cheaper to make, in turn making it more affordable and commonly available at specialist clinics. “We have had artificial hearts for years, and now, another organ – the human body’s largest organ – can have a prosthetic replicate that reacts to stimuli just like the real deal,” says the head of the MIT half of the team. These non-invasive alternatives to skin grafts are made of silicone rubber with integrated electronic to react “at lightning speed” to texture, pressure, temperature and pain…

…However, while they work efficiently, the effects of long-term use of them are currently unknown. We have studied the “skin” developed by the MIT-Calcutta team. Subsequent testing led to negative test results for immediate side effects from extensive exposure to fire, water, and other elements, with the electronic skin withstanding damage for much longer than anticipated (click here for data specs). In light of these tests, we advise that consumers proceed with caution when using this product…

– consumerreports.org.usa/product-reviews/2021 [7]



…amid a wave of progressive bills being passed by both chambers of the US Congress, one major proposal that is receiving much attention is overturning the 2017 tax law, which were a major accomplishment of the Grammer administration. President Pritt is reportedly working with Democratic congressional leaders to form an acceptable alternative to that controversial tax law…

– CBS Evening News, 3/29/2021 broadcast



Immigration To The United States By Country Of Birth (Top Ten, Ranked Descending Order)

1950 – Italy, Germany, Canada, UK, Poland, USSR, Mexico, Ireland, Sweden, Austria

1960 – Italy, Germany, Canada, UK, Poland, USSR, Mexico, Ireland, Austria, Hungary

1970 – Italy, Germany, Canada, Mexico, UK, Poland, USSR, Ireland, Austria, Philippines

1980 – Mexico, Germany, Canada, Italy, UK, Philippines, Poland, USSR, China, Romania

1990 – Mexico, Philippines, China, Canada, Germany, UK, Italy, South Korea, El Salvador, Russia

2000 – Mexico, Philippines, China, United Korea, Canada, El Salvador, Colombia, Germany, Dominican Republic, Jamaica

2010 – Mexico, China, Philippines, India, El Salvador, United Korea, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica

2020 – Mexico, China, India, Philippines, Russia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, United Korea, Guatemala, Canada

– US Migration Policy Institute, 2021 report



SENATE PASSES G.R.E.E.N. DEAL BILL, 55-49!

The Washington Post, 4/2/2021


PRITT SIGNS OMNIBUS “G.R.E.E.N. DEAL” PACKAGE INTO LAW!

…the landmark legislation meant to “Globally Reduce Emissions to Empower Nature” includes a pro-FJG “Empowering People to Improve their Communities (E.P.I.C.) Jobs” Program. Both of these ideas were first laid out by former Vice President Bob Ross in 2016 and have been repeatedly introduced in Congress since 2017. The major new legislation aims to aggressively promote urban centers “going green” by focusing efforts at local and citywide efforts and public works projects that support rising renewable energy industries such as electric, solar, wind, wave and hydrogen energy.

“This is the most comprehensive and ambitious plan to phase out fossil fuels the federal government has ever passed,” says bill co-sponsor William Tong (D-CT), “it really could go a long way in both providing employment for American workers in a time of rising automation, and at the same time strike a significant blow to Global Climate Disruption.”...

The Boston Globe, 4/9/2021



LARGEST CITIES IN THE WORLD BY POPULATION

1) Tokyo, Japan – 38.1m

2) National Capital Territory of Delhi, India – 28.5m

3) Beijing, China – 26.0m

4) Shanghai, China – 25.9m

5) Mumbai, India – 22.2m

6) Sao Paulo, Brazil – 22.1m

7) Mexico City, Mexico – 21.9m

8) Cairo, Egypt – 21.1m

9) Dhaka, Bangladesh – 20.7m

10) New York City, United States – 19.5m

11) Osaka, Japan – 19.3m

12) Karachi, Pakistan – 15.4m

13) Lagos, Nigeria – 15.1m

14) Buenos Aires, Argentina – 15.0m

15) Istanbul, Turkey – 14.9m

{see: more | less }

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. April 2021



THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

Premiered: April 14, 2021

Genre(s): romance/comedy/adventure/Disney

[snip]

Cast:

Skai Jackson as Tiana
David Mazouz as Prince Jacob of Wilhelmia
Ian Kyle Conyers as The Shadow Man
Rowan Blanchard as Katie
Matt Lintz as Iron Henry

See Full List Here

Synopsis:

A live-action adaptation of the Princess and the Frog fairy tale and Disney’s first live action adaptation of one of their animated TV miniseries produced during the SARS pandemic.

Reception:

The film received mixed reviews, with critics torn on whether or not the filmmakers sufficiently compacted the “core” of the series’ twenty 20-minutes-long episodes into a single 80-minute film. Audiences, however, gave it generally favorable reviews on most ontech rating sites, with fans of the original series approving of the new cast. The film also performed “decently” at the box office.

– mediarchives.co.usa



GOP WINS U.S. HOUSE SPECIAL ELECTION

…Republican candidate Shane Reeves bested Democratic candidate John Y. Brown III by a margin of roughly 11%. …Brown is the son of retired fast food businessman John Y. Brown Jr., who himself made unsuccessful bids for public office in the 1970s and 1980s…

The Louisville Times, 4/17/2021



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– clickopedia, c. April 2021



“…In the nation’s capital today, President Pritt is urging Congress to sign the US onto the multinational ‘Scientific Planning for Aerodynamic Celestial Exploration’ Accord, or S.P.A.C.E. Accord for short. Founded by several European leaders in 2015, the accord aims to ensure that all signatories are informed of the latest discoveries and revelations concerning outer space, are kept informed of technological and scientific breakthroughs, and – most prominently – agree to the rules and regulations of what astronauts can and cannot do on international vessels and satellites, such as the International Space Station, while in outer space...”

– NBC News, 4/20/2021 broadcast



“SHERIFF SHAQ!”: Ex-NBA Star Elected County Sheriff!

…Shaquille O’Neal, 49, has won a special election for Sheriff of Henry County, Georgia. …At tonight’s victory ceremony, the 7-ft-1, 325-pound retired NBA champion remarked, “I know how to run a team. My style is going to be to surround myself with guys who have been doing this way longer than I've been doing it. I’m going to surround myself with the smartest people.” [8] …O’Neal has officially been a Sheriff’s Deputy for the County, from Jonesboro, since December 2016 [9]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia newspaper, 4/22/2021



“…The South Carolina state legislature today struck down a bill to have all of their US Representatives be elected for collective at-large districts as a way of getting around gerrymandering, which is a rising concern for some in several states. Technetters are demanding businesses protest the action…”

– TON News, 4/23/2021 broadcast



ANCHOR 1: “…Big news coming out right now from the People’s Republic of China, where the PRC’s National Space Administration has just announced plans for a manned Chinese moon landing in 2025 and a manned mission to Mars in 2030. The ambitious agenda was unveiled in Beijing and featured a comprehensive timetable for both landings. This announcement is a major development, one that could have major implications and impacts on geopolitical relations with other countries and space agencies.”

ANCHOR 2: “Indeed. In recent years, major space agencies have been trying to coordinate efforts, but according to our sources, this announcement comes as a shock and a surprise to many officials at NASA, some of whom doubt that the Chinese will even be able to pull off this feat without international cooperation.”

ANCHOR 1: “That’s right. When we went to Mars in 2003, that was after ten years of working with Europe to build the Milestone and Seeker. NASA used a lot of data from non-NASA satellites and databases, but China is taking a different approach and is going at this alone, it seems.”

ANCHOR 2: “Personally, I think the moon belongs to everyone, so whenever we plant a flag on an alien surface, we should also plant another flag symbolizing that. Like the UN flag or maybe just a picture of Earth or something.”

ANCHOR 1: “Well we’ll just have to see if the flag is also included in any further details that are extracted from the PRC as we continue to follow this story…”

– KNN Breaking News, 4/24/2021 broadcast



EVALUATING PRITT’S FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

...the four biggest developments have been the passing of the G.R.E.E.N. Deal Act, E.P.I.C. Jobs Act, Power For The People Act, and Securing Ontech Banking Act …Experts say Pritt has made significant strides in tax law reform, most notably reforming the US Corporate Tax Rate. The Paycheck Fairness Act became law, “noticeable” immigration reform began, and efforts on education and employee training programs also unfolded… …Pritt’s response team to mental health issues is beginning efforts to work with local and statewide governments…

– politifact.co.usa, 4/26/2021



HELEN AND BARB FROM THE GARDEN STATE

Premiered: April 29, 2021

Genre(s): drama/biopic/political drama/medical drama

Directed by: Katheryn Bigelow
Written by: Joan Stone and Jane Sloan
Produced by: Gloria Decker and Jasmine Stern

Cast:

Kirstie Alley as Helen Meyner
Kate McKinnon as Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Troy Singleton as Dr. Leonard Novick
Jeffrey Duncan Jones as Robert Meyner
Neve Campbell as Carol Bellamy

See Full List Here

Synopsis:

The film centers on the lives of two prominent female New Jersey politicians – US Rep. Helen Meyner (1929-1997), the wife of a former Governor, and Princeton Borough Mayor Barbara Boggs Sigmund (1939-1990) – and focuses on their professional alliance and personal friendship. The film also portrays the drama of Sigmund (known for sporting an iconic eyepatch during her fight with cancer) fighting for her political beliefs while also dealing with a terminal illness.

Reception:

The film received generally favorite reviews and was a modest success at the box office.

Trivia Facts:

Trivia Fact No. 1: comedian Kate McKinnon, in an effort to prove herself as a serious actress, was cast against type for this role

– mediarchives.co.usa



INTERVIEW: SpongeBob Creator Talks Health Scare And Returning to Company

…Stephen Hillenburg, the founder of SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine, stepped down from leading the kid-friendly seafood restaurant chain in 2016 after being diagnosed with early-stage brain cancer. [10] After four years of battling this life-threatening health crisis, Hillenburg has beaten the cancer and is returning to the company as a creative consultant. Bryan Hillenburg, who is Stephen’s brother and has been involved in the company since its founding, has manned the helm of the company since his brother’s 2016 resignation, and is reforming the company model to base it off KFC’s “early” years of growth and success…

Nation’s Restaurant News, monthly trade publication, May 2021 issue



MOTHER-POST: What Is “Stephen’s Secret Recipe?”

This has probably been posted before, but Stephen Hillenburg’s brother reveal two years ago that the SpongeBob seafood chain’s best and most famous dish, the Krabby Patty, is made with sesame seeds, two slices of cheddar, over 3 cups of chopped onions, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 patties of crab meat infused with the “secret sauce,” two tomato slices, lettuce or kelp, and a special seasoning. He didn’t get any more specific than that. I tried out this recipe but it doesn’t taste as delicious as the real Krabby Patty because nobody knows what’s in the secret sauce and seasonings. Anyone have any ideas?

>Reply 1:

Here are the ingredients I use whenever I make Krabby Patties at home: Wholesome Fields-brand sesame buns, Bumblebee imitation crab meat mixed with 2 tsps chopped celery and 2 tsps chopped onion, 4-6 tablespoons veggie oil, 1 tsps thyme, and Old Bay

>>Reply 1 to Reply 1:

Interesting! I add 2 eggs to 1 Lb frozen imitation crab meat (defrosted and smashed into my food processor) plus 4 cups seasoned bread crumbs I pick up from my local Stop-to-Shop.

>Reply 2:

I’ve posted this before on the other threads posted right after that interview: Adding 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard I think gives it a kick that hits close to home, so I bet some kind of mustard in involved.

>>Reply 1 to Reply 2:

I don’t know, I thought the Hillenburgs used “local ingredients” (as in food that can be naturally found in the Pacific)?

>>>Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Reply 2:

This. Their ontech menu credits the food – right-click on the description and a message pops up saying something like “the [recipe or ingredients] come from the [some tribe] people of [name of some island or whatever],” and there’s some more culture ID-ing awareness-raising junk after that.”

>Reply 3:

I don’t like the color yellow on my food (I’m very picky like that), so I use white cheddar cheese, Vermont Special-brand.

>Reply 4:

I think ketchup is a part of the secret sauce. Doesn’t Heinz have a longstanding agreement with SBUC, or am I thinking of McDs or Burger King or something?

>Reply 5:

Interesting! I use Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato, and Pickles

>Reply 6:

The Special Sauce has got to be some combo of mayonnaise and Old Bay seasoning because I can’t help but taste those 2 things every time!

>>Reply 1 to Reply 6:

Hi I’m In Tel-Aviv right now they just opened up of these places near where I work:

OObOeRq.png


[pic: imgur.com/OObOeRq.png ]
I tried one of their Krabby Patties once and I was blown away by the sauce. It’s flavor reminded me of those Ollie’s Trolleys places (I visited Chicago last year and I stopped by one – it was delicious!) but I didn’t taste any mayonnaise.

>>>Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Reply 6:

No mayo taste? Huh. That’s odd. Either not all taste buds work the same or maybe the company tweaks the recipe for different places.

>>>>Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Reply 1 to Reply 6:

I don’t think so – I’ve had KFC in London and in Chicago and I don’t remember tasting any difference.

>>>Reply 2 to Reply 1 to Reply 6:

How many American fast food chains are in Tel-Aviv?

>>>>Reply 1 to Reply 2 to Reply 1 to Reply 6:

Many but not too many. We’re careful not to cover the map with them to preserve the city’s integrity, but we’ve got a good variety.

>Reply 7:

Here’s what I use in my version of the Krabby Patty recipe: 2 buns with sesame seeds, 2 slices classic American cheddar, 3 cups chopped onion, 1 tsp Himalayan salt, imitation crab meat, 2 tomato slices, plus some diced tomatoes and seasoning mixed into the crab meat (or, 2 Angus beef patties). Ketchup and mustard to top. Lettuce is a must. I serve with kelp on the side to keep up the nautical theme.

– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 5/4/2021



SOURCE: Willie McCool Is “Considering” A Run For Higher Office!

…after being one of the first humans to walk on the service of Mars in the Marstronaut Mission of 2003, McCool (b. 1961) retired from serving as an astronaut in 2006 and worked for NASA until 2015, when he retired from the space agency to successfully run for an open seat in the US House of Representatives in 2016. …Early hypothetical polling shows that McCool could very easily win a bid for either a gubernatorial or US Senatorial run from his home state of Texas. McCool, a moderate Republican with libertarian and populist appeal, has yet to indicate which exact race he is considering entering…

– thehoustonchronicle.co.usa, 5/8/2021 e-alert



THE QUEEN’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERY US PRESIDENT, FROM TRUMAN TO PRITT

…President Pritt and First Gentleman James Midkiff are set to meet Queen Elizabeth II during a trip to the UK later this year, but “only after achieving several legislative goals and not sooner,” according to the White House Press Secretary. …The Queen, who ascended to the throne in 1952 and currently is the longest-reigning monarch in the world, has continuously played a major role in US-UK diplomatic relations. She has met with every US President since then, except for Presidents Harley Brown and Charlotte Pritt, and at various places, including Buckingham Palace, the White House, and even a Kentucky Colonels game. Here is a look at what the Queen's relationships and meetings with US presidents have been like over the decades.

1: Harry Truman
The Queen traveled to Washington, D.C. for the first time to meet President Harry Truman on November 1, 1951 when she was still a princess. She had a formal dinner with the Trumans during a visit that had immediately followed a royal tour of Canada.

2: Dwight D. Eisenhower
The queen developed a close friendship with President Dwight Eisenhower, who hosted Her Majesty for her first state visit to the US as queen. They corresponded by letter for years — with the queen even sharing her recipe for grilled scones with Eisenhower. [11]

3: Lyndon B. Johnson

LBJ met with the Queen during his 1961 tour of France and England, during an effort to improve foreign support for US intervention in Cuba. The two bonded over horseback riding, with Elizabeth visiting Johnson’s Texas ranch in early 1966.

4: Harland Sanders
The Queen hosted the First Couple at Buckingham Palace in 1965, where The Colonel made a few faux pas [12] but otherwise made a good impression, with the Queen reportedly finding him “rough, but very charming.” Their relationship grew closer through their shared love of dogs and horses. In early 1990, the Queen granted the Colonel honorary knighthood – the highest distinction the UK awards foreigners – in recognition of his lifetime achievements. When Sanders died, Elizabeth reflected that he was “a good friend and ally, and a true patriot.”

5: Walter Mondale
Developing a good relationship with the Queen contributed to the success of US-UK action in Uganda in 1976. The iconic image of Mondale dancing with The Queen during a visit to Buckingham Palace occurred in 1977. However, the Queen reportedly felt “upstaged and outshined” by First Lady Joan Mondale, who was almost the same age as her and was known for being more publicly energetic than her predecessor.

6: Jeremiah Denton
In a 1981 White House visit, Denton made an on-air gaffe that was infamous in the UK – he repeatedly referred to the Queen as “Your Highness” and to Prince Phillip as “Your Majesty” (it’s His Highness and Her Majesty). Other than that incident, the two leaders reportedly had a “strong and healthy” working relationship, especially in 1984, the year the Soviet Union collapsed. However, the death of Prince Andrew in 1982 led to the Queen developing a more personal rapport with then-Second Lady Joan Kemp, who once suffered a miscarriage, and an even closer personal relationship with the wife Australian PM Manfred Cross, whose 10-year-old son had died from a heart ailment in 1981.

7: Jack Kemp
Upon the Kemps entering the White House, the Queen’s relationship with the couple grew closer, especially with Joanne, with the two of them reportedly often talking about family. After Kemp lost re-nomination in 1988, Elizabeth asked, during one of many documented phone conversations with the First Couple, “Can’t you just continue to run anyway, dear?” The Kemps maintained contact with the Queen for years afterward, most notably spending time on her yachts and her country estates during the 1990s, with Jack reportedly eventually becoming “quite good” at rugby.

8: Carol Bellamy
Upon visiting Buckingham Palace in 1989, the Queen called America’s first female President “very bright and enthusiastic,” but received some criticism in the US for saying it was a “shame” she was not married. During the Queen’s 1991 visit to the US, then-US Senator Harley Sanders, whom she first met in 1967 when he was a part of his father’s administration, convinced the two of them to take in a basketball game in Louisville between the Colonels and the Lakers, marking the first time the Queen had been to a professional US basketball game.

9: Lee Iacocca
Their “friendly” relationship began in 1993, when the Queen attended a baseball game with him; both were escorted onto the field and Iacocca let her throw out the first pitch. The two maintained what has been described as a “lively” and “humorous” correspondence; after Iacocca’s assassination, the Queen ordered the creation of a physical memorial for him in London, and the founding of a scholarship fund in Iacocca’s honor.

10: Larry Miles Dinger
The Queen famously disagreed with UK PM John Lennon on several issues, most publicly on his opposition to the UK participating the US invasion of Korea, which he believed at the time would devolve into “another Cuba.” This “impersonal” relationship contrasted with the friendliness on display with the Dinger family, whom she first met in 1996 in D.C.; a year later, she visiting the President’s family farm in Iowa, and the Frist Couple visited one of the Queen’s country estates in early 1999.

11: Jesse Jackson
The President and First Lady went to Buckingham Palace for lunch in 2001, and reportedly committed several minor faux pas during the somewhat-informal meeting. Maintaining a good “working relationship,” especially during efforts to boost public morale and hope during the SARS pandemic of 2002-2003, the Queen reportedly “appreciated” his passion for helping people, and the two seem to mutually respect each other. However, Jesse Jackson privately found her lifestyle “too stuffy for my taste,” as he put it in a 2015 ABC interview.

12: Paul Wellstone
Wellstone discussed vaccine distribution efforts with the Queen via a VidCall in 2003, but met her in-person for the first time in 2009. The First Couple met with the Queen and Prince Phillip in Minnesota after her first-ever trip to Minnesota’s Mall of America, and the two couples exchanged gifts.

13: Kelsey Grammer
The Queen visited Grammer’s California home in 2015; First Lady Melissa said in an interview last month that during the stay, “We spent that evening with the Queen sitting in our main living room. I’d just had Billy, so she gave us tips on child-raising like she was a sage and trusted aunt.” The Queen reported finding Grammer to be “a very charming and proper gentleman,” and enjoyed chatting multiple topics with him via VidCall.

14: Harley Brown
The Queen spoke to Harley over the phone only twice before he left office, but never met in-person. Brown reportedly he found to be "one classy lady," while the Queen's sole comment on him so far has been "Well, he's certainly a passionate fellow."

President Pritt plans to visit U.K. schools and tour their green energy initiatives during her visit, which the White House Press Secretary says will “most likely occur in late July or early August, if we maintain the current rate of legislative accomplishments.”

– businessinsider, 5/11/2021 e-article



SIDES:
Cheese Curds
Chili Cheese Fries
Cole Slaw
Cool Fries (ranch-dressing-infused baked fries)
Coral Bits (bite-sized shrimp-and-bacon (or shrimp-and-veggie) batter balls)
Chili Coral Bits
Extra Chili Coral Bits
Crab Cake
Crispity Crunchities
Cube Ketchup Kabobs
Curly Fries
Golden Loaf (with or without Stephen’s Secret Sauce)
Green Beans
Hushpuppies
Natural Cut Fries
Okra Spears
Onion Rings
Patty Pal
Popcorn Shrimp
Rice Bowl
Sea Sir Salad
Sludge Pudding
Sweet Corn
WOW Soup
Yummy Bunz Patty

SPECIALS:
Batterless Cod (with sweet & sour butter, creamy garlic butter, or both)
Batterless Shrimp Scampi
Chicken-of-the-Sea Basket
Clam Platter
Fish Tacos Platter
Fish Sandwich Party Pack

KIDS MEALS:
Fish Sticks
“Gilled” Cheese
Mini Corndogs
Shrimp Sticks
Silly Meal

DRINKS:
Seafoam Soda
Diet Dr. Kelp

– Sides/Specials/Kids Meals/Drinks found on the Menu (“Galley Grub”) at most SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine locations in the U.S., fastfoodfacts.co.usa, c. May 2021



lCSRgom.png


[pic: imgur.com/lCSRgom.png ]

– Interior “dining section” of a SpongeBob’s location in Austin, Texas, c. May 2021



“My staff didn’t want me to break tradition and resign early, but Marissa and I didn’t feel like just staying around. I’m an active kind of guy. I don’t linger. When a job is done, it’s time to move on. Especially since the pressures of that office had burned me out.”

“No, um, I don’t think resigning early is going to start a trend, that doesn’t even make sense to me. Typically, politicians want to spend as much time in office as possible. What I did was an exception to the rule due to extraordinary circumstances. I had a heart attack eight years ago, and so I was concerned about my health, I was becoming stressed and fatigued, and, well, and Marissa and I really had no more to do there. I had set out to deregulate government and crack down on wasteful spending, and I had already done all of that.”

– Kelsey Grammer, first post-presidency interview, KNN, 5/15/2021



UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REACHES 1.7%, UP FROM 2019’S LOW OF 1.5%; Experts Blame Automation And “Restrictive” Wage And Work Practices

– financialreview.co.usa, 5/17/2021 e-alert [13]



21 May 2021: On this day in history, Disneyland Rio opened; it was the first Disney Theme Park to open in South America, and the seventh and most recent Disney Theme Park to open overall, after Disneyland (California, US), Disney World (Florida, US), Tokyo Disneyland (Japan), Euro-Disneyland (Barcelona, Spain), Disneyland Sidney (Australia), and Disneyland Hong Kong (Hong Kong); as of late 2021, proposals to open an eighth Disney Theme Park somewhere on the continent of Africa have not been finalized.

– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk



“Those technet rumors are completely false. We are aware that FLG Inc. operates a small KFC outlet in Antarctica, but we do not have any plans to open a Disney Store one in Antarctica due to how unfeasible that would be. Now, admittedly, we have looked at the South Georgia and Sandwich Islands to study the feasibility of them possibly sustaining a Disney store, a small Disney-themed hotel, or some Disney ‘mini-park’ of two or three rides or so for people who visit the area. But we have no plans for Antarctica.”

– Disney spokesperson, 5/22/2021



IS DISNEY PLANNING SOMETHING FOR ANTARTICA?: Here’s What We Know So Far!

– conspiracytheoriesforum.co.usa, 5/23/2021



EXPERTS WARN: Social Security Will Run Out By 2035

…we have only 14 years until the trust fund is completely exhausted,” warns Larry Kudlow…

The Financial Times, 5/24/2021



URBAN GREEN-TECH PROJECTS BREAKING GROUND IN SEVERAL STATES

…efforts to minimize the effects of automation on America’s workforce are already underway…

The New York Times, 5/28/2021



…Analysts speculate that the 2020s will see “Dollar Wars,” as inflation rates slowly devalue American currency. They further speculate that the Treasury Department will be at the forefront of efforts to stabilize the US dollar during these conflicts. “India’s currency is currently suffering a drop in value over the fallout of a market manipulation scheme making headlines, so we’re already seeing how a scandal or a recession in the near future could impact the US’ currency rate,” says Henry Paulson…

The Financial Times, 6/2/2021



WHICH REPUBLICANS ARE ALREADY PREPPING FOR 2024?

Washington, DC – President Pritt has been in office for less than six months, but several Republican politicians are already laying down the groundwork for 2024 races. Whether these are trips to battleground primary states or meetings with party donors and leaders, here are 24 (or maybe 23?) Republicans that may be looking to unseat Pritt in the 2024 Presidential election.

GOVERNORS (10)

Likely due to their prominence in combating the SARS pandemic of 2002-2003, every US President since 2001 has come from a governorship instead of from the Senate. Similarly, Kwame Raoul is the first V.P. to previously serve in the Senate since James H. Meredith.

Brian Calley of Michigan (b. 1977) – A sign that Democrats believe he would make a formidable challenger in 2024 is the amount of money Democratic donors are throwing at their side of the 2022 race for Governor of Michigan; Calley, an inoffensive moderate with bipartisan appeal known for his autism awareness work may run in 2024.

Twinkle Cavanaugh of Alabama (b. 1966) – A conservative with moderate, Cavanaugh is reportedly “keeping her eye” on the 2024 primaries; elected in 2018, the state’s former Public Service Commissioner will be term-limited in 2022 and allegedly could easily mount a populist “Harley-lite” bid in 2024.

Hal Heiner of Kentucky (b. 1951) – Elected in late 2015 and again in the pro-Democratic year of 2019, Heiner has repeatedly praised Colonel Sanders and has spoken frequently of America “need[ing] another President from Kentucky.”

Jennifer Sandra Johnson of Florida (b. 1959) – While no failed VP nominee has successfully run for their party’s nomination in the modern era (just look up Dick Lugar, Gene Green, Eldon Bargewell, Gary Johnson, and Bob Casey), Johnson could break the trend; she was able to walk a fine line during her debate with Kwame Raoul last year and could hold her own again in 2024.

Barack “Rocky” McCain of Montana (b. 1961) – The “master debater” with a military background and a moderate record expressing interest in running for President, for Senator, or for Governor again in 2024 in a TON interview last month; he could unite the GOP’s pro-HDB and anti-HDB factions.

Kimberly Ann McFadden of Iowa (b. 1959) – Touting a “law-and-order” record, this fairly religious conservative has been in office since 2015 and has met with several GOP leaders and donors since Brown lost last year’s race.

James Richard “Rick” Perry of Texas (b. 1950) – A former Democrat who first served as Governor from 1987 to 1995 and unsuccessfully ran for President 25 years ago in 1996, this conservative Uganda veteran switched parties under President Jackson and mounted a political comeback in 2018; he is reportedly considering another run for the White House in 2024.

Randy Randall Rudy Quaid of Nevada (b. 1950) – This actor-turned-Governor-turned-actor lost re-election in 2018 but could win over a bulk of populists with his anti-establishment talk; he says he may run in 2024 if his preferred candidate, Harley Brown, declines to run again.

T. W. Shannon of Oklahoma (b. 1978) – This African-American/Chickasaw-American former banker has been in office since 2019; while he has not yet expressed interest in running, there is a small but passionate movement ontech trying to convince him to run in 2024.

Jasper Schneider of North Dakota (b. 1979) – This business-friendly moderate has focused on “everyday” issues ever since he mounted a bid for his current office in 2015, and he has reportedly spoken with several political donors since winning re-election last November.

SENATORS (11)

Until recently, the US Senate was a common place for Presidents to come from, given the chamber’s tendency to give its members a national platform to address major foreign and domestic issues. Perhaps the trend will return in 2024 with one of the following candidates.

Lisa J. Billy of Oklahoma (b. 1967) – In office since 2017, this Chickasaw-American previously served in the state House from 2004 to 2016; a moderate from a western state, she has a notably independent streak in her voting record that some of her supporters say would make her “a great President.”

Shawn Bradley of Utah (b. 1972) – Born in Germany to an American father, the 7-ft-6-in Mormon former NBA player has also been in office since 2017, after serving in the state House from 2011 to 2016; also a moderate, he has expressed interest in running, but it is unclear is he was joking about it or not.

Ted Gatsas of New Hampshire (b. 1950) – In office since 2011, this Greek-American conservative was a strong support of HDB in 2020, but mentioned “testing the waters” of a 2024 run in a recent radio interview.

Trey Grayson of Kentucky (b. 1972) – Having already declared a bid for a second term in 2022, some analysts believe his early campaign is an effort to determine his popularity among GOP donors ahead of a 2024 campaign.

Gilbert Gutkneckt of Minnesota (b. 1951) – Despite having last won public office back in 1996 (and retired from the chamber in 2002 to unsuccessfully run for President in 2004), this moderate recently said he was “seriously looking into launching” what would very likely be a long-shot White House bid.

Randal Howard “Rand” Paul of North Carolina (b. 1963) – Originally going by “Howie Paul” prior to following his father into politics, this former ophthalmologist unsuccessfully challenged Harley Brown in last year’s Republican primaries, and could capitalize off that bid with a second one.

Rex Floyd Rammell of Idaho (b. 1961) – Another doctor, this one a veterinarian, and a highly religious Mormon and conservative one to boot, Rammell recently expressed interest in running for President should Harley Brown decline to do so.

Manny Sethi of Tennessee (b. 1978) – The third doctor on this list (this one an orthopedic surgeon), Sethi was motivated by political reactions the SARS pandemic to enter politics, leading to him winning a US Senate special election in 2017; he is a moderate that several India-American groups say should run.

Sarah Hearne Steelman of Missouri (b. 1958) – In office since 2013, this conservative former state Treasurer was almost selected to be Harley Brown’s running mate last year; she is reportedly considering foregoing running for re-election in 2024 to instead run for President that year.

Marian Orr of Wyoming (b. 1970) – A divorcé and survivor of domestic violence, this first-term lawmaker is popular among conservative feminists who are currently trying to convince her to run for President after winning re-election to the Senate next year.

Allen West of Florida (b. 1961) – In office since 2013, this retired US Army Colonel was a strong supporter of Harley Brown in 2024; if his recent visits to New Hampshire and other early primary states are any indication, he may be considering a White House bid, likely as a “successor” to Brown’s campaign style.

WILD CARDS (3)

Margaret Cushing “Meg” Whitman of California (b. 1956) – A wealthy GOP donor and businessperson who has worked for multiple companies over the years has considered running for public office before but never actually has; in a recent interview, she said “[in] 2022 or 2024, it might be a different story.”

Harley Davidson Brown of Idaho (b. 1954) – the former US President and the loser of last year’s election could run on a campaign of buyer’s remorse; early hypothetical polling shows that roughly 40% of GOP voters would back him running again; if he indeed runs, the race for the GOP nomination will be a referendum on him and his unique brand.

Gordon Perry Robertson of Virginia (b. 1958) – This “ultra-conservative” televangelist pastor closely associated with THN very recently expressed interest in launching a socially-conservative “outsider” bid for President, as either a Republican or an independent.

COMMENTS SECTION:

>Comment 1:
It’s times like these that make me wonder, what would The Colonel think of these GOP standard-bearers?

>>Reply 1 to Comment 1:
I think he’d like Brown’s style, maybe not all his talking points, like getting rid of several big-time social programs (instead of, you know, increasing domestic productivity/GDP) to balance the budget, but they’d definitely get along.

>>Reply 2 to Comment 1:
I think The Colonel would call out all of them for being corrupt, spineless, and uncaring oafs!

>>>Reply 1 to Reply 2 to Comment 1:
Of course The Chicken King would disapprove of the current ensemble of would-be Presidents; not one of them has ever run their own fast-food chain before! Now that’s Presidential material! :p (But in all seriousness, Go Jenny Johnson!)

>Comment 2:
None of this matters – Pritt’s going to win in a landslide in 2024!

>Comment 3:
My money’s on Harley. Because I read the whole article and I still don’t know who any of these people are!

– usarightnow.co.usa, 6/3/2021



PROPOSED “PRITT PACKAGE” WOULD INCLUDE “FEDERAL FREEDOM FUND” PILOT PROGRAM

…conservative lawmakers are strongly opposing calls for the passing of a nationwide “basic income” program, pointing out the effectiveness of the National Income Tax Rebate program founded in the early 1970s…

The Washington Post, 6/4/2021



SOURCE: Hillary Rodham-Clinton Is “Looking Into” Running For President In 2024

…she would be 77 years old upon entering office, but we have had older Presidents before – Colonel Sanders won re-election at the age of 78…

– The Kingsport Times-News, Tennessee newspaper, 6/6/2021



bxY129u.png


[HRC pic: imgur.com/bxY129u.png ]

– clickopedia.co.usa, c. June 2021



HOLLEY DEFEATS PRITT LOYALISTS IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY; Preps to Challenge Reith

…state General Assembly Jamel Curtis Holley (D, b. 1979) the progressive African-American former Mayor of Roselle, bested several moderate and populist candidates in tonight’s gubernatorial Democratic primary election, including initial frontrunner Rush Holt… …Holley claims Reith’s property tax relief are worsening conditions for the lower classes…

…On the Republican side of the night, Governor Glenn K. Reith easily trounced challengers Anna Campbell Little and Kevin J. O’Toole, demonstrating the incumbent’s popularity among registered Republicans…

The Star-Ledger, New Jersey newspaper, 6/10/2021



“DEEP SORROW”: Prince Phillip Dies In Windsor Castle 4 Days After Turning 100

…the longest-serving royal consort in British history passed away this morning in Windsor Castle. The official statement from the royal family says he “died peacefully.” The Duke of Edinburgh had suffered heart ailments in recent months, most recently in early May, but his official cause of death is not disclosed. A former officer in the British Navy known for his humour, he married into the royal family in 1947 and became consort in 1952. He is survived by the Queen and their children Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward. A fourth child, Prince Andrew, died in a helicopter crash in 1982. The Duke also had ten grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren… UK Prime Minister Guy Standing expressed his condolences immediate after the statement was made, soon followed by our Governor-General describing Philip’s death as “a sad day for all.”…

The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian newspaper, 13/6/2021



Justice Department To Launch Crackdowns On Insider Trading, Increase Monitoring On Corporate Malpractice

…“White Collar crime is an epidemic that cannot be ignored,” announced US Attorney General Paul Fong…

– Reuters, 6/17/2021



PRESIDENT PRITT WELCOMES SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT TO WHITE HOUSE

…South Africa’s Vice President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (b. 1955), says she is “certain [that] Pritt will continue the strong diplomacy of President Grammer”…

– thewashingtonpost.co.usa, 6/18/2021



AMERICA CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH

…the historically important anniversary finally became a National Holiday in 2006 under President Jesse Jackson [14]

– usarightnow.co.usa, 6/19/2021



KELSEY GRAMMER IS “LOOKING INTO” RETURNING TO ACTING!

…“It’s something I’ve never stopped loving. It’s something I love to do,” the former President said in a recent 60 minutes interview…

– thehollywoodreporter.co.usa, 6/20/2021



THE RESULTS ARE IN!: It’s Biaggi Vs. Ulrich!

…Across NYC, voters took to the polls tonight and voted for the Democratic and Republican nominees for this November’s race to succeed the term-limited Mayor McMillen. On the Democratic side, city councilperson Alessandra Biaggi, the moderate-populist granddaughter of the legendary (and controversial) Governor and Senator Mario Biaggi, won over six other candidates. On the Republican side, another city councilperson, the lesser-known moderate Eric Ulrich, easily defeat three lesser-known candidates. With both nominees being under the age of 40, this race could be a “generational shift in city politics,” as the 74-year-old McMillen put it earlier tonight. “Hopefully the next generation of leaders will both learn from the mistakes of past generations, and embrace the successes of those same generations, and will know the difference between the mistakes and the successes.”…

The New York Times, 6/22/2021



AMERICAN PRESIDENTS ACCORDING TO POPULAR CULTURE

…Saturday Night Live has perpetuated many Presidential stereotypes throughout its run, from depicting the Ghost of Lyndon Johnson as a foulmouthed Texan with poor health habits (1989) to Colonel Sanders as a larger-than-life hero than makes actual superheroes green with envy (1980)… Such positive or negative portrayals have influenced public perception, which explains how The Colonel has become so legendary that many assumptions about him often turn out to be wrong, and his connections to more negative aspects of his Presidency are often overlooked by the general public… …Because of rose-colored glasses, many Americans erroneously believe that Walter Mondale was very liberal when was considered somewhat moderate when in office… Denton was a complicated historical figure, not a sneaking trickster as often suggested by SNL and other comedy shows. …There is a notable leftward tilt to how Presidents are depicted in pop culture; for example, Jack Kemp is often depicted negatively, as a football-loving brute, while Carol Bellamy is consistently presented as an accomplished feminist icon. …While alive, Iacocca was often presented as a stereotypical Italian mobster, but after he was assassinated, his blue-collar appeal and “tough guy” persona were the primary focus… …President Dinger was called “ultra-jingoistic” by critics and “unreasonably patriotic” by defenders during the War on Recreadrugs that reached a height in the late 1990s… …Now the comedians of late night talk shows have a new President to form stereotypes on. And so far, Pritt has been described as a “soccer mom” and a “biker-less biker chick,” the latter of which must be particularly insulting to former President Harley Brown…

National Review, June 2021 article



US PRESIDENTS OF THE PAST 90 YEARS (1930-2020), AS RANKED BY U.S. CITIZENS

1) F. Roosevelt – consistently ranked as one of the most popular US Presidents in modern history, even 76 years after his passing

2) Iacocca – martyred by his assassination 26 years ago, he is held in very high regard despite historians judging his presidency to be arguably average

3) Sanders – one of the most well-known Presidents of the modern era, consistently ranked high despite some historians calling him “above-average”

4) Eisenhower – most popular among those who remember him presiding over an era often looked back on fondly as allegedly being prosperous and stable

5) Jackson – a favorite among many progressive Democrats, the first African-American POTUS received praise for his handling of the SARS pandemic, several major hurricanes, and his efforts at recreadrug and police precinct reform

6) Mondale – a favorite among many moderate Democrats, he is often slightly above-average; he was a liberal icon for the Democratic party until Bellamy, then Jackson, then Wellstone overshadowed his accomplishments

7) Bellamy – best remembered for being America’s first female President and for finally establishing universal healthcare in the US in 1990

8) Grammer – celebrated by libertarians for his deregulation policies, he is nonetheless controversial, criticized on the political right for his handling of cyberattacks and the 2013 recession, and criticized on the left for cutting funding to social programs, his 2017 tax reform, and his November 2020 resignation

9) Wellstone – best known for being a historic milestone than for the actions he took while in office to improve infrastructure and combat anti-Semitism

10) Truman – scholars see him as highly pivotal, but citizens usually rank him as “average,” especially as the decades pass and public memory of him fades

11) Johnson – a divisive figure remembered more for his foreign policy than his domestic accomplishments, he consistently falls in the middle of such tiers, though historians and Texas Democrats hold him in much higher regard

12) Dinger – he led the US into its most recent “full war,” or fully-declared/official war, but his handling of both the War on Recreadrugs, and, to a lesser extent, the economic downturn in 1999 and the rise in technet-based pestering, damaged the reputation and goodwill he earned from said conflict

13) Kemp – best remembered for both his professional football career and establishing ZEDs nationwide

14) Brown – while only serving in office for a short time (often leading to him being excluded from Presidential rankings, alongside James Garfield and William Henry Harrison), he had an active tenure that saw him deregulate several institutions and promote religious freedom

15) Denton – unpopular for his involvement in the Lukens Hush Money Scandal, his defenders tout his handling of the Libya War and the end of the Cold War

16) Hoover – despite him doing much to help post-WWI Europe, Hoover is best remembered for his very poor handling of the Great Depression

(note: Pritt is not included in these polls due to being the incumbent President)

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS OF THE PAST 90 YEARS, AS RANKED BY REGISTERED REPUBLICANS

1) Iacocca
2) Sanders
3) Eisenhower
4) Grammer
5) Kemp
6) Dinger
7) Brown
8) Denton
9) Hoover

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS OF THE PAST 90 YEARS, AS RANKED BY REGISTERED DEMOCRATS

1) Iacocca
2) Sanders
3) Kemp
4) Eisenhower
5) Grammer
6) Brown
7) Hoover
8) Dinger
9) Denton

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTS OF THE PAST 90 YEARS, AS RANKED BY REGISTERED DEMOCRATS

1) F. Roosevelt
2) Jackson
3) Mondale
4) Bellamy
5) Wellstone
6) Johnson
7) Truman

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTS OF THE PAST 90 YEARS, AS RANKED BY REGISTERED REPUBLICANS

1) F. Roosevelt
2) Mondale
3) Johnson
4) Jackson
5) Bellamy
6) Wellstone
7) Truman

– pollingdata.co.usa, c. June 2021



JIMMY CARTER, DIPLOMAT WHO SHARED NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR ATLANTA PEACE ACCORDS, DIES AT 96

…born October 1, 1924, Carter served as a US Senator from 1973 to 1977 and as the US Secretary of State from 1977 to 1981... He also served as the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1980, and ran for President in 1984…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 21/6/2021



HOUSE DEMOCRATS MOVING FORWARD ON CANNABIS LEGALIZATION BILL

…while recreational marijuana was decriminalized in 2006 nationwide, it was not legalized. This bill, however, would legalize it in all 52 states, finally allowing for a nationwide regulated recreadrug industry… Anti-MJ local government officials, however, are swearing that they will place limitations on when and where recreadrugs can be used, similar to how alcohol is treated with “dry” and “wet” counties across the country…

The Washington Post, 6/23/2021



President Pritt Approval Rating:

Approve: 55.4%
Disapprove: 35.5%
Unsure: 9.1%

– Gallup, 6/26/2021



“Roughly 70 years ago, my great-great-grandfather placed a collection of ingredients and a modified pressure fryer into his jalopy and drove across this great state of ours looking for anyone who would go for an idea of his. He didn’t have a netsite, he didn’t have a resume, he didn’t have any documentation at all. He just had a skill and a plan. He’d show potential buyers how to make his chicken, and they’d agree to a partnership on a handshake. Just a handshake. My ancestor and namesake, The Colonel, was truly a remarkable man. Not only was his idea for how to expand his business from a single restaurant and hotel to a modest chain unlikely to succeed, but it’d be almost impossible to replicate in modern times.

But his idea ultimately worked. Eventually, he found diners, restaurants and kitchens willing to sell his chicken. His business plan paid off. And why? Because he never stopped trying to be a success. He never doubted himself throughout his whole life. Every time he failed to find his calling in one job, he acknowledged it, but he didn’t give up. He just took what he had learned from the experience and applied it to his next big project, his next enterprise, his next adventure. Over and over again. Until he finally made it big, and even then, he just kept going. He never gave up. I think that is the kind of work ethic to which we should all aspire. And I think dedicating this school to him is the kind of legacy that he would smile at and say that it was finger lickin’ good.”

QI2CM7G.png


[pic: imgur.com/QI2CM7G.png ]

– Harland David “Vinnie” Sanders V (b. 1985), at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Colonel Sanders School of Business, Florence, KY, 6/30/2021



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Italicized bits were pulled from Brown’s iconic debate performance!
[2] Cropped image, pulled from some episode of either Colbert or Seth Meyers
[3] Look at the picture of Payette on her wiki page, showing her when she was younger and in the Canadian Space Agency; doesn’t she kind of look like Sigourney Weaver a little bit?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Payette#Canadian_Space_Agency (let me know who should play her if you disagree)
[4] OTL!: https://nypost.com/2020/06/11/george-floyds-dream-was-to-become-a-supreme-court-justice/
[5] Italicized passages pulled from here: https://singularityhub.com/2019/03/11/3-practical-solutions-to-offset-automations-impact-on-work/
[6] OTL quote!
[7] Based on OTL advancements: https://theconversation.com/pain-se...-for-smart-prosthetics-and-skin-grafts-145386
[8] This actually isn’t ASB at all: O’Neal really did say he was going to run for this job back in 2017!: https://bleacherreport.com/articles...eal-announces-he-will-run-for-sheriff-in-2020; italicized bits are from this source, too.
[9] Also OTL: https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/shaq-now-sheriff-deputy-georgia/IUtfx4XZY7BxQDApqJcjzH/
[10] The origins of ALS are not clearly understood; it’s either hereditary or environmental or both; but here, Hillenburg grew up largely in Ohio, not California, so it’s possible he lives longer here (or maybe this is just wish fulfillment hidden under the excuse of the Butterfly Effect, I’m honestly not sure)…
[11] Pulled from here: https://www.businessinsider.com/queen-elizabeth-us-presidents-relationships-truman-to-trump-2019-4
[12] Relevant photograph found here!: https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...kentucky-fried-politics.506103/#post-21742734
[13] Much lower than IOTL due to the existence of the National Income Tax Rebate ITTL
[14] As implied in Chapter 90 (I think…)
 
Last edited:
Post 114
Post 114: Epilogue



Epilogue


“Take the giant step across the sky to the question marks that sparkle and beckon from the vastness of the universe.”

– Rod Serling (OTL)



“I’m really zapping out here, man,” I informed one of my few RL friends.

“Dont” they quickly texted back.

Oh yeah, that really helps, I thought as I rolled his eyes at the message on my lar phone. “Just wish me luck,” I counter-texted, then slipped the device back into my inner suit pocket.

I tried to think about something else but my mind just went on betraying me, directing my thought process away from efforts to calm down to ideas that only fueled my nervousness – leaving out something important, some embarrassing technical oversight, my pants falling down for some reason.

I’m not entirely sure why I suffer from social anxiety. I speculate that it has something to do with some kind of incident in my youth. For one class I took back in college, I studied cases showing a link between traumatic incidents in the first few years of life with fears developed later in life. Given my family’s many connections, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if I was frightened at some point by a crowd of strangers looking at me – likely as I stood near one of my more famous relatives.

“Nervous, huh?” a man beside me said, breaking up my thoughts. It was a larger, burley man with his techslab in one hand, screen on, but not being used as the man was preoccupied with the uncooperative nature of his tie.

“Maybe,” my attempt at a calm voice sounded more like a deep and ragged squeak. Clearing my throat, I added “I’ve got to prep for a pretty important announcement.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling. Good luck to ya.”

– Bill Adams Jr., blog transcript, 6:15 AM



Leslie WALL: “But anyway, how are ya?”

Kathy PITCHFORD: “Uh, still a pain in your ass, probably. Hey. But, seriously, Liz, thanks. I’m not this kind of day person. Your check-in is like the only thing I wanted to get up for today.”

WALL: “Really?”

PITCHFORD: “Well, I’m not heading down until later in the day, so until then, I don’t have much to do outside of classes.”

WALL: “Are they usually held so close to such a big holiday? And on Saturday, no less?”

PITCHFORD: “It’s the summer semester program, so, yeah, for some of the classes. Mine, at least.”

WALL: “Huh. Well, if you have extra time, you can just send out more job applications.”

PITCHFORD: “What else is new?”

WALL: “Ah. And I take it you still don’t want to take up my internship offer?”

PITCHFORD: “Is your workaholism still contagious?”

WALL: “Okay, fair enough.”

PITCHFORD: “Uh-huh.”

WALL: “So, you got all your stuff ready?”

PITCHFORD: “Already packed, ready to ship off when the time comes.”

WALL: “What’s your class line-up for today?”

PITCHFORD: “Just three easy ones. Two Creative Writing courses, then the last one’s political philosophy.”

WALL: “Oof. Sorry.”

PITCHFORD: “No, I kind of like it. At least it’s not like my last semester’s personal finance class. Who needs to know that stuff?”

WALL: “A lot more people than you realize, apparently.”

PITCHFORD: “Ah well.”

WALL: “Now I don’t want to mother you, but, please don’t skip breakfast this time, okay?”

PITCHFORD: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. I’ll grab an egg stick.”

WALL: “I mean a real breakfast. Some fruit. Brain food.”

PITCHFORD: “I’ll drink plenty of water and I’ll grab a toast-bar.”

WALL: “Good enough for now I guess.”

PITCHFORD: “Okay, I’ve got to dart off now.”

WALL: “Stay safe.”

PITCHFORD: “Toodles!”

– University of Kentucky, Millie Sanders dormitory, private vidcall transcript, 6:45 AM



I was all set for the big announcement. Then my boss arrived.

“Hey!”

“Oh, hi, ma’am.”

“Adams, my coffee?”

“Right here, ma’am.”

“Just how I like it, right?”

“Right. Uh, ma’am.”

Taking a sip, she mumbled, “Mm, Good.”

At times it can be more demeaning than usual to be a “30-something” glorified coffee boy, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere. Even when they definitely could be starting somewhere closer to the top.

I took my place on the side next to Menéndez, and watched my boss walk past me and toward the podium before the media. In the crowd of reporters, I spotted the burley man from the elevator. “Son of a –”

“Hey, did you remember to place the water bottle on the little shelve-thing under her podium?” Menéndez suddenly whispered to me.

In the moment I couldn’t remember. With my heart skipping a beat, I quickly leaned over to take a peek before the boss could block the view. My breath returned when I saw it, and my memory of having just put it there swept back into my head. “Whew! You jumpstarted my heart there.”

“Sorry,” he replied in a way that showed he didn’t even care to hide the fact that he really wasn’t.

– Bill Adams Jr., blog transcript, 6:59 AM



“Patrons, welcome. We were planning to make this announcement later this month, but due to recent ontech data spills, we have decided to address the reports immediately. We would like to inform you all that the spilled reports are true – NASA and Glenn Horizons, in collaboration with partnerized space agencies in Europe and India, have agreed to an ambitious plan to use the international Sustained Orbital Gateway, more commonly referred to as the Lunar Bot Hub, as a launch base to send remote vehicles to – and bring back iron, nickel and gold from – the core of the proto-planet ‘16 Psyche.’ Now, for those of you who are not familiar with 16 Psyche, allow me to explain. Most asteroid belts contain asteroids that are rocky or icy, but this one, possibly the heart of some long-dead planet, lost its rocky surface from violent collisions over the course of millions of years. The loss of the asteroid’s outermost layer has exposed its interior composition, which consists of large quantities of many valuable minerals.”

“Yes, for this project, we are weighing the expenses of the robot drilling, as you put, against the many positive benefits from this investment.”

“We are very much aware of the critical comments ontech claiming that this endeavor will devalue the prices of these minerals and bring about economic collapse. But we have published economic reports indicating that this will not occur due to supply-and-demand. These independently-funded reports clearly show that, if anything, economic downturn may occur if we don’t obtain these materials. In short, people, we cannot afford to go on without these minerals, especially since many of these materials are predominantly used in next-gen solar polar technology and manufacturing processes. The planet cannot afford to continue to rely on and use fossil fuels. To convert to renewable energy, securing materials required for solar panels and hydrogen projects is a must.”

“We aim to launch in six years, but the total extraction and round trip will take roughly six more years. Even with that in mind, the launch will be a major milestone for international mineral-harvesting endeavors.”

– NASA spokesperson, NASA Headquarters, Waterfront, PO, 7:00 AM



I had just one more class to go. But before that, I met up with Arty for our soon-to-end tradition to eating at the campus’s KFC.

Arty was already there, rewatching the latest Dwiffix Nymity music video. We talked about it yet again as we got our orders.

“Man, there’s never enough soda in the cup,” Arty remarked for the en-teenth time. “There’s just too much ice, like three-fifths is the actual drink.”

“Yeah,” I go again, “But it’s the cleanest part of the food court.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, you headin' back to The Homestead tonight, right?”

I nodded.

“Oh, don’t look so glum. We’ll keep in touch on TeleTalk.”

“That’s the new one, right?”

“Doi. BuddyTalk is getting too overrun with Centurion people. EnterStatic’s getting a lot of ’em, too.”

I paired my eye roll with the groan, “Freakin’ Centurions. They’re such drama award winners! It’s always ‘SARS’ this, ‘pandemic’ that, KW2, Lee Iacocca. It’s like, hello, all that stuff was decades ago, I mean, move on with your lives already! Everyone else has – we haven’t had any war as big as KW2 since KW2!”

I’m not going to win over certain people by writing that, but it’s true. The pandemic sounds like it was an awful thing, but I’m too young to remember it. And before you call me insensitive, I know people – even relatives – who contracted SARS and lived but had health issues for the rest of their lives because of it. Even one of my many cousins got it at the time. They were, I want to say, three or four years old, and now they have to take these pills to boost their immunity and combat all these brain issues, but they’re otherwise just fine. I’m not saying the pandemic wasn’t this awful thing, because it was, but was it really the only thing that certain people can remember from their entire childhood’s. Because it’s not healthy dwell on tragedy. Centurions – celebrate how far we’ve come since the pandemic and take stock of the many years that separate us from it, not just for our sake but for your own as well!

Anyway, back to the hanging-out.

After we finished our Spicy Chicken Combo Wraps we listened to some old Chong beats before I had to shove off to my last class.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Arty said.

Now I’m just chillin’ in the classroom, waiting for the teach to show up. If Davis doesn’t arrive in another five minutes, we’re permitted to leave!

– Kathy Pitchford, buddytalk plog, 3:10 PM



DAVIS: “Every person who’s ever lived must be understood contextually to their own time and place. We change with our societies. Yes?”

STUDENT 1: “But given how social movements, uh, influence things, doesn’t that also mean that our societies change with us?”

DAVIS: “That’s an excellent question. And it was one debated by many during the 1960s, a decade dominated in our collective memories more by the events of the first half (like the shoutniks versus the hippies and civil rights) than by the accomplishments of its second half. But let’s talk about the shoutniks and hippies to answer your question. Hippies opposed racial integration and claimed that it went against the nature of American citizens. Shoutniks argued the exact opposite, that racial prejudice was the result of segregationist policies and not the other way around. In the end, the fact that report after report are confirming that racism in the US against Black people is at an all-time low essentially proves the hippies wrong. So the answer is both – Civil Rights activists changed society, and those societal changes in turn influenced the racial relations of future generations. Yes?”

STUDENT 2: “Yeah, in the last article you assigned us, the author said the 1990s was a time of ‘rational conservatism’ and ‘political politeness.’ But given the bloodshed of the Dinger administration, isn’t that kind of inaccurate?”

DAVIS: “Heh, you never check the date on things, Mitchell. Check the doc, it says publication: 2013. That was assigned to give you an understand of how people in the early 2010s viewed America’s political landscape at the time, with Democrats depending President Wellstone and Republicans torn on the sharply different optics of Kelsey Grammer and Harley Brown, especially when compared to previous administrations.”

STUDENT 2: “Oh. Okay. Never mind, then.”

STUDENT 3: “'T'sokay, dude, it was ’90s – the H.C. era – dawn of the home computer. Technet privacy levels weren’t such a hot-button issue.”

DAVIS: “Actually they were toward the end of the decade.”

STUDENT 3: “Man, teach, you’re harshin’ everyone’s buzzes today. Mell out, it’s the last day of classes!”

DAVIS: “And you’re just going to miss me terribly, aren’t you, Ambrose?”

STUDENT 3: “Eh, sure.”

– Professor Geoff Davis, University of Kentucky, classroom recording, 4:50PM



AHMED: “Jeez, dude, if you hate interning there, why don’t you get another job.”

ADAMS: “It’s my foot in the door. Not just anyone can work for NASA. And once I get more than just my foot into the door, there’s no telling how I’ll help humanity expand into space.”

SCHWARTZ: “Why do you even care? It’s just an empty void with black holes and hots balls of gas.”

AHMED: “But wait, if it’s got balls and stuff, how’s it empty. …Heh-heh. Balls.”

ADAMS: “Demetri, think about it. If the universe is 13.8 billion years old and modern man is not even half a million years old, then we’re only at the very beginning of human history. Humanity is still in its infancy. And if all those parenting books have taught me one thing – ”

AHMED: “It’s how to parent?”
ADAMS: “If there’s one other thing those books have taught me, it’s that the early years of someone’s life are the most influential. The things they’re exposed to can affect their entire outlook on and pathway in life. So right now, anyone who has the ability to help humanity get the best ‘early years’ it possibly can absolutely should.”

SCHWARTZ: “So how is space exploration essential to our early development?”

ADAMS: “Relatively speaking, we just figured out how to fly to other planets, and there’s a practically infinite number of galaxies out there for us to explore. If there’s life out there, that will just make humanity’s future more interesting. And if not, will just make it easier to mankind to spread out among the stars. It’s a total win-win either way. And it’s like I’ve said, nobody on this planet really knows what’s out there. The possibilities are endless. And while we ourselves will not live long enough to see what happens with space exploration in the long run, the best kind of legacy we can leave behind is the legacy of giving humanity the tools and the opportunities to reach its full potential at the ‘early’ stages of its existence.”

AHMED: “So if humanity’s in its infancy, we won’t make it to even see it get into a good college!”

ADAMS: “Come on, dude, I’m being serious.”

SCHWARTZ: “You know, Stephen King once described life as being repetitive like a wheel, predictably cyclical, with humanity doomed to always fall back into old bad habit. But Mr. King is overlooking something. If humanity is a wheel, it is circular, but it is also affected by the road it choose to go down. A wheel gets muddied, roughed up, worn down. It changes. It shows its age. Just something to think about.”

ADAMS: “The past never dies. It always slips into the present, past those whom fail to learn its lessons, and then into the future.”

SCHWARTZ: “Hey, who’s the history dude around here?”

ADAMS: “I ain’t steppin’ on your toes, Demetri, I’m just saying that humanity is not inherently cruel, violent, and brutal. If that were true, the very concepts of love, mercy and compassion would be novel or obscure ones. And we never would have been able to work together to get to the moon and to Mars.”

AHMED: “We went to the Moon because of military competition and we went to Mars because of economic competition. I don’t need to drop by Demetri’s office to learn about that.”

ADAMS: “There was more to it than that.”

SCHWARTZ: “No, actually, Mo’s kind of right on this, competition was a major factor. But think of it – humanity’s tendency to form competing groups is what has spurred innovations for centuries, so really, it’s a good thing, and it only becomes a bad thing – warfare, slavery, exploitation, murder, et cetera – when left unchecked.”

ADAMS: “Then here’s hopin’ that future generations of competitors can show some more self-control.”

AHMED: “I’ll drink to that. Hey, Joey! Another one of these!”

SCHWARTZ: “See, it’s because of the future that I work in the archives. It’s not just about understanding the past but also preparing for the future, because the past is the map of yesterday you use to navigate the foggy waters of tomorrow.”

AHMED: “You swiped that from somewhere, didn’t ya?”

SCHWARTZ: “What, no I didn’t!”

ADAMS: [replying to lar phone murmur] “Oh s#!t, it’s getting late.”

SCHWARTZ: “Only relatively.”

ADAMS: “No foolin’.” [checking lar phone] “Okay, the next Maglev is leaving at… S#!t, I gotta leave like right now.”

AHMED: “So long then, bud!”

SCHWARTZ: “Yeah, take care, man!”

AHMED: “Okay, now that he’s gone, you can tell me – where’d you swipe that map line from?”

SCHWARTZ: “I didn’t!”

AHMED: “Alright, alright.”

– Thirsty Fish Bar & Grill, bar room A/V security camera, Waterfront, PO, 5:58 PM



MARCUS: “I’m telling you, Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line.”

JAMES: “You know what, I’m just going to look it up. Hang on a sec.” [opened techslab, split the screen to browse clickopedia and work on Apple Notes.]

CHELSEA: “Okay, while he’s working on that, I’m going to check on the slow-cooker.”

MARCUS: “What’s even the point of that thing, honey? Life is so precious, why do you want to waste so much of it cooking something slowly when you cook use pretty much anything else to cook it quicker?”

CHELSEA: “We’ve gone over this before, sweetums, and you just aren’t getting it.”

MARCUS: “I’m getting smells wafting over here that wouldn’t smell so different if they were coming from a regular oven.”

CHELSEA: “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to insult a woman’s cooking?”

MARCUS: “But you forget – this isn’t cooking, this is slow-cooking! Emphasis on the slow!”

CHELSEA: “If you’re so impatient, go do something while you wait.”

MARCUS: “I am doing something. I’m watching the game.”

CHELSEA: “I thought it wasn't until 8:30.”

MARCUS: “I’m watching the pre-game.”

CHELSEA: “What –”

JAMES: “Okay, sis, hold back your dogs for a second. Marcus, I have it.” [wholed the techslab’s screen] “Okay. First, the Democrats. Starting with the WWWII era. Democrats fell in line behind FDR and then behind Truman. The establishment backed Stevenson twice despite Kefauver being an option, and they back Johnson in 1960, with two other 1960 candidates, Humphrey and Kennedy, falling in line behind LBJ then and in 1964, too. In 1968, Both Humphrey and Kennedy were candidates but Kennedy won out so I don’t think it counts. We get our first ‘in-love’ candidate in ’72 with Mondale, as he beat Humphrey, who was that year’s ‘in-line’ candidate. Falling in love instead of in-line happened again in 1980 when Senator Scoop Jackson bested VP Gravel for the nomination, but Democrats returned to falling in line to back Gravel in 1984. But they did fall in love with Bellamy, nominating her over ’84 candidate John Glenn. But they fell in line behind Glenn in 1996. Then in 2000, they fell in line with Jackson, who had run in 1996 – everyone forgets that for some reason – but they fell in line for his VP, Paul Wellstone. Democrats then fell in love with Locke in 2016 and in love with Pritt in 2020.”

MARCUS: “So…Democrats fall in love more often?”

JAMES: “Almost evenly split, but, yeah.”

CHELSEA: “They also win elections more often when they fall in love, don’t they?”

JAMES: “Hm…The fell in line in 1968, 1984, and 1996, and they lost each time. But they did fall in line in 2000 and 2008 and win, but, yeah, you’re right.”

CHELSEA: “Huh!”

MARCUS: “And Republicans?”

JAMES: [rolled to next screen-page] “For Republicans, Dewey ran in 1940, but won the nomination in 1944. Despite Stassen running in 1944, the GOP did not fall in line behind him in 1948 and the nomination went to Dewey again. They fell in love with Eisenhower and fell in line behind Nixon. They fell in love with Sanders and fell in line with Scranton. The same falling in love phenomenon occurred in 1976 and 1980, and even in 1988 against incumbent President Kemp, and again with Iacocca in 1992. They also didn’t fall in line in 2004, as former VP Meredith lost to first-time candidate Bernie Goetz. Falling in love with a first-time candidate instead of falling in line behind of previous candidate happened again in 2008 and in 2012. But they did fall in line behind Brown in 2020.”

MARCUS: “Huh. So…Republicans fall in love with candidates more often?”

JAMES: “Yes. Less so recently – in very, very, very recent years, not so much – but historically, as in for most of the past century, yes!”

MARCUS: “Huh! Then the phrase is a dad-burned lie! Consarn it!”

– Winger residence, home security footage, A/V camera, 6:19 PM



…I didn’t arrive too late. I mean, yeah, Arista and Jasmine arrived at the home before my train even reached the station, but, heh, they’ve always been better organized than me.

Chelsea was in the kitchen trying to put together her own version of KFC, and by the time I’d found somebody to talk to – my “Uncle” James ain’t too bad – her efforts had sparked a debate with some other relatives over the merits fast food.

“There’s been great strides in making it healthy!” Went one side of the argument.

A more political side went, “I don’t know any Democrats that eat The Colonel’s food. What napkins,” referring to the latest term for chumps and push-overs.

My mother was smart to sit off to the side, avoiding the conflict. Mother is still set in her old ways, doing everything old-fashioned. Tonight, she seems almost happy that Chelsea’s dishwater keeps breaking down (I heard something about Chelsea trying to use its heating/drying feature to try and cook chicken, what?). The malfunctioning appliance seems to be giving my Mother the excuse to wash the dishes manually, allowing her to make sure first-hand that they get washed “just right.” A Mother’s Touch and all that jazz.

Then again, Mother probably avoided getting involved in the argument not to avoid headache or wash dishes, but because she believed that the way that she made chicken was “100%” better than KFC.

Nobody exactly agreed with the statement, but no one ever pressed her on it that back. No good can come from opposing such a claim from one’s own mother, after all...

– Bill Adams Jr., blog transcript, 6:41 PM



MARCUS: “Hey, kiddo!”

LIZ: “Hey Dad.”

MARCUS: “Where’s LeMarr?”

LEMARR: “Hi Grampa!”

LIZ: “Hey, there’s my little Havana banana! Ha-ha-ha-ha.”

TIBERIUS: “Hey Mom, Dad.”

CHELSEA: “Tibby! I haven’t seen you for so long!”

TIBERIUS: “We just vidcalled a few hours ago!”

CHELSEA: “Oh that doesn’t count and you know it.”

MARCUS: “Hey, son. Hey, go say hello to Uncle Bill, he’s got like nobody on his side showing up.”

CHELSEA: “Marcus.”

MARCUS: “Well it’s true! He’s holed up in the family room listening to your uncle James.”

TIBERIUS: “Okay, okay.”

CHELSEA: “Liz, back on the text treadmill again?”

LIZ: “It’s a really important client.”

CHELSEA: “It’s a holiday. They’ll understand.”

LIZ: “It takes a village to take care of a village.”

MARCUS: “What the heck does that mean?”

LIZ: “It means nothing pays for itself, Dad. You need to put effort into getting stuff done.”

CHELSEA: “That’s right, and that includes helping your cousins set the table.”

LIZ: “So you want me to put off this work to do other work.”

CHELSEA: “Like you said, it takes a village.”

LIZ: “Ugh, fine.”

MARCUS: “You know, I think it was Sean Astin who once said that parents are the most influential people in the world. They mold the minds of the people of tomorrow. Or something like that. I forgot the exact quote, though.”

CHELSEA: “We just saw that movie. It was ‘the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.’ [1] Why do you ask?”

MARCUS: “No reason. I was just thinking about Tiberius when he was LeMarr’s age.”

LEMARR: “Day was once my age? But he’s a grownup.”

MARCUS: “What, don’t you know where grownups come from.”

LEMARR: “Nobody will tell me where babies come from. Why should I ask question when I never get any answers?”

MARCUS: “Hmm, I’ll give you that one, kid.”

CHELSEA: “I remember when your father was your age, LeMarr. Tibby was so adorable, just like you.”

LEMARR: “I’m not adorable, I’m a man!”

MARCUS: “There’s nothing wrong with being an adorable man, there, kid. Just look at Hugh Jackman or your Great Uncle Marvin.”

CHELSEA: “Oh, I remember the colds, the colic, the ear infection scare.”

MARCUS: “the vomiting, the diapers.”

CHELSEA: “But it was all worth it!”

MARCUS: “Yeah…I could have done without all that vomiting, though.”

CHELSEA: “Well, yeah, obviously.”

– Winger residence, home security footage, A/V camera, 6:49 PM



After a not-too-hearty but kind-of-late dinner, I helped Chelsea and Martha with some last-minute pre-holiday decorating. Now I’m turning in for the night. The Wingers were courteous enough to let me sleep on the pull-out instead of the futon. The Pitchfords got the guestroom.

– Bill Adams Jr., blog transcript, 10:57 PM



“Morning everyone! Big day today! Wishing everyone a happy and joyous celebration of this awesome holiday! I’ll be spending the day hanging out with my extended family members; we’re having a big pool party with music, slip-in-slide, water balloons and all the classic fixin’s – but sorry, it’s pretty much relatives only – but you can still reach out to me on this channel, my secondary channel, and my profiles on Quinny, Shandle, Volsov, Nyvyn, Ta-da, and my newest profile, which is on TeleTalk. H.A.G.T., everyone!”

– Kathy Pitchford, buddytalk plog, 9:02 AM



Caetlyn looked at the painting with awe. “Wow! Sis, come over here!” She called over Kathy to join her in starting at the artwork successfully hiding the family safe.

Seeing a Ross original in person is a rare treat. Most are in museums, but the Wingers have connections. That’s one good thing I can say about Marcus – the man has taste. Indeed, observing the works of the technet’s favorite VP ontech pales in comparison to studying the real thing up close, where the viewer can notice little details such as the way the paint breaks over the mountains, the detailed bark that appears three dimensional, and ghostly trees nestled into the background. [2] Features that simply fail to pop out at you on video alone.

“Well, at least they know good art when they see it,” I commented to “Uncle” James.

“Hm.”

As they both gawked at the ripple effect used from the small brook in the left-hand corner, I asked James, “How exactly are they related to us?”

“They’re Millie’s great-granddaughters.”

“Ah.” [3]

Outside, I could hear the younger relatives splashing about in the Winger pool. A booming voice ended the nearby sound of fast-paced flip-flops. Great-Grandmother Clarise was almost 80 years old, but she could still holler out “No running” from her spot under her sunbrella without even slightly straining her voice.

At that moment, Liz – James’ brother’s daughter-in-law – came walking around the corner. Her hand practically glued to her head, she was having an argument with someone on her lar phone. Her husband, hot on her trail, caught up to her and remarked, “You know honey, research shows that close personal relationships, a challenging job or hobby, and helping others through pro-social behavior are keys to happiness. But getting yourself worked up over your job, well, isn’t.”

Liz gave him a certain kind of look and he seemed to back down, but then Tiberius began to utilize the skills he picked up calming down suspects for law enforcement. “Honey, who do you work for?”

“What?”

“Who do you work for?” He reiterated.

“Why’s he egging her on?” I whispered to James.

“Just watch, he knows what he’s doing,” James quietly answered.

“Nobody,” Liz replied, “I’m freelance.”

“Alright, think about that for a minute,” Tiberius asked sweetly but cautiously, “What does that mean?”

“It means I am my own boss.”

“Then who’s bossing you around right now?”

“Nobody.”

“…Then what are you doing?”

After a momentary pause, Liz broke the intensity of the situation by groaning, “Okay, alright, I see what you’re saying.” Talking into the phone, she said, “I’m sorry, sir, but something’s come up. I’m going to have to call you later.”

“Tomorrow,” Tiberius whispered.

“Tomorrow. Later tomorrow,” Liz added, then hung up the phone.”

As the two hugged it out, Old Marcus sauntered into the room, “Ah, it’s good to see those too still acting like newlyweds. Say James, I was I pecking at that idea you had for Chelsea’s recipe.”

“Which one?”

“BBQ grill.”

As the two walked away, I looked around the room and found myself walking over to Old Marcus’ den. Front and center was this huge desk made out of hand-carved mahogany, facing a wall strewn with pictures of family gatherings, reunions, outings, vacations, trips, graduations and weddings. “Learn to scan-and-uploaded, Marcus.” I thought out loud, but quietly. Then I spotted a newspaper on the desk. An old-fashioned, paper-and-ink, corporeal, printed newspaper. Marked from the previous week, the page it was opened to read KFC CEMENTS NO. SPOT 1 IN PRC …Kentucky Fried Chicken is still the No. 1 Fast Food Company in China, after two competing domestic brands struggled to beat them in the markets… “Man, he’s more comfortably set in old ways than I thought,” I remarked aloud, thinking about the last time I’d even seen a print newspaper. It must be some sort of special subscription thing.

– Bill Adams Jr., blog transcript, 5:43 PM



MARTHA: “It’s actually very common for children to think that The Colonel is a fictional creation. It’s only when they see his likeness on the banner of US Presidents running along the top of their elementary school classroom that they finally realize that The Colonel was indeed a real person, and isn’t just some mascot like Tony the Tiger or the Cookie Crisp Coyote.”

MARCUS: “That’s an injustice to The Colonel’s legacy.”

MARTHA: “Not really, because the children are always amazed by his life and legacy. ‘Why was he President,’ a student may ask. And I’ll joke, ‘Why? Because his chicken was so good, we though he deserved the Presidency!’ To this, the child will go and say something like, ‘cool!’ or, rather, ‘bizzin!,’ to use the more modern lingo.”

MARCUS: “It that how the kids in your class talk, LeMarr?”

LEMARR: “Kinda.”

JAMES: “Yeah, it’s because of The Colonel that Martha got into teaching in the first place, isn’t that right, dear?”

MARTHA: “Yes. The Colonel always believed in the good of our youth. He understood that they are the future, and that the actions we adults do will affect them and their own children long after we are gone.”

BILL: “They will remember us by how we treat them.”

MARCUS: “Huh. It speaks.”

MARTHA: “Yes, Bill, exactly, thanks.”

MARCUS: “Hey, Bill, I got a question for ya.”

BILL: “Y-yes?”

MARCUS: “I hear you work for NASA. Since we’re talking about KFC, what do think about KFC being on the Milestone and Seeker.”

KATHY: “Oh yeah, I learned about that in school. It was like a ‘fun fact’ or something, KFC made special food packages for the Marstronaut mission of, like, 2003 or whenever.”

MARCUS: “Right.”

KATHY: “They made The Colonel’s chicken ‘out of this world,’ or some gimmicky thing like that. It was called ‘Operation Plucked Martian’ or something.”

MARCUS: “Well, Bill? What did you think of it?”

BILL: “Well, um – well, I think it was good that NASA partnered with lots of different companies, it really opened the door for the privatization of space, and showed that NASA can and will work with anybody to achieve major scientific milestones. So, uh, yeah, I thought it was a, uh, a great thing.”

MARCUS: “Felt like a lousy gimmick to me.”

BILL: “Oh. [clears throat] Well, maybe, but sending anything into space isn’t a cheap gimmick, at least.”

MARCUS: “Eh, you might be right about that, maybe.”

– Winger residence, home security footage, A/V camera, 7:23 PM



“No, we started eating at around 7:00… Forever, like a marathon, but we were done in time to see the lights at 10 o’clock… Not too much, just some old family recipes. Hot biscuits and corn fritters, some corn chowder, hush puppies. Candied sweet potatoes, scalloped sweet potatoes, and some old-fashioned onion pie – I could LeMarr hated it, he didn’t have to say anything, I could read it on his face, the sweet boy. …No, for the turkey I tried something new. …Roast turkey with fried green tomato bread stuffing. ...No, most seemed to really like it! But, I also made some apple-stuffed pork chops and lots of hot dogs just in case. …We ate those too. …Well of course I made chicken, too, that just goes without saying by now! …Pecan pie, and apple pie for the three relatives allergic to pecan. …No, if anything, allergy issues let you come up with new ways of making old classics, so there’s no problems with it on my end. …Mint Juleps… Really? Huh! Well, ain’t that something… How sweet! …Yeah? …Oh, you just missed them. …No, sorry, they already said their goodbyes, and the Pitchfords just left, too. But Bill and his wife and little girl are sticking around a bit longer to help me with more chicken ideas. I insisted, poor Bill’s practically skin and bones. You want to talk to Bill? …Oh. Okay. No, it’s alright… Yes, Leslie’s here, too, but she and Tiberius volunteered to clean up the living room. …Yeah, lots of plates need washing. …Yeah, the machine’s still not working for some reason…”

– Chelsea Winger, lar phone conversation with her brother Darrell Winger, privacy recording, 8:38 PM



“I’m failing to get to sleep, so I’m going to try and will myself to do so by focusing on simply breathing. That’s the secret key to relaxing. Don’t try and block out thoughts or external sounds. Instead, just focus on one thought, the act of breathing, an automatic program responsible for living, for experiencing existence. With that, I should be able to drift off to that place where dreams are formed. You know, consciousness is really a beautiful thing. It can inspire you or terrify you into being courageous with the one life that you, me, each of us get, and work to overcome any challenges to make our dreams real.”

– Kathy Pitchford, buddytalk plog, 11:15 PM



It is approaching midnight, and Chelsea is still slaving away over the pressure fryer. By now, with Arista taking Jasmine home, the taste-testing committee was down to just me, Chelsea’s brother James, James’ wife Martha, Old Marcus, Liz, Tiberius and LeMarr. LeMarr represented the “future customers” opinion of our little ad hoc collection of amateur chicken judges; Old Marcus had made sure of that.

“This time, I know I’ve done it right!” You could hear her exclaim from the adjacent room.

“Honey,” her husband pleaded, rubbing his stomach, “You’ve been at this for hours. How about starting again fresh first thing tomorrow?”

“Because for all you know, Marcus, somebody else will figure it out by then,” was her reply as she fiddled with the sleek new model. “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!”

Shaking his head, he countered, “But you can’t rush art.”

“Who said anything about rushing? Don’t you remember the slow-cooker?”

“I still don’t know why you thought that would work.”

“You enjoyed that chicken.”

“I did, but now that you’ve had us sample so much, I’ve reached my limit.”

“Alright, hun. Just this last batch, and that’s it for the night,” she promised while jotting a not down on her Nokia5.0, “Okay?”

“Okay.”

As Marcus returned to the table, Martha began to tap an Oneida spoon on her matching glass. Rising, she began, “Well with one last go at it, I think we should a toast to Martha for trying so hard.” Raising her glass, she took a quick for careful sip. “You know, when Colonel Sanders started his company, he probably never thought in even his wildest dreams that he would become such a revered pop-culture icon. Even after cameoing in all those movies, like It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and in all those Jerry Lewis vehicles, he still probably never thought that decades after his demise he would still be used as an examples of success, or used to poke fun at the ‘ridiculousness’ of American politics and society.”

“If your product is good enough, we might just make you our leader!” Marcus recited the tired old line, with only LeMarr giving it a chuckle.

“Yes, well,” Martha concluded, “I would like to also make a toast to The Colonel. May his dedication to pursuing efforts to help people be not a source of ridicule but a source of inspiration for many more years to come.”

“Amen to that, sister,” Marcus remarks.

“Alright, everyone,” Chelsea walked out with a plate of eight bird pieces, one for each of us. “I’m certain this new batch is the one to perfectly replicate the Colonel’s recipe.”

Expecting these delectable helpings to be like the rest of them had been - delicious but still a bit off the mark - we all began to chow down, but quickly stopped. We were all astounded by the familiarity of the blend coating the skin of these birds. Marcus proclaimed with awe, “Chelsea…I think you cracked the code.”

Surprised and elated by the family approval of her most accurate replication yet, she uttered in happy disbelief, “Well I’ll be! You really think so?”

"If The Colonel could taste this, I bet he'd think it was his own!" Tiberius remarked.

James added, "Yeah, he'd appreciate the hard work put into this, I'm sure, but when he'd realize he'd been hornswoggled, I bet he'd shout out a thunderous 'Consarn it!'"

– Bill Adams Jr., blog transcript, 11:55 PM



diBZGGT.png

[pic: imgur.com/diBZGGT.png ]


NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] OTL quote from the film “Moms’ Night Out” (2014)
[2] These italicized passages were pull from the 9/10/2019 gardenandgun.com article by Jessica Giles “Bob Ross Gets The Recognition He Deserves”
[3] This family’s “tree” was included in Chapter 112



Stay tuned for the Index Chapters!
 
Last edited:
Post 115
Post 115: Index 1

Index 1 – World Leaders

World Leaders from this TL (c. 1960-present (2021))​
Secretary-General of the UNITED NATIONS
1946-1952: 1) Trygve Lie of Norway – resigned
1953-1961: 2) Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden – died in a plane crash
1961-1971: 3) U Thant of Myanmar – retired
1972-1981: 4) Max Jakobson of Finland – retired
1981-1986: 5) Salim Ahmed Salim of Tanzania – lost re-election over alleged regional favoritism
1986-1996: 6) Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan of Iran and Switzerland – withdrew from re-election bid amid criticisms over his handling of human rights crises in Africa and Asia
1996-2006: 7) Carol Bellamy of the United States – term-limited; praised for her actions during the early stages of the Global SARS Pandemic
2006-2011: 8) Kofi Annan of Ghana – retired
2011-present: 9) Surakiart Sathirathai of Thailand – incumbent

Kings of AFGHANISTAN
1933-2007: Mohammed Zahir Shah
2007-present: Ahmad Shah Khan

Presidents of ANGOLA
1975-1979: 1) Agostinho Neto (MPLA) – organized response to US troops “intervening” (1975-1978); died from cancer
1979-2020: 2) José Eduardo dos Santos (MPLA) – accused of human rights violations and massive corruption; stepped down amid declining health
2020-present: 3) José Filament dos Santos (MPLA) – is the oldest son of the previous President

Presidents of ARGENTINA
12 Oct 1973 – 1 Feb 1982: Juan Peron (Judicialist) – overthrown by military junta
1 Feb 1982 – 18 Jun 1982: Leopoldo Galtieri (Military) – overthrown by military junta after the Falklands War
18 Jun 1982 – 28 Jul 1982: Alfredo Saint-Jean (Military) – interim Head of State
28 Jul 1982 – 1 Nov 1985: Juan Peron (Judicialist) – died in office from natural causes
1 Nov 1985 – 9 Mar 1988: Isabel Martinez de Peron (Judicialist) – lost election to a full term
9 Mar 1988 – 9 Mar 1996: Adolfo Perez Esquivel (SERPAJ) – retired
9 Mar 1996 – 9 Mar 2000: Ramon Bautista Ortega (Judicialist) – lost re-election
9 Mar 2000 – 15 Aug 2002: Domingo Cavallo (Action) – resigned amid violent and deadly protests to his handling of the SARS pandemic
15 Aug 2002 – 9 Mar 2004: Alberto Rodriguez Saa (Action) – lost election to a full term
9 Mar 2004 – 9 Mar 2008: Carlos Ruckauf (Judicialist) – lost re-election
9 Mar 2008 – 9 Mar 2016: Ricardo Lopez Murphy (UCR) – term-limited
9 Mar 2016 – present: Margarita Stolbizer (Progressive) – incumbent

Prime Ministers of AUSTRALIA
1966-1972: 17) Harold Holt (Liberal) – lost re-election
1966: Arthur Calwell (Labor)
1969: Arthur Calwell (Labor)
1972-1976: 18) John McEwen (Country) – lost re-election amid economic woes
1973: Harold Holt (Liberal) and Arthur Calwell (Labor)
1976-1978: 19) Eric Reece (Labor) – lost re-election
1976: John McEwen (Country)
1978-1981: 20) Doug Anthony (Country) – lost re-election as his party began to decline in both popularity and prominence nationwide
1978: Eric Reece (Labor)
1981-1985: 21) Manfred Cross (Labor) – lost re-election
1981: Doug Anthony (Country)
1985-1987: 22) Sir Billy Snedden (Liberal) – resigned due to poor health
1985: Manfred Cross (Labor)
1987-1987: 23) Shirley de la Hunty (Liberal) – first female PM of Australia; lost election
1987-1989: (21)) Manfred Cross (Labor) – lost re-election
1987: Shirley de la Hunty (Liberal)
1989-2001: (23)) Shirley de la Hunty (Liberal) – resigned amid low approval ratings connected to her handling of a national flag referendum
1989: Manfred Cross (Labor)
1993: Bob Ellicott (Labor) and Charles Blunt (National)
1995: Bob Ellicott (Labor)
1998: Michael Ignatieff (Labor) and Ben Carson (Country)
2001-2002: 24) Barry Goldwater Jr. (Liberal) – first PM born in the US; lost election
2002-2009: 25) Michel Ignatieff (Labor) – resigned amid low approval ratings; was highly popular for leading the post-SARS recovery period, but lost support after raising taxes
2002: Barry Goldwater Jr. (Liberal), Ben Carson (Country), Bob Brown (Greens) and Pauline Seccombe (Greatness)
2007: Alexander Michael Somlyay (Liberal) and Alasdair Webster (Christian Democratic)
2009-2012: 26) Warren Williams (Labor) – first Aborigine PM; lost re-election
2010: Joanna Gash (Liberal) and Alasdair Webster (Christian Democratic)
2012-2018: 27) Nick Varvaris (Liberal) – lost re-election after failing to address economic issues and cyberattack concerns
2011: Warren Williams (Labor), Alasdair Webster (Christian Democratic) and Mark Latham (Outsiders)
2014: Maxine McKew (Labor) and Bob Katten (Outsiders)
2018-present: 28) Jenny Leong (Labor) – incumbent
2018: Nick Varvaris (Liberal) and Bob Katten (Outsiders)
2021: Andrew Nikolic (Liberal) and Bob Katten (Outsiders)

Presidents of BELARUS
1984-1991: 1) Stanislav Shushkevich (Independent) – lost re-election in a rematch
1986: Vyacheslav Kebich (Independent)
1991-1996: 2) Vyacheslav Kebich (Independent) – lost re-election
1991: Stanislav Shushkevich (Independent)
1996-2006: 3) Zianon Pazniak (Conservative Christian) – retired
1996: Vyacheslav Kebich (Independent)
2001: Alaksander Dubko (Independent)
2006-2016: 4) Sergei Gaidukevich (Liberal Democratic (renamed Social Democratic in 2015)) – retired
2006: Uladzimir Hancaryk (Unity (endorsed by Conservative Christian))
2011: Aleksandar Milinkievich (Unity)
2016-present: 5) Alyaksandr Kazulin (Social Democratic) – had a tense relationship with Russia's President Nikolayev; incumbent
2016: Mikola Statkevich (Independent (endorsed by Unity)) and Tatsiana Karatkevich (Transparency)

Presidents of BOLIVIA
1966-1970: (47)) Rene Barrientos – implemented small-scale mechanization of industries to curb food insecurity and create jobs; lost re-election in an upset; due to exhausted political capital had to abandon plans to stay in power via coup
1970-1974: 49) Juan Jose Torres – nicknamed Ol’ Jota-Jota; overthrown ahead of next election
1974-1975: 50) Luis Adolfo Siles – fiercely anti-communist and pro-free markets, but still overthrown by 1974 opponent
1975-1975: (48)) Alfredo Ovando – failed to keep junta together amid feuding internal factions; fled the country
1975-1975: disputed – multiple factions ruled sections of the country in an unofficial multi-faceted Civil War
1975-1976: (47)) Rene Barrientos – agreed to serve until general elections were held due to his declining health
1976-1984: (46)) Hernan Siles Zuazo – modernized industries but criticized for dictatorial crackdowns on petty crime and recreadrug use; constitutionally barred from running for another term until after spending 1 term of office
1984-1988: 51) Lidia Gueiler – first female Head of State; cousin of American actress Requel Welch; defeated a bloody coup launched by her cousin Luis Garcia Meza in 1986; lost re-election in an upset but did not contest the results
1988-1993: (46)) Hernan Siles Zuazo – overthrown
1993-1995: (49)) Juan Jose Torres – died in office from natural causes at the age of 77
1995-1996: 52) Juan Lechin Oquendo – retired due to declining health (entered office at the age of 81)
1996-2001: 53) Guido Vildoso – lost re-election but refused to leave office, alleging vote rigging; after multiple recounts, he still refused to back down, so congress impeached him for abusive of power and removed him from office after he failed to launch a successful self-coup
2000-2001: disputed – either Paz or Chamber Speaker Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada
2001-2008: 54) Jaime Paz – won re-election over Manfred Reyes Villa; oversaw tech boom; term-limited
2008-2016: 55) David Choquehuanca – continued predecessor’s investments into both mineral deposits and alternative energy; term-limited; lost election bid for a third term in 2020
2016-2020: 56) Chi Hyun Chung – former doctor and conservative evangelical pastor; first Korean-Bolivian Head of State; lost re-election in a landslide and failed to form a self-coup, leading to him being impeached and removed from office prematurely
2020-2020: 57) Andronico Rodriguez – as Chamber Speaker, was next in line after both of Chi Hyun Chung’s Vice Presidents were impeached and removed from office; entered the Presidency at the age of 32; served for the roughly two weeks left of Chi Hyun Chung’s term
2020-present: 58) Luis Fernando Camacho – former businessman; incumbent

Presidents of The Republic of BOTSWANA
1966-1980: 1) Seretse Khans (BDP) – died from pancreatic cancer
1980-1988: 2) Quett Masire (BDP) – died when his plane was accidently shot down by Angolan Air Force fighter jet
1988-2004: 3) Peter Mmusi (BDP) – leader during the Botswana-Angola “war” conflict of 1988; infamous for increasing corruption in the nation; retired
2004-2014: 4) Otsweletse Moupo (BNF) – infamous for sustaining (if not worsening) corruption in the nation; overthrown in a bloody and violent revolution
Presidents of The Democratic Republic of BOTSWANA
2014-2016: 1) Steve Biko (Independent) – initially served under the title “Acting President” until 2015; retired
2016-present: 2) Slumber Tsogwane (People’s) – incumbent

Presidents of BRAZIL
1974-1980: 29) Ernesto Geisel (ARENA) – the dictator regime ended relatively peacefully thanks to intervention from US Secretary of State Jimmy Carter
1980-1984: 30) Tancredo Neves (PMDB) – announced he would resign due to poor health, but of died from diverticulitis before he could step down
1984-1985: 31) Barbosa Lima Sobrinho (MDB) – retired due to advanced age
1985-1993: 32) Ulysses Silveira Guimaraes (MDB) – helped structure the country’s post-dictatorship constitution; died in office from a heart attack at the age of 77
1993-1995: 33) Plinio de Arruda Sampaio (PT) – lost election to a full term
1995-2000: 34) Marco Maciel (PSDB) – lost re-election
2000-2005: 35) Hamilton Mourao (PRTD) – lost re-election over his “dictatorial” handling of the 2002-2005 SARS Pandemic
2005-2015: 36) Heloisa Helena (PT) – first female President of Brazil; former nurse; term-limited
2015-2020: (34)) Marco Maciel (DEM) – successfully launched a political comeback; retired at the age of 80
2020-present: 37) Aloizio Mercadante (PT) – incumbent

Leaders of BULGARIA
GENERAL SECRETARIES of The PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC of BULGARIA
1954-1984: Todor Zhivkov (C) – fired Defense Minister Dobri Dzhurov in late 1971 over the Bulgarian Fire Plot; attempted (and failed) to implement reforms to try and keep communism from collapsing
PRESIDENTS of The REPUBLIC of BULGARIA
1/5/1985-1/5/1995: 1) Zhelyu Zhelev (UDF) – term-limited; responded to national “brain drain” and 1992 coup attempt by establishing policies meant to support “knowledge transfers” among employers, and by offering tax breaks and pay raises for tutors and educators of all kinds
1/5/1995-1/5/2005: 2) George Ganchev (BBB) – term-limited; led movement to shift relations closer to the West, culminating in the country joining the EU in 2003
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; ousted from capital during internationally unrecognized 2015 coup led by opposition leader Volen Siderov of the Patriotic Nationalist party; served elsewhere in Bulgaria until coup thwarted several months later; improved relations with Greece and Turkey

Kings of CAMBODIA
1953-1955: 4) Norodom Sihanouk – abdicated and succeeded by his father (who had previously been past over for the throne) in order to directly participate in politics
1955-1960: 5) Norodom Suramarit – died
1960-1989: (4)) Norodom Sihanouk – In 1971, Pol Pot was apprehended but beaten to death by an angry mob before he could be put on trial; abdicated over nationwide riots over his increasingly oppressive rule
1989-2003: 6) Norodom Sihamoni – abdicated amid major rioting over his “hands-off” approach to the SARS pandemic; succeeded by his older half-brother
2003-present: 7) Norodom Ranariddh – incumbent

Prime Ministers of CANADA
7/21/1957-11/18/1965: 13) John George Diefenbaker (Progressive Conservative-SK) – party lost majority control
1963: Diefenbaker (PC) over Lester B. Pearson (Liberal), Robert Thompson (Social Credit) and Tommy Douglas (New Democracy)
11/18/1965-12/17/1969: 14) Paul Theodore Hellyer (L-ON) – party lost majority control
1965: Hellyer (L) over John Diefenbaker (PC), Tommy Douglas (ND), Réal Caouette (Ralliement créditiste) and Robert N. Thompson (SC)
12/17/1969-1/26/1980: 15) Robert Lorne Stanfield (PC-NS) – party lost majority control
1969: Stanfield (PC) over Paul Hellyer (L), Tommy Douglas (Progressive Tomorrow ("Progressive" (new party (a SC/ND merger))) and Réal Caouette (Rc)
1973: Stanfield (PC) over Paul Martin Sr. (L), Ed Broadbent (PT) and Réal Caouette (Rc)
1976: Stanfield (PC) over Paul Martin Sr. (L), Ed Broadbent (PT) and Réal Caouette (Rc)
1/26/1980-6/25/1980: 16) J. J. Jean Chretien (L-QC) – party lost majority control
1980 (January): Chretien (L) over Robert Stanfield (PC) and Ed Broadbent (PT)
6/25/1980-11/2/1980: 15) Robert Lorne Stanfield (PC-NS) – party lost majority control
1980 (June): Stanfield (PC) over Jean Chretien (L) and Ed Broadbent (PT)
11/2/1980-9/29/1989: 16) J. J. Jean Chretien (L-QC) – retired
1980 (October): Chretien (L) over Robert Stanfield (PC) and Ed Broadbent (PT)
1985: Chretien (L) over Erik Nielsen (PC) and Ed Broadbent (PT)
9/29/1989-3/30/1990: 17) Sheila Copps (L-ON) – party lost majority control
3/30/1990-9/4/1992: 18) Erik Hersholt Nielsen (PC-YK) – party lost majority control
1990: Nielsen (PC) over Sheila Copps (L), Audrey McLaughlin (Progressive Tomorrow) and Pierre-Marc Johnson (Quebec)
9/4/1992-4/3/1999: 19) Margaret Anne Mitchell (PT-BC) – party lost majority control
1992 (minority government coalitioned with the Liberals): Mitchell (PT) over Paul Martin Jr. (L), Erik Nielsen (PC) and TBD (Quebec)
1995 (minority government coalitioned with the Liberals): Mitchell (PT) over Paul Martin Jr. (L), Dianne Cunningham (PC), Lucien Bouchard (Quebec), Paul Hellyer (Action), Roger S. Bacon (Canadian) and Bob Ringma (Alberta/Frontier)
4/3/1999-12/15/1999: (14)) Paul Theodore Hellyer (Action Alliance(A)-ON) – lost party support
1999 (minority government coalitioned with the PCs, Quebecois, and Baconites): Hellyer (Action) over Margaret Anne Mitchell (PT), Paul Martin Jr. (L), Dianne Cunningham (PC), Lucien Bouchard (Quebec) and Roger S. Bacon (Canadian)
12/15/1999-5/19/2001: 20) Jean Charest (Action Alliance(PC)-QC) – party lost majority control
5/19/2001-2/26/2013: 21) Maureen Anne McTeer (Progressive Liberal Alliance(PT)-ON before 2010, Progressive Liberal-ON after 2010) – party lost majority control
2001: Jean Charest (PC), Pierre-Marc Johnson (Quebec), Dwain Lingenfelter (Frontier) and Stephen Harper (True Conservative)
2006: Belinda Stronach (PC), Pauline Marois (Quebec) and Michaelle Jean (Maple)
2009: Jim Prentice (PC), Andre Boisclair (Maple), Louise Harel (Quebec), Maude Barlow (Organized Grassroots) and Frank de Jong (Green)
2/26/2013-11/11/2017: 22) George Rogers (PC-AB) – lost party support
2013: Maureen McTeer (PL), Jacques Duchesneau (Quebec) and David Chernushenko (Green)
11/11/2017-6/14/2020: 23) André Bachand (PC-QC) – party lost majority control
2018: Olivia Chow (PL), Pierre Paquette (Quebec), Ken Melamed (Green) and Tim Hudak (New Maple)
6/14/2020-present: 24) Roméo Dallaire (PL-QC) – incumbent
2020: Bachand (PC), Mario Beaulieu (Quebec), Jean-Francois Archambault (People’s), Jody Wilson-Raybould (Green), Naheed Nenshi (Purple Dawn) and Alanna Koch (New Maple)

Presidents of CHILE
3 Nov 1958 – 3 Nov 1964: 71) Jorge Alessandri (Independent (conservative-leaning)) – term-limited
3 Nov 1964 – 3 Nov 1970: 72) Eduardo Frei Montalva (Christian Democratic (conservative wing)) – term-limited
3 Nov 1970 – 3 Nov 1976: 73) Radomiro Tomic (Christian Democratic (progressive wing)) – term-limited
3 Nov 1976 – 3 Nov 1982: 74) Gen. René Schneider (Constitutionalist (conservative)) – term-limited; harsh austerity measures to combat the 1979 recession led to riots and an alleged coup attempt; stayed neutral during the Falklands War
3 Nov 1982 – 3 Nov 1988: 75) Arturo Alessandri Besa (Centrist Alliance (conservative wing)) – term-limited
3 Nov 1988 – 12 Dec 1988: 76) Hernan Buchi (Centrist Alliance (far-right wing)) – ousted in a coup after raising taxes on the lower classes to improve the still-poor economy; his removal from office prompted the brief 1988-1989 Chilean Civil War; having fled to Mexico, he was tried in absentia and found guilty of treason; was controversially allowed to return to Chile in 2004, and unsuccessfully ran for President again in 2007
12 Dec 1988 – 24 Jul 2002: 77) Francisco Javier “Fra-Fra” Errazuriz (Progressive Union (progressive wing)) – suspended elections, restructured the government and nationalized most industries; opposed by the CIA from 1993 to 2001; ousted in a coup amid his poor handling of the SARS Global Pandemic
24 Jul 2002 – 6 Feb 2003: 78) Gen. Juan Miguel Fuente-Alba (Independent (centrist)) – head of an “emergency interim” military government; resigned over unpopularity and inability to unify various intergovernmental factions
6 Feb 2003 – 3 Nov 2003: 79) Gen. Ricardo Izurieta (Independent (centrist)) – head of a “transitional” military government; retired
3 Nov 2003 – 3 Nov 2007: 80) Joaquin Lavin (Democratic Union (centrist)) – lost re-nomination and retired
3 Nov 2007 – 3 Nov 2015: 81) Leonardo Farkas (Independent (left-leaning)) – term-limited
3 Nov 2015 – 3 Nov 2019: 82) Claudio Orrego (Christian Democratic) – lost re-election
3 Nov 2019 – present: 83) Evelyn Matthei (Democratic Union) – incumbent

Chairpersons/Premiers of THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
3/20/1943-11/24/1975: Mao Tse-Tung (Communist) – died from poor health worsened by the stress of warfare
Vice-Chairman: Zhou Enlai (C) (since 1969)
11/24/1975-12/1/1975: Zhou Enlai (C) – stepped down after losing the Chinese Civil War of 1975
Vice-Chairman: none
12/1/1975-12/1/1987: Deng Xiaoping (C) – retired after establishing a term limit of a single 12-year term per premier
Vice-Chairman: Bo Yibo (C) (since 1977)
12/1/1987-6/21/1992: Li Xiannian (C) – died in office from heart failure
Vice-Chairman: Lee Teng-hui (C) (since 1988)
6/21/1992-6/21/2004: Zhu Rongji (C) – term-limited
Vice-Chairman: Lee Teng-hui (C) (since 1988)
6/21/2004-10/15/2007: Bo Xilai (C until 9/16/2007, then I) – removed from office after being found guilty of committing corruption
Vice-Chairman: Yang Gang (C) (since 2004)
10/15/2007-10/15/2019: Yang Gang (C) – term-limited
Vice-Chairwoman: Guo Jianmei (C) (since 2007)
10/15/2019-present: Guo Jianmei (C) – first female Head of State for the PRC; incumbent
Vice-Chairman: Zhu Xiaodan (since 2019)

Presidents of COTE D’IVOIRE
1960-1993: 1) Felix Houphouet-Boigny – opposed Sanwi Kingdom from breaking off in 1991 under King Amon N’Douffou IV; died in office
1993-1995: 2) Henri Bedie – ousted in a military coup after he failed to keep the Sanwi Kingdom from securing independence in 1994 (with American musician Jimi Hendrix being coronated Crown Prince of The Sanwi, a semi-ceremonial position, later that year)
1995-1997: 3) Robert Guéï – recruited to serve as interim leader until new elections were held, but then decided to run for a full term, only to withdraw his candidacy after being temporarily blinded in an assassination attempt; regained eyesight two years after relinquishing title
1997-2021: 4) Alassane Dramane Ouattara – won 1996 election over First Lady Rose Doudou Guéï; re-elected in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016; retired amid waning popularity
2021-present: 5) Pascal Affi N'Guessan – was predecessor’s preferred successor; incumbent

Leaders of The CONGO
Presidents of The REPUBLIC of The CONGO
1960-1965: 1) Joseph Kasa-Vubu
1965-1971: 2) Mobutu Sese Seko

Presidents of The REPUBLIC of ZAIRE
1971-1997: (2)) Mobutu Sese Seko
1997-1998: 3) Mobutu Nzanga

Presidents of The DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC of The CONGO
1998-2004: 4) Etienne Tshisekedi – assassinated
2004-2005: 5) Adolphe Muzito – assassinated
2005-2007: disputed (multiple claims) – Jean-Pierre Bemba controlled a plurality of the country for most of this period; Ernie Wamba and Laurent Nkunda controlled different territory concurrently; Gabriel Amisi Kumba launched a brief “partial” coup over a portion of the country in 2006 but lost most of said territory by the end of the year
2007-2017: 6) Moise Katumbi – rose to power after rebels formed a united front to overthrow Bemba; stepped down after winning free elections in 2009 and 2013
2017-present: 7) Martin Fayulu – won free elections in 2017 and 2021

Presidents of the Second REPUBLIC OF CUBA
9/17/1961-7/24/1966: 1) Jose Miro Cardona (Independent) – oversaw government reform after the defeat of communist forces
1961: Cardona over minor, scattered opposition (effectively unopposed)
7/24/1966-7/24/1972: 2) Rufo Lopez-Fresquet (Conservative) – fixed terms to six years apiece; term-limited
1966: Lopez-Fresquet over Pepe San Roman (Stability) and Carlos Prio Socarras (New Authority)
7/24/1972-7/24/1978: 3) Erneido Oliva (Conservative) – term-limited
1972: Oliva over Aureliano Sanchez (New Authority) and Manuel Artime (Stability)
7/24/1978-7/24/1984: 4) Pedro Luis Boitel (Stability) – term-limited
1978: Boitel over Andres Rivero Aguero (Conservative) and Eulogio Cantillo (New Authority)
7/24/1984-7/24/1990: 5) Armando Valladares (Conservative) – term-limited
1984: Valladares over Huber Matos (Stability) and Emilio Ochoa (New Authority)
7/24/1990-7/24/1996: 6) Gustavo Arcos (Stability) – term-limited
1990: Arcos over Jorge Mas Canosa (Conservative)
7/24/1996-7/24/2002: 7) Alfredo Abon Lee (Stability) – term-limited
1996: Lee over Albio B. Sires (Conservative)
7/24/2002-3/1/2003: 8) Sebastian Arcos Bergnes (Conservative) – died in office from cancer
2002: Felix Rodriguez (Stability)
3/1/2003-7/24/2008: 9) Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (Conservative) – term-limited
2003 (special): Felix Rodriguez (Stability)
7/24/2008-7/24/2014: 10) Jose Ramon Balaguer (Progressive) – term-limited
2008: Orlando Sanchez (Conservative, endorsed by Stability)
7/24/2014-7/24/2020: 11) Berta Soler (National Coalition) – term-limited
2014: Miguel Faria (Independent, endorsed by Progressive)
7/24/2020-present: 12) Oscar Elias Biscet (Progressive) – incumbent
2020: Leopoldo Cintra Frias (National Coalition)

Leaders of CZECHOSLOVAKIA
PRESIDENTS of the CZECHOSLOVAK SOCIALIST REPUBLIC
1948-1953: 5) Klement Gottwald (C) – imposed the Soviet model of government onto the country, including the nationalization of industry and the collectivization of the farms; instigated a series of purges; died in office from a burst artery (the result of long-time alcoholism and suffering from heart disease caused by syphilis that had gone untreated for several years) at the age of 56
1953-1957: 6) Antonin Zapotocky (C) – governed more humanely than his predecessor; died in office from natural causes at the age of 72
1957-1968: 7) Antonin Novotny (C) – enforced strict government regulations and quasi-authoritarian practices; removed from power by USSR leader Shelepin amid poor efforts to quell calls for reform
1968-1975: 8) Vasil’ Bil’ak (C) – hardline conservative politician; strongly supported Shelepin but had a frosty relationship with Kosygin; forced into retirement by reformers that came to power in a bloodless political inner-party coup
1975-1984: 9) Ota Sik (C, with the party dissolving the same day he left office) – implemented reforms and raised restrictions overall; introduced rudimentary free markets in 1982 with the permission of the USSR’s Podgorny, only to have to scale them back after pressure from Podgorny’s successor, which only increased anti-communist sentiment; stepped down amid the fall of Communism
1984-1984: 10) Ludvik Vaculik (I) – former journalist; led transitional non-communist government; retired from politics and did not attempt to influence the free elections that determined his successor and multiple details of the new government
PRESIDENTS of The DEMOCRACY of CZECHOSLOVAKIA
1984-1994: 1) Valtr Komarek (independent, Czech) – elected over a “pro-separation” candidate and re-elected over a rabbi; increased Slovakian autonomy and encouraged people in both halves of the country to interact with one another
1984 Presidential Election: Vaclav Klaus (independent, Czech)
1989 Presidential Election: Karol Sidon (independent, Czech)
1992 Referendum ("Should Czechoslovakia split into two countries?"): 56% No, 44% Yes
1993 Referendum (“Should Czechoslovakia ratifying the EU Accession Treaty?”): 64% Yes, 36% No
1994-1997: 2) Alexander Dubcek (Reform, Slovak) – former Communist leader who during the 1980s supported reform efforts in the country and in the USSR; previously served in the Federal Assembly during the late 1960s and again in the early 1990s; elected over an academic drafted into running; ran on the campaign theme of “freedom and forgiveness,” worked to improve Czech and Slovak relations, and pushed the nation closer to western Europe; died in office from poor health at the age of 75
1994 Presidential Election: Vaclav Havel (Peace, Czech), Vaclav Klaus (independent, Czech) and Jan Slota (independent, Slovak)
1996 Referendum ("Should Czechoslovakia adopt the Euro?") – 59% Yes, 41% No
1997-1999: 3) Miroslav Sladek (Reform, Czech) – succeeded to office amid controversy, as the law did not make clear who became President if the office was vacated prematurely; was Minister of State (First Minister) at the time of his ascension; lost nomination (to the head of the House of Schwarzenberg, a former leading family of the Habsburg empire) and retired
VP (vacant, 1997-1997): 1) Vladimir Meciar (Reform, Slovak)
1997 Referendum (“Should Czechoslovakia have a Vice President?”): 72% Yes, 28% No
1998 Referendum (“Should Czechoslovakia shift Presidential elections years [a la the French model] upon an incumbent vacating office?”): 61% No, 39% Yes
1999-2004: 4) Ivan Gasparovic (Democratic, Slovak) – lost re-election over their handling of the SARS pandemic
VP: Jan Sokol (Democratic, Czeck)
1999 Presidential Election: Prince Karel Schwarzenberg (Reform, Czech) and Marie Stiborova (Better Communist, Czech)
2004-2014: 5) Mirek Topolanek (National Freedom, Czech) – conservative former business manager known for numerous controversial remarks and actions, and for supporting electric power; response to the Unlucky Recession of 2013 was considered poor and ineffective to most
VP: Vlasta Parkanova (National Freedom, Czech)
2004 Presidential Election: Ivan Gasparovic (Democratic, Slovak), Jan Svejnar (Reform, Czech) and Stanislav Fischer (Better Communism, Czech)
2008 Referendum (“Should we limit the powers of the presidential branch by requiring a simple majority of the supreme court to approve of the President’s executive orders in order for them to go into effect?”) – 65% No, 35% Yes
2009 Presidential Election: Jiri Dienstbier Jr. (Democratic, Czech), Milan Ftacnik (independent, Slovak) and Magdalena Vasaryova (Reform, Slovak)
2010 Referendum (“should Czechoslovakia split into two countries?”): 80% No, 20% Yes
2014-present: 6) Anna Zaborska (Democratic, Slovak) – first female President of Czechoslovakia; responded to massive cyberattacks in 2017 that breached thousands of ontech bank accounts by reforming financial firewall processes and procedures; dealt with deadly and destructive wildfires in early 2018; to lower the nation’s carbon emissions, has set a goal of the country producing net zero emissions by 2050
VP: Milan Stech (Democratic, Czech)
2014 Presidential Election: Premysl Sobotka (Reform, Check) and Vlasta Parkanova (National Freedom, Czech)
2014 Referendum (“Should Czechoslovakia reform the national income tax from a flat tax of 5% to a gradual curve tax starting at 1% for the poorest and ending at 10% for the wealthiest”?) – 52% Yes, 48% No
2014 Referendum (“should Czechoslovakia split into two countries?”): 74% No, 26% Yes
2019 Presidential Election: Mikulas Dzurinda (Reform, Slovak), Radek John (Transparency, Czech) and Tomio Okamura (National Freedom, Czech)

Presidents of DARFUR
2011-2021: 1) Minni Minnawi
2021-present: 2) Abdul Wahid al Nur

Presidents of The DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
1963-1971: Juan Bosch (PRD) – defeated a paramilitary coup in 1963; retired amid threats of another coup attempt in 1969
1971-1979: Juan Isidro Jimenez Grullon (SDA) – established term limits to prevent another coup attempt in 1975; term-limited
1979-1979: Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly (NCU) – died at age 75
1979-1987: Francisco Augusto Lora (NCU, then PR) – term-limited
1987-1995: José Rafael Abinader (SDA) – defeated coup attempt in 1993
1995-1998: José Francisco Peña Gómez (PRD) – died at age 61
1998-2003: Jacinto Peynado Garrigosa (PRD, then Reform) – lost re-election and failed to overturn results, first in court and then via an attempted self-coup
2003-2011: Milagros Ortiz Bosch (PRD) – first female President; niece of Juan Bosch; term-limited
2011-2019: Eduardo Estrella (PDC) – term-limited; struggled to improve economy after the 2013 recession; just barely won re-election
2019-present: Fello Suberví (PRD) – entered office at age 76; incumbent

Presidents of EGYPT
1953-1954: 1) Mohamed Naguib – resigned
1954-1970: 2) Gamal Abdel Nasser – in office during the Sukkot War (1967); died in office
1970-1982: 3) Anwar Sadat – shared a Nobel Peace Prize for the Atlanta Peace Treaty; retired six weeks after announcing he would do so in December 1981
1982-2009: 4) Hosni Mubarak – a reluctant ally of Israel; in office when Egypt the Summer Olympics of 1996; dealt with rising civil disobedience issues as he continued safezoning policies long after the 2002-2005 SARS pandemic subsided; overthrown in military coup
2009-2011: 5) Mohamed Hussein Tantawi – stepped down after overseeing free and fair elections
2011-2021: 6) Moussa Mostafa Moussa – former architect; won in 2011 and 2016; controversial for having an icy relationship with Israel; term-limited
2021-present: 7) Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat – is the nephew of the late Anwar Sadat; previously was heavily involved in organizing the annual Chicken Dinner Summits in Jerusalem; won 2021 election over Alaa Mubarak; incumbent

Leaders of ERITREA
PRIME MINISTERS
1978-1981: 1) Isaias Afwerki – political infighting led to parliament removing him from office; killed in 1982
1981-1982: 2) Alamin Mohammed Seid – overthrown in a military coup
SECRETARY-GENERALS
1982-1987: 3) Osman Saleh Sabbe – died from cancer; succeeded by his brother
1987-1989: 4) Mahmoud Saleh Sabbe – overthrown in internal military coup
1989-present: 5) Sebhat Ephrem – sided with North Korea in the Second Korean War and played a central role in the Eritrean Missile Scandal; incumbent

Emperors of ETHIOPIA
1930-1977: Haile Selassie I
1977-1983: Amha Selassie I
1983-present: Zera Yacob Amha Selassie I

Presidents of FINLAND
1956-1980: 8) Urho Kakkonen (Centre)
1980-1992: 9) Mauno Koivisto (Social Democratic)
1992-2004: 10) Elisabeth Rehn (Swedish People’s Alliance)
2004-2016: 11) Dr. Pekka Puska (Green/Social Democratic, Green/Liberal after 2008)
2016-present: 12) Pekka Haavisto (Green)

Presidents of FRANCE
8 Jan 1959 – 16 Jan 1965: 18) Charles de Gaulle (Union for the New Republic (UNR)) – resigned amid nationwide protests
21 Dec 1958 (no runoff needed): de Gaulle over George Marrane (French Communist Party (PCF)) and Albert Chatelet (Union of the Democratic Forces (UFD))
16 Jan 1965 – 7 Mar 1965: Acting) Alain Poher (Popular Republican Movement (MRP)) – lost election
7 Mar 1965 – 7 Mar 1979: 19) Francois Mitterrand (Convention of Republican Institutions (CIR)), Unified Socialist Party after 1 May 1965) – term-limited
14 Feb 1965 (1st round): Mitterrand (CIR) over Charles de Gaulle (UNR), Jean Lecanuet (Popular Republican Movement (MRP)), Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour (Miscellaneous far right (DVED)), Pierre Marcilhacy (European Liberal Party (PLE)) and Marcel Barbu (Miscellaneous left (DVG))
28 Feb 1965 (2nd round): Mitterrand (CIR) over Charles de Gaulle (UNR)
14 Feb 1972 (1st round): Mitterrand (USP) over Georges Pompidou (UNR), Alain Poher (MRP), Jacques Duclos (French Communist Party (PCF)), Gaston Deffere (French Section of the Workers’ International (SFIO)), Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour (DVED), and Gaston Monnerville (L’Réforme)
28 Feb 1972 (2nd round): Mitterrand (USP) over Georges Pompidou (UNR)
7 Mar 1979 – 7 Mar 1986: 20) Pierre Mauroy (USP) – lost re-election in a major upset amid multiple scandals
14 Feb 1979 (1st round): Mauroy (USP) over Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (UNR), Valery Giscard d’Estaing (MRP), Jean Royer (Conservative), Arlette Laguiller (Workers’), Rene Dumont (Reform), Jacques Duclos (PCF), Gaston Defferre (SFIO), and Bertrand Renouvin (New Royalist Action)
28 Feb 1979 (2nd round): Mauroy (USP) over Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (UNR)
7 Mar 1986 – 17 May 1989: 21) Jean-Marie Le Pen (National Front (FN)) – impeached, convicted, and removed from office upon conviction for multiple offenses
14 Feb 1986: Le Pen (Nationl Front (FN)) over Jaques Chaban-Delmas (Republican), Pierre Mauroy (USP), Valery Giscard d’Estaing (MRP), Jean Royer (Conservative), Arlette Laguiller (Workers’), Rene Dumont (Independent), Michel Rocard (Independent Socialist), Marie-France Garaud (Centrist), Georges Marchais (French Communist Party (PCF)), and Michel Crepeau (Radical Party of the Left (PRG))
28 Feb 1986: Le Pen (Nationl Front (FN)) over Jaques Chaban-Delmas (Republican)
17 May 1989 – 30 July 1989: Acting) Alain Poher Popular (Republican Movement (MRP)) – lost election
30 July 1989 – 30 July 2003: 22) Claude Estier (Socialist Alliance (SA))
– term-limited
9 July 1989 (1st round): Estier (Socialist Alliance (SA)) over Brice Lalonde (Green), Jean-Claude Gaudin (Union for French Democracy (UDF)), Rene Monory (Center), Raymond Barre (Independent), Bertrand Renouvin (New Royalist Action) and Maurice Papon (National Front (FN)).
23 July 1989 (2nd round): Estier (Socialist Alliance (SA)) over Brice Lalonde (Green)
9 July 1996 (first round): Jean-Claude Gaudin (Republican), Edith Campion Cresson (Independent Socialist), Jean-Pierre Stirbois (National Front), and others
23 July 1996 (runoff): cancelled – Estier received over 50% in the first round
30 July 2003 – 30 July 2010: 23) Marie-Segolene Royal (Socialist Alliance (SA)) – lost re-election
9 July 2003 (first round): Marie-Segolene Royal (SA) over Francois Bayrou (Centrist), Jean-Louis Debré (Republican), Marie-France Stirbois (National Front), and others
23 July 2003 (runoff): Marie-Segolene Royal (SA) over Francois Bayrou (Centrist)
30 July 2010 – 30 July 2017: 24) Francois Leotard (Republican) – lost re-election
9 July 2010 (first round): Marie-Segolene Royal (SA) over Francois Leotard (Republican), Jean-Luc Melenchon (Democratic Socialist), Charles M. J. V. Napoleon (Centrist), Jean-Pierre Raffarin (Sensible), and others
23 July 2010 (runoff): Francois Leotard (Republican) over Marie-Segolene Royal (SA)
30 July 2017 – present: 25) Joseph “José” Bové (Green) – incumbent
9 July 2017 (first round): Francois Leotard (Republican) over Joseph “José” Bové (Green), Benoit Hamon (Socialist Alliance), Dominique Voynet (Democratic Socialist), Francois Bayrou (Democratic Union), Jean-Christophe Napoleon (Centrist), Jeremie Renier (Independent), Jacques Cheminade (National Front), Laurent Fabius (Sensible) and Romain Duris (Action)
23 July 2017 (runoff): Joseph “José” Bové (Green) over Francois Leotard (Republican)

Presidium-Generals of GAGAUZIA
1991-2011: 1) Mihail Kendighelean (Independent)
2011-present: 2) Petr Tomaily (Socialist)

Leaders of GERMANY
Heads of State of EAST GERMANY
1950-1973: Walter Ulbricht (C) - died in office from a stroke at the age of 80
1973-1989: Erich Honecker (C) - attempted reforms to quell public unrest; communist rule collapsed
Chancellors of WEST GERMANY
1949-1963: Konrad Adenauer (CDU) - coalition lost majority control
1963-1969: Ludwig Erhard (CDU) - coalition lost majority control
1969-1974: Willy Brandt (SPD) - coalition lost majority control
1974: Walter Scheel (FDP) - coalition lost majority control
1974-1976: Helmut Schmidt (SPD) - coalition lost majority control
1985-1985: Helmut Kohl (CDU/CSU) - oversaw the unification of East Germany and West Germany
Chancellors of WEST GERMANY
1985-1992: Helmut Kohl (CDU/CSU) - stepped own ahead of elections due to rising unpopularity over his handling of the early 1990s recession
1992: Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU/CSU) - first female Chancellor of Germany; coalition lost majority control
1992-2000: Oskar Lafontaine (SPD) - coalition lost majority control
2000-2007: Edmund Stoiber (CDU/CSU) - response to SARS Global Pandemic was effective but controversial; coalition lost majority control
2007-2010: Petra Kelly (SPD/Green) - second female Chancellor of Germany; coalition lost majority control
2010-present: Gerhard Schroder (SPD) - incumbent

Prime Ministers of GREECE
5/17/1958-9/20/1961: Konstantinos Karamanlis (ERE)
9/20/1961-11/4/1961: Konstantinos Dovas (Independent)
11/4/1961-6/18/1963: Konstantinos Karamanlis (ERE)
6/18/1963-11/8/1963: Panagiotis Pipinelis (ERE)
11/8/1963-6/10/1965: Georgios Papandreou (EK)
6/10/1965-6/22/1965: Ilias Tsirimokos (Independent)
6/22/1965-10/9/1972: Grigoris Lambrakis (EK/EDA alliance)
10/9/1972-3/5/1977: Konstantinos Karamanlis (New Democracy)
3/5/1977-5/8/1977: Georgios Mavros (New Democracy)
5/8/1977-12/12/1978: Andreas Papandreou (PASOK)
12/12/1978-10/20/1985: Alexandros Panagoulis (Centre Union)
10/20/1985-10/11/1987: Andreas Papandreou (PASOK)
10/11/1987-9/8/1989: Alexandros Panagoulis (Centre Union)
9/8/1989-4/9/1992: Alexandros Onassis (Centre Union)
4/9/1992-5/7/1998: Melina Mercouri (PASOK)
5/7/1998-1/17/1999: Andreas Papandreou (PASOK)
1/17/1999-7/8/1999: George Papandreou (PASOK)
7/8/1999-6/15/2005: Giorgos Vassiliou (United Democrats)
6/15/2005-2/24/2007: Yannis Dragasakis (United Democrats)
2/24/2007-3/30/2008: Costas Simitis (PASOK)
3/30/2008-8/16/2010: Kostas Karamanlis (Democratic Alliance)
8/16/2010-1/2/2015: Theodoros Pangalos (PASOK)
1/2/2015-5/14/2017: Antonis Manitakis (Democratic Front)
5/14/2017-11/28/2017: Ioannis Plakiotakis (Multi-Partisan Coalition)
11/28/2017-3/23/2021: Fotini “Fofi” Gennimata (PASOK)
3/23/2021-present: Evangelos-Vasileios “Vangelis” Meimarakis (Democracy Now)

Presidents of GUYANA
1970-1980: 1) Arthur Chung (I) – first-ever ethnic Chinese head of state of a non-Asian country; retired
1980-1985: 2) Forbes Burnham (PNC) – died from a sudden heart attack
1985-1992: 3) Desmond Hoyte (PNC) – lost re-election
1992-1997: 4) Cheddi Jagan Sr. (PPP) – died from a sudden heart attack
1997-1997: 5) Sam Hinds (PPP) – lost party leadership position to more popular challenger
1997-1999: 6) Janet Jagan (PPP) – widow of Cheddi Jagan Sr.; first white, first Jewish, and first female President; resigned due to rising health issues
1999-2000: 7) Bharrat Jagdeo (PPP) – lost election
2000-2009: 8) Barton U. A. Scotland (PNC) – lost re-election
2009-2014: 9) Cheddi “Joey” Jagan Jr. (PPP) – son of two former Presidents; lost re-election
2014-2018: 10) Sandra Marie Chan-A-Sue (PNC) – second female President, second Chinese President, and first female Chinese President; lost re-election
2018-2020: 11) Manzoor Nadir (PPP) – lost party leadership position to more popular challenger
2020-present: (7)) Bharrat Jagdeo (PPP) – incumbent

Prime Ministers of ITALY
1960-1963: ((32)) Amintore Fanfani (Christian Democracy)
1963-1963: 37) Giovanni Leone (CD)
1963-1965: 38) Aldo Moro (CD)
1965-1969: (37)) Giovanni Leone (CD)
1969-1975: 39) Benigno Zaccagnini (CD)
1975-1978: (38)) Aldo Moro (CD)
1978-1985: 40) Francesco De Martino (United Socialist)
1985-1987: (38)) Aldo Moro (CD)
1987-1991: (40)) Francesco De Martino (US)
1991-1992: 41) Ottaviano Del Turco (US)
1992-1992: 42) Pierre Carniti (Independent)
1992-1999: 43) Arnaldo Forlani (CD)
1999-2004: 44) Gianfranco Fini (Conservative National Alliance)
2004-2005: 45) Gianni De Michelis (New Socialist Alliance, but officially Independent)
2005-2012: (44)) Gianfranco Fini (CNA)
2012-2016: 46) Bobo Craxi (NSA)
2016-2020: (44)) Gianfranco Fini (CNA)
2020-present: 47) Stefania Craxi (NSA)

Presidents of IRAQ (elected by the Council of Representatives by a 2/3rds majority until the implementation of the Electorate College-based indirect presidential elections system in 1989-1991 reforms):
7/14/1958-2/8/1963: 1) Muhammad Najib ar-Ruba’i (1904-1965) Independent – deposed
2/8/1963-4/13/1966: 2) Abdul Salam Arif (1921-1966) ASU – died in office
4/13/1966-11/2/1975: 3) Abdul Rahman Arif (1916-2007) ASU – retired due to waning popularity
11/2/1975-1/20/1979: 4) Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr (1914-1985) Iraqi Ba’ath/Independent – rejected from Ba’ath Party in early 1978 for participating in Atlanta Peace Talks; retired, officially due to “my failure to handle the national recession”
1/20/1979-3/4/1986: 5) Tahir Yahya (1915-1986) Iraqi Ba’ath – retired due to waning popularity; passed away soon after leaving office
3/4/1986-5/8/1991: 6) Abdul Rahman Arif (1916-2007) ASU – retired due to waning health
5/8/1991-5/8/2003: 7) Abd ar-Razzaq Said al-Naif (1934-2010) ASU (“Pro-West” faction) – retired despite popularity, establishing a precedence
5/8/2003-5/8/2009: 8) Saleh Muhammed al-Mutlaq (b. 1947) ASU (“moderate” faction) – former Ba’ath Party member, rejected for supporting justice reform; lost re-election but did not contest election results, establishing a precedence
5/8/2009-5/8/2015: 9) Nouri al-Maliki (b. 1950) People of Iraq – lost re-election, and was pressured by party leadership to withdraw court challenges to the results; controversial for past anti-Zionist comments despite his more moderate political stances while in office
5/8/2015-present: 10) Hussain al-Shahristani (b. 1942) ASU (“Pro-West” faction) – incumbent; term-limited after winning re-election in May 2021
Governors of The Autonomous Republic of KURDISTAN
12/13/2003-1/3/2013: 1) Jalal Talabani (Patriotic Union)
1/3/2013-1/3/2017: 2) Nechirvan Barzani (Kurdistani Democratic)
1/3/2017-present: 3) Rowsch Shaways (Patriotic Union)

Presidents of IRELAND
19/12/1974-21/3/1978: Cearbhall O Dalaigh (All-Party Nomination) – died in office
17/11/1974: unopposed
22/5/1978-21/5/1992: Patrick Hillery (Fianna Fail) – term-limited
23/4/1978: unopposed
23/4/1985: Austin Currie (Fine Gael)
22/5/1992-21/5/2006: Mary Robinson (Independent) – term-limited
23/4/1992: Mary McAleese (Fianna Fail) and Mary Banotti (Fine Gael)
23/4/1999: unopposed
22/5/2006-21/5/2020: Avril Doyle (Fine Gael) – term-limited
23/4/2006: Mary O’Rourke (Fianna Fail) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Fein)
23/4/2013: Dana Rosemary Scallon (Independent) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Fein)
22/5/2020-present: Dana Rosemary Scallon (Independent) – incumbent
23/4/2020: Bernadette Devlin McAliskey (Labour) and Gay Mitchell (Fine Gael)
Taoiseachs of IRELAND
1993-1997: Dick Spring (Labour)
1997-1999: John Bruton (Fine Gael)
1999-2003: Maire Geoghegan-Quinn (Fianna Fail)
2003-2009: Ruairi Quinn (Labour)
2009-2014: Dermot Ahern (Fianna Fail)
2014-present: Michael Noonan (Fine Gael)

Prime Ministers of INDIA
1984-1989: 6) Rajiv Gandhi (INC) – lost election over rising geopolitical tensions
1989-1995: 7) V. P. Singh (JD/NF) – initially popular for signing landmark peace accord with Pakistan that ended conflict over Kashmir
1995-1997: (6)) Rajiv Gandhi (INC) – removed from office after being convicted of embezzlement
1997-1998: 8) P. V. Narasimha Tao (INC) – lost re-election amid economic downturn
1998-2001: 9) Lalu Prasad (JD/UF) – lost re-election after struggling to maintain a coalition government
2001-2004: 10) Lal Krishna Advani (BJP) – forced out of office by his own party over his very poor and very divisive handling of the 2001-2004 SARS pandemic
2004-2005: 11) Aral Bihari Vajpayee (BJP) – entered office at the age of 79; lost election in a landslide
2005-2010: 12) Sonia Maino Gandhi (INC) – established fixed terms; lost re-election over controversial taxes and business regulations; wife of a former PM
2010-present: 13) N. Chandrababu Naidu (TD) – incumbent; left-of-center technocrat and former businessman

Presidents of INDONESIA
1945-1965: 1) Sukarno – overthrown in bloody military coup
1965-1992: 2) Suharto – took over West Irian in 1969; almost invaded East Timor in 1975; resigned amid major financial crisis
1992-2005: 3) Sudharmono – defeated challenger Try Sutrisno in 1993 civil war; won 1995 election over Ali Sadikin; retired due to waning popularity
2005-2015: 4) Megawati Sukarnoputri – daughter of Sukarno; won in 2005 over Tommy Suharto and in 2010 over Prabowo Subianto; retired
2015-present: 5) Alwi Shihab – won in 2015 over Surya Paloh; won re-election in landslide; nation will host the 2024 summer Olympics; incumbent

Shahs of IRAN
1941-1978: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi – assassinated
1978-present: Reza Pahlavi – entered office at the age of 17; cooled tensions with the Saudis to work with the Saudi Arabian Space Center and contribute to the regional effort to send a manned lunar module to the moon in 2008; country hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics; incumbent

Prime Ministers of ISRAEL
1969-1974: 4) Golda Meir (Labor) – retired due to declining popularity
1974-1977: 5) Yitzhak Rabin (Labor) – lost election
1977-1985: 6) Menachem Begin (Likud) – retired due to declining health
1985-1988: 7) Yitzhak Shamir (Likud) – lost re-election
1988-1990: (5)) Yitzhak Rabin (Labor) – lost re-election
1990-1991: (7)) Yitzhak Shamir (Likud) – lost re-election
1991-1994: 8) Shulamit Aloni (Meretz) – lost re-election
1994-1996: (5)) Yitzhak Rabin (Labor) – retired after cancer diagnosis
1996: 9) Teddy Kollek (Labor) – interim leader until Labor’s factions could agree on a single compromise leader candidate
1996-1997: 10) Ami Ayalon (Labor) – lost election
1997-2000: 11) Ariel Sharon (Likud) – lost re-election
2000-2001: 12) Yossi Sarid (Meretz) – lost re-election
2001-2004: (11)) Ariel Sharon (Likud) – lost re-election
2004-2010: 13) Dr. Yosef “Yossi” Beilin (Labor/Meretz coalition) – lost re-election
2010-2015: 14) Moshe Feiglin (Likud/Libertarian coalition) – lost re-election
2015-present: 15) Tziporah Malka “Tzipi” Livni (Labor/Hatnua coalition) – incumbent

Prime Ministers of JAPAN
1989-1991: Toshiki Kaifu (LDP) – lost party confidence and ousted from leadership position
1991-1993: Kiichi Miyazawa (LDP) – lost majority control
1993-1994: Morihiro Hosokawa (New) – lost majority control
1994-1994: Tsutomu Hata (Renewal) – lost majority control
1994-1995: Tomiichi Murayama (Socialist) – lost majority control
1995-1999: Ryutaro Hashimoto (LDP) – ousted from party leadership amid economic recession and fighting among internal factions
1999-2000: Takeo Hiranuma (LDP) – ousted from party leadership
2000-2001: Shintaro Ishihara (LDP) – ousted from party leadership
2001-2002: Junichiro Koizumi (LDP) – ousted from party leadership
2002-2008: Ryutaro Hashimoto (LDP) – mounted successful political comeback; announced stepping down due to declining health, and passed away soon after leaving office
2008-2008: Taro Aso (LDP) – lost majority control as coalition crumbled among internal division
2008-2010: Ichiro Ozawa (Centrist Coalition) – lost majority control
2010-2016: Mizuho Fukushima (Social Democratic) – lost majority control
2016-2020: Renho (Constitutional Democratic) – lost coalition confidence
2020-2021: Seiji Maehara (Constitutional Democratic) – lost coalition confidence
2021-present: Renho (Constitutional Democratic) – incumbent

Kings of LAOS
1959-1992: Sisavang Vatthana (1907-1992) – died from natural causes
1992-2019: Vong Savang (1931-2019) – died from natural causes
2019-present: Soulivong Savang (b. 1963) – is an openly avid Anglophile; incumbent

Presidents of LEBANON
1970-1976: 11) Suleiman Frangieh (Marada Movement) – term-limited
1976-1982: 12) Elias Sarkis (unaffiliated) – term-limited
1982-1988: 13) Musa al-Sadr (Amal Movement) – first non-Christian President; term-limited
1988-1994: 14) Antoine “Tony” Frangieh (Marada Movement) – term-limited
1994-2000: 15) Hussein El-Husseini (Amal Movement) – term-limited
2000-2006: 16) Nayla Moawad (Qornet Shehwan Gathering) – first female President; term-limited
2006-2011: 17) Nassib Lahoud (Democratic Renewal Movement) – died in office after a long illness
2011-2012: – ) Elias Murr (Labour Organization) – served as “Acting” President and was not a candidate for a full term
2012-2018: 18) Albert Mansour (Call For Sustainable Peace) – term-limited
2018-present: 19) Boutros Harb (Independent) – incumbent

Leaders of LIBYA
MONARCHS of The KINGDOM of LIBYA
1951-1969: 1) Idris I (Senussi Dynasty) – first and only King of Libya; overthrown in a coup
REVOLUTIONARY COMMAND COUNCIL CHAIRMEN of The LIBYAN ARAB REPUBLIC
1969-1982: 2) Muammar Gaddafi (Arab Socialist Union) – overthrown during the US-Libya War
PRIME MINISTERS of The REPUBLIC of LIBYA
1982-1985: 3) Mustafa Ben-Halim (Libyan Movement) – coalition lost majority control
1985-1987: 4) Sadiq Al-Ghariani (National Identity) – slightly pro-West, conservative “third-way”; party lost majority control
1987-1993: (3)) Mustafa Ben-Halim (Libyan Movement) – coalition lost majority control
1993-1995: 5) Aguila Saleh Issa (Independent Pathway) – slightly anti-West but strongly anti-US; party lost majority control
1995-2000: (3)) Mustafa Ben-Halim (Libyan Movement) – stepped down at the age of 79
2000-2007: 6) Muhammad az-Zaruq Rajab (Libyan Movement) – coalition lost majority control
2007-2012: 7) Mohammed Magariaf (Renewal) – socially conservative and anti-West; party lost majority control
2012-2017: (4)) Sadiq Al-Ghariani (National Identity) – stepped down amid corruption investigation; later arrested and tried but acquitted
2017-2019: 8) Hussein Al-Qatrani (National Identity) – party lost majority control
2019-2021: 9) Mustafa Abdul Jalil (Independent) – compromise candidate; coalition lost majority control
2021-present: 10) Salwa Bughaighis (Justice) – first female Libyan Prime Minister; won position as part of compromise to form majority coalition; incumbent

Presidents of MEXICO
1958-1964: 55) Adolfo Lopez Mateos (PRI)
1964-1970: 56) Gustavo Diaz Ordaz (PRI)
1970-1976: 57) Luis Echeverria (PRI)
1976-1982: 58) Jose Lopez Portillo y Pacheco (PRI)
1982-1988: 59) Miguel de la Madrid (PRI)
1988-1994: 60) Luis Alvarez (PAN)
1994-2000: 61) Luis Colosio (PRI)
2000-2006: 62) Esteban Moctezuma (PRI)
2006-2012: 63) Marcela Guerra Castillo (PRI)
2012-2018: 64) Santiago Creel (PAN)
2018-present: 65) Miguel Angel Osorio Chong (PRI)

Presidents of MOZAMBIQUE
1975-present: 1) Samora Machel (FRELIMO) – currently 87 years old and has been in office for just over 46 years now; incumbent

Prime Ministers of NEW ZEALAND
1957-1957: 26) Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake (National) – party lost majority
1957-1960: 27) Walter Nash (Labour) – won in 1957; party lost majority
1960-1966: (26)) Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake (National) – won in 1960 and 1963; party lost majority over his “undecisive” approach to US foreign policy during the Cuba and Indochina Wars
1966-1972: 28) Norman Eric Kirk (Labour) – won in 1966 and 1969; died from a heart attack at the age of 49
1972-1972: Acting) Arthur James Faulkner (Labour) – was Deputy Prime Minister; served temporarily and unofficially, from 19 February to 26 February; lost bid to serve as full PM
1972-1981: 29) Bill Rowling (Labour) – won in 1972, 1975, and 1978; party lost majority
1981-1984: 30) Sir Robert Muldoon (National) – won in 1981; party lost majority
1984-1989: (29)) Bill Rowling (Labour) – won in 1984 and 1987; stepped down due to declining health, after a total of 14 non-consecutive years in office
1989-1999: 31) Jim Anderton (Labour) – won in 1990, 1993 and 1996; party lost majority
1999-2002: 32) Sir Simon William “Johnny” English (National) – won in 1999; entered office at the age of 38; part lost majority over his poor handling of the SARS Global Pandemic
2002-2011: 33) Dame Tariana Turia (Labour) – won in 2002, 2005 and 2008; born to an American father and a Maori mother; first female NZ PM; stepped down amid waning popularity
2011-2011: 34) Rodney David Donald (Labour until 2011, then Labour-Green Alliance) – alliance lost majority amid incumbency fatigue
2011-2016: (32)) Sir Simon William “Johnny” English (National-People’s Alliance) – experienced a political comeback in 2009; won in 2011 and 2014; was praised for his handling of the 2013 economic downturn; resigned in November amid waning popularity, criticisms for several gaffes, and an investigation into a workplace pestering allegation
2016-2017: 35) Simon Joseph Bridges (National-People’s Alliance) – entered office at the age of 40; was of Maori descent; died in a plane crash
2017-2017: Acting) Winston Peters (National-People’s Alliance) – was Deputy Prime Minister; served temporarily and unofficially, from 17 June to 24 June; lost bid to serve as full PM
2017-2017: 36) Margaret Mary “Maggie” Barry (National-People’s Alliance) – second female NZ PM; party lost majority
2017-present: 37) Metiria Turei (Labour-Maori-Green Alliance) – won in 2017 and 2020; incumbent; born into a Maori family; third female NZ PM; her Deputy PM is Hone Harawira

Sultans of OMAN
1932-1970: Said bin Taimur – overthrown by son after several years of mental decline and poor leadership leading to Oman’s living standards plummeting
1970-2020: Qaboos bin Said – praised for improving Oman’s living conditions, including sanitation, literacy and nutrition; played an instrumental role in bringing regional leaders together for peace negotiations during the 1970s and again in the 1990s
2020-present: Haitham bin Tariq – Qaboos’ nephew; chosen by Qaboos to be his successior due to dedication to improving Omani quality of life

Presidents of PALESTINE
The Transfer of Authority from Israel to an interim Palestinian Authority (headed by Arafat as “Interim President”) occurred after the landmark 1978 Peace Treaty, and the transfer process was completed in 1982, with an independent Palestinian state sustaining a “special relationship” (i.e., a complicated but functioning and relatively peaceful one) with Israel and Jordan being established.
1982-1994: 1) Nasser Arafat (Popular Palestinian Democratic Front) – retired
1994-1995: 2) Samir Ghawshah (PPDF) – lost re-election
1995-1999: 3) Yasser Abed Rabbo (Strength Through Peace) – lost re-election
1999-2007: 4) Sari Nusseibeh (The Centrist Way) – retired
2007-2017: 5) Farouk Kaddoumi (Fatah) – retired amid low approval ratings linked to “hostile” comments made against Israel’s PM in 2016
2017-present: 6) Salam Fayyad (The Centrist Way) – incumbent

Presidents of PANAMA
1968-1973: 10) Arnulfo Arias – retired
1973-1983: 11) Demetrio Lakas – the son of Greek immigrants; overthrown in coup
1983-1983: 12) Manuel Noriega – killed in US-backed countercoup in December, roughly six months after taking office
1983-1990: (11)) Demetrio Lakas – reinstated, won re-election in 1984, then retired
1990-1996: 13) Carlos Duque – term-limited
1996-2002: 14) Mireya Moscoso – first female President; former First Lady (Arias); term-limited
2002-2008: 15) Rubén Blades – famous actor, singer-songwriter, and activist; term-limited
2008-2014: 16) Ricardo Martinelli – the son of Italian and Spanish immigrants; later tried and convicted for wiretapping and other forms of abuse of power
2014-2020: 17) José Miguel Alemán – term-limited
2020-present: 18) Balbina Herrera – second female President; term-limited

Presidents of PARAGUAY
1954-1996: 60) Alfredo Stroessner (ANR-Colorado) – dictator; died in plane crash
1996-1997: 61) Andrez Rodriguez (ANR-Colorado) – died in office from cancer
1997-2001: 62) (ANR-Colorado) – deposed in a coup d’etat
2001-2010: 63) Julio Cesar Franco (Independent until 2002, then Liberation) – became a more active opponent of the Stroessner regime after his brother Federico Franco was killed in a 1989 purge in Asuncion; initially served on a temporary basis; organized free and fair elections for 2002, but they were postponed for nearly two years due to the severity of the nation’s SARS crisis; won a single 6-year term in 2004 due to his highly-approved handling of the SARS virus; tried and failed to become an eligible candidate in 2010, which diminished his popularity considerably
2010-2016: 64) Pedro Fadul (BF-PPL Alliance) – term-limited; unpopular due to lackluster handling of economic decline in 2013-2014
2016-present: 65) Maria Gloria Solaeche (Democratic Progressive) – incumbent; anti-corruption; term-limited

Presidents of The PHILIPPINES
1965-1986: 10) Ferdinand Marcos (Nationalist/KBL) – was instrumental to US actions during Indochina Wars; ran a dictatorship; fled to Hawaii during the People Power Revolution that ousted him from power
1986-1995: 11) Corazon Aquino (UNIDO/Independent) – widow of resistance leader Benigno S. Aquino Jr.; established term limits and retired
1995-2000: 12) Fernando Poe Jr. (KNP) – lost re-election
2000-2005: 13) Jose de Venecia Jr. (Lakas) – accused of corruption; lost re-election
2005-2015: 14) Miriam Defensor Santiago (PRP) – term-limited
2015-present: 15) Dr. Luis Antonio Tagle (Pragmatic) – incumbent; is improving relations with the US after a relations strained under last two predecessors

Leaders of POLAND
BEFORE 1984 COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT CAPITULATION:
Wojciech Jaruzelski (as First Secretary of the Polish Union Workers’ Party) and Henryk Jablonski (As Chairman OF the Council of the state)
AFTER 1984 COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT CAPITULATION (AS PRESIDENT OF POLAND):
5/23/1984-5/23/1994: 1) Jarek Kuron (Solidarity) – term-limited
5/2/1984: Kuron over Tadeusz Mazowiecki (Independent)
5/2/1989: Kuron over Jan Olszewski (Conservative Movement)
5/23/1994-5/23/1999: 2) Leszek Kolakowski (Solidarity) – retired
5/2/1994: Kolakowski over Waldemar Pawlak (Christian Democratic) and Leszek Balcerowicz (Economic Reform)
5/23/1999-5/23/2009: 3) Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (Civility) – term-limited
5/2/1999: Gonkiewicz-Waltz over Andrzej Olechowski (Defense) and Marian Krzaklewski (Solidarity)
5/2/2004: Gonkiewicz-Waltz over Waldemar Pawlak (Christian Democratic), Janusz Korwin-Mikke (Defense/Polish Right) and Janusz Sniadek (Solidarity)
5/23/2009-5/23/2019: 4) Krystyna Bochenck (Civility) – term-limited
5/2/2009: Bochenck over Donald F. Tusk (Christian Democratic) and Piotr Duda (Solidarity)
5/2/2014: Bronislaw Maria Komorowski (Christian Democratic) and Anna Grodzka (Green, endorsed by Solidarity)
5/23/2019-present: 5) Jaroslaw Leszek Walesa (Solidarity) – incumbent
5/2/2019: Jerzy Szmajdzinski (Democratic Left Alliance)

Leaders of ROMANIA
GENERAL SECRETARIES (1945-1982)
10/16/1945-4/19/1954: Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (Communist) – stepped down
4/19/1954-9/30/1955: Gheorghe Apostol (Communist) – stepped down
9/30/1955-3/19/1965: Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (Communist) – died in office from lung cancer
3/19/1965-3/29/1971: Gheorghe Apostol (Communist) – ousted in a coup
3/29/1971-7/21/1971: Ion Gheorghe Maurer (Communist) – assassinated by an unknown sniper
7/21/1971-4/28/1981: Elena Ceausescu (Communist) – fled the capitol during riots but continued to claim office until her capture and execution in July 1982
4/28/1981-7/25/1982: Ilie Verdet (Communist) – stepped down
7/25/1982-12/12/1982: Gheorghe Apostol (Communist)
PRESIDENTS (1982-present)
7/25/1982-12/12/1991: 1) Gheorghe Apostol (Communist, then Independent after June 1983) – resigned after holding Moldovan unification referendums
12/12/1991-1/7/1993: 2) Alexandra Barladeanu (Independent) – led the unofficial “transitional government”
1/7/1993-1/7/1998: 3) Michael I (Independent) – former King of Romania; upheld one-term pledge; officially called “Michael Romanescu”
1/7/1998-1/7/2003: 4) Nicolae Manolescu (Liberal Democratic (left-wing centrist)) – upheld one-term pledge
1/7/2003-1/7/2013: 5) Theodor Stolojan (Christian Democratic (right-wing centrist)) – term-limited
1/7/2013-present: 6) Dumitru Ciubasenco (Liberal Democratic (endorsed by Social Democratic in 2012 and 2017)) – incumbent; first President from the former Moldova

Kings of SAUDI ARABIA
1964-1975: Faisal – assassinated
1975-1982: Khalid – died from heart attack
1982-1993: Fahd – died from a massive stroke due to poor health being aggravated by rising protests over human rights violations
1993-2015: Abdullah – died from pneumonia
2015-present: Salman – incumbent

Presidents of SENEGAL
1960-1980: 1) Leopold Sedar Senghor (Socialist)
1980-1982: 2) Abdou Diouf (Socialist)
Presidents of The GAMBIA
1970-1982: 1) Sir Dawda Jawara (People’s)
Presidents of The SENEGAMBIA CONFEDERATION
1982-1990: 1) Abdou Diouf (Socialist)
1990-2000: 2) Assan Musa Camara (People’s)
2000-2010: 3) Abdou Diouf (Socialist)
2010-2015: 4) Moustapha Niasse (Progressive)
2015-present: 5) Adama Barrow (People’s)

Presidents of SOMALIA
1969-1995: 3) Siad Barre (Socialist) – died from complications from a heart attack suffered earlier that month
1995-2014: 4) Muhammad Ali Samatar (Socialist) – contributed to regional goal of sending astronauts to the moon in 2008 via test probe launches from the Jilib Launch Base north of Jilib; investigated for committing a series of illegal and impeachable actions; pardoned self and stepped down amid economic crisis
2014-present: 5) Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Socialist) – introduced reform to bring country out of recession; incumbent

Presidents of SOUTH AFRICA
1984-1989: 1) Nelson Mandela (ANC) – succeeded P. W. Botha; retired
1989-1994: 2) Steve Biko (BCM/Inkatha Freedom (People’s)) – lost re-election
1994-2004: 3) Chris Hani (ANC) – term-limited
2004-2008: 4) Mangosuthu Buthelezi (People’s) – impeached and removed from for his involvement in the 2007 I.O.C. Bribery Scandal
2008-2014: 5) Keorapetse Kgositsile (ANC, Independent after 11/2/2013) – was elected Deputy President in 2004; elected to a full term in 2009; retired
2014-2019: 6) Nosimo Zisiwe Beauty Balindlela (Democratic Alliance) – first female President; lost re-election
2019-present: 4) Mosima G. “Tokyo” Sexwale (ANC) – incumbent

Prime Ministers of SPAIN (1975-present)
1975-1976: Carlos Arias Navarro (NM) – oversaw transition from Francoism to democracy; resigned amid waning popularity
1976-1981: Adolfo Suarez (NM until 1977, then UCD) – legalized all political parties and negotiated the creation of autonomous communities
1981-1982: Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo (UCD) – supported efforts to have Spain join NATO; oversaw responses to the 1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt
1982-1990: Felipe Gonzalez (PSOE) – implemented liberal reforms and economic restructuring, and improved education and the social security system
1990-1995: Adolfo Suarez (CDS) – addressed worker strikes with denationalization measures meant to lower unemployment rates
1995-2007: Felipe Gonzalez (PSOE) – learned from his previous administration's mistakes to successfully combat unemployment with lower interest rates, expanding labor markets, and modernizing industries; resigned, after roughly 20 non-consecutive years as PM, due to fatigue
2007-2008: Joaquin Almunia (PSOE) – eased recreadrug restrictions and sought to strengthen relations among all the nations of Europe
2008-2011: Angel Acebes (PP) – worked to deregulate economy to encourage entrepreneurial growth
2011-2013: Jose Blanco (PSOE) – struggled to deal with the Great European recession of 2013
2013-2014: Soraya Saenz de Santamaria (PP) – struggled to deal with both economic recession and rising secession movements
2014-2015: Jose Antonio Perez Tapias (PSOE) – dealt with unemployment-fueled secession efforts by improving post-recession conditions
2015-2019: Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba (PSOE) – protected trans rights and improved relations abroad; died in office suddenly from a massive stroke
2019-2020: Susana Diaz (PSOE) – championed laws to protect women from workplace pestering and prejudice
2020-present: Santiago Abascal (PP/Vox Alliance) – incumbent; a “compromise” candidate during the last election now seen as highly controversial and divisive for multiple far-right statements and actions

Presidents of SRI LANKA
1972-1978: 1) William Gopallawa (Independent) – position altered in 1978 from ceremonial to executive
1978-1989: 2) J. R. Jayawardene (UNP) – term-limited
1989-1993: 3) Ranasinghe Premadasa (UNP) – assassinated
1993-2001: 4) Dingiri Banda Wijetunga (UNP) – allowed UK PM John Lennon mediate peace talks between him and LTTE leader Selvarasa Pathmanathan in early 1994, resulting in the three of them sharing the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for ending the Sri Lankan Civil War earlier that year; term-limited
2001-2007: 5) Gamini Dissanayake (UNP) – term-limited
2007-2013: 6) Victor Hettigoda (Freedom) – term-limited
2013-2019: 7) Ranil Wickremesinghe (UNP) – term-limited
2019-present: 8) Shirani Bandaranayake (Freedom) – incumbent

Presidents of SUDAN
1969-1985: 6) Jaafar Nimeiry (Military/SSU) – deposed
1985-1986: 7) Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab (Military) – handed over power to civilian government
1986-1989: 8) Ahmed al-Mirghani (DUP) – deposed
1989-2013: 9) Omar al-Bashir (Military/NCP) – deposed; fled and captured; tried and found guilty of numerous charges by the UN International Tribunal Court and sentenced to life in prison at Helmond
2013-2014: 10) Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf (Military/NCP) – deposed
2014-2017: 11) Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (Military) – handed over power to civilian government
2017-present: 12) Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior (SUP) – first female President; incumbent

Co-Presidents of SOUTH SUDAN
2014-present: 1 and 2) Khalil Ibrahim and Ahmed Diraige (Independents)

Presidents of SURINAME
1975-1978: 1) Johan Ferrier – overthrown in a coup
1978-1978: disputed – position essentially shared by Desi Bouterse and Henck Arron
1978-1982: 2) Desire Delano “Desi” Bouterse – overthrown in a coup
1982-1993: 3) Wilfred Hawker – restored democracy in 1985 and was democratically elected to two four-year terms; arrested after attempted a self-coup
1993-1993: 4) Henk Chin A Sen – completed Hawker’s term
1993-2001: 5) Ronnie Brunswijk – youngest President; term-limited
President-Elect in 2001: Pretaap Radhakishum – died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 66, one week before he could be sworn into the Presidency
2001-2009: 6) Niermala Badrising – first female President (TTL’s Sarah Palin); term-limited
2009-2013: 7) Robert Ameerali – term-limited
2013-2014: 8) Dino Bouterse – arrested after evidence was spilled ontech of his ties to several major international recreadrug cartels
2014-2017: 9) Gregory Rusland – lost re-election
2017-2021: 10) Ashwin Adhin – lost re-election
2021-present: 11) Diana Pokie – second female President; incumbent

Prime Ministers of SWEDEN
1946-1969: 25) Tage Erlander (Social Democrats) – introduced universal health insurance and pension additions; hosted the 1968 Sanders-Shelepin Summit in Gothenburg
1969-1976: 26) Olof Palme (Social Democrats) – maintained a “non-alignment” policy during the Cold War
1976-1978: 27) Thorbjorn Falldin (Centre Party) – rose quickly in politics after a career in farming
1978-1979: 28) Ola Ullsten (People’s Party) – led minority government amid inter- and intra- party disagreements over energy policy
1979-1982: (27)) Thorbjorn Falldin (Centre Party) – lauded for humbleness and straightforwardness, but failed to form coalitions to pass meaningful legislation
1982-1988: (26)) Olof Palme (Social Democrats) – restructured and modernized several industries
1988-1989: 29) Carl Bildt (Moderate) – failed to pass tax reform over concerns of it negatively impacting social programs
1989-2001: (26)) Olof Palme (Social Democrats) – implemented a progressive tax plan; worked well with US President Carol Bellamy and strengthened Swedish relations with Yugoslavia, leading to many Yugovs naming their children after him
2001-2008: 30) Anna Lindh (Social Democrats) – first female PM; close ally of predecessor during the 1990s; praised for handling the Global SARS Pandemic of 2002-2003 but criticized in 2007 for raising taxes to pay for “unprecedental” national medical expenses
2008-2011: 31) Bo Lundgren (Alliance) – lowered taxes and replaced anti-unemployment policies with anti-inflationary policies, which were later blamed for worsening economic conditions during The Great European Recession of 2013
2011-2013: 32) Lennart Daléus (Social Democrats) – environmentalist and former centrist; often feuded with Deputy PM Håkan Juholt
2013-2014: 33) Maud Olofsson (Centre) – allegedly worsened economic conditions by allying with Moderates and the Neoliberal wing of the Social Democrats to deregulate banking procedures and reduce wealth taxes
2014-present: 34) Mona Ingeborg Andersson Sahlin (Social Democrats) – reversed predecessor’s actions; currently enjoying high approval ratings

Presidents of SYRIA
1971-1997: 18) Hafez al-Assad – died
1997-1999: -- Bassel al-Assad (claimed office)
1997-2009: 19) Abdul Halim Khaddam – retired
2009-2021: 20) Farouk al-Sharaa – Khaddam’s preferred successor; retired
2021-present: 21) Ghazi Kanaan – al-Sharaa's preferred successor; incumbent

Presidents of TAIWAN
1948-1975: 1) Chiang Kai-shek (Kuomintang) – died in office amid PRC Civil War
1975-1978: 2) Yen Chia-kan (Kuomintang) – considered invading the PRC during its Civil War of 1975; retired
1978-1988: 3) Chiang Ching-kuo (Kuomintang) – died in office
1988-2000: 4) Lee Teng-hui (Kuomintang) – implemented free elections in 1995; won 1996 election in a landslide as it occurred two days after the Second Korean War officially ended; retired; left office with high approval ratings
2000-2008: 5) Peng Ming-min (Democratic Progressive) – entered office at the age of 76; term-limited
2008-2012: 6) You Ching (Democratic Progressive) – lost re-election
2012-2020: 7) Elmer Fung (Kuomintang) – term-limited
2020-present: 8) Lin Ting-chun (Democratic Progressive) – first female President; daughter of former Presidential candidate Lin Yi-hsiung; her twin sister Liang-chun serves in the national legislature; incumbent

Presidents of TRANSNISTRIA (independence declared in 1991, achieved in 1992)
1991-2001: 1) Andrey Manoylov (Independent until 1993, then Country) – retired due to poor health
2001-2006: 2) Alexandru Caraman (Country) – lost re-election over his poor handling of SARS Global Pandemic
2006-2014: 3) Aleksandr Radchenko (Socialist-Democratic) – died in office from poor health
2014-2016: 4) Ilona Tyuryaeva (Socialist-Democratic) – lost election
2016-2021: 5) Oleg Khorzhan (Socialist-Democratic) – lost re-nomination
2021-present: 6) Yevgeny Shevchuk (Independent) – incumbent

List of Presidents of TURKEY
1961-1966: 4) Cemal Gursel – died in office from poor health
1966-1969: 5) Cevdet Sunay – removed from office over the Turkish Missile Crisis of 1969
1969-1974: 6) Sadi Irmak – co-led a shift in Greco-Turkish relations after the Bulgarian Plot of 1971 was uncovered
1974-1980: 7) Naim Talu – former economist and banker who left office willing after losing re-election
1980-1990: 8) M. Fethullah Gulen – left-of-center reformist; almost overthrown in 1982; another coup attempt was planned in 1984 for later in the year but the plan fell apart once the USSR collapsed
1990-1997: 9) Suleyman Demirel – center-right
1997-2009: 10) Deniz Baykal – left-leaning
2009-2019: 11) Kemal Kilicdaroglu – centrist reformer
2019-present: 12) Cem Uzan – former businessman; incumbent

Leaders of UGANDA
PRESIDENTS of The FIRST REPUBLIC
1963-1966: 1) Edward Mutesa (Kabaka Yekka) – overthrown
1966-1971: 2) Milton Obote (Uganda People’s Congress) – overthrown
PRESIDENT of The MILITARY JUNTA
1971-1976: 3) Idi Amin (Ugandan Armed Forces) – overthrown, fled and captured alive in UK-led, US-based military intervention
PRIME MINISTERS of The SECOND REPUBLIC
1976-1979: 4) Paul Ssemogerere (Democratic) – politically moderate; stepped down over continued political partisan fighting
1979-1980: 5) Edward Rugumayo (Democratic) – party lost majority control; results contest by both parties
1980-1982: 6) Dani Wadada Nabudere (Uganda People’s Congress) – left-leaning intellectualist; overthrown in a coup later discovered to have been strongly backed by the US’s Denton administration and CIA
PRESIDENTS of The THIRD REPUBLIC
1982-1996: 7) Tito Lutwa Okello (Liberty) – passed away from an undisclosed illness at the age of 81
1996-1999: 8) Henry Oryem Okello (Liberty) – entered office at the age of 36; son of Tito Okello; overthrown in nationwide pro-democracy movement; currently resides in London
PRESIDENTS of The FOURTH REPUBLIC
1999-1999: Temporary Governing Council – committee of 27 community leaders who worked with local officials to form a consensus when developing a new constitution; dissolved upon inauguration of newly elected President
1999-2005: (2)) Milton Obote (People’s) – dealt with the SARS global pandemic; died in office at the age of 80
2005-2007: 9) Olara A. Otunnu (People’s) – lost election to a full term and failed to overturn the election results or rally enough members of the military to launch a self-coup
2007-2015: 10) Dr. Kizza Besigye (New Democratic) – term-limited
2015-2019: 11) Robinah Nabbanja (Nationalist) – first female President; lost re-election; received praise for accepting the election results and conceding graciously, leading to her receiving a position in her successor’s cabinet
2019-present: (10)) Dr. Kizza Besigye (New Democratic) – incumbent

Presidents of The UKRAINE
1984-1991: 1) Leonid Kravchuk (Independent) – term-limited
1991-1998: 2) Viachselav Chornovil (People’s Movement) – term-limited
1998-2005: 3) Levko Lukyanenko (Republican) – term-limited
2005-2012: 4) Leonid Kuchma (Independent) – surrounded by scandals; term-limited
2012-2017: 5) Oleksandr Moroz (Social Centric) – died in plane crash
2017-2019: 6) Inna Bohoslovska (Social Centric) – ascended to the position due to being Vice President; first female President; lost election
2019-present: 7) Yulia Tymoshenko (Ukrainian Left) – incumbent

Prime Ministers of The UNITED KINGDOM
10 Jan 1957 – 18 Oct 1963: Harold Macmillan (Conservative) – stepped down
1959: Macmillan over Hugh Gaitskell (Labour) and Jo Grimond (Liberal)
18 Oct 1963 – 27 Aug 1965: Alec Douglas-Home (C) – party lost majority
1964: Douglas-Home over Harold Wilson (Labour) and Jo Grimond (Liberal)
27 Aug 1965 – 15 May 1968: George Brown (Labour) – stepped down
1965: Brown over Douglas-Home (C) and Jo Grimond (Liberal)
15 May 1968 – 10 Oct 1968: John Stonehouse (Labour) – removed from office for treason
10 Oct 1968 – 3 Dec 1968: Michael Foot (Labour) – party lost majority
3 Dec 1968 – 28 Mar 1973: Enoch Powell (C) – party lost majority
1968: Powell over Jeremy Thorpe (Liberal) and Michael Foot (Labour)
28 Mar 1973 – 15 Sept 1983: Dingle M. Foot (Labour) – stepped down
1973: Foot over Enoch Powell (C) and David Steel (Liberal)
1975: Foot over Edward Heath (C) and David Steel (Liberal)
1979: Foot over Edward Heath (C), David Steel (Liberal) and Mary Whitehouse (Moralist)
15 Sept 1983 – 26 Nov 1987: Shirley Williams (Labour) – party lost majority
1984: Williams over Jim Prior (C), David Steel/David Owen (SDP-Liberal Alliance), United Kingdom Intrepid Progressive (Eric Heffer) and Mary Whitehouse (Moralist)
26 Nov 1987 – 4 Feb 1992: Alastair Goodlad (C) – party lost majority
1987: Goodlad over Shirley Williams (Labour), David Steel/David Owen (SDP-Liberal Alliance), and Eric Heffer (UKIP)
4 Feb 1992 – 8 Mar 2004: John Winston Lennon (Labour) – resigned per campaign promise
1992: Lennon over Goodlad (C), Paddy Ashdown (Liberal Democrats), and Jeremy Corbyn (UK Intrepid Progressive)
1995: Lennon over Jill Knight (C), Paddy Ashdown (LD), and Jeremy Corbyn (UKIP)
2000: Lennon over Nigel Lawson (C), Charles Kennedy (LD), and Rosemary Byrne/Tommy Sheridan (UKIP/Socialist Alliance)
2002: Beckett over Ken Clarke (C), Charles Kennedy (LD), and Belinda Lee (UKIP)
8 Mar 2004 – 28 Nov 2006: Harriet Harman (Labour) – lost re-election
2005: Beckett over Ken Clarke (C), Charles Kennedy (LD), and Belinda Lee (UKIP)
28 Nov 2006 – 16 Aug 2011: Michael Heseltine (C) – lost re-election
2006: Heseltine over Harman (Labour), Charles Kennedy (LD), and Belinda Lee (UKIP)
2010: Heseltine over Alan Beith (Labour) and Charles Kennedy (LD), and Peter Bevan-Baker (UKIP)
16 Aug 2011 – 3 Mar 2015: Mary Creagh (L) – resigned unexpectedly
2011: Creagh over Michael Heseltine (C), Lynne Featherstone (LD), Caroline Lucas (Green), and Peter Bevan-Baker (UKIP)
2014: Creagh over Jacob Rees-Mogg (C), Greg Mulholland (LD), Blair Jenkins (Scottish People’s), and Caroline Lucas (Green)
3 Mar 2015 – 10 Oct 2015: Lawrence Sanders (L) – resigned once “a more long-term” party leader was elected
10 Oct 2015 – 17 Dec 2016: Ed Balls (L) – lost re-election
17 Dec 2016 – 28 Sept 2020: Alastair Goodlad (C) – lost re-election
2016: Goodlad over Ed Balls (L), Wera Hobhouse (LD), Blair Jenkins (Scottish People’s) and Caroline Lucas (Green)
28 Sept 2020 – present: Guy Standing (L) – incumbent
2020: Standing over Alastair Goodlad (C), Daisy Cooper (LD), Louise Hay Linton (Scottish People’s) and Amelia Womack (Green)
Mayors of LONDON
1993-2001: Chris Patten (Conservative) – term-limited
2001-2005: Tony Banks (Labour) – lost re-election
2005-2013: Steven Norris (Conservative) – term-limited
2013-2021: Nicky Gavron (Labour) – term-limited; first female mayor
2021-present: Eddie Izzard (Labour) – incumbent; first BLUTAGO mayor, announcing a preference for “she/her” pronouns in 2020

Presidents of The Republic of UNITED KOREA (formed in 1996)
1996-1998: 1) Kim Young-sam (Democratic Liberal Party, then New Korea, then Independent) – was president of South Korea 1993-1996
1998-2003: 2) Kim Dae-jung (Democratic Liberal Party, then Millennium Democratic Party) – term-limited
1997: Lee Hoi-chang (Democratic Conservative Party)
2003-2008: 3) Hong Sook-ja (Social Democratic Party) – first female President; term-limited
2002: Lee In-je (MDP), Choi Byung-ryul (GNP), Kwon Young-ghil (DLP), Roh Moo-hyun (DCP) and Chung Dong-young (Independent)
2008-2013: 4) Lee Hoi-chang (Grand National Party) – term-limited
2007: Chun Young-se (SDP), Park Jie-won (DUP), Thae Yong-ho (DLP) and Roh Moo-hyun (MDP)
2013-2018: 5) Han Myeong-sook (Democratic Unity Party, then Centrist Democratic Party) – second female President; term-limited
2012: Lee Myung-bak (GNP), Kang Gi-gap (DLP) and Kim Je-dong (SDP)
2018-2020: 6) Roh Hoe-chan (Social Democratic Party, then Independent) – initially highly popular; impeached, convicted and removed from office for accepting bribes and workplace misconduct, shifting election cycles by nearly three years; later put on suicide watch after attempting suicide over his fall from grace
2017: Moon Sung-hyeon (DLP), Chung Dong-young (CDP), Park Won-soon (GNP) and Lee Jae-oh (Populist)
2020-2021: 7) Woo Hee-jong (Grand National Party, then National Sensibility Party) – served as interim leader while staying on as Prime Minister
2021-present: 8) Ji Seong-ho (Democratic Liberal Party) – first United Korea President from “the former North”; youngest Korean President ever, entering office at the age of 38; incumbent
2020: Rhyu Si-min (SDP), Sim Sang-jeong (Populist), Lee Sang-don (Reform)

Presidents of The UNITED STATES of AMERICA
1/20/1961-1/20/1965: 35) Lyndon Baines Johnson (Democratic-TX) – lost re-election
VP: 37) Hubert H. Humphrey Jr. (D-MN) – lost re-election
1960: Johnson/Humphrey over Richard M. Nixon/Walter Judd (R)
1/20/1965-1/20/1973: 36) Harland David “Colonel” Sanders (Republican-KY) – term-limited
VP: 38) William Scranton (R-PA) – term-limited
1964: Sanders/Scranton (R) over Lyndon B. Johnson/Hubert Humphrey (D) and John M. Patterson/C. Farris Bryant (Heritage and Independence Party)
1968: Sanders/Scranton (R) over Jack Kennedy/Grant Sawyer (D)
1/20/1973-1/20/1981: 37) Walter Frederick “Fritz” Mondale (D-MN) – term-limited
VP: 39) Maurice Robert “Mike” Gravel (D-AS) – term-limited
1972: Mondale/Gravel (D) over William Scranton/Mike Stepovich (R)
1976: Mondale/Gravel (D) over Ronald Reagan/William Westmoreland (R)
1/20/1981-12/28/1986: 38) Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. (R-AL) – resigned
VP: 40) Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. (R-TN) (resigned), then none (between 8/15/1985 and 11/14/1985), then 41) Jack French Kemp (R-NY) – ascended
1980: Denton/Alexander (R) over Scoop Jackson (D)/Jimmy Carter (replaced Jake Butcher) (D) and Phil Hoff/Pete McCloskey (Progressive/“Far-Left coalition”)
1984: Denton/Alexander (R) over Mike Gravel/J. Charles Jones (D)
12/28/1986-1/20/1989: 39) Jack French Kemp (R-NY) – lost nomination
VP: none (until 4/2/1987), then 42) J. J. Polonko Jr. (R-NJ) – not nominated for a full term
1/20/1989-1/20/1993: 40) Carol Bellamy (D-NY) – lost re-election
VP: 43) Jerry Litton (D-MO) – lost re-election
1988: Bellamy/Litton (D) over Maureen Reagan/Richard Lugar (R) and Glen Bell/Bill Daniels (Independent)
1/20/1993-5/9/1995: 41) Lido A. “Lee” Iacocca (R-CA) – assassinated
VP: 44) Larry Miles Dinger (R-IA) – ascended
1992: Iacocca/Dinger (R) over Bellamy/Litton (D)
5/9/1995-1/20/2001: 42) Larry Miles Dinger (R-IA) – lost re-election
VP: none (until 10/12/1995), then 45) James Howard Meredith (R-MS) – lost re-election
1996: Dinger/Meredith (R) over John Glenn/Raymond Eugene Green (D)
1/20/2001-1/20/2009: 43) Jesse L. Jackson Sr. (D-SC) – term-limited
VP: 46) Paul David Wellstone (D-MN) – term-limited
2000: Jackson/Wellstone (D) over Dinger/Meredith (R)
2004: Jackson/Wellstone (D) over Bernie Goetz/Eldon Bargewell (R)
1/20/2009-1/20/2013: 44) Paul David Wellstone (D-MN) – lost re-election
VP: 47) Robert Norman “Bob” Ross (D-AS) – lost re-election
2008: Wellstone/Ross (D) over Olympia Snowe/Gary Johnson (R) and Bernie Goetz/Beverly J. “Bev” Kilmer (Boulder/Strong/Action)
1/20/2013-11/10/2020: 45) Allen Kelsey (Kelsey) Grammer (R-CA) – resigned to “recover from stress and recent health issues, and spend more time with family,” but also to let his friend, the VP, serve as President
VP: 48) Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID) – ascended
2012: Grammer/Brown (R) over Paul Wellstone/Bob Ross (D) and Jason Buck/Bob Wise (Boulder/Strong)
2016: Grammer/Brown (R) over Gary Locke/Robert P. Casey Jr. (D) and Jimmy McMillan/John J. Capozzi Jr. (various)
11/10/2020-1/20/2021: 46) Harley Davidson Brown (R-ID) – completed Grammer’s term
VP: none (until 12/1/2020), then 49) Bonnie Dumanis (R-MA) – completed Brown’s term
1/20/2021-present: 47) Charlotte Pritt (D-WV)
– incumbent
VP: 50) Kwame Raoul (D-IL)
– incumbent
2020 (first round): Pritt/Raoul (D) over Harley Davidson Brown/Jennifer Sandra Johnson (R), Jimmy McMillan/Krist Novoselic (People’s), and many others
2020 (final round): Pritt/Raoul (D) over Harley Davidson Brown/Jennifer Sandra Johnson (R)

Leaders of RUSSIA
Premiers of The U.S.S.R. (SOVIET RUSSIA)
14 Oct 1953 – 5 Feb 1963: Nikita Khrushchev (Communist) – deposed
5 Feb 1963 – 10 Dec 1968: Alexander Nikolayevich Shelepin (C) – died in accident, during an argument over the merits of detente, at the age of 50
10 Dec 1968 – 21 Apr 1969: Aleksi Inauri (C) – in office during the Turkish Missile Crisis; died from stress and poor health at the age of 61
21 Apr 1969 – 7 Dec 1976: Alexei Nikolayevich Kosygin (C) – died in office at the age of 72 from exhaustion from overworking
7 Dec 1976 – 12 March 1977: Nikolai Tikhonov (C)
– Kosygin ally; deposed
12 March 1977 – 25 Jan 1982: Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov (C)
– died in office at the age of 79 from arteriosclerosis and diabetes
25 Jan 1982 – 12 Jan 1983: Nikolai Viktorovich Podgorny (C) – died in office at the age of 79 from cancer
23 Jan 1983 – 9 May 1984: Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov (C) – died in office at the age of 75 from multiple factors, including stress, pneumonia, and issues with his liver, kidneys and aortic valve
9 May 1984 – 15 May 1984: Vladimir Orlov (C) – retired
15 May 1984 – 16 Sept 1984: Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev (C) – position dissolved
Presidents of The N.D.R.R. (RUSSIAN REPUBLIC)
16 Sept 1984 – 17 Aug 1985: 1) Vladimir Orlov (independent) – retired
17 Aug 1985 – 17 Aug 1995: 2) Vladislav Volkov (Democratic)
– former cosmonaut; retired amid declining popularity
17 Aug 1995 – 17 Aug 2000: 3) Viktor Chernomyrdin (Motherland) – lost re-nomination and retired
17 Aug 2000 – 17 Aug 2005: 4) Nina Lobkovskaya (independent) – had a long and colorful military career (starting with being a sniper during WWII); retired at the age of 80; still alive (as of July 4, 2021) at the age of 96
17 Aug 2005 – 17 Aug 2015: 5) Oleg Malyshkin (National/Iron Fist until 2012, National after Iron Fist dissolved in 2012) – retired amid declining popularity
17 Aug 2015 – 17 Aug 2020: 6) Vladimir Nikolayev (National) – highly controversial; lost re-election over declining economy, and unsuccessfully contested the results; fled the country after leaving office amid criminal investigations into his ties to numerous scandals and other actions
17 Aug 2020 – present: 7) Sholban Kara-ool (Protectionist) – incumbent

Presidents of UNITED TURKESTAN
12/28/1983-1/5/1993: 1) Mukhtar Ablyazov of Kazakhstan (Independent/Unity) – one of the nation’s co-founders; elected in 1983, 1986, and 1989
1/5/1993-1/5/1999: 2) Ishenbai Kadyrbekov of Kyrgyzstan (Unity) – elected in 1992 and re-elected in 1995; lost re-election
1/5/1999-12/6/2006: 3) Han Ahmedow of Turkmenistan (Unity) – elected in 1998, 2001, and 2004; died in office from a sudden heart attack
12/6/2006-7/7/2008: 4) Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan (National) – ascended to the Presidency due to being Head of the National Gathering; elected in 2007 over Zamanbek Nurkadilov (disputed); accussed to being a dictator for implementing restrictive and biased rules and regulations; assassinated
7/7/2008-1/5/2011: 5) Imangali Tasmagambetov of Kazakhstan (Unity) – ascended to the Presidency due to being Head of the National Gathering; retired
1/5/2011-1/5/2017: 6) Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgystan (Social Democratic) – first female President; lost re-election amid poor approval ratings
1/5/2017-present: 7) Muhammad Salih of Uzbekistan (Prosperity) – incumbent

Presidents of SOUTH VIETNAM
1955-1965: Ngo Dinh Diem (Personalist Labor Revolutionary) – resigned under US pressure
1965-1967: Nguyen Khanh (Unity Through Strength) – cooperated with US ahead of the successful Invasion of Hanoi
Presidents of UNITED VIETNAM
1967-1969: 1) Nguyen Khanh (Unity Through Strength) – resigned under US pressure
1969-1972: 2) Nguyen Xuan Oanh (Unity Through Strength until 1971, Peaceful Today and Tomorrow after 1971) – lost re-election
1972-1975: 3) Nguyen Hop Doan (Healing and Rebuilding) – expanded Presidential terms from two years to three, then lost re-election
1975-1979: 4) Phan Huy Quat (Strength Through Peace) – died, shifting elections
1979: 5) Ngo Quang Truong (Strength Through Peace)
– lost bid for a full term
1979-1988: 6) Have Thich Tri Quang (Tranquility) – retired after serving for three 3-year terms
1988-1998: 7) Nguyen Ngoc Loan (Order) – died, shifting elections
1998: 8) Gen. Cao Van Vien (Order) – Loan’s preferred successor; lost bid for a full term
1998-2007: 9) Nguyen Thi Binh (b. 1928) (Strength Through Peace) – first female Head of State; limited to three 3-year terms following 1999 reforms
2007-2013: 10) Nguyen Thien Nhan (b. 1953) (Order) – lost re-election
2013-2016: 11) Viet D. Dinh (b. 1968) (Safe Center) – lost re-election
2016-2019: 12) Vo Thi Anh Xuan (b. 1970) (Strength Through Peace) – lost re-election
2019-present: 13) Cao Quang Anh (b. 1967) (Safe Center) – incumbent

Presidents of URUGUAY
1985-1990: 57) Julio Maria Sanguinetti (b. 1936) (Colorado (centrist)) – term-limited
1990-1995: 58) Carlos Julio Pereyra (1922-2020) (National (right-leaning centrist))
– term-limited
1995-2000: 59) Julio Maria Sanguinetti (b. 1936) (Colorado) – term-limited
2000-2005: 60) Tabare Vazquez (1940-2020) (Broad Front (left-leaning centrist)) – oversaw the effective implementation of “safezoning” measures
2005-2010: 61) Azucena Berrutti (b. 1929) (Broad Front) – first female head-of-state
2010-2015: 62) Jose Mujica (b. 1935) (Broad Front) – won over initial frontrunner Julio Maria Sanguinetti; term-limited
2015-2020: 63) Jorge Larranaga (b. 1956) (National) – term-limited
2020-present: 64) Graciela Villar (b. 1957) (Broad Front) – term-limited

President of VENEZUELA
1969-1974: 39) Rafael Caldera (COPEI) – term-limited
1974-1979: 40) Carlos Andres Perez (Democratic Action) – term-limited
1979-1984: 41) Luis Pinerua Ordaz (Democratic Action) – term-limited
1984-1989: 42) Jose Rangel (MAS) – term-limited
1989-1994: 43) Teodoro Petkoff (MAS) – term-limited
1994-1999: 44) Eduardo Fernandez (COPEI) – term-limited
1999-2004: 45) Claudio Fermin (Democratic Action) – term-limited
2004-2009: 46) Oswaldo Alvarez Paz (COPEI) – term-limited
2009-2012: 47) Tarek William Saab (MAS) – resigned amid legal issues
2012-2014: 48) Henri Falcon (MAS) – lost election to a full term
2014-2019: 49) Leopoldo Lopez (Democratic Action) – term-limited
2019-present: 50) Stalin Gonzalez (Democratic Action) – incumbent

Presidents of NORTH YEMEN
1962-1967: 1) Abdullah al-Sallal (Military) – deposed
1967-1974: 2) Abdul Rahman al-Iryani (Independent) – deposed
1974-2003: 3) Ibrahim al-Hamdi (Military) – died from complications to SARS
2003-2005: 4) Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi (Military) – deposed
2005-present: 5) Ali Abdullah Saleh (Military until 2009, then People’s) – incumbent

General-Secretaries of SOUTH YEMEN
1978-1996: 1) Abdul Fattah Ismail (Yemeni Socialist Party) – ousted in inner-party coup after he supported North Korea in the Second Korean War
1996-2017: 2) Ali Salem al Beidh (Yemeni Socialist Party) – stepped down due to declining health
2017-present: 3) Aidarus al-Zoubaidi (Yemeni Socialist Party) – is the protégé of his predecessor; incumbent

Presidiums of YUGOSLAVIA
1953-1984: Josip Broz Tito (of Croatia) – died in office
1984-1989: Veselin Duranovic (of Montenegro) – helped stabilize the country after his predecessor’s demise
1989-1992: Radovan Vlajkovic (of Vojvodina)
– terms amended to three years per Presidium
1992-1995: Ibrahim Rugova (of Kosovo) – term-limited
1995-1998: Stojan Andov (of Macedonia)
– term-limited
1998-2001: Raif Dizdarevic (of Bosnia/Herzegovina) – term-limited
2001-2004: Lojze Peterle (of Slovenia) – term-limited
2004-2005: Radoman Bozovic (of Serbia) – removed from office over scandals, creating a brief constitutional crisis
2005-2007: Zoran Dindic (of Serbia) – completed Bozovic’s term; served as “Acting Presidium” for the first 8 days, until national court ruled in his favor over Meta’s
2007-2010: Ilir Meta (of Albania) – shifted national policy to be more favorable to the rest of Europe; very popular for relinquishing claim to office in 2005
2010-2013: Kolinda Graber-Kitarovic (of Croatia) – first female Presidium; term-limited
2013-2016: Milo Dukanovic (of Montenegro) – term-limited
2016-2019: Bojan Pajtic (of Vojvodina) – term-limited
2019-present: Atifete Jahjaga (of Kosovo) – second female Presidium; incumbent

Presidents of ZAMBIA
1964-2014: 1) Kenneth Kaunda (Independence) – stayed in power for so long due to opposition failing to unite against him and by allowing moderate reform on occasion to placate riotous masses; nearly overthrown at least two dozen times but also managed to either broker peace deals that kept him in power or defeat his opponents outright through military action or political purges; stepped down due to poor health, shortly after celebrating his 50th year in power, and less than three years after the death of his wife; has been under house arrest intermittently since 2015; still alive as of July 4, 2021, at the age of 97
2014-2014: 2) Guy Scott (Independence) – first white (Caucasian; half-English, half-Scottish) President in mainland sub-Saharan Africa since apartheid ended in South Africa; appointed Vice President in 2011 after serving in several administrative posts; scheduled the nation’s first-ever truly free elections; retired
2014-2019: 3) Hakainde Hichilema (Democratic) – former businessman; lost re-election and failed to contest the election results due to the size of the runoff’s margin; previously ran in the rigged elections held in 2004 and 2010 and has already announced his intention to run again in the 2024 election
2019-present: 4) Christine Kaseba (Patriotic) – first female President; former physician and surgeon; incumbent

Presidents of ZIMBABWE
1980-1992: 1) Canaan Banana (ZANU) – won election in 1980, 1985, 1990; resigned amid waning popularity
1992-1999: 2) Joshua Nkomo (ZANU) – won a full term in 1995; died in office from prostate cancer
1999-2000: 3) Bernard Chidzero (ZANU) – retired due to declining health
2000-2005: 4) Abel Muzorewa (UANC) – won election in 2000; dealt with SARS pandemic ravaging communities by pleading with populace to follow safezoning guidelines; retired from office at the age of 80
2005-2018: 5) Morgan Tsvangirai (ZAPDU) – won election in 2005, 2010, and 2015; dealt with nationwide energy crises; died in office from prostate cancer
2018-present: 6) Arthur Mutambara (ZAPDU) – won a full term in 2020; incumbent

Also:
List of Popes
1958-1963: 261) John XXIII (b. Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in Sotto il Monte, Italy) – became Pope at the age of 76; supported nuclear disarmament; excommunicated Fidel Castro; died in office
1963-1978: 262) Paul VI (b. Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini in Concesio, Italy) – became Pope at the age of 65; first Pope since 1809 to travel outside of Italy; died in office
1978: 263) John Paul I (b. Albino Luciani in Forno di Canale, Italy) – became Pope at the age of 65; abolished the Papal Coronation tradition and the use of the sedia gestatoria; died in office
1978-2005: 264) John Paul II (b. Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland) – became Pope at the age of 58, making him the youngest Pope since Pius IX (1846); first Slavic Pope and first non-Italian Pope since Adrian VI (1522-1523); traveled extensively; second-longest reigning Pope; died in office
2005-present: 265) Patrick (b. Francis Arinze in Onitsha, Nigeria) – became Pope at the age of 72; first Black Pope and first Pope born outside of Europe since Gregory III (731-741); conservative reluctant to institute massive reform to church procedures and traditions; incumbent

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[pic: imgur.com/JzJ4gGy.png ]
World Map, c. July 2021 (includes: Czechoslovakia, Transnistria, Gagauzia, United Romania, Yugoslavia, Alania, United Turkestan, United Korea, North Yemen, South Yemen, Darfur, The Fulani Republic, Vakaga (a.k.a. The Birao Republic), and The Kingdom of Sanwi)
 
Post 116
Post 116: Index 2


Index 2 – U.S. Senators


Senate Majority Leaders:


1961-1977: Mike Mansfield (D-MT) – retired from the Senate at the age of 73

1977-1979: Robert Byrd (D-WV) – party lost majority

1979-1987: Howard Baker (R-TN) – party lost majority

1987-1997: Robert Byrd (D-WV) – party lost majority

1997-1999: Bob Dole (R-KS) – party lost majority

1999-2000: Robert Byrd (D-WV) – party lost majority mid-congressional session due to "vacancy-appointee" situation that unfolded

2000-2001: Bob Dole (R-KS) – party lost majority

2001-2005: Robert Byrd (D-WV) – retired from position due to party's shift to the left but retained Senate seat

2005-2011: Gary Locke (D-WI) – party lost majority

2011-2021: Webb Franklin (R-MS) – party lost majority

2021-present: Midge Osterlund (D-PA) – incumbent



Democratic Party Leaders:

1961-1977: Mike Mansfield (D-MT) – retired from the Senate at the age of 73

1977-2005: Robert Byrd (D-WV) – retired from position due to party shifting to the left but retained Senate seat

2005-2016: Gary Locke (D-WI) – resigned from position (but not from seat) to focus on a run for President

2016-present: Midge Osterlund (D-PA) – incumbent



Republican Party Leaders:

1959-1969: Everett Dirksen (R-IL) – died in office from complications to surgery that had successfully removed cancer from his lungs

1969-1971: Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) – resigned from position (but not from seat) to focus on a run for President

1971-1987: Howard Baker (R-TN) – retired from the position but retained Senate seat

1987-2005: Bob Dole (R-KS) – retired from the position due to declining health issues but retained Senate seat

2005-present: Webb Franklin (R-MS) - incumbent



US Senate Committees

Committee – Chair – Ranking Member

1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry – Mike Gravel (D-AS) – Robert Lee Vander Plaats (R-IA)

2) Appropriations – Sharon Sayles-Belton (D-MN) – Carla J. Stovall (R-KS)

3) Armed Services and Domestic Security – Upendra Chivukula (D-NJ) – Allen West (R-FL)

4) Banking, Commerce, Finance, and Trade – Warren Mosler (D-CT) – Jackie Walorski (R-IN)

5) Budget – Sheila Simon (D-IL) – Bob Dole (R-KS)

6) Energy and Natural Resources – Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – Sarah Hearne Steelman (R-MO)

7) Environment and Public Works – Dina Titus (D-NV) – Randy Brock (R-OH)

8) Education, Health, Housing and Community Affairs – Gary Locke (D-WA) – Dr. Rex Floyd Rammell (R-ID)

9) Foreign Relations – Allyson Schwartz (D-NY) – Ted Gatsas (R-NH)

10) Labor and Pensions – Demetrius J. Atsalis (D-MA) – Kay Granger (R-TX)

11) Judiciary – Carl Frank Stokes (D-MD) – Orrin Hatch (R-NE)

12) Rules, Administration, and Governmental Affairs – Mazie Hirono (D-HI) – Jan Brewer (R-AZ)

13) Science, Technology and Transportation – Roberto Mondragon (D-NM) – Kelly Schmidt (R-ND)

14) Small Business and Entrepreneurship – Kathleen Hartington Kennedy-Roosevelt (D-MA) – Herman Cain (R-GA)

15) Veterans’ Affairs – Hansen Clarke (D-MI) – Patrick H. “Pete” Johnson (R-MS)



US Senators by State:



US Senators from Alabama’s Class 2 Seat

1946-1973: John J. Sparkman (Democratic) – retired
1946 (special election): unopposed
1948: Paul Parsons (Republican)
1954: J. Foy Guin Jr. (R)
1960: Julian E. Elgin (R)
1966: John Grenier (R)

1973-1976: John L. LeFlore (D) – first African-American US Senator from Alabama; died in office at the age of 73 from a heart ailment
1972: Red Blount Jr. (R)

1976-1985: John J. Sparkman (D) – appointee; retired
1976 (sp): Glen Browder (D)
1978: Jerome B. Couch (Prohibition)

1985-2003: Albert Lee Smith Jr. (R) – retired due to declining health
1984: Howell Heflin (D)
1990: John Glen Browder (D)
1996: Roger Bedford (D)

2003-2021: Spencer T. Bachus III (R) – lost re-election in an upset; was considered for the GOP VP nomination in 2008, 2012 and 2020
2002: Susan Parker (D)
2008: Vivian D. Figures (D)
2014: Quinton T. Ross Jr. (D)

2021-present: Randall Woodfin (D) – Mayor of Birmingham, 2017-2020; second African-American US Senator from Alabama; sworn in at age 39; incumbent
2020: Spencer T. Bachus III (R)

US Senators from Alabama’s Class 3 Seat

1938-1963: J. Lister Hill (D) – lost re-nomination and lost re-election as an independent despite never changing party registration
1938 (sp): unopposed
1938: J. M. Pennington (R)
1944: John A. Posey (R)
1950: John G. Crommelin Jr. (Independent)
1956: unopposed

1963-1981: James D. Martin (R) – lost re-election
1962: John G. Crommelin Jr. (D) and J. Lister Hill (I)
1968: John M. Patterson (Heritage & Independence Party) and James Allen (D)
1974: Clair Chisler (D) and Sam Engelhardt (HIP)

1981-1984: Walter Flowers (D) – died in office at the age of 51 by suffering a fatal heart attack while playing tennis
1980: James D. Martin (R) and Emory Folmar (Conservative)

1984-1987: Jack Edwards (R) – appointee; lost re-election amid the Second Ark Wave
1984 (sp): Richard Shelby (D)

1987-2005: Mary Texas Hurt Garner (D) – first female US Senator from Alabama; retired
1986: Jack Edwards (R)
1992: Dick Sellars (R) and Jerome Shockley (Liberty)
1998: Jerome Shockley (R)

2005-2017: Doug Jones (D) – won in a good year for Democrats, barely won re-election, and lost re-election in a good year for Republicans
2004: Tim James (R) and Bettye Frink (Rational Republican)
2010: Clint Moser (R)

2017-present: Young Boozer (R) – incumbent
2016: Doug Jones (D)



US Senators from Alaska’s Class 2 Seat

1959-1968: Bob Bartlett (D) – died in office at the age of 64, following heart surgery
1958 (sp): R. E. Robertson (R)
1960: Lee L. McKinley (R)
1966: Lee L. McKinley (R)

1968-1970: Ted Stevens (R) – appointee; lost election

1970-1973: Mike Gravel (D) – the son of Quebecois immigrants; retired to run for President
1969 (sp): Ted Stevens (R)

1973-1979: Eben Hopson (D) – first Inupiaq-American US Senator ever; lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats; died from cancer in 1980 at the age of 57
1972: Howard Wallace Pollock (R)

1979-1991: Hazel P. Heath (R) – first female US Senator from Alaska; retired at the age of 81
1978: Eben Hopson (D)
1984: Steve Cowper (D) and William D. “Bill” Overstreet (Independent)

1991-2009: Jalmar “Jay” Kerttula (R) – the son of Finnish immigrants; retired at the age of 80 and passed away from natural causes in 2020 at the age of 92; his daughter is Democratic state senator Elizabeth J. "Beth" Kettula (b. 1956), who may run for Governor in 2022
1990: Sarah J. “Sally” Smith (D) and Kathryn Poland (Green)
1996: Frank Vondersaar (D)
2002: Jim Sykes (D)

2009-2021: Kevin Meyer (R) – lost re-election
2008: Ray Metcalfe (D)
2014: Ray Metcalfe (D) and Susan Lindauer (Country)

2021-present: Scott Kawasaki (I) – first Japanese-American US Senator from Alaska; born in Japan to American citizens; incumbent
2020: Kevin Meyer (R) and Corey Flintoff (D)

US Senators from Alaska’s Class 3 Seat

1959-1974: Ernest Gruening (D) – died in office at the age of 87
1958 (sp): Mike Stepovich (R)
1962: Ted Stevens (R)
1968: Elmer E. Rasmuson (R)

1974-1975: Ted Stevens (R) – appointee; lost election

1975-1981: Clark Gruening (D) – is the son of Ernest Gruening; entered office at the age of 31; lost re-election
1974: Ted Stevens (R)

1981-2005: Frank Murkowski (R) – withdrew re-election bid late into the race due to rising unpopularity
1980: Clark Gruening (D)
1986: Glen Olds (D)
1992: Mary Jordan (D)
1998: Tony Knowles (D), Billy Toien (L), Jeffrey Gottlieb (G) and Marc Millican (I)

2005-2011: Kevin Danaher (D) – won in a good year for Democrats due to divided opposition; lost re-election
2004: Jerry Sanders (R), Marc Millican (I), and Jim Dore (HIP)

2011-present: J. R. Myers (R) – populist supporter of Harley Davidson Brown; incumbent
2010: Kevin Danaher (D)
2016: Jacob Seth Kern (D)



US Senators from Arizona’s Class 1 Seat

1953-1995: Barry Goldwater Sr. (R) – ran for President in 1964, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1988, and 1992; retired
1952: Ernest McFarland (D)
1958: Ernest McFarland (D)
1964: Roy Elson (D)
1970: Renz L. Jennings (D)
1976: Dennis DeConcini (D) and Sam Grossman (Independent Democrat)
1982: Sam Grossman (D)
1988: Harry Braun (D) and Peter Dunn (Independent Republican)

1995-2013: Harry Braun (D) – significant promotor of hydrogen energy; ran for President in 2000; retired to lead energy projects outside of D.C.
1994: Scott Grainger (R/Liberty)
2000: Doug Wead (R), Barry Hess (Liberty), William Toel (I), and Vance Hansen (Green)
2006: David F. Nolan (R/Liberty) and Richard Mack (Country)

2013-2021: Grant Woods (R before 2/2/2018, D after 2/2/2018) – switched parties over disapproval of VP Brown's rhetoric; resigned for US cabinet position
2012: David Garcia (D), Richard Mack (Liberty) and Jim Pederson (I)
2018: David Schweikert (R)

2021-present: Debra A. Haaland (D) – appointee; Native American (Laguna-Pueblo); incumbent

US Senators from Arizona’s Class 3 Seat

1927-1969: Carl Hayden (D) – retired at the age of 91
1926: Ralph H. Cameron (R)
1932: Ralph H. Cameron (R)
1938: Burt H. Clingan (R)
1944: Fred Wildon Fickett Jr. (R)
1950: Bruce Brockett (R)
1956: Ross F. Jones (R)
1962: Evan Mecham (R)

1969-1987: Paul Fannin (R) – lost re-nomination
1968: Roy Elson (D)
1974: Jonathan Marshall (D)
1980: Bill Schulz (D)

1987-2011: Eddie Najeeb Basha Jr. (D) – businessman; Roman Catholic; early supporter of same-sex marriage; retired due to declining health; died in 2013 at the age of 75
1986: Evan Mecham (R)
1992: Kiana Delamare (R)
1998: Robert Lee Park (R)
2004: John Wayne Bobbitt (R)

2011-present: Jan Brewer (R) – incumbent
2010: Cathy Eden (D)
2016: Gary Swing (D/Green) and Kelli Ward (Bigfoot)



US Senators from Arkansas’s Class 2 Seat

1943-1977: John L. McClellan (D) – died in office at the age of 1977, following surgery to implant a pacemaker
1942: unopposed
1948: R. Walter Tucker (I)
1954: unopposed
1960: unopposed
1966: unopposed
1972: Wayne H. Babbitt (R)

1977-1979: Kaneaster Hodges Jr. (D) – appointee; lost nomination

1979-present: Jim Guy Tucker (D) – conservative-leaning; will likely retire in 2026; incumbent
1978: Tom Kelly (R) and John J. Black (I)
1984: Ed Bethune (R)
1990: Tim Hutchinson (R)
1996: Virginia Johnson (R)
2002: Jim Bob Duggar (R)
2008: Rebekah Kennedy (Green)
2014: Tom Cotton (R) and Susan Benjamin (Green)
2020: Rick Crawford (R)

US Senators from Arkansas’s Class 3 Seat

1945-1995: J. William Fulbright (D) – died in office from a stroke at the age of 89
1944: Victor M. Wade (R)
1950: unopposed
1956: Ben Henley (R)
1962: Kenneth Jones (R)
1968: Charles T. Bernard (R)
1974: John H. Jones (R)
1980: William Clark (R) and Walter McCarty (I)
1986: Asa Hutchinson (R)
1992: Dale Huckabee (R)

1995-1996: Harriet Mayor Fulbright (D) – appointee; widow of J. William Fulbright; retired

1996-2017: F. Winford Boozman III (R) – retired due to declining health
1995 (special): Patrick Henry Hays (D)
1998: Lottie H. Shackelford (D)
2004: Winston Bryant (D)
2010: Bill Halter (D)

2017-present: Adrienne Elrod (R) – incumbent
2016: Dan Whitfield (D)



US Senators from California’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1964: Clair Engle (D) – died in office (on July 30) at the age of 52 from complications from surgery in August 1963 (to remove a brain tumor) which left him partially paralyzed, followed by additional brain surgery in April 1964
1958: Goodwin Knight (R)

1964-1965: Alan Cranston (D) – appointee; lost election; later worked on Mike Gravel's 1972, 1980, and 1984 Presidential campaigns

1965-1994: Richard Nixon (R) – died
1964: Alan Cranston (D)
1970: Tom Hayden (D) and Robert Scheer (Natural Mind)
1976: George E. Brown (D) and David Wald (NM)
1982: Leo Ryan (D) and Peter Duel (Progressive)
1988: Stetson Kennedy (D), Stanley Bruce Herschensohn (Conservative), Hugh G. Bagley (I), Maria E. Munoz (Natural Mind) and Merton Short (Country)

1994-1995: Augustus Hawkins (D) – first African-American US Senator from California; appointee; retired

1995-2018: George Deukmejian (R) – died in office from natural causes at the age of 89 (was retiring from the office)
1994: Peter Camejo (D/Green/La Rada Unida)
2000: Georges Eshoo (D) and Medea Benjamin (Green)
2006: Tony West (D) and Meredith “Murdock” Hunter (Green/Natural Mind)
2012: Judy May Chu (D)

2018-2019: Malia Cohen (D) – African-American female; appointee; lost election

2019-present: Jane Jungyon Kim (D) – Korean-American female; sworn into office at the age of 41; progressive; incumbent
2018: Malia Cohen (D)

US Senators from California’s Class 3 Seat

1951-1953: Richard Nixon (R) – resigned to become VP
1950: Helen Gahagan Douglas (D)

1953-1981: Thomas Kuchel (R) – retired at the age of 70
1954 (sp): Sam Yorty (D)
1956: Richard Richards (D)
1962: Richard Richards (D)
1968: Anthony C. Beilsenson (D) and Paul Jacobs (NM)
1974: Keneth Frederick Hahn (D)

1981-1987: Maureen Reagan (R) – first female US Senator from California; retired to run for President in 1988
1980: Tom Hayden (D/NM) and David Bergland (Liberty)

1987-1999: Mario Obledo (D) – Latino-American; retired; briefly ran for President in 2000
1986: Pete Wilson (R)
1992: John Seymour (R), Gore Vidal (Natural Mind), Genevieve Torres (Green) and Merton D. Short (Country)

1999-present: Mike Gravel (D) – incumbent; has announced that he will not seek another term in 2022
1998: Edward C. Nixon (R)
2004: Howard Kaloogian (R) and Marsha Feinland (Natural Mind)
2010: Elizabeth Emken (R)
2016: Sarah Elizabeth Cupp (R) and James “Kamala” Harris (Green)



US Senators from Colorado’s Class 2 Seat

1955-1979: Gordon L. Allott (R) – retired
1954: John A. Carroll (D)
1960: Robert L. Knous (D)
1966: Byron Johnson (D) and Henry Olshaw (HIP)
1972: Floyd K. Haskell (D) and Secundion Salazar (La Raza Unida)

1979-1991: William L. Armstrong (R) – term-limited by 1981 state law passed by a then-bipartisan state congress
1978: Floyd K. Haskell (D)
1984: Nancy Dick (D)

1991-1997: Hank Brown (R) – retired
1990: Josie Heath (D) and Carlos F. Lucero (La Raza Unida)

1997-2003: Bernie Goetz (R) – businessman; retired; ran for President in 2004, 2008, and 2012
1996: Nancy E. Dick (D) and Wayne Allard (I)

2003-2009: Josie Heath (D) – female; lost re-election
2002: Joseph Bernard Rogers (R)

2009-2021: Langhorne “Lang” Sias (R) – term-limited
2008: Josie Heath (D) and Donna Primavera (Green)
2014: Tom Strickland (D)

2021-present: Amy Stephens (D) – incumbent
2020: Darryl Glenn (R)

US Senators from Colorado’s Class 3 Seat

1957-1963: John A. Carroll (D) – lost re-election
1956: Dan Thornton (R)

1963-1975: Peter H. Dominick (R) – lost re-election
1962: John A. Carroll (D)
1968: Stephen L. R. McNichols (D) and Gordon G. Barnwall (HIP)

1975-1987: George L. Brown (D) – term-limited by 1980s state law
1974: Peter H. Dominick (R)
1980: Mary E. Buchanan (R) and Earl Higgerson (Statesman)

1987-1993: Pat Schroeder (D) – first female US Senator from Colorado; lost re-election
1986: Ken Kramer (R)

1993-2005: Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R) – Native-American (Northern Cheyenne); term-limited
1992: Pat Schroeder (D)
1998: Dottie Lamm (D)

2005-2017: Mark Udall (D) – term-limited
2004: Bob Schaffer (R)
2010: Jane Norton (R)

2017-present: Penfield Tate III (D) – African-American; incumbent
2016: Peggy Littleton (R)



US Senators from Connecticut’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1971: Thomas J. Dodd (D) – died in office from a heart attack at the age of 64
1958: William A. Purtell (R)
1964: John Davis Lodge (R)
1970: Antonina P. Uccello (R)

1971-1995: Antonina P. Uccello (R) – first female US Senator from Connecticut; retired; still alive (as of July 4, 2021) at the age of 99
1972 (sp): Gloria Schaffer (D)
1976: Gloria Schaffer (D)
1982: Toby Moffett (D)
1988: Rosa DeLauro (D)

1995-2007: Ralph Nader (I) – retired
1994: Daniel C. Esty (D) and Gary Franks (R)
2000: Richard Blumenthal (D) and Chris Shays (R)

2007-present: Warren Mosler (D) – incumbent
2006: Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. (I) and Alan Schlesinger (R)
2012: Penny Bacchiochi (R)
2018: Matthew Corey (R)

US Senators from Connecticut’s Class 3 Seat

1963-1981: Abraham Ribicoff (D) – Jewish; retired
1962: Horace Seely-Brown Jr. (R)
1968: Edwin H. May Jr. (R)
1974: James H. Brannen III (R) and Arthur F. Capozzi Jr. (Country)

1981-2011: Chris Dodd (D) – is the son of Thomas J. Dodd; retired
1980: James L. Buckley (R)
1986: Roger Eddy (R)
1992: Gary Alvin Franks (R) and Robert Giaimo (Independent Democratic)
1998: Wildley Moore (R) and Clarine Nardi Riddle (True Republican)
2004: Jack Orchulli (R)

2011-present: William Morten Tong (D) – Asian-American; entered office at the age of 37; incumbent
2010: Daniel E. “Dan” Carter (R)
2016: August Wolf (R)



US Senators from Delaware’s Class 1 Seat

1947-1970: John J. Williams (R) – retired and resigned early
1946: James M. Tunnell Sr. (D)
1952: A. I. DuPont Bayard (D)
1958: Elbert N. Carvel (D)
1964: Elbert N. Carvel (D)

1970-2001: William Victor Roth Jr. (R) – appointed to the seat he had just won after the retiring incumbent resigned; retired
1970: Jacob Zimmerman (D)
1976: Thomas C. Mahoney (D)
1982: David N. Levinson (D)
1988: Shien Biau Woo (D)
1994: Charles Oberly (D)

2001-2019: Daniel S. Frawley (D) – retired
2000: William Victor Roth Jr. (R)
2006: Jan Ting (R)
2012: Kevin Wade (R)

2019-present: Peter C. Schwartzkopf (D) – incumbent
2018: Rob Arlett (R)

US Senators from Delaware’s Class 2 Seat

1961-1985: J. Caleb Boggs (R) – lost re-election
1960: J. Allen Frear Jr. (D)
1966: James M. Tunnell Jr. (D)
1972: Joe Biden (D)
1978: Emily Womach (D)

1985-1997: Joe Biden (D) – lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats and due to his alleged flip-flopping on several issues; ran reportedly been planning a run for the Presidency in 2000
1984: J. Caleb Boggs (R)
1990: M. Jane Brady (R)

1997-2003: Raymond J. Clatworthy (R) – lost re-election
1996: Joe Biden (D)

2003-present: Marjorie “Midge” Osterlund (D) – incumbent
2002: Raymond J. Clatworthy (R)
2008: Christine O’Donnell (R)
2014: Kevin Wade (R)
2020: James DeMartino (R)



US Senators from Florida’s Class 1 Seat

1946-1971: Spessard Holland (D) – retired at the age of 78
1946: J. Harry Schad (R)
1952: unopposed
1958: Leland Hyzer (R)
1964: Claude R. Kirk Jr. (R)

1971-1998: Lawton Chiles (D) – died in office from a heart attack at the age of 68; had previously considered retiring in 1988 and again in 1994, but was convinced by high approval ratings and allies to run again each time; he reportedly planned to not run for another term in 2000
1970: G. Harrold Carswell (HIP), Raymond Claiborne Osborne (R) and Claude R. Kirk Jr. (Conservative)
1976: Jack Eckerd (R) and John Grady (HIP)
1982: Van B. Poole (R)
1988: Louis Frey Jr. (R)
1994: Tom Gallagher (R)

1998-2001: Rhea Chiles (D) – widow of Lawton Chiles; appointee; retired

2001-2013: Alexander Penelas (D) – Cuban-American; considered for VP spot on Democratic Presidential ticket in 2008; lost re-election
2000: John Thrasher (R)
2006: Daniel “Dan” Webster (R)

2013-present: Allen West (R) – conservative African-American; KW2 veteran; considered for VP spot on GOP Presidential ticket in 2020; incumbent
2012: Alexander Penelas (D)
2018: Alan Mark Grayson (D) and Douglas Scott Rogo (Bigfoot)

US Senators from Florida’s Class 3 Seat

1951-1969: George Smathers (D) – lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats
1950: John P. Booth (R)
1956: unopposed
1962: Emerson Rupert (R)

1969-1981: William Cato “Bill” Cramer Sr. (R) – retired
1968: George A. Smathers (D) and C. Farris Bryant (HIP)
1974: LeRoy Collins Sr. (D) and Thomas Burton Adams Jr. (HIP)

1981-1987: Paula Hawkins (R) – first female US Senator from Florida; retired; ran for President in 1988
1980: Bill Gunter (D)

1987-2011: Michael Bilirakis (R) – Greek-American; retired at the age of 80
1986: Bill Nelson (D)
1992: Harry A. Johnston (D)
1998: Franklin B. Mann (D)
2004: Nan Rich (D)

2011-present: Gus Bilirakis (R) – is the son of Michael Bilirakis; moderate; does not get along well with Allen West; incumbent
2010: Janet Cruz (D)
2016: Bolley L. “Bo” Johnson (D)



US Senators from Georgia’s Class 2 Seat

1933-1971: Richard Russell Jr. (D) – died in office at the age of 73 from complications from emphysema
1933 (sp): unopposed
1936: unopposed
1942: LeVert Dwyer Shivers (I)
1948: Larkin Marshall (I)
1954: unopposed
1960: unopposed
1966: J. B. Stoner (HIP)

1971-1973: Ernest Vandiver (D) – appointee; retired

1973-1977: Jimmy Carter (D) – resigned to become the US Secretary of State; won a Nobel Peace Prize for the Atlanta Peace Treaty; was the 1980 Democratic nominee for VP; ran for President in 1984
1972: Fletcher Thompson (R) and J. B. Stoner (HIP)

1977-2003: Sam Nunn (D) – retired
1978: Fletcher Thompson (R)
1984: Jon M. Hicks (R)
1990: unopposed
1996: John Gregory Cashin (R)

2003-2021: Bob Barr (R) – lost re-nomination to a populist Harley Brown supporter
2002: Terry Coleman (D)
2008: Vernon Jones (D)
2014: Edward Jerome Tarver (D) and Ollisteen “Steen” Miles (Women’s Rights)

2021-present: R. J. Hadley (D) – African-American; incumbent
2020: Buzz Brockway (R)

US Senators from Georgia’s Class 3 Seat

1957-1963: Herman Talmadge (D) – lost re-nomination, then lost re-election as an Independent despite not officially leaving the Democratic party
1956: unopposed

1963-1981: John William Davis (D) – drafted by President Johnson to primary Talmadge in response to Talmadge opposing Johnson's agenda; lost re-election
1962: Herman Talmadge (I)
1968: E. Earl Patton (R)
1974: Jerry Johnson (R)

1981-1987: Mack Mattingly (R) – lost re-election in a bad year for Republicans
1980: John William Davis (D)

1987-2005: Dr. John Skandalakis (D) – Greek-American; immigrant; retired
1986: Mack Mattingly (R)
1992: Dr. Paul Broun (R)
1998: Paul Coverdell (R)

2005-present: Herman Cain (R) – businessman; former CEO of KFC; first African-American US Senator from Georgia; survived battle with cancer in the late 2000s; ran for President in 2012; incumbent
2004: John W. Carter (D), Denise Majette (Green), and Allen Buckley (Liberty)
2010: Michelle Nunn (D)
2016: Robby Wells (D)



US Senators from Hawaii’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1977: Hiram Leong Fong (R) – Chinese-American; retired at the age of 70
1959 (sp): unopposed
1964: Thomas Ponce Gill (D)
1970: Cecil Heftel (D)

1977-2007: Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink (D) – first female US Senator from Hawaii; Japanese-American; retired at the age of 79 and passed away last year at the age of 92
1976: William F. Quinn (R)
1982: Clarence J. Brown (R) and E. Bernier-Nachtwey (Independent)
1988: Maria M. Hustace (R) and Ken Schoolland (Liberty)
1994: Maria Hustace (R)
2000: John S. Carroll (R)

2007-present: Mazie Hirono (D) – Japanese-American; incumbent
2006: Cynthia Thielen (R)
2012: Linda Lingle (R)
2018: Ron Curtis (R)

US Senators from Hawaii’s Class 3 Seat

1959-1963: Oren E. Long (D) – retired
1959 (sp): unopposed

1963-2015: Daniel Ken Inouye (D) – Japanese-American; WWII veteran; died in office at the age of 91 from natural causes
1962: Ben Dillingham (R)
1968: Wayne C. Thiessen (R) and Oliver M. Lee (Natural Mind)
1974: James D. Kimmel (R)
1980: Cooper Brown (R)
1986: Frank Hutchinson (R)
1992: Linda Martin (Green) and Richard O. Rowland (R)
1998: Crystal Young (R)
2004: Campbell Cavasso (R)
2010: John Roco (R)

2015-2017: Irene Hirano Inouye (D) – widow of Daniel Inouye; appointee; retired

2017-present: Colleen Wakako Hanabusa (D) – Japanese-American; incumbent
2016: Cam Cavasso (R) and Joy Allison (Country)



US Senators from Idaho’s Class 2 Seat

1949-1962: Henry Dworshak (R) – staunchly conservative; died in office from a heart attack at the age of 67
1950 (sp): Claude J. Burtenshaw (D)
1954: Glen H. Taylor (D)
1960: R. F. “Bob” Mclaughlin (D)

1962-1963: Len Jordan (R) – appointee; lost election

1963-1964: Gracie Pfost (D) – died suddenly from severe pneumonia at the age of 58
1962 (sp): Len Jordan (R)

1964-1973: Len Jordan (R) – lost re-election
1964 (sp): Vernon K. Smith (D)
1966: Ralph Harding (D)

1973-1979: Richard H. Stallings (D) – lost re-election
1972: Len Jordan (R)

1979-1997: George Vernon Hansen (R) – retired
1978: Richard H. Stallings (D)
1984: Peter M. Busch (D)
1990: Ron Twilegar (D)

1997-2015: Helen Chenoweth (R) – retired amid low approval ratings; still alive at the age of 83
1996: Susan Vegors (D)
2002: Alan Blinken (D)
2008: Dave Sneddon (D)

2015-present: Dr. Rex Floyd Rammell (R) – incumbent; far-right conservative former veterinarian
2014: Nels Mitchell (D)
2020: James Vandermaas (D)

US Senators from Idaho’s Class 3 Seat

1957-1984: Frank Church (D) – died in office at the age of 59 less than three months after being hospitalized for a pancreatic tumor
1956: Herman Welker (R)
1962: Jack Hawley (R)
1968: George V. Hansen (R)
1974: Robert L. Smith (R)
1980: Steve Symms (R) and Larry Fullmer (Freedom)

1984-2005: Bethine Clark Church (D) – was the widow of Frank Church; appointee; retired at the age of 81
1984 (sp): Donald Billings (R)
1986: Steve Symms (R)
1992: Dirk Kempthorne (R)
1998: Mike Crapo (R)

2005-2011: Bo Gritz (R) – lost re-nomination and then launched an unsuccessful write-in campaign
2004: Lawerence Denney (Rational Republican), Wendy Jaquet (D), and Scott F. McClure (Independent Democrat)

2011-present: Carlos Bilbao (R) – entered office at the age of 74; incumbent; has announced that he will not run for another term in 2022
2010: Tom Sullivan (D) and Bo Gritz (R (write-in))
2016: Walt Minnick (D)



US Senators from Illinois’s Class 2 Seat

1949-1973: Paul Douglas (D) – retired
1948: Charles W. Brooks (R)
1954: Joseph T. Meek (R)
1960: Samuel W. Witwer (R)
1966: Lawrence J. S. “Lar” Daly (R) and Robert Sabonjian (HIP)

1973-1985: Charles Percy (R) – retired
1972: Roman Pucinski (D)
1978: Alex Seith (D)

1985-1997: Paul Simon (D) – lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats
1984: Paul Findley (R)
1990: Lynn Morley Martin (R)

1997-2003: John Bayard Anderson (R) – retired
1996: Paul Simon (D)

2003-2009: Jim Edgar (R) – retired to run for US President in 2008
2002: Arthur Simon (replaced Rod Blagojevich) (D)

2009-2021: Kwame Raoul (D) – Haitian-American; retired; ran for President in 2016 and 2020; elected Vice President in 2020
2008: James Comey (I) and Anthony R. “Andy” Martin-Trigona (R)
2014: Evelyn Sanguinetti (R)

2021-present: Napoleon Harris (D) – African-American; entered office at the age of 41; former NFL linebacker and former state senator; incumbent
2020: Chuck Weaver (R)

US Senators from Illinois’s Class 3 Seat

1951-1969: Everett Dirksen (R) – died in office at the age of 73 from a cardiopulmonary arrest brought on by progressive complications (that developed into bronchopneumonia) from a right upper lobectomy that removed an asymptomatic peripherally located mass from the upper lobe of his right lung, which proved to have been lung cancer (adenocarcinoma)
1950: Scott W. Lucas (D)
1956: Richard Stengel (D)
1962: Sidney R. Yates (D)
1968: William G. Clark (D)

1969-1970: Ralph Tyler Smith (R) – appointee; lost election

1970-1981: Adlai Stevenson (D) – retired
1970 (sp): Ralph Tyler Smith (R)
1974: George M. Burditt (R)

1981-1999: Alan J. Dixon (D) – retired
1980: David C. O’Neal (R)
1986: Judy Koehler (R)
1992: Lynn Morley Martin (R) and J. Quinn Brisben (Socialist)

1999-2009: Paul G. Vallas (D) – Greek-American; resigned for a position in the Wellstone Administration
1998: George Ryan (R)
2004: Steve Rauschenberger (R)

2009-present: Sheila Simon (D) – female; progressive; incumbent
2009 (sp): John Mondy Shimkus (R)
2010: Kathleen Thomas (R)
2016: Judy Koehler (R)



US Senators from Indiana’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1983: Vance Hartke (D) – lost re-election
1958: Harold W. Handley (R)
1964: Russell Bontrager (R)
1970: Richard Roudebush (R)
1976: Earl F. Landgrebe (R)

1983-1989: Earl Landgrebe (R) – lost re-election
1982: Vance Hartke (D)

1989-2013: Katie Beatrice Hall (D) – first African-American US Senator from Indiana; ran for President in 2000; retired
1988: Earl Landgrebe (R)
1994: Barbara Bourland (R)
2000: Paul Hager (R)
2006: John Herman Cox (R)

2013-present: Jackie Walorski (R) – incumbent
2012: Brad Ellsworth (D)
2018: Mike Braun (D)

US Senators from Indiana’s Class 3 Seat

1945-1963: Homer E. Capehart (R) – lost re-election
1944: Henry F. Schricker (D)
1950: Alex Campbell (D)
1956: Claude R. Wickard (D)

1963-1975: Birch Bayh (D) – lost re-election
1962: Homer E. Capehart (R)
1968: William Ruckelshaus (R)

1975-1999: Richard Lugar (R) – lost re-election; was the GOP nominee for VP in 1988
1974: Birch Bayh (D)
1980: Adam Benjamin Jr. (D)
1986: Jill L. Long (D)
1992: Tom Carper (D)

1999-2017: Evan Bayh (D) – lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats; declined interest in running for President or VP in 2000, 2008 and 2016
1998: Richard Lugar (R)
2004: Marvin Scott (R)
2010: Becky Skillman (R)

2017-present: Brian C. Bosma (R) – incumbent
2016: Evan Bayh (D)



US Senators from Iowa’s Class 2 Seat

1961-1973: Jack Miller (R) – lost re-election
1960: Herschel C. Loveless (D)
1966: E. B. Smith (D) and Robert D. Dilley (HIP)

1973-1979: Dick Clark (D) – lost re-election
1972: Jack Miller (R) and William A. Rocap Jr. (HIP)

1979-1991: Roger Jespen (R) – retired
1978: Dick Clark (D)
1984: Tom Harkin (D)

1991-1992: Larry Miles Dinger (R) – resigned to become Vice President of the United States
1990: Berkley Warren Bedell (D)

1992-2021: Terry Branstad (R) – lost re-election in an upset
1994 (special): David R. Nagle (D)
1996: Jim Ross Lightfoot (D)
2002: Tim Hathan (D)
2008: Daryl Beall (D)
2014: Stephen N. Six (D)

2021-present: Elizabeth Ann “Liz” Mathis (D) – incumbent
2020: Terry Branstad (R)

US Senators from Iowa’s Class 3 Seat

1945-1965: Bourke Blakemore Hickenlooper (R) – resigned to join the administration of US President Harland “Colonel” Sanders
1944: Guy Gillette (D)
1950: Albert J. Loveland (D)
1956: R. M. Evans (D)
1962: E. B. Smith (D)

1965-1967: Henry Oscar Talle (R) – appointee; lost election

1967-1993: Harold Hughes (D) – retired at the age of 70; passed away in 1996 at the age of 74
1966: Henry Oscar Talle (R)
1968: David M. Stanley (R)
1974: David M. Stanley (R)
1980: James Leach (R)
1986: Chuck Grassley (R)

1993-1999: John William Judge (R) – lost re-election
1992: Jean Hall Lloyd-Jones (D

1999-2011: Patty Jean Poole (D) – first female US Senator from Iowa; lost re-election
1998: John William Judge (R)
2004: Jerry Kohn (R) and Albert Franzen (I)

2011-present: Robert Lee Vander Plaats (R) – incumbent
2010: Patty Jean Poole (D)
2016: Rob Hogg (D) and Ray Zirkelbach (I)



US Senators from Kansas’ Class 2 Seat

1949-1962: Andrew F. Schoeppel (R) – former Governor of Kansas and former college football player; died in office from abdominal cancer at the age of 67
1948: George McGill (D) and C. Floyd Hester (Prohibition)
1954: George McGill (D) and David C. White (Prohibition)
1960: Frank Theis (D)

1962-1979: James B. Pearson (R) – retired
1962 (sp): Paul L. Aylward (D)
1966: George W. Snell (HIP), James Floyd Breeding (D) and Earl Dodge (Prohibition)
1972: Arch Tetzlaff (D) and Gene Miller (Conservative)

1979-1997: Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R) – first female US Senator from Kansas; retired
1978: William R. Roy (D)
1984: James R. Maher (D)
1990: Joan Finney (D)

1997-present: Carla J. Stovall (R) – incumbent
1996: Sally Thompson (D)
2002: John W. Carlin (D)
2008: Nancy Boyda (D)
2014: Chad Taylor (D)
2020: Monique Singh-Bey (D)

US Senators from Kansas’ Class 3 Seat

1950-1969: Frank Carlson (R) – retired
1950 (sp): Paul Aiken (D)
1950: Paul Aiken (D) and Verne L. Damon (Prohibition)
1956: George Hart (D)
1962: K. L. Smith (D)

1969-present: Bob Dole (R) – WWII veteran; longest-serving US Senator, as he has held this seat for over 52 years; currently (as of July 4) still alive at the age of 97; incumbent; may not run for re-election in 2022
1968: William I. Robinson (D)
1974: Bill Roy (D)
1980: John Simpson (D)
1986: Guy MacDonald (D)
1992: Gloria O’Dell (D)
1998: Gloria O’Dell (D)
2004: Lee Jones (D)
2010: Lisa Johnston (D)
2016: Patrick Wiesner (D)



US Senators from Kentucky’s Class 2 Seat

1952-1955: John Sherman Cooper (R) – lost re-election
1952 (sp): Thomas R. Underwood (D)

1955-1956: Alben W. Barkley (D) – died of a heart attack at the age of 78
1954: John Sherman Cooper (R)

1956-1956: James Stephen Golden (R) – appointee; retired

1956-1973: John Sherman Cooper (R) – retired
1956 (sp): Lawrence W. Wetherby (D)
1960: Keen Johnson (D)
1966: Gaines P. Wilson (D)

1973-1991: Lawrence W. Wetherby (D) – was a close, lifelong friend of Colonel Sanders; retired; passed away in January 2011, just days after turning 103
1972: Jesse Nicholas Ryan Cecil (R), Louie Nunn (I) and Helen Breeden (HIP)
1978: Louie Nunn (R)
1984: Roger Harker (R)

1991-2021: Martha Layne Osborne (D) – first female US Senator from Kentucky; ran for President in 1988; retired at the age of 84
1990: Jim Bunning (R)
1996: Dennis L. Lacy (R)
2002: Jeff Hoover (R)
2008: Daniel Essek (R)
2014: David Patterson (R)

2021-present: Whitney Westerfield (R) – entered office at the age of 40; incumbent
2020: Reginald “Reggie” Thomas (D)

US Senators from Kentucky’s Class 3 Seat

1950-1957: Earle Clements (D) – lost re-election
1950: Charles I. Dawson (R)

1957-1982: Thruston Ballard Morton (R) – died in office at the age of 74
1956: Earle C. Clements (D)
1962: Wilson W. Wyatt (D)
1968: John Y. Brown Jr. (D)
1974: Wendell H. Ford (D)
1980: Wendell H. Ford (D)

1982-1984: Charles Rowland Peaslee “Charlie” Farnsley (D) – appointee; retired

1984-1993: Harland David “Harley” Sanders Jr. (R) – was the son of Colonel Sanders; retired
1983 (sp): John Y. Brown Jr. (D)
1986: William P. Curlin Jr. (D)

1993-2011: Patrick “Kelly” Downard (R) – lost re-election in an surprise upset
1992: Jim Whitlock (D)
1998: Scotty Baesler (D)
2004: Paul E. Patton (D)

2011-2017: Daniel Mongiardo (D) – is the son of Italian immigrants; retired; very briefly ran for President in 2016 and 2020
2010: Patrick “Kelly” Downard (R)

2017-present: Charles Merwin “Trey” Grayson III (R) – incumbent
2016: Tom Recktenwald (D)



US Senators from Louisiana’s Class 2 Seat

1937-1972: Allen J. Ellender (D) – died in office at the age of 81; known by his colleagues for his Cajun cooking, including his roast duck and shrimp jambalaya dishes, leading to him developing a rapport with US President Colonel Sanders and the nickname "The Colonel of Louisiana"; the US Senate dining room currently (as of July 4, 2021) still serves his famous "Ellender Gumbo"
1936: unopposed
1942: unopposed
1948: unopposed
1954: unopposed
1960: George W. Reese Jr. (R)
1966: unopposed

1972-1985: Jack P. F. Gremillion Sr. (D) – appointee; previously served as the Attorney General of Louisiana from 1956 to 1972; retired to unsuccessfully run for President in 1984 at the age of 70
1972: B. C. Toledano (R) and Hall M. Lyons (HIP)
1978: Woody Jenkins (Independent)

1985-2020: Clyde Cecil Holloway (R) – resigned due to declining health
1984: Jerry Huckaby (D)
1990: William Jennings Jefferson (D) and David Duke (Heritage)
1996: Richard Ieyoub (D)
2002: Mary Landrieu (D)
2008: Richard Ieyoub (D)
2014: Troyce Guice (D)

2020-2021: Suzanne Haik Terrell (R) – appointee; lost election

2021-present: Antoine Pierce (D) – first African-American US Senator from Louisiana; entered office at the age of 50; incumbent
2020: Suzanne Haik Terrell (R)

US Senators from Louisiana’s Class 3 Seat

1948-1987: Russell B. Long (D) – retired
1948 (sp): Clem S. Clarke (R)
1950: Charles S. Gerth (R)
1956: unopposed
1962: Taylor W. O’Hearn (R)
1968: unopposed
1974: unopposed
1980: DeLesseps Story “Toni” Morrison Jr. (D), Woody Jenkins (D) and Jerry Bardwell (R)

1987-2005: Buddy Roemer (“D” until 1991, then “R” after 1991) – lost re-election
1986: Henson Moore (R)
1992: Chris John (D)
1998: Marty James Chabert (D)

2005-2006: John Georges (D) – Greek-American businessman; resigned for CEO position
2004: Buddy Roemer (R)

2006-2017: Christopher Charles "Chris" John (D) – Roman Catholic former US Representative; lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats
2006 (special): Chet Traylor (R)
2010: Chet Traylor (R), Neeson Chauvin (D) and Nick Accardo (R)

2017-present: Charles E. “Chas” Roemer IV (R) – is the son of Buddy Roemer; entered office at the age of 50; incumbent
2016: Chris John (D)



US Senators from Maine’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1996: Ed Muskie (D) – died in office from natural causes at the age of 81
1958: Frederick G. Payne (R)
1964: Clifford McIntire (R)
1970: Neil S. Bishop (R)
1976: Robert A. G. Monks (R)
1982: Edward I. Bernstein (R)
1988: Jasper S. Wyman (R)
1994: John R. McKernan Jr. (R) and Plato Truman (I)

1996-2019: Olympia Snowe (R) – was the Republican nominee and popular vote winner in the US Presidential election of 2008; retired
1998 (special): Sean Faircloth (D)
2000: Mark Lawrence (D)
2006: Dawn Hill (D)
2012: Benjamin Pollard (D) and Andrew Ian Dodge (Independent)

2019-present: Mike Michaud (D) – openly BLUTAG; incumbent
2018 (first round of RCV): Max Linn (R) and Joe Brooks (Independent)
2018 (final round of RCV): Max Linn (R)

US Senators from Maine’s Class 2 Seat

1949-1973: Margaret Chase Smith (R) – lost re-election
1948: Adrian H. Scolten (D)
1954: Paul A. Fullam (D)
1960: Lucia M. Cormier (D)
1966: Elmer H. Violette (D)

1973-1979: William Hathaway (D) – lost re-election
1972: Margaret Chase Smith (R)

1979-1985: William Cohen (R) – lost re-election
1978: William Hathaway (D)

1985-1989: Peter Kyros (D) – Greek-American; resigned for a cabinet position in the Bellamy administration
1984: William Cohen (R)

1989-1991: Nancy Nye Masterton (D) – appointee; lost election

1991-present: Angus King (I) – incumbent; may not run for another term in 2026
1990: Nancy Nye Masterton (D) and Bob Nutting (R)
1996: Susan M. Collins (R) and John Rensenbrink (D)
2002: Chellie Pingree (D) and J. D. Libby (R)
2008: Chandler Woodcock (R) and Tom Connolly (D)
2014: Shenna Bellows (D) and Scott D’Amboise (R)
2020 (first round of RCV): Jared Golden (D) and Derek Levasseur (R)
2020 (final round of RCV): Jared Golden (D)



US Senators from Maryland’s Class 1 Seat

1953-1971: James Glenn Beall (R) – lost re-nomination and then lost re-election as an Independent Republican without changing his party registration
1952: George P. Mahoney (D)
1958: Thomas D’Alesandro (D)
1964: Joseph D. Tydings (D)

1971-1977: Rogers Clark Ballard Morton (R) – was the brother of US Senator Thruston Ballard Morton (R-KY); lost re-election; passed away in 1979 at the age of 64, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1973, which was only a minor political issue during the 1976 election
1970: Carlton R. Sickles (D) and James Glenn Beall (Independent Republican)

1977-2007: Paul Spyros Sarbanes (D) – Greek-American; declined interest in running for President or VP in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, and 2000; retired
1976: Rogers Clark Ballard Morton (R)
1982: Lawrence Hogan (R)
1988: Alan Keyes (R)
1994: Constance “Connie” Morella (R)
2000: Paul Rappaport (R)

2007-2013: Michael Steele (R) – first African-American US Senator from Maryland; was considered for the VP spot on the 2012 GOP Presidential ticket; lost re-election
2006: Ben Cardin (D) and Kevin Zeese (G)

2013-present: Carl Frank Stokes (D) – second African-American US Senator from Maryland; considered running for President in 2016 and 2020; incumbent
2012: Michael Steele (R)
2018: Tony Campbell (R)

US Senators from Maryland’s Class 3 Seat

1951-1963: John Marshall Butler (R) – retired
1950: Millard E. Tydings (D)
1956: George P. Mahoney (D)

1963-1969: Daniel J. Brewster (D) – lost re-election
1962: Edward T. Miller (R)

1969-1987: Charles Mathias Jr. (R) – retired
1968: Daniel J. Brewster (D) and George P. Mahoney (HIP)
1974: Barbara Mikulski (D)
1980: Edward T. Conroy (D)

1987-2017: Barbara Mikulski (D) – first female US Senator from Maryland; retired
1986: Linda Chavez (R)
1992: Martha Scanlan Klima (R)
1998: Ross Pierpont (R)
2004: E. J. Pipkin (R)
2010: Jim Rutledge (R)

2017-present: Rand Beers (D) – incumbent
2016: Kathy Szeliga (R)



US Senators from Massachusetts’ Class 1 Seat

1953-1961: John Fitzgerald “Jack” Kennedy (D) – resigned to join the Johnson administration; was the Democratic nominee for President in 1968
1952: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R)
1958: Vincent Celeste (R)

1961-1962: Benjamin Smith (D) – appointee; retired

1962-2001: Eunice Kennedy-Shriver (D) – first female US Senator from Massachusetts; was a younger sister of Jack Kennedy; ran for President in 1988 after declining to run in 1972 and 1984; retired
1962 (sp): George Cabot Lodge II (R) and H. Stuart Hughes (I)
1964: Howard Whitmore Jr. (R)
1970: John Volpe (R) and Josiah A. Spaulding (Independent)
1976: Michael S. Robertson (R)
1982: Ray Shamie (R)
1988: Joseph Malone (R)
1994: John Lakian (R)

2001-present: Kathleen Hartington Kennedy-Roosevelt (D) – is a niece of Jack Kennedy and Eunice Kennedy-Shriver; married to a relative of FDR; was a possible candidate for President in 2016 and 2020; incumbent
2000: Carla Howell (R)
2006: Kenneth Chase (R)
2012: Brian Paul Lees (R)
2018: Curt Schilling (R)

US Senators from Massachusetts’ Class 2 Seat

1945-1967: Leverett Saltonstall (R) – retired
1944 (sp): John H. Corcoran (D)
1948: John I. Fitzgerald (D)
1954: Foster Furcolo (D)
1960: Thomas J. O’Connor (D)

1967-1991: Ed Brooke (R) – first African-American US Senator from Massachusetts; ran for President in 1980 and 1988; retired
1966: Endicott Peabody (D)
1972: John J. Droney (D)
1978: Paul Tsongas (D)
1984: James Shannon (D)

1991-2013: Bill Weld (R) – ran for President in 2004 and briefly in 2008 and 2012; resigned for US Cabinet position in the Grammer administration
1990: Ken O’Donnell (D)
1996: Robert Stowe (D) and Susan Gallagher (Conservative)
2002: Tom Birmingham (D)
2008: Edward O’Reilly (D)

2013-2015: Lewis George “Lew” Evangelidis (R) – Greek-American; appointee; lost election

2015-present: Demetrius J. Atsalis (D) – Greek-American; incumbent
2014: Lewis George “Lew” Evangelidis (R)
2020: Kevin O’Connor (R)



US Senators from Michigan’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1971: Philip Hart (D) – lost re-election
1958: Charles E. Potter (R)
1964: Elly M. Peterson (R)

1971-1989: George W. Romney (R) – ran for President in 1976 and 1980; retired
1970: Philip Hart (D)
1976: Donald Riegle (D)
1982: Walter Reuther (D)

1989-1995: Elly Maude Peterson (R) – retired
1988: Milton Robert “Bob” Carr (D)

1995-2001: W. Mitt Romney (R) – is the son of George W. Romney; lost re-election
1994: Milton Robert “Bob” Carr (D)

2001-2007: Barbara-Rose Collins (D) – lost re-election
2000: W. Mitt Romney (R) and Matthew Abel (Green)

2007-2013: Andrew “Rocky” Raczkowski (R) – entered office at the age of 38; ran for President in 2012; lost re-election
2006: Barbara-Rose Collins (D)

2013-present: Hansen Clarke (D) – first Bangladeshi-American US Senator ever; ran for President in 2016; incumbent
2012: Andrew “Rocky” Raczkowski (R)
2018: Tagg Romney (R)

US Senators from Michigan’s Class 2 Seat

1955-1966: Patrick V. McNamara (D) – died in office from a stroke at the age of 71
1954: Homer S. Ferguson (R)
1960: G. Mennen Williams (R)

1966-1985: Robert P. Griffin (R) – appointee; retired
1966: Richard F. Vander Veen (D)
1972: Frank J. Kelley (D), Jerome P. Cavanaugh (I), Patrick Dillinger (HIP) and Barbara Halpert (Human Rights)
1978: Carl Levin (D)

1985-2015: Jack R. Lousma (R) – former astronaut; retired
1984: Donald J. Albosta (D)
1990: Barbara-Rose Collins (D)
1996: William Roundtree (D)
2002: John D. Cherry Jr. (D) and John S. Mangopoulos (Reform)
2008: Bart Stupak (D)

2015-2021: Terry Lynn Stern Rakolta (R) – lost re-election
2014: Mark Hamilton Schauer (D)

2021-present: Abdul El-Sayed (D) – Egyptian-American; lost re-election
2020: Terry Lynn Stern Rakolta (R)



US Senators from Minnesota’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1971: Eugene McCarthy (D) – retired
1958: Edward John Thye (R)
1964: Wheelock Whitney (R)

1971-1985: Hubert H. Humphrey Jr. (D) – died in office after a long battle with cancer
1970: Clark MacGregor (R)
1976: Gerald W. Brekke (R) and Paul Helm (I)
1982: David Durenberger (R)

1985-2001: Joan Growe (D) – retired
1985 (sp): Arlen Ingolf Erdahl (R)
1988: Arlen Overvig (R)
1994: Rod Grams (R) and Dean Barkley (I)

2001-2019: Hubert Horatio “Skip” Humphrey III (D) – is the son of VP Hubert Humphrey; retired
2000: Carol Molnau (R) and Jim Gibbons (I)
2006: Mark Kennedy (R)
2012: Rod Grams (R) and Michael C. Colley (Country)

2019-present: Farheen Hakeem (D) – Muslim; entered office at the age of 43; incumbent
2018: Leonard J. Richards (R)

US Senators from Minnesota’s Class 2 Seat

1949-1960: Hubert H. Humphrey Jr. (D) – resigned after being elected Vice President of the United States
1948: Joseph H. Ball (R)
1954: Val Bjornson (R)
1960: P. Kenneth Peterson (R)

1960-1961: Roy Weir (D) – appointee; retired

1961-1972: Walter Mondale (D) – resigned after being elected President of the United States
1961 (sp): Elmer L. Andersen (R)
1966: Robert A. Forsythe (R)
1972: Phil Hansen (R)

1972-1982: Bob Short (D) – died in office from cancer at the age of 65
1973: Phil Hansen (R)
1978: Harold Stassen (R)

1982-1997: Mark Dayton (D) – lost re-election; despite 1996 being a bad year for Democrats, the loss was still considered to be a major upset
1983 (sp): Tom Hagedorn (R)
1984: Tom Hagedorn (R)
1990: Vin Weber (R)

1997-2003: Gilbert Gutknecht Jr. (R) – moderate; retired; unsuccessfully ran for President in 2004 and has recently expressed interest in running for President again in 2024
1996: Mark Dayton (D)

2003-present: Sharon Sayles-Belton (D) – African-American female; ran for President in 2016; incumbent
2002: Carol Molnau (R)
2008: Jack Shepard (R)
2014: Tim Penny (R)
2020: Karin Housley (R)



US Senators from Mississippi’s Class 1 Seat

1947-1989: John C. Stennis (D) – retired
1947 (sp): unopposed
1952: unopposed
1958: unopposed
1964: unopposed
1970: William R. Thompson (I)
1976: unopposed
1982: Haley Barbour (R)

1989-present: William Webster “Webb” Franklin (R) – incumbent
1988: Dick Molpus (D)
1994: Ken Harper (D)
2000: Troy Brown (D)
2006: Erik Fleming (D)
2012: Roger Weiner (D)
2018: Mike Espy (D)

US Senators from Mississippi’s Class 2 Seat

1943-1979: James Eastland (D) – retired
1942: unopposed
1948: unopposed
1954: James A. White (R)
1960: Joe A. Moore (R)
1966: Prentiss Walker (R) and Clifton R. Whitley (I)
1972: James H. Meredith (R) and Prentiss Walker (I)

1979-1995: James H. Meredith (R) – first African-American US Senator from Mississippi; resigned after being confirmed for the US Vice Presidency
1978: Maurice Dantin (D)
1984: Maurice Dantin (D)
1990: George Raymond Jr. (D)

1995-1997: James E. Chaney (D) – appointee; lost election

1997-2004: Kirkwood Fordice (R) – died in office from leukemia at the age of 70
1996: James E. Chaney (D)
2002: Gilbert Fountain (D)

2004-2006: Erik R. Fleming (D) – appointee; lost election

2006-present: Patrick H. “Pete” Johnson (R) – member of the Johnson political family of Mississippi (both his grandfather and uncle served in public office, too); incumbent
2005 (sp): Erik R. Fleming (D)
2008: Grady F. “Gray” Tollison (Independent R) and Bootie Hunt (D)
2014: Travis Childers (D)
2020: J. P. “Jay” Hughes Jr. (D)



US Senators from Missouri’s Class 1 Seat

1953-1961: Stuart Symington (D) – resigned for US Cabinet position
1952: James P. Kem (R)
1958: Hazel Palmer (R)

1961-1963: Albert S. J. Carnahan (D) – appointee; retired

1963-1977: Leonor Sullivan (D) – first female US Senator from Missouri; retired
1962 (sp): William C. Cole (R)
1964: Jean P. Bradshaw (R)
1970: John Danforth (R) and Gene Chapman (HIP)

1977-1989: Jerry Litton (D) – resigned after being elected Vice President of the United States
1976: John Danforth (R)
1982: R. Wendell Bailey (R)
1988: Norvell William “Bill” Emerson (R)

1989-1993: Margaret Blake Kelly (D) – appointee; resigned
1989 (sp): John William “Jack” Buechner (R)

1993-1995: Thomas M. Keyes (D) – appointee; lost nomination

1995-2013: Alan Wheat (D) – first African-American US Senator from Missouri; lost re-election
1994: Bill Johnson (R)
2000: Grant Samuel Stauffer (R)
2006: Jim Talent (R)

2013-present: Sarah Hearne Steelman (R) – incumbent
2012: Alan Wheat (D) and Velma Steinman (Liberty)
2018: Travis Gonzalez (D) and Leonard J. Steinman II (Liberty, b. 1952)

US Senators from Missouri’s Class 3 Seat

1960-1975: Edward V. Long (D) – lost re-election
1960 (sp): Lon Hocker (R)
1962: Crosby Kemper (R)
1968: Thomas B. Curtis (R)

1975-1987: Thomas B. Curtis (R) – lost re-election
1974: Edward V. Long (D)
1980: Robert Anton Young III (D)

1987-2005: Bill Bradley (D) – briefly ran for President in 1996 and 2000; retired; later served as a US Ambassador under President Jackson
1986: Thomas B. Curtis (R)
1992: Jeanne Bojarski (R)
1998: Tamara Millay (R) and Wayne Cryts (D write-in)

2005-2017: Wayne Cryts (D) – previously served in the US House of Representatives; was often called "the voice of the farmers" when in both chambers; retired due to declining health
2004: Mike Steger (R)
2010: Chuck Purgason (R)

2017-present: David A. Catania (R) – incumbent
2016: Joseph “Chief Wana Dubie” Bickell (D, 1958-2021) and Susan Montee (Independent Democrat)



US Senators from Montana’s Class 1 Seat

1953-1977: Mike Mansfield (D) – retired
1952: Zales Ecton (R)
1958: Lou Welch (R)
1964: Alex Blewett (R)
1970: Harold E. Wallace (R)

1977-1983: John Melcher (D) – lost re-election
1976: Stanley C. Burger (R)

1983-1989: Ron Marlenee (R) – lost re-election
1982: John Melcher (D)

1989-2007: Jack Mudd (D) – lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats
1988: Ron Marlenee (R)
1994: Tom Faranda (R)
2000: Rick Hill (R)

2007-2013: Stan Jones (R) – lost re-election
2006: Jack Mudd (D)

2013-2019: Denise Juneau (D) –first female US Senator from Montana; lost re-election
2012: Stan Jones (R)

2019-present: Stan Jones (R) – incumbent
2018: Denise Juneau (D) and Steve Bullock (Moderate Democratic)

US Senators from Montana’s Class 2 Seat

1961-1973: Lee Metcalf (D) – lost re-election
1960: Orvin B. Fjare (R)
1966: Tim M. Babcock (R)

1973-1979: Henry S. “Hank” Hibbard (R) – lost re-nomination
1972: Lee Metcalf (D)

1979-2021: Larry Williams (R) – retired
1978: Paul G. Hatfield (D)
1984: John Driscoll (D)
1990: John Patrick “Pat” Williams (D)
1996: Stephen Heaton (D)
2002: Hal G. Harper (D)
2008: Robert Kelleher (D)
2014: Amanda Curtis (D) and Roger Roots (Liberty)

2021-present: Jenny Eck (D) – incumbent
2020: Jon Sonju (R)



US Senators from Nebraska’s Class 1 Seat

1954-1971: Roman Hruska (R) – lost re-election
1954 (sp): James F. Green (D)
1958: Frank B. Morrison (D)
1964: Raymond W. Arndt (D)

1971-2007: Ted Sorensen (D) – retired
1970: Roman Hruska (R)
1976: John Y. McCollister (R)
1982: Jim Keck (R) and Virginia Walsh (I)
1988: David Karnes (R) and Ernie Chambers (New Alliance)
1994: Jan Stoney (R)
2000: Don Stenberg (R)

2007-2017: Don Stenberg (R) – resigned for position in the Grammer administration
2006: Maxine Moul (D)
2012: Chuck Hassebrook (D)

2017-2018: Charlie Janssen (R) – appointee; lost election

2018-present: Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D) – first female African-American US Senator from Nebraska; ran for President in 2016 and 2020; incumbent
2017 (sp): Charlie Janssen (R)
2018: Charles Herbster (R)

US Senators from Nebraska’s Class 2 Seat

1955-1965: Carl Curtis (R) – resigned for a cabinet position in the Sanders administration
1954: Keith Neville (D)
1960: Robert B. Conrad (D)

1965-1973: Dwight W. Burney (R) – appointee; retired
1966: C. Armstrong Callan (D)

1973-present: Orrin Hatch (R) – moved to Nebraska in the 1960s; incumbent; may not run for re-election in 2026
1972: Philip C. Sorensen (D) and Terry Carpenter (I)
1978: J. James Exon (D)
1984: J. James Exon (D)
1990: John J. Cavanaugh III (D)
1996: Ben Nelson (D) and John DeCamp (Liberty)
2002: Charlie A. Matulka (D)
2008: Scott Kleeb (D)
2014: David Domina (D) and Jim Jenkins (Independent)
2020: Preston Love Jr. (D)



US Senators from Nevada’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1965: Howard W. Cannon (D) – lost re-election
1958: George W. Malone (R)

1965-1995: Paul Dominque Laxalt (R) – considered running for president in 1980, 1988, and 1992; considered for VP nomination in 1972, 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, and 1996; retired
1964: Howard W. Cannon (D)
1970: Howard W. Cannon (D)
1976: James David Santini (D)
1982: Harry Reid (D)
1988: Richard Byran (D)

1995-2007: Anna Nevenic (D) – lost re-election
1994: Kenny Guinn (R)
2000: Jim Gibbons (R)

2007-2019: Patricia Anne “Patty” Cafferata (R) – retired
2006: Anna Nevenic (D)
2012: Barbara Buckley (D)

2019-present: Doug Swanson (R) – incumbent
2018: Jan Laverty Jones (D)

US Senators from Nevada’s Class 3 Seat

1954-1974: Alan H. Bible (D) – retired and resigned after a successor was elected
1954 (sp): Ernest S. Brown (R)
1956: Cliff Young (R)
1962: William B. Wright (R)
1968: Edward Fike (R)

1974-1999: Barbara Vucanovich (R) – appointed to seat to which she was elected after retiring incumbent resigned; first female US Senator from Nevada; retired
1974: Mike O’Callaghan (D) and Jack C. Doyle (HIP)
1980: Mary Gojack (D)
1986: Myron E. Leavitt (D)
1992: Lois Avery (D) and Joe Garcia (Country)

1999-2005: Patricia Anne “Patty” Cafferata (R) – is the daughter of Barbara Vucanovich; lost re-election
1998: James Bilbray (D)

2005-present: Dina Titus (D) – Greek-American; condered for VP nomination in 2008; declined running for President in 2016 and in 2020; incumbent
2004: Patricia Anne “Patty” Cafferata (R)
2010: Sue Lowden (R)
2016: Tyrus O. “Ty” Cobb (R)



US Senators from New Hampshire’s Class 2 Seat

1937-1961: Styles Bridges (R) – retired
1936: William N. Rogers (D)
1942: Francis P. Murphy (D)
1948: Alfred E. Fortin (D)
1954: Gerard L. Morin (D)
1960: Herbert W. Hill (D)

1961-1967: Maurice Murphy (R) – lost re-election
1962 (sp): Thomas J. McIntyre (D)

1967-1973: Thomas J. McIntyre (D) – lost re-election
1966: Maurice J. Murphy (R) and Chester Earl Merrow (Independent)

1973-1979: Harrison Reed Thyng (R) – retired
1972: Thomas J. McIntyre (D)

1979-1981: Carmen C. Chimento (I) – appointee; retired
1978: Gordon J. Humphrey (R) and Thomas J. McIntyre (D) – the 1978 election between Humphrey and McIntyre was too close to call ahead of the new session, so the governor appointed a nonpartisan centrist to serve as an “interim” Senator; soon after, with the election winner deemed “undeterminable,” a special election was called
1979 (sp): Gordon J. Humphrey (R) and Thomas J. McIntyre (D) – the 1979 special election was, similar to the 1978 election, too close to call ahead of congress reconvening in early 1980; a second special election was thus called for and held in 1980, with both Humphrey and McIntyre separately deciding against a third matchup

1981-1981: Wesley Powell (R) – died suddenly, just days after entering office, triggering a third special election in as many years
1980 (sp): Norman D’Amours (D) and incumbent Carmen C. Chimento (I)

1981-1981: Lane Dwinell (R) – appointee; retired

1981-1985: Hugh Gregg (R) – entered office in December 1981; lost re-election
1981 (sp): John Rauh (D)

1985-1997: Endicott Peabody (D) – retired
1984: Hugh Gregg (R)
1990: Harold Burns (R)

1997-2003: Ken Blevens (R) – lost re-election
1996: Dick Swett (D)

2003-2009: Beverly Hollingworth (D) – lost re-election
2002: Ken Blevens (R)

2009-2013: Kelley Ashby (R) – resigned for a position in the Grammer administration
2008: Beverly Hollingworth (D)

2013-present: Yvonne Katrina Lantos (D) – appointee; incumbent
2014: Frank Christopher Guinta (R)
2020: Regina Birdsell (R)

US Senators from New Hampshire’s Class 3 Seat

1954-1987: Norris Cotton (R) – retired
1954 (sp): Stanley J. Betley (D)
1956: Laurence M. Pickett (D)
1962: Alfred Catalfo Jr. (D)
1968: John W. King (D)
1974: John A. Durkin (D) and Carmen C. Chimento (HIP)
1980: John A. Durkin (D)

1987-1993: Emile Dorilas Beaulieu Jr. (D) – lost re-election
1986: Robert F. Shaw (R)

1993-1999: Katherine M. Alexander (R) – first female US Senator from New Hampshire; very libertarian; narrowly lost re-election in a surprise upset (while it was a bad election year for most Republican candidates, most polls suggested that she would narrowly win)
1992: Emile Dorilas Beaulieu Jr. (D)

1999-2011: Lou D’Allesandro (D) – lost re-election
1998: Katherine M. Alexander (R)
2004: Sharon Carson (R)

2011-present: Ted Gatsas (R) – Greek-American; considered for his party's VP nomination in 2020; incumbent; may run for President in 2024 (he has not yet announced whether or not he will run for re-election in 2022)
2010: Lou D’Allesandro (D)
2016: Carol Shea-Porter (D)



US Senators from New Jersey’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1982: Harrison Arlington "Pete" Williams Jr. (D) – resigned ahead of a planned expulsion vote for his conviction for taking bribes in the Abscam sting operation of 1981
1958: Robert W. Kean (R)
1964: Bernard M. Shanley (R)
1970: Nelson G. Gross (R)
1976: David A. Norcross (R)

1982-1983: Frank Lautenberg (D) – appointee; lost re-election

1983-2007: Frank X. McDermott (R) – moderate; retired at the age of 82 and passed away in late 2020
1982: Frank Lautenberg (D)
1988: Jim Florio (D)
1994: Herb Klein (D)
2000: Jon Corzine (official write-in) (D) and John A. Lynch Jr. (withdrew amid scandal) (D)

2007-2013: Thomas Kean Jr. (R) – elected in a good year for Republicans; a member of the Kean political family of New Jersey; lost re-election
2006: Gina Rose Genovese (D)

2013-present: Upendra Chivukula (D) – born in southern India in 1950; incumbent
2012: Thomas Kean Jr. (R)
2018: Alison Elizabeth Littell McHose (R)

US Senators from New Jersey’s Class 2 Seat

1955-1982: Clifford Philip Case Jr. (R) – died in office at the age of 77, only days after US Senator Harrison A. Williams (D-NJ) resigned
1954: Charles R. Howell (D)
1960: B. B. Thorn Lord (D)
1966: Warren W. Wilentz (D)
1972: B. B. Thorn Lord (D)
1978: Ray “Buttercup” Rollinson (D)

1982-1983: Richard J. Coffee (D) – appointee; lost election

1983-2015: Mary V. Mochary (R) – born in Hungary in 1942 and settled with her family in New Jersey when she was 9 years old retired; first female US Senator from New Jersey; retired
1982 (sp): Richard J. Coffee (D)
1984: Alexander J. Menza (D)
1990: Barbara Wright McConnell (D)
1996: Robert Torricelli (D)
2002: Rob Andrews (D)
2008: Donald Cresitello (D) and Gregory “Greg” Pason (Socialist)

2015-2021: Lisa Perez Jackson (D) – first female African-American US Senator from New Jersey; resigned upon being confirmed for a position in the current Presidential administration
2014: Steve Lonegan (R)
2020: Hirsh Singh (R)

2021-present: Dawn Zimmer (D) – appointee; incumbent



US Senators from New Mexico’s Class 1 Seat

1935-1962: Dionisio "Dennis" Chavez (D) – first-ever Hispanic person elected to a full term in the US Senate; died in office from cancer, which was attributed to his being a lifelong smoker, at the age of 74
1936 (sp): M. A. Otero Jr. (R)
1940: Albert K. Mitchell (R)
1946: Patrick J. Hurley (R)
1952: Patrick J. Hurley (R)
1958: Forrest S. Atchley (R)

1962-1964: Edwin L. Mechem (R) – appointed; lost election

1964-1978: Joseph Manuel Montoya (D) – died in office at the age of 62
1964 (sp): Edwin L. Mechem (R)
1964: Edwin L. Mechem (R)
1970: Anderson Carter (R)
1976: Harrison Schmitt (R)

1978-1981: Mary Coon Walters (D) – appointee; lost nomination

1981-2007: Pedro “Pete” Jiménez (D) – retired
1980 (sp): Manuel Lujan (R)
1982: Harrison Schmitt (R)
1988: Bill Valentine (R)
1994: Robin Dozier Otten (R)
2000: William T. Redmond (R)

2007-2009: Gloria Tristani (D) – first female US Senator from New Mexico; resigned for a cabinet position in the Wellstone administration
2006: Joseph J. Carraro (R)

2009-present: Debbie Jaramillo (D) – appointee; incumbent
2010 (special): Retta Ward (R)
2012: Greg Sowards (R)
2018: Mick Rich (R)

US Senators from New Mexico’s Class 2 Seat

1949-1973: Clinton Presba Anderson (D) – retired
1948: Patrick J. Hurley (R)
1954: Edwin L. Mechem (R)
1960: William Colwes (R)
1966: Anderson Carter (R)

1973-present: Roberto Mondragon (D) – sworn into office at the age of 32; progressive environmentalist; recorded some music albums in the 1970s and 1980s, and subsequently is the only incumbent US Senator to have a hit single ("Aloha Amigos," 1979); incumbent; has expressed interest in running for another term in 2026 (interestingly, if he and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-NE) retire in 2026 and Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) retires in 2022, all three men would "tie" for the record for longest-serving US Senator in history at 54 years for each of them; this has led to a semi-serious "competition" of sorts between the three to see when each of them will leave office, a competition that may be the reason behind Hatch, Dole and Mondragon all still being in office and declining interest in resigning any time soon)
1972: Pete Domencini (R) and Jack Daniels (Independent Democratic)
1978: Pete Domencini (R)
1984: Joseph Skeen (R)
1990: Manuel Lujan Jr. (R)
1996: Bruce M. Bush (R)
2002: Orlin G. Cole (R)
2008: Heather Wilson (R)
2014: David Clements (R)
2020: Elisa Martinez (R)



US Senators from New York’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1971: Kenneth Keating (R) – lost re-election
1958: Frank S. Hogan (D)
1964: Samuel S. Stratton (D)

1971-1983: Paul O’Dwyer (D) – lost re-election
1970: Kenneth B. Keating (R), James L. Buckley (Conservative) and Allard K. Lowenstein (Liberal/Natural Mind)
1976: James L. Buckley (Conservative) and William E. Miller (R)

1983-1995: Michael Rockefeller (R/Liberal) – is the son of former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller; often labeled a "LID"; lost re-election; currently (as of July 4, 2021) still alive
1982: Paul O’Dwyer (D), Florence M. Sullivan (C) and Allard K. Lowenstein (Progressive)
1988: Edolphus Towns (D), Adelle R. Nathanson (Conservative) and Charlene Mitchell (Progressive)

1995-2007: Gabriel “Gabe” Kaplan (D/Labor/Working Families/Progressive/Green) – former actor and professional poker player; focused on education reform; unsuccessfully ran for President in 2000; retired
1994: Michael Rockefeller (R/Liberal), and Henry F. Hewes (Conservative/Life)
2000: Rick Lazio (R) and John O. Adefope (Conservative/Life)

2007-present: Thomas Richard "Tom" Suozzi (D) – moderate; briefly ran for President in 2016 and 2020; incumbent
2006: Edward Ridley Finch Cox (R)
2012: George Maragos (R)
2018: Chris Gibson (R)

US Senators from New York’s Class 3 Seat

1957-1981: Jacob Javits (R) – lost re-election
1956: Robert F. Wagner Jr. (D)
1962: James B. Donovan (D)
1968: Joseph Y. Resnick (D)
1974: Lee Alexander (D) and Barbara A. Keating (Conservative)

1981-2005: Mario Biaggi (D/Conservative until 2000, then R/Conservative) – retired
1980: Jacob K. Javits (R) and Bess Myerson (Liberal/Natural Mind)
1986: Al D’Amato (R), Mark Green (Green) and John S. Dyson (Liberal)
1992: Norma Segal (R/Liberal) and Mohammad T. Mehdi (Green)
1998: William P. McMillen (R)

2005-present: Allyson Schwartz (D) – incumbent
2004: Howard Mills III (R)
2010: Gary Berntsen (R), Colia Clark (Green/Natural Mind) and Randy Credico (Liberty)
2016: Larry Kudlow (R) and Vito Russo (I)



US Senators from North Carolina’s Class 2 Seat

1958-1973: B. Everett Jordan (D) – retired
1958 (sp): Richard C. Clarke Jr. (R)
1960: Kyle Hayes (R)
1966: John S. Shallcross (R)

1973-1991: Terry Sanford (D) – lost re-election
1972: Jesse Helms (R)
1978: George Wimbish (R)
1984: James Holshouser (R)

1991-2003: James Grubbs “Jim” Martin (R) – lost re-election
1990: Terry Sanford (D)
1996: Harvey Gantt (D)

2003-2009: Daniel Terry Blue Jr. (D) – African-American; lost re-election
2002: James Grubbs “Jim” Martin (R)

2009-2015: Margaret A. “Meg” Ryan (R) – no relation to the actress Meg Ryan; lost re-election
2008: Daniel Terry Blue Jr. (D)

2015-2021: Dan Clodfelter (D) – retired
2014: Margaret A. “Meg” Ryan (R)

2021-present: Charles Graham (D) – Native-American; incumbent
2020: Theodore Paul “Ted” Budd (R)

US Senators from North Carolina’s Class 3 Seat

1954-1975: Sam Ervin (D) – retired
1954 (sp): unopposed
1956: Joel A. Johnson (R)
1962: Claude L. Greene Jr. (R)
1968: Robert V. Somers (R)

1975-2011: Nick Galifianakis (D) – Greek-American; retired
1974: Wood Hall Young (R) and William Stevens (Country)
1980: Earl Baker Ruth (R)
1986: Jim Broyhill (R)
1992: Robert Cannon Hayes (R)
1998: Barbara Howe (R)
2004: John Ross Hendrix (R)

2011-present: Rand Paul (R) – incumbent
2010: Elaine Marshall (D)
2016: Deborah K. Ross (D)



US Senators from North Dakota’s Class 1 Seat

1960-1965: Quentin N. Burdick (D) – lost re-election
1960 (sp): John E. Davis (R)

1965-1971: Thomas S. Kleppe (R) – lost re-election
1964: Quentin N. Burdick (D)

1971-2001: Arthur Albert Link (D) – retired
1970: Thomas S. Kleppe (R)
1976: Robert Stroup (R)
1982: Gene Knorr (R)
1988: Kenneth C. Gardner (R)
1994: Ben Clayburgh (R)

2001-2007: Eliot Glassheim (D) – lost re-election
2000: Duane Sand (R)

2007-2019: John Hoeven (R) – retired
2006: Eliot Glassheim (D)
2012: Paul Gulleson (D)

2019-present: David Dean Andahl (R) – incumbent
2018: Earl Ralph Pomeroy III (D)

US Senators from North Dakota’s Class 3 Seat

1945-1981: Milton R. Young (R) – retired
1946 (sp): William Lanier (D) and Gerald P. Nye (Independent)
1950: Harry O’Brien (D)
1956: Quentin N. Burdick (D)
1962: William Lanier (D)
1968: Herschel Lashkowitz (D)
1974: James R. Jungroth (D) and Kenneth C. Gardiner (Country)

1981-1987: Mark Andrews (R) – lost re-election
1980: Kent Johanneson (D)

1987-2011: Kent Conrad (D) – retired
1986: Mark Andrews (R)
1992: Steve Sydness (R) and Darold Larson (I)
1998: Donna Nalewaja (R)
2004: Mike Liffrig (R)

2011-present: Kelly Schmidt (R) – incumbent
2010: Joan Heckaman (D)
2016: Joel C. Heitkamp (D)



US Senators from Ohio’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1965: Stephen M. Young (D) – lost re-election
1958: John W. Bricker (R)

1965-1971: Robert A. Taft Jr. (R) – lost re-election
1964: Stephen M. Young (D)

1971-2001: John Glenn (D) – former NASA astronaut; retired
1970: Robert A. Taft Jr. (R)
1976: Richard B. Kay (R)
1982: Paul Pfeifer (R)
1988: John R. Kasich Jr. (R)
1994: Paul E. Pfeifer (R) and Joseph Slovenec (I)

2001-2007: Terry A. Anderson (D) – retired
2000: Frank A. Cremeans (R)

2007-present: Sherrod Brown (D) – progressive and pro-labor unions; incumbent
2006: David Smith (R)
2012: Eric Deaton (R)
2018: Jim Renacci (R)

US Senators from Ohio’s Class 3 Seat

1957-1969: Frank J. Lausche (D) – retired
1956: George H. Bender (R)
1962: John M. Briley (R)

1969-1987: William B. Saxbe (R) – retired
1968: John Gilligan (D), Frank J. Lausche (I) and John M. Briley (HIP)
1974: Howard Metzenbaum (D)
1980: Mary Rose Oakar (D) and John E. Powers (I)

1987-1994: Carl Stokes (D) – African-American; announced early retirement due to worsening health, triggering a special election after which he resigned
1986: Tom Kindness (R)
1992: Mike DeWine (R), Martha Grevatt (Country) and Douglas DeGood (Independent Democrat)

1994-2003: Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr. (D) – appointed to the seat to which he was elected after retiring incumbent resigned; died in office
1994 (special): Phyllis Goetz (R)
1998: George Voinovich (R)

2003-2009: Peter Lawson Jones (D) – resigned for ambassadorship
2004: Nancy Putnam Hollister (R) and Tony Patrick Hall (Independent Democrat)

2009-present: Randy Brock (R) – African-American; conservative; entered office in late November 2009; considered for VP nomination in 2012; incumbent
2009 (sp): Robert L. Burch Jr. (D)
2010: Michael B. Coleman (D) and Eric Deaton (Constitutionalists’)
2016: Joyce Beatty (D)



US Senators from Oklahoma’s Class 2 Seat

1949-1963: Robert S. Kerr (D) – died in office
1948: Ross Rizley (R)
1954: Fred M. Mock (R)
1960: Hayden Crawford (R)

1963-1965: J. Howard Edmondson (D) – appointed; lost election

1965-2003: Bud Wilkinson (R) – retired and passed away days later
1964 (sp): J. Howard Edmondson (D)
1966: Fred R. Harris (D)
1972: Ed Edmondson (D) and William G. Roach (HIP)
1978: David L. Boren (D)
1984: David L. Boren (D)
1990: Dave McCurdy (D)
1996: Glen D. Johnson Jr. (D)

2003-present: Steve Largent (R) – incumbent
2002: David Walters (D)
2008: Jim Rogers (D)
2014: Dan Boren (D)
2020: Sheila Bilyeu (D)

US Senators from Oklahoma’s Class 3 Seat

1951-1969: A. S. Mike Monroney (D) – retired
1950: W. H. Bill Alexander (R)
1956: Douglas McKeever (R)
1962: Hayden Crawford (R)

1969-1981: Henry Bellmon (R) – retired
1968: A. S. Mike Monroney (D)
1974: Ed Edmondson (D)

1981-2005: Marvin Henry “Mickey” Edwards (R) – lost re-election
1980: Andrew Coats (D), Billy Joe Clegg (Conservative) and Charles R. Nesbitt (I)
1986: James R. Jones (D)
1992: Steve Lewis (D)
1998: Laura Boyd (D)

2005-2011: Brad Carson (D) – of Native-American descent; lost re-election
2004: Marvin Henry “Mickey” Edwards (R)

2011-2017: Evelyn Rogers (R) – retired
2010: Brad Carson (D)

2017-present: Lisa J. Billy (R) – Native-American; incumbent
2016: Mike Workman (D) and Dax Ewbank (Liberty)



US Senators from Oregon’s Class 2 Seat

1960-1967: Maurine Brown Neuberger (D) – retired
1960 (sp): Elmo Smith (R)
1960: Elmo Smith (R)

1967-1997: Mark Hatfield (R) – retired
1966: Robert B. Duncan (D)
1972: Edith Green (D)
1978: Vernon Cook (D)
1984: Mary Wendy Roberts (D)
1990: Harry Lonsdale (D)

1997-2009: Norma Paulus (R) – retired
1996: Peter DeFazio (D)
2002: Bill Bradbury (D)

2009-present: Jefferson Smith (D) – incumbent
2008: Gordon Smith (R)
2014: Jo Rae Perkins (R (and endorsed by the Boulder Party of Oregon))
2020: Brad Avakian (R) and Winona LaDuke (Green)

US Senators from Oregon’s Class 3 Seat

1945-1974: Wayne Morse (D since 1955, I 1952-1955, R before 1952) – died in office
1944: Edgar W. Smith (D)
1950: Howard Latourette (R)
1956: Douglas McKay (R)
1962: Sig Unander (R)
1968: Wendell Wyatt (R)

1974-1975: Earl T. Newbry (R) – appointee; retired

1975-1981: Tom McCall (R) – retired due to cancer
1974: Betty Roberts (D)

1981-1987: John R. Dellenback (R) – lost re-election
1980: Ted Kulongoski (D)

1987-present: Walter Leslie “Les” AuCoin (D) – incumbent
1986: John R. Dellenback (R)
1992: Dennis Alan “Denny” Smith (R)
1998: Tonie Nathan (R) and Aaron Dixon (Green)
2004: Al King (R)
2010: Jim Huffman (R)
2016: Faye Stewart (R) and Shanti Lewallen (Working Families)



US Senators from Pennsylvania’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1977: Hugh Scott (R) – retired
1958: George M. Leader (D)
1964: Genevieve Blatt (D)
1970: William G. Sesler (D)

1977-1983: Bill Green (D) – lost re-election
1976: Elmer Greinert “Bud” Shuster (R)

1983-1989: Elmer Greinert “Bud” Shuster (R) – lost re-election
1982: Bill Green (D)

1989-2001: Darcy Richardson (D) – retired
1988: Elmer Greinert “Bud” Shuster (R)
1994: Dick Santorum (R), Diane G. Blough (Country) and Donald Ernsberger (Liberty)

2001-2007: Paul Kanjorski (D) – lost re-election
2000: Patrick J. Toomey (R)

2007-2019: H. J. Heinz III (R) – retired
2006: Paul Kanjorski (D)
2012: Jason Altmire (D)

2019-present: Luke R. Ravenstahl (D) – incumbent
2018: Camera Chatham Bartolotta (R)

US Senators from Pennsylvania’s Class 3 Seat

1957-1969: Joseph S. Clark (D) – lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats
1956: James H. Duff (R)
1962: James E. Van Zandt (R)

1969-1975: Herman T. Schneebeli (R) – lost re-election
1968: Joseph S. Clark (D) and Frank W. Gaydosh (HIP)

1975-2000: Bob Casey Sr. (D) – died from cancer
1974: Herman T. Schneebeli (R)
1980: Arlen Specter (R)
1986: George Gekas (R)
1992: Wayne Curtis Weldon (R) and John Perry III (I)
1998: Barbara Hafer (R)

2000-present: Bob Casey Jr. (D) – appointee; incumbent
2000 (special): Philip Sheridan English (R)
2004: Betsy Summers (R)
2010: John Kennedy (R)
2016: Lou Barletta (Country) and William Scranton III (R)



US Senators from Potomac’s Class 1 Seat

2006-present: Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) – African-American; one of the most popular US Senators in the nation; incumbent
2006: Carol Schwartz (R)
2012: unopposed
2018: unopposed

US Senators from Potomac’s Class 2 Seat

2006-2015: David Schwartzman (D) – retired
2008: Carol Schwartz (R)

2015-present: Anthony A. Williams (D) – African-American; known for sporting a bowtie; incumbent
2014: Bruce Majors (R)
2020: unopposed



US Senators from Puerto Rico’s Class 1 Seat

2006-2019: Luis Fortuno (R) – lost re-election
2006: Rafael Hernandez Colon (D)
2012: Cirilo Tirado Rivera (D)

2019-present: Alexandra Lugaro (D) – incumbent
2018: Luis Fortuno (R)

US Senators from Puerto Rico’s Class 2 Seat

2006-2021: Norma Burgos (R) – lost re-election
2008: Jorge Santini (D)
2014: Margarita Nolasco Santiago (D)

2021-present: Brenda Lopez de Arraras (D) – incumbent
2020 (first round of RCV): Norma Burgos (R), Carmen Milagros Ortiz (D) and Maria Elvira Salazar (Conservative)
2020 (final round of RCV): Norma Burgos (R)



US Senators from Rhode Island’s Class 1 Seat

1950-1977: John Pastore (D) – retired
1950 (sp): Austin T. Levy (R)
1952: Bayard Ewing (R)
1958: Bayard Ewing (R)
1964: Ronald R. Lageux (R)
1970: John McLaughlin (R)

1977-1989: Robert Owens Tiernan (D) – lost re-election
1976: Donald P. Ryan (R)
1982: Vincent Marzullo (R)

1989-2001: Claudine Schneider (R) – lost re-election
1988: Robert Owens Tiernan (D)
1994: Linda Kushner (D)

2001-present: Myrth York (D) – incumbent
2000: Claudine Schneider (R)
2006: Ellerton Pratt “Mark” Whitney III (“Liberty” Republican) and Steve Laffey (Independent Republican)
2012: Barry Hinckley (R)
2018: Martha Elizabeth McSally (R)

US Senators from Rhode Island’s Class 2 Seat

1961-1997: Claiborne Pell (D) – retired
1960: Raoul Archambault Jt. (R)
1966: Ruth M. Briggs (R)
1972: John Chafee (R) and John Quattrocchi Jr. (Independent)
1978: James G. Reynolds (R)
1984: Barbara Leonard (R)
1990: Robert Machtley (R)

1997-2003: Nancy J. Mayer (R) – lost re-election
1996: Donald Gill (D)

2003-present: Elizabeth H. Roberts (D) – incumbent
2002: Nancy J. Mayer (R)
2008: Robert Tingle (R)
2014: Mark Zaccaria (R)
2020: Scott Avedisian (R)



US Senators from South Carolina’s Class 2 Seat

1954-1956: Strom Thurmond (Independent Democrat) – resigned
1954: Edgar A. Brown (D)

1956-1956: Thomas Wofford (D) – appointee; retired

1956-2005: Strom Thurmond (D until 1962/R after 1962) – died in office
1956 (sp): unopposed
1960: unopposed
1966: Bradley Morrah (D)
1972: Eugene N. Zeigler (D)
1978: Charles D. Ravenel (D)
1984: Melvin Purvis Jr. (D)
1990: Bob Cunningham (D)
1996: Elliot Close (D)
2002: Alexander Sanders (D)

2005-2006: Strom Thurmond Jr. (R) – appointee; lost election

2006-2015: Mike Thurmond (D) – African-American; lost re-election
2005 (sp): Strom Thurmond Jr. (R)
2008: Mark Sanford (R) and Michael Cone (I)

2015-present: J. Gary Simrill (R) – was a close ally of US House Speaker McMaster; incumbent
2014: Mike Thurmond (D)
2020: Mandy Powers Norrell (D)

US Senators from South Carolina’s Class 3 Seat

1945-1965: Olin D. Johnston (D) – died
1944: James B. Gaston (R)
1950: unopposed
1956: Leon P. Crawford (R)
1962: W. D. Workman Jr. (R)

1965-2011: Fritz Hollings (D) – retired
1966 (sp): unopposed
1968: Marshall Parker (R)
1974: Gwenyfred Bush (R)
1980: Marshall T. Mays (R)
1986: H. Dargan McMaster (R)
1992: Thomas F. Hartnett (R)
1998: Richard Quillian (R)
2004: Jim DeMint (R)

2011-present: Sherry Shealy Martschink (R) – incumbent
2010: A. Victor “Vic” Rawl (D)
2016: Laurie Funderburk (D)



Senators from South Dakota’s Class 2 Seat

1948-1973: Karl Earl Mundt (R) – retired
1948: John A. Engel (D)
1954: Kenneth Holum (D)
1960: George McGovern (D)
1966: Donn H. Wright (D)

1973-1979: James Abourezk (D) – retired
1972: Robert W. Hirsch (R)

1979-2009: Larry Pressler (R) – retired
1978: Don Barnett (D)
1984: George V. Cunningham (D)
1990: Ted Muenster (D) and Dean L. Sinclair (Independent)
1996: Gene N. Lebrun (D)
2002: Herman Eilers (D)

2009-present: SuAnne Big-Crow (R) – Native-American; paraplegic since a car accident in her 20s; incumbent
2008: Scott Heidepriem (D)
2014: R. J. Volesky (D)
2020: Dennis Feickert (D)

Senators from South Dakota’s Class 3 Seat

1951-1962: Francis H. Case (R) – died
1950: John A. Engel (D)
1956: Kenneth Holum (D)

1962-1975: Joseph H. Bottom (R) – lost re-election
1962: George McGovern (D)
1968: Wayne Peterson (D)

1975-1981: George McGovern (D) – lost re-election
1974: Joseph H. Bottom (R)

1981-1994: Frank Farrar (R) – died in a plane crash
1980: George McGovern (D)
1986: Tom Daschle (D)
1992: Franklin Edvard Denholm (D)

1994-1995: Carole Hillard (R) – appointee; lost election

1995-2017: Teresa McGovern (D) – retired
1994 (special): Carole Hillard (R)
1998: Ron Schmidt (R)
2004: John Thune (R)
2010: James A. “Jim” Lintz (R)

2017-present: Doug Sombke (R) – incumbent
2016: Bernie Hunhoff (D)



US Senators from Tennessee’s Class 1 Seat

1953-1998: Albert Arnold “Al” Gore Sr. (D) – died in office from natural causes
1952: Hobart F. Atkins (R)
1958: Hobart F. Atkins (R)
1964: Dan H. Kuykendall (R)
1970: Bill Brock (R)
1976: Bill Brock (R)
1982: Robin Beard (R)
1988: Bill Anderson (R)
1994: Bill Frist (R) and John Jay Hooker (I)

1998-2001: Charles V. Brown (D) – appointee; lost nomination

2001-2013: Bob Clement Jr. (D) – lost re-election
2000: Mae Beavers (R) and Jeff Clarke (I)
2006: Van Hilleary (R)

2013-present: Mae Beavers (R) – incumbent
2012: Bob Clement Jr. (D) and Zach Poskevich (Independent Republican)
2018: Roy Herron (D) and Stephen Fincher (Rational Republican)

US Senators from Tennessee’s Class 2 Seat

1949-1963: Estes Kefauver (D) – died in office
1948: B. Carroll Reece (R)
1954: Tom Wall (R)
1960: A. Bradley Frazier (R)

1963-1964: Herbert S. Walters (D) – appointee; lost nomination

1964-1991: Howard Baker (R) – retired
1964 (sp): Ross Bass (D)
1966: Frank G. Clement (D)
1972: Ray Blanton (D)
1978: Joseph L. Evins (D)
1984: Jane Eskind (D) and Ed McAteer (Salvation)

1991-1997: Marilyn Lloyd (D) – lost re-election
1990: William R. Hawkins (R)

1997-2017: Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R) – resigned after being confirmed for a cabinet position in the Grammer administration
1996: Marilyn Lloyd (D)
2002: Jim Cooper (D)
2008: Bob Tuke (D)
2014: Lincoln Davis (D)

2017-2017: Joey Hensley (R) – appointee; lost nomination

2017-present: Dr. Manish Kumar “Manny” Sethi, Ph.D. (R) – entered office in late November 2017; incumbent
2017 (sp): Sara Peery Kyle (D)
2020: Madeline Anne Rogero (D)



US Senators from Texas’s Class 1 Seat

1957-1971: Ralph Yarborough (D) – lost re-nomination
1958: Roy Whittenburg (R)
1964: George H. W. Bush (R) and Bruce Alger (HIP)

1971-1983: Lloyd Bentsen (D) – lost re-election
1970: John Connally (R) and Jack Carswell (HIP)
1976: Alan Steelman (R) and Pedro Vasquez (Socialist Workers/La Raza Unida)

1983-1989: James M. Collins (R) – retired due to poor health
1982: Lloyd Bentsen (D)

1989-2001: Ann Richards (D) – resigned for a position in the Jesse Jackson administration
1988: Audie Murphy (R), Eldon Boulter (Liberty) and Albert G. Bustamante (La Raza Unida)
1994: Harry “Steve” Bartlett (R), Mary J. Ruwart (Liberty) and Jose Angel Gutierrez (La Raza Unida)

2001-2007: Mickey Leland (D) – lost re-election
2000: Joe Barton (R) and Adrian Garcia (La Raza Unida)

2007-present: Kay Granger (R) – incumbent
2006: Mickey Leland (D)
2012: Henry Cisneros (D), Gene Kelly (I) and Rick Noriega (La Raza Unida)
2018: Ricardo Sanchez (D) and Joaquin Castro (La Raza Unida)

US Senators from Texas’s Class 1 Seat

1949-1961: Lyndon B. Johnson (D) – resigned to become President of the United States
1948: Jack Porter (R)
1954: Carlos G. Watson (R)
1960: John G. Tower (R)

1961-1961: William A. Blakley (D) – appointee election

1961-1967: John G. Tower (R) – lost re-election
1961 (special): William A. Blakley (D)

1967-1975: Lyndon B. Johnson (D) – died in office
1966: John G. Tower (R) and Bruce Alger (HIP)
1972: Bruce Alger (R)

1975-1979: J. J. Pickle (D) – lost re-election
1976 (sp): George H. W. Bush (R) and Frank Tejeda (La Raza Unida)

1979-1991: Ron Paul (R) – retired; failed all bids for President
1978: J. J. Pickle (D), Wingate Hezekiah Lucas (Big), and Luis A. Diaz de Leon (LRU)
1984: Sam Johnson (D) and Silvestre “Silver” Reyes (La Raza Unida)

1991-2009: Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) – retired
1990: Kathryn J. Whitmire (D) and Gary Johnson (Liberty)
1996: Richard W. Fisher (D) and Victor Morales (La Raza Unida)
2002: Ron Kirk (D/LRU) and Roy H. Williams (Green)

2009-present: Mac Thornberry (R) – incumbent
2008: Ahmad Hassan (D), Sylvia Garcia (LRU), and Tina Villanueva (I)
2014: Nancy Nathanson (D), David Alameel (La Raza Unida) and Steve Stockman (Liberty)
2020: Ruben Hinojosa (D) and Solomon Ortiz Jr. (La Raza Unida)



US Senators from Utah’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1995: Frank E. Moss (D) – retired
1958: Arthur V. Watkins (R)
1964: Ernest L. Wilkinson (R)
1970: Laurence J. Burton (R) and Clyde B. Freeman (HIP)
1976: Sherman P. Lloyd (R)
1982: David D. Marriott (R)
1988: Wilford V. Oveson (R)

1995-2019: David D. Marriott (R) – retired
1994: Patrick A. Shea (D)
2000: Gary Van Horn (Country)
2006: Pete Ashdown (D)
2012: Benjy McAdams (D)

2019-present: Spencer Cox (R) – incumbent
2018: James Singer (D)

US Senators from Utah’s Class 3 Seat

1951-1975: Wallace F. Bennett (R) – retired
1950: Elbert D. Thomas (D)
1956: Alonzo F. Hopkin (D)
1962: David S. King (D)
1968: Milton N. Wellenmann (D)

1975-1993: Jake Garn (R) – retired
1974: Wayne Owens (D), Utah Phillips (I) and Kenneth Rex Larson (HIP)
1980: Den Berman (D)
1986: Craig Oliver (D) and Mary Zins (I)

1993-1996: Rex Edwin Lee (R) – died in office
1992: Bill Orton (D)

1996-2017: Lyle Hillyard (R) – considered "the heart of the Senate"; retired
1996 (special): Karen Hale (D)
1998: Scott Leckman (D)
2004: Paul Van Dam (D)
2010: Sam Granato (D)

2017-present: Shawn Bradley (R) – retired NBA player; tallest US Senator ever at 7-foot-6; incumbent
2016: Jonathan Swinton (D)



Vermont Senators from the Class 1 Seat

1959-1971: Winston L. Prouty (R) – died in office
1958: Frederick J. Fayette (D)
1964: Frederick J. Fayette (D)
1970: Fiore L. Bove (D) and William H. Meyer (Liberty Union/Natural Mind)

1971-1973: Thomas P. Salmon (D) – appointee; lost election

1973-1983: Robert Theodore Stafford (R) – lost re-election
1972 (special): Thomas P. Salmon (D)
1976: Scott Skinner (D) and Nancy Kaufman (Liberty Union)

1983-2001: Phil Hoff (Progressive until 1987, I 1987, D after 1987) – retired
1982: Robert Theodore Stafford (R) and James A. Guest (D)
1988: Mike Griffes (R) and Jerry Levy (Liberty Union)
1994: Jim Jeffords (R) and Peter Diamondstone (Liberty Union)

2001-2001: Fred Tuttle (R) – resigned immediately upon getting a law passed
2000: Ed Flanagan (D)

2001-present: Anthony Pollina (D) – appointee; incumbent
2002 (sp): William Meub (R)
2006: Greg Parke (R)
2012: H. Brooke Paige (R) and Boots Wardinski (Liberty Union)
2018: Jasdeep Pannu (R), B.J. Peacock (Independent), Folasade Adeluola (Independent) and Reid Kane (Liberty Union)

Vermont Senators from the Class 3 Seat

1941-1984: George Aiken (R) – died in office
1940 (sp): Herbert Comings (D)
1944: Harry Witters (D)
1950: James Bigelow (D)
1956: Bernard O’Shea (D)
1962: W. Robert Johnson (D)
1968: unopposed
1974: Nathaniel Frothingham (D)
1980: Pete Diamondstone (Liberty Union)

1984-1987: Peter Plympton Smith (R) – lost re-election
1985 (special): James A. Guest (D)

1987-1999: Madeleine M. Kunin (D) – retired
1986: Peter Plympton Smith (R)
1992: Jim Douglas (R) and Jerry Levy (Liberty Union)

1999-2005: Peter Diamondstone (Liberty Union) – only US Senator to ever attempt to pass legislation to abolish the US Senate (it died in committee); lost re-election
1998: Bob Melamede (D) and Hugh Douglas (R)

2005-present: William Sorrell (D, then Independent after 7/7/2017) – incumbent
2004: Peter D. Moss (R) and Peter Diamondstone (Liberty Union)
2010: Len Britton (R) and Darcy Troville (Liberty Union)
2016: H. Brooke Paige (R) and B.J. Peacock (Liberty Union)



US Senators from Virginia’s Class 1 Seat

1933-1965: Harry F. Byrd Sr. (D) – resigned
1933 (sp): Henry A. Wise (R)
1934: Lawrence C. Page (R)
1940: Hilliard Berstein (I) and Alice Burke (I)
1946: Lester S. Parsons (R)
1952: H. M. Vise Sr. (Independent Democratic) and Clarke T Robb (Social Democratic)
1958: Louise Wensel (I)
1964: Richard A. May (R) and James W. Respess (Independent)

1965-1995: Harry F. Byrd Jr. (D before 1970/I after 1970) – retired
1966 (sp): Lawrence M. Traylor (R) and John W. Carter (I)
1970: George Rawlings (D) and Ray Garland (R)
1976: Martin H. Perper (D)
1982: Dick Davis (D) and Maurice A. Dawkins (R)
1988: Abner Linwood “Lin” Holton Jr. (R) and Gerald Baliles (D)

1995-2001: Frank Wolf (R) – lost re-election
1994: Rick Boucher (D)

2001-2007: Bobby Scott (D) – lost re-election
2000: Frank Wolf (R)

2007-2013: Ben Lewis Jones (R) – lost re-election
2006: Bobby Scott (D)

2013-present: Tom Perriello (D) – incumbent
2012: Ben Lewis Jones (R) and Harris N. Miller (Independent Democrat)
2018: Denver Riggleman (R/Bigfoot)

US Senators from Virginia’s Class 2 Seat

1946-1971: A. Willis Robertson (D) – died in office
1946 (sp): Robert H. Woods (R)
1948: Robert H. Woods (R)
1954: Charles W. Lewis Jr. (Independent Democratic) and Clarke T. Robb (Southern Democratic)
1960: Stuart D. Baker (ID)
1966: James P. Ould Jr. (R) and F. Lee Hawthorne (HIP)

1971-1973: William Lloyd Scott (R) – appointee; lost election

1973-1979: John Otho Marsh Jr. (D) – lost re-election
1972: William Lloyd Scott (R) and Horace E. Henderson (Independent)

1979-2003: Richard Dudley Obenshain (R) – retired due to declining health
1978: John Otho Marsh Jr. (D)
1984: Edythe C. Harrison (D)
1990: Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. (D)
1996: Leslie Byrne (D)

2003-2015: George Allen (R) – lost re-election
2002: Meyera Oberndorf (D)
2008: Tim Kaine (D)

2015-present: Brian Moran (D) – incumbent
2014: George Allen (R)
2020: Omari Faulkner (R) and Nick Freitas (Bigfoot)



US Senators from Washington’s Class 1 seat

1953-1987: Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson (D) – died in office
1952: Harry P. Cain (R)
1958: William B. Bantz (R)
1964: Lloyd J. Andrews (R)
1970: John Ehrlichman (R)
1976: George M. Brown (R)
1982: Doug Jewett (R) and King Lysen (I)

1987-1989: Norm Dicks (D) – appointee; retired

1989-2007: Jolene Unsoeld (D) – retired
1988: John Spellman (R) and Floyd Hicks (Independent Democratic)
1994: Rod Chandler (R)
2000: Mike McGavick (R)

2007-present: Norm Rice (D) – incumbent
2006: Linda Smith (R)
2012: Mike Baumgartner (R)
2018: Hong Tran (R)

US Senators from Washington’s Class 3 Seat

1944-1975: Warren G. Magnuson (D) – lost re-election
1944: Harry P. Cain (R)
1950: Walter Williams (R)
1956: Arthur B. Langlie (R)
1962: Richard G. Christensen (R)
1968: Jack Metcalf (R)

1975-1981: Daniel J. Evans (R) – retired
1974: Warren G. Magnuson (D)

1981-1993: Catherine Dean May (R) – retired
1980: Allen Byron Swift (D)
1986: Deborah Senn (D)

1993-present: Gary Locke (D) – incumbent
1992: Slade Gorton (R)
1998: Linda Smith (R)
2004: George Nethercutt (R)
2010: Paul Akers (R)
2016: Steve Litzow (R)



US Senators from West Virginia’s Class 1 Seat

1959-2010: Robert C. Byrd (D) – died in office
1958: Chapman Revercomb (R)
1964: Cooper P. Benedict (R)
1970: Elmer H. Dodson (R)
1976: unopposed
1982: Cleveland Benedict (R) and William B. Howland (Progressive)
1988: M. J. Wolfe (R)
1994: Stanley L. Klos (R)
2000: David T. Gallaher (R)
2006: Hiram Lewis (R)

2010-2019: Betty Ireland (R) – lost re-election
2010 (sp): Brooks F. McCabe Jr. (D)
2012: Natalie Tennant (D)

2019-present: Jesse Johnson (D) – incumbent
2018: Betty Ireland (R)

US Senators from West Virginia’s Class 2 Seat

1958-1985: Jennings Randolph (D) – lost re-election
1958 (sp): John D. Hoblitzell Jr. (R)
1960: Cecil Underwood (R)
1966: Francis J. Love (R)
1972: Louis Leonard (R)
1978: Arch Moore Jr. (R)

1985-1997: John Raese (R) – lost re-nomination
1984: Jay Rockefeller (D)
1990: Harley O. Staggers Jr. (D)

1997-2009: Jon McBride (R) – retired
1996: Joseph P. Albright (D)
2002: Jim Lees (D)

2009-2015: Nick Rahall (R until 7/5/2011, then D until 2/8/2013, then back to R again) – lost re-election
2008: Sheirl Fletcher (D)

2015-2021: Sylvia Mathews Burwell (D) – retired to run for US President
2014: Nick Rahall (R)

2021-present: Charles S. Trump IV (R) – incumbent
2020: Mike Pushkin (D)



US Senators from Wisconsin’s Class 1 Seat

1957-1989: William Proxmire (D) – retired
1958: Roland J. Steinle (R)
1964: Wilbur N. Renk (R)
1970: John E. Erickson (R)
1976: Stanley York (R)
1982: Scott McCallum (R)

1989-2001: Susan Engeleiter (R) – ran for President in 1992; lost re-election
1988: Herb Kohl (D)
1994: Alvin Baldus (D)

2001-2019: Russ Feingold (D) – considered running for President in 2016; lost re-election
2000: Susan Engeleiter (R) and James Powers Moody (I)
2006: Robert Lorge (R)
2012: Kris Kobach (R)

2019-present: Steven Craig Gunderson (R) – incumbent
2018: Russ Feingold (D) and Robert Welch (Moral Conservative)

US Senators from Wisconsin’s Class 3 Seat

1939-1967: Alexander Wiley (R) – died in office
1938: F. Ryan Duffy (D)
1944: Howard J. McMurray (D) and Harry Sauthoff (Progressive)
1950: Thomas E. Fairchild (D)
1956: Henry W. Maier (D)
1962: Gaylord Nelson (D)

1967-1973: Philleo Nash (D) – appointee; resigned for US cabinet position
1968: Jack B. Olson (R)

1973-1975: Gaylord Nelson (D) – appointee; lost election to a full term

1975-1987: Roman Blenski (R) – retired
1974: Gaylord Nelson (D)
1980: Lynn Ellsworth Stalbaum (D/Progressive)

1987-2014: Bronson La Follette (D) – announced he was retiring due to poor health, triggering a special election
1986: Russell Olson (R)
1992: Scott L. Klug (R)
1998: Stephen B. “Steve” King (R)
2004: Tim Michels (R)
2010: David Westlake (R)

2014-present: Douglas J. La Follette (D) – incumbent
2014 (special): Rebecca Ann Reed (R)
2016: Dick Linenkugel (R)



US Senators from Wyoming’s Class 1 Seat

1959-1965: Gale W. McGee (D) – lost re-election
1958: Frank A. Barrett (R)

1965-2017: John S. Wold (R) – died in office
1964: Gale W. McGee (D)
1970: Edness Kimball Wilkins (D)
1976: Peter M. Jorgensen (D)
1982: Rodger McDaniel (D)
1988: John Vinich (D)
1994: Susan Anderson (D)
2000: Mel Logan (D)
2006: Dale Groutage (D)
2012: William Bryk (D)

2017-present: Marian Orr (R) – appointee; incumbent
2018: Curt Meier (Independent Republican) over Mike Massie (D)

US Senators from Wyoming’s Class 2 Seat

1961-1962: John J. Hickey (D) – lost re-election

1962-1967: Milward L. Simpson (R) – retired
1962 (sp): John J. Hickey (D)

1967-1991: Gale W. McGee (D) – retired
1966: Clifford P. Hansen (R)
1972: Keith Thomson (R)
1978: Alan K. Simpson (R)
1984: Gordon H. Barrows (R)

1991-2015: Barbara Cubin (R) – retired
1990: Kathy Helling (D)
1996: Kathy Karpan (D)
2002: Joyce Jansa Corcoran (D)
2008: Chris Rothfuss (D)

2015-present: Foster Stephen Friess (R) – incumbent
2014: Mary Throne (D)
2020: Lincoln Chafee (Liberty) and Jason Shogren (D)



US Senate composition on 7/4/2021:

AL: Randall Woodfin (D) 2021, Young Boozer (R) 2017

AK: Scott Kawasaki (I) 2021, J. R. Myers (R) 2011

AZ: Deb Haaland (D) 2021, Jan Brewer (R) 2011

AR: Jim Guy Tucker (D) 1979, Adrienne Elrod (R) 2017

CA: Jane Kim (D) 2019, Mike Gravel (D) 1999

CO: Amy Stephens (D) 2021, Penfield Tate III (D) 2017

CT: Warren Mosler (D) 2007, William Tong (D) 2011

DE: Peter C. Schwartzkopf (D) 2019, Midge Osterlund (D) 2003

FL: Allen West (R) 2013, Gus Bilirakis (R) 2011

GA: R. J. Hadley (D) 2021, Herman Cain (R) 2005

HI: Mazie Hirono (D) 2007, Colleen Hanabusa (D) 2017

ID: Rex Rammell (R) 2015, Carlos Bilbao (R) 2011

IL: Napoleon Harris (D) 2021, Sheila Simon (D) 2009

IN: Jackie Walorski (R) 2013, Brian C. Bosma (R) 2017

IA: Liz Mathis (D) 2021, Robert Lee Vander Plaats (R) 2011

KS: Carla J. Stovall (R) 1997, Bob Dole (R) 1969

KY: Whitney Westerfield (R) 2021, Trey Grayson (R) 2017

LA: Antoine Pierce (D) 2021, Chas Roemer (R) 2017

ME: Mike Michaud (D) 2019, Angus King (I) 1991

MD: Carl Frank Stokes (D) 2013, Rand Beers (D) 2017

MA: Kathleen Kennedy-Roosevelt (D) 2001, Demetrius Atsalis (D) 2015

MI: Hansen Clarke (D) 2013, Abdul El-Sayed (D) 2021

MN: Farheen Hakeem (D) 2019, Sharon Sayles-Belton (D) 2003

MS: Webb Franklin (R) 1989, Pete Johnson (R) 2006

MO: Sarah Hearne Steelman (R) 2013, David A. Catania (R) 2017

MT: Stan Jones (R) 2019, Jenny Eck (D) 2021

NE: Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D) 2018, Orrin Hatch (R) 1973

NV: Doug Swanson (R) 2019, Dina Titus (D) 2005

NH: Yvonne Katrina Lantos (D) 2013, Ted Gatsas (R) 2011

NJ: Upendra Chivukula (D) 2013, Dawn Zimmer (D) 2021

NM: Debbie Jaramillo (D) 2009, Roberto Mondragon (D) 1973

NY: Tom Suozzi (D) 2007, Allyson Schwartz (D) 2005

NC: Charles Graham (D) 2021, Rand Paul (R) 2011

ND: David Dean Andahl (R) 2019, Kelly Schmidt (R) 2011

OH: Sherrod Brown (D) 2007, Randy Brock (R) 2009

OK: Steve Largent (R) 2003, Lisa J. Billy (R) 2011

OR: Jefferson Smith (D) 2009, Les AuCoin (D) 1987

PA: Luke R. Ravenstahl (D) 2019, Bob Casey Jr. (D) 2000

PO: Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) 2006, Anthony A. Williams (D) 2015

PR: Alexandra Lugaro (D) 2019, Brenda Lopez de Arraras (D) 2021

RI: Myrth York (D) 2001, Elizabeth H. Roberts (D) 2003

SC: J. Gary Simrill (R) 2015, Sherry Shealy Martschink (R) 2011

SD: SuAnne Big-Crow (R) 2009, Doug Sombke (R) 2017

TN: Mae Beavers (R) 2013, Manny Sethi (R) 2017

TX: Kay Granger (R) 2007, Mac Thornberry (R) 2009

UT: Spencer Cox (R) 2019, Shawn Bradley (R) 2017

VT: Anthony Pollina (D) 2001, William Sorrell (I) 2005

VA: Tom Perriello (D) 2019, Brian Moran (D) 2015

WA: Norm Rice (D) 2007, Gary Locke (D) 1993

WV: Jesse Johnson (D) 2019, Charles S. Trump IV (R) 2021

WI: Steven Craig Gunderson (R) 2019, Doug La Follette (D) 2014

WY: Marian Orr (R) 2017, Foster Friess (R) 2015


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56 Democrats, 3 Democrat-caucusing Independents, 45 Republicans

35 female Senators (24 Democratic, 11 Republican); 14 black Senators (11 Democratic, 3 Republican); 11 Asian/Indian/Middle-Eastern Senators (9 Democratic, 1 Republican, 1 Independent); 5 Hispanic/Latinic-American Senators (4 Democratic, 1 Republican); 4 Greek-American Senators (2 Democratic, 2 Republican); 4 Native American Senators (1 Democratic, 3 Republican); 2 BLUTAGO-American Senators (1 Democratic, 1 Republican)

So yeah, less polarized and much more ethnically diverse than in OTL...
 
Last edited:
Post 117
Post 117: Index 3


Index 3 – U.S. Representatives

House Speakers:


1955-1961: Sam Rayburn (D-TX) – died in office from cancer

1961-1967: John W. McCormack (D-MA) – party lost majority for the first time since the 1952 House elections

1967-1971: Charles Halleck (R-IN) – party lost majority

1971-1975: Morris K. Udall (D-AZ) – party lost majority

1975-1977: Robert H. Michel (R-IL) – party lost majority in a bad year for Republicans in general

1977-1981: Morris K. Udall (D-AZ) – party lost majority

1981-1987: Robert H. Michel (R-IL) – part lost majority after showcasing indecisiveness over the move to impeach President Denton

1987-1991: Hale Boggs (D-LA) – party lost majority

1991-1995: Robert Smith Walker (R-PA) – lost leadership position to interparty challenger amid inability to unite party members

1995-2001: David F. Emery (R-ME) – party lost majority

2001-2007: Barbara Kennelly (D-CT) – first female House Speaker; party lost majority

2007-2009: H. Dargan McMaster (R-SC) – party lost majority

2009-2011: Barbara Kennelly (D-CT) – party lost majority

2011-2019: H. Dargan McMaster (R-SC) – retired due to declining interparty popularity

2019-present: Ed Markey (D-MA) – incumbent



Democratic Leaders

1955-1961: Samuel Taliaferro "Sam" Rayburn (TX) – died in office at the age of 79 from pancreatic cancer

1961-1969: John William McCormack (MA) – unseated in party leadership vote at the age of 77 due to his poor handling of the 1966 and 1968 races

1969-1981: Morris King "Mo" Udall (AZ) – entered office at the age 46 in a what was described at the time as a "generational shift"; retired (from both the leadership and his seat) due to Parkinson's disease diagnosis

1981-1989: Hale Boggs (LA) – entered office at the age of 66; planned to oversee impeachment proceedings in early 1987 prior to Denton resigning; retired (from both the leadership and his seat) due to declining health

1989-1997: Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt (MO) – entered office at the age of 47; retired from leadership (but did not resign from his seat) in response to his poor handling of the 1996 races

1997-2011: Barbara Bailey Kennelly (D-CT) – retired (from leadership, her seat, and public life) at the age of 74

2011-present: Edward John "Ed" Markey (D-MA) – entered office at the age of 64 in a political shift from the moderate Kennelly to the more progressive Markey; incumbent



Republican Leaders

1959-1975: Charles Abraham Halleck (R-IN) – retired (from leadership, his seat, and public life) at the age of 74

1975-1991: Robert Henry Michel (R-IL) – retired at the age of 67 (from leadership and his seat) in light of the rise of the pro-obstructionist Walker as a likely challenger in 1991

1991-1995: Robert Smith Walker (R-PA) – entered office at the age of 48; challenged Bellamy's administration much more aggressively than did his predecessor; unseated by Emery after alienating a slim majority of House Republicans, allegedly via being biased in favor of the Religious Right over all other factions of the GOP

1995-2005: David Farnham Emery (R-ME) – entered office at the age of 46; unseated by McMaster in response to the GOP's poor performances in the 2004 elections

2005-2019: H. Dargan McMaster (R-SC) – entered office at the age of 57; brought back Walker's obstructionist policies; retired amid rising disapproval from Republicans across the party over his handling of the 2018 elections

2019-present: Larry Lee Householder (R-OH) – party factions agreed to back him for speaker as a "compromise" candidate; entered office at the age of 59; has been accused by watchdog organizations of being corrupt; incumbent



Current members of the House (245 (D), 195 (R), 1 (I))

(note: congressional district lines are not exactly the same as in OTL due to gerrymandering happening under different congressional majorities in 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021, and due to the methods used in some states in TTL being different to those used by those same states in OTL)

District number: incumbent (party initial, birth year (if available); notes) – year they began serving

Alabama (7; 1D, 6R)

(1) 1: Benjamin Nash "Rusty" Glover III (R, b. 1966; previously served in the state senate from 2006 to 2010) – 2011

(2) 2: Jay Love (R, b. 1968; former candidate for Mayor of Montgomery; previously served in the state House from 2002 to 2012) – 2013

(3) 3: Jason Dial (R; conservative) – 2003

(4) 4: Bill Cabaniss (R; member of several committees concerning agriculture and the interior) – 1991

(5) 5: Clayton Hinchman (R; former political activist) – 2019

(6) 6: Marty Connors (R; conservative) – 1997

(7) 7: Shelia Smoot (D; former WBRC-TV reporter) – 2009

Alaska (1; 1R)

(8) At-large: David Seaward (R; previously served as the Mayor of Seward) – 2021

Arizona (9; 4D, 5R)


(9) 1: Paul Babeu (R, b. 1969 in Massachusetts; KW2 veteran; openly BLUTAGO; previously served as Sheriff of Pinal County from 2009 to 2017; severed in some political offices in Massachusetts during the late 1990s and early 2000s decade before moving to Arizona to pursue a career in law enforcement; may run for Govenror or the US Senate in 2022) – 2017

(10) 2: Powell Gammill (R; libertarian) – 2009

(11) 3: Amanda Aguirre (D; former political activist) – 2013

(12) 4: Don Karg (R; conservative) – 2007

(13) 5: Joan Greene (D; former political activist) – 2019

(14) 6: Curtis L. "Curt" Pringle (R, b. 1959 in Iowa but moved with his family to Arizona at the age of 9 in 1968; considered to be a pro-business moderate; previously served in the state House from 1989 to 2001 and in the state Senate from 2001 to 2007) – 2007

(15) 7: Catherine Miranda (D, b. 1964; previously served in the state senate from 2015 to 2018) – 2019

(16) 8: Randy J. Graf (R, b. 1957; socially conservative aligned with the likes of Tommy Tancredo, Bo Gritz, and Bernie Goetz; previously served in the state House from 2001 to 2005) – 2007

(17) 9: Juan Jose Mendez (D, b. 1985) – 2021

Arkansas (4; 1D, 3R)

(18) 1: Leslie Carol Rutledge (R, b. 1976; previously served as the state Attorney General from 2011 to 2019, then lost a bid for the GOP nomination for governor in 2018) – 2021

(19) 2: Dustin Blake McDaniel (D, b. 1972; to the right of his party; previously served as the state Attorney General from 2007 to 2015) – 2015

(20) 3: Jim L. Holt (R, b. 1965; Baptist minister who believes evolution is "an unproven theory"; previously served in the state House from 2001 to 2003) – 2007

(21) 4: Beth Anne Rankin (R; former Miss Arkansas, 1995) – 2011

California (53; 41D, 12R)

(22) 1: Carlos Santamaria (D; former engineer and educator) – 2017

(23) 2: William Penn Patrick (R, b. 1930; former businessman; aviator best known for crash-landing his private plane into the Potomac - twice; may retire in 2022) – 1997

(24) 3: Kim Vann (D) – 2015

(25) 4: Jessica Morse (D) – 2019

(26) 5: Marc Levine (D, b. 1974; Jewish; party loyalist; previously served in the state assembly from 2012 to 2016) – 2017

(27) 6: Heather Fargo (D, b. 1952; previously served as the Mayor of Sacramento from 2000 to 2008) – 2009

(28) 7: Deborah V. Ortiz (D, b. 1957; previously served in the state senate from 1998 to 2005) – 2005

(29) 8: Rosario Marin (R, b. 1958; Mexican-American; previously served as a US Undersecretary of the Treasury from 1997 to 2001 and several roles under Presidents Iacocca and Dinger before that) – 2003

(30) 9: Michael Derrick Tubbs (D, b. 1990; African-American; previously served as Mayor of Stockton, declining to run for re-election to instead run for Congress; strongly supports passing a nationwide Federal Freedom Fund program) – 2021

(31) 10: Joan Buchanan (D, b. 1952; previously served in the state assembly from 2008 to 2012) – 2013

(32) 11: Michela Alioto (D, b. 1968; granddaughter of former San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto) – 1999

(33) 12: Michelle McMurry (D) – 2009

(34) 13: Fiona Ma (D, b. 1966; previously served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2002 to 2004; currently serves on House Committees concerning financing and the treasury) – 2005

(35) 14: Karen Lorraine Speier (D, b. 1950; previously served in the state assembly from 1986 to 1990) – 1991

(36) 15: Jose Moreno Hernandez (D, b. 1962; former NASA astronaut) – 2011

(37) 16: Debbie Bacigalupi (R; businesswoman) – 2013

(38) 17: Vinod Khosla (D, b. 1955; Indian-American; billionaire and one of the wealthiest members of Congress; former businessman and venture capitalist) – 2009

(39) 18: Pierluigi Oliverio (D, b. 1969; previously served on the San Jose City Council from 2007 to 2017; has been accused of corruption) – 2019

(40) 19: Louie Campos (D) – 2019

(41) 20: Helene Schneider (D, b. 1970; previously served as the Mayor of Santa Barbara from 2010 to 2018) – 2019

(42) 21: Evelyn Li (R) – 2017

(43) 22: Van Vo (R, b. 1950; Vietnamese-American; staunchly anti-Communist; former talk show host) – 2013

(44) 23: Monica Lewinsky (D, b. 1973; feminist; Jewish; considered for her party's VP nomination in 2016; gave a rousing keynote speech at the 2016 DNC; unsuccessfully ran for her party's presidential nomination in 2020 before running for another congressional term at the last minute) – 2011

(45) 24: Wendy Reed (D) – 2021

(46) 25: Sarah Kate Silverman (D, b. 1970; non-religious; originally from New Hampshire; progressive; previously a political activist and award-winning TV/film actress and comedian known for addressing social taboos and controversial topics through satirical and deadpan humor) – 2021

(47) 26: Amanda Andrea Renteria (D, b. 1974; Mexican-American; party loyalist) – 2015

(48) 27: Diane Trautman (D) – 1997

(49) 28: Jackie Conaway (D) – 2009

(50) 29: Christy Fisher (D, b. 1969; previously served in the state assembly from 2018 to 2020) – 2021

(51) 30: Maria Armoudian (D; Armenian-American) – 1999

(52) 31: Marjorie Musser Mikels (D) – 2003

(53) 32: Gilbert Anthony Cedillo (D, b. 1954; previously served in the state senate from 2002 to 2009) – 2010

(54) 33: Emanuel Alberto Pleitez (D, b. 1982; the son of Mexican and Salvadoran immigrants) – 2013

(55) 34: Gloria J. Romero (D, b. 1955; previously served as majority leader of the state senate from 2001 to 2008; notable promoter of charter schools) – 2009

(56) 35: Marguerite Archie-Hudson (D, b. 1937; previously served in the state assembly from 1990 to 1995) – 1995

(57) 36: Mark Ridley-Thomas (D, b. 1954; African-American; previously served as a city councilman from 1991 to 2002) – 2003

(58) 37: Isadore Hall III (D, b. 1971; African-American; serves of the House Agricultural Committee, overseeing matters concerning labor relations; previously served as a city councilman from 2003 to 2008) – 2009

(59) 38: Rick Zbur (D, b. 1957; openly BLUTAGO; civil rights activist and environmentalist) – 1997

(60) 39: Zak Ringelstein (D; progressive; originally from Maine but moved to California in 2010) – 2019

(61) 40: Rodolfo Cortes Barragan (D; child therapist and behavioral health specialist) – 2019

(62) 41: David John Sanchez (D, b. 1947; Chicano activist involved in the "Free Cheech" movement of the 1970s) – 1987

(63) 42: Anthony A. “Tony” Strickland (R, b. 1970; previously served in the state senate from 2008 to 2012) – 2013

(64) 43: Rocky De La Fuente (D, b. 1954 in San Diego but raised in Mexico and the US; moderate, reformist, conservative-leaning former businessman; his son is serving with him in congress from a seat in Texas) – 2017

(65) 44: Aja Lena Brown (D, b. 1982; African-American; former Mayor) – 2019

(66) 45: David “Dave” Min (D, b. 1976 to immigrants from South Korea; political activist; previously served as an attorney and assistant law professor) – 2019

(67) 46: Antonio Ramon "Tony" Villar (D, b. 1953; Hispanic American; previously served as Democratic National Committee Chair from 2013 to 2017) – 2019

(68) 47: Robert “Harlando” Garcia (D, b. 1977 in Peru and immigrated to the US with his mother at the age of 5; openly BLUTAGO; his nickname is a surprisingly common name among some Latin American communities; previously served as the Mayor of Long Beach from 2014 to 2021) – 2021

(69) 48: Sukhee Kang (D, b. 1952 in South Korea, served in the SK Army from 1973 to 1975, and immigrated to the US in 1977; entered politics in response to hate crimes against Asian-Americans rising amid the KW2; previously served as the Mayor of Irvine from 2008 to 2016; worked on the Locke'16 campaign) – 2019

(70) 49: Steven Seokho Choi (R, b. 1944 in South Korea and moved to the US in 1968; previously worked in academia and entered politics in response to post-war rebuilding efforts in United Korea; won a second term over declared winner Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo (D, b. 1960) after a recount) – 2007

(71) 50: Omar Navarro (R, b. 1989; marketing consultant and political activist with a history of criminal activities and controversial statements; won an open seat) – 2021

(72) 51: George “Jorge” Barraza (D) – 2001

(73) 52: Michael D. Lumpkin (D, b. 1964; retired US Navy Commander (SEALs) and KW2 veteran; currently serving on House committees concerning foreign policy; considered a crisis management expert; praised for working with ODERCA to execute immediate post-hurricane relief efforts throughout the 2010s) – 2009

(74) 53: Mara Woodworth Elliott (D, b. 1968; Latina; previously served as a City Attorney from 2016 to 2020) – 2021

Colorado (7; 2D, 4R, 1I)

(75) 1: Diana DeGette (D, b. 1957; previously served in the state House from 1993 to 1997; possible candidate for President or VP in 2016 and 2020) – 1997

(76) 2: Roger Barris (R) – 2019

(77) 3: Mark R. Charles (Independent; Native American (Navajo); progressive environmentalist, political activist, Reformed pastor, and computer programmer) – 2021

(78) 4: Wayne Warren Williams (R, b. 1963; previously served as the state Secretary of State from 2015 to 2020) – 2021

(79) 5: Ginette E. “Gigi” Dennis (R, b. 1961; previously served in the state senate) – 2007

(80) 6: Ted Harvey (R; previously served in the state senate from 2007 to 2015) – 2015

(81) 7: Wayne Wolf (D; was bitten by a wolf (non-severely) in a 2010 incident) – 2009

Connecticut (5; 4D, 1R)

(82) 1: Pedro E. Segarra (D, b. 1959 in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City; openly BLUTAGO; Hispanic-American; previously served as Mayor of Hartford from 2010 to 2015; may run for Governor someday) – 2017

(83) 2: Robert H. Steele (R, b. 1938; was previously a securities analyst for an insurance company; second-longest-serving incumbent Representative) – 1970

(84) 3: April Capone Almon (D, b. 1975; former businesswoman; previously served as the Mayor of East Haven from 2007 to 2011; accusations of corruption have followed her for years) – 2013

(85) 4: Diane Catherine Goss Farrell (D, b. 1955; finances specialist; moderate; party loyalist) – 2005

(86) 5: Mary Glassman (D; former state legislator) – 2019

Delaware (1; 1D)

(87) At-large: Karen Hartley-Nagle (D; children's rights advocate) – 2009

Florida (22; 7D, 15R)

(88) 1: Dennis K. Baxley (R, b. 1952; previously served in the state House) – 2013

(89) 2: Jimmy Theo Patronis Jr. (R, b. 1972; previously served in the state House) – 2021

(90) 3: Anthony Sabatini (R, b. 1988; previously served in the state House; best known for numerous controversial views, comments, and gaffes) – 2021

(91) 4: Panos D. Prevedouros (R, b. 1961 in Greece; former engineering professor who used to live in Hawaii) – 2011

(92) 5: Kionne L. McGhee (D, b. 1977; African-American; previously served in the state senate) – 2017

(93) 6: Jeanette Marie Nunez (R, b. 1972; Cuban-American; former Speaker of the state House) – 2019

(94) 7: Shevrin D. “Shev” Jones (D, b. 1983; African-American; openly BLUTAGO; previously served in the state House) – 2019

(95) 8: Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R, b. 1973 in Spain; Cuban-American; Jewish; previously served in the state House) – 2013

(96) 9: Sean Michael Shaw (D, b. 1978; African-American; previously served in the state House) – 2019

(97) 10: Jeffrey D. "Jeff" Kottkamp (R, b. 1960; previously served in the state senate) – 2011

(98) 11: Frank T. Brogan (R, b. 1953; previously served as Lieutenant Governor; serves on House Committees concerning education) – 2011

(99) 12: Ashley Brooke Moody (R, b. 1975; former judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida; strong supporter of Harley Brown in 2020 and successfully pushed for Jennifer Sandra Johnson for VP during the vetting process) – 2017

(100) 13: Pamela Jo "Pam" Bondi (R, b. 1965; former attorney and corporate lobbyist) – 2017

(101) 14: Maria Lorts Sachs (D, b. 1949; previously served in the state senate) – 2009

(102) 17: Bobby Lynn Brantley (R, b. 1948; previously served as Lieutenant Governor) – 1991

(103) 18: Perry Eugene Thurston Jr. (D, b. 1961; African-American; previously served in the state House 2006 to 2014) – 2015

(104) 19: Anna Holliday "Holly" Benson (R, b. 1971; previously served in the state House from 2000 to 2006) – 2007

(105) 20: Frank White (R, b. 1978; previously served in the state House from 2016 to 2018) – 2019

(106) 21: Jeremy Ring (D, b. 1970; former tech startup executive; previously served in the state senate) – 2021

(107) 22: Daryl Lafayette Jones (D, b. 1955 in Mississippi; KW2 veteran; served in the US Air Force for 20 years, retiring at the rank of Colonel in 1997) – 1999

Georgia (14; 6D, 8R)

(108) 1: Robert E. “Bob” Johnson (R) – 2015

(109) 2: Lester George Jackson (D, b. 1959; African-American; US Navy veteran; previously served in the state senate from 2009 to 2015) – 2015

(110) 3: Jeff Mullis (R; very conservative; previously served in the state senate) – 2003

(111) 4: Sheikh Rahman (D, b. 1960 in Bangladesh; Muslim; previously served in the state senate) – 2021

(112) 5: Jennifer Lyn Auer "Jen" Jordan (D, b. 1974 in North Carolina; focused on education issues; previously served in the state senate) – 2019

(113) 6: Nan Grogan Orrock (D, b. 1943; feminist activist; previously served in the state House from 1987 to 1995) – 1995

(114) 7: Samuel Zamarripa (D, b. 1952; former entrepreneur; previously served in the state Senate from 2003 to 2009) – 2009

(115) 8: Hunter Hill (R, b. 1977; previously served in the state Senate from 2013 to 2017) – 2017

(116) 9: Jim Ayers (R, b. 1982) – 2019

(117) 10: Vernon Jones (R, b. 1960; was a Democrat until 2005; African-American conservative; previously served as Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County from 2001 to 2007) – 2007

(118) 11: Micah Gravley (R, b. 1974; previously served in the state House from 2013 to 2017) – 2017

(119) 12: Ceasar C. Mitchell (D, b. 1968; African-American; previously served as President of the Atlanta City Council from 2010 to 2018) – 2019

(120) 13: Katie Dempsey (R; previously served in the state House from 2007-2010) – 2011

(121) 14: Charlice H. Byrd (R; originally an elementary school educator from New Orleans, Louisiana; previously served in the state House from 2005 to 2013) – 2013

Hawaii (2; 2D)

(122) 1: Muliufi Francis "Frank" (also "Mufi") Hannemann (D, b. 1954; former Governor; ran for President in 2016 and 2020) – 2019

(123) 2: Ann Kobayashi (D, b. 1937; former businesswoman; previously served in the state senate from 1981 to 1994) – 1995

Idaho (2; 2R)

(124) 1: Christine “Christy” Perry (R, b. 1968 in Turkey to a US military family; previously served in the state House from 2010 to 2016) – 2017

(125) 2: Michael Keith "Mike" Simpson (R, b. 1950; previously served as Speaker of the state House from 1992 to 1998) – 1999

Illinois (19; 13D, 6R)

(126) 1: Donne Trotter (D, b. 1950; African-American; used to support gun rights for minority families living in high-crime/urban areas; previously served in the state senate from 1993 to 1997) – 1997

(127) 2: Toi Hutchinson (D, b. 1973; previously served in the state senate from 2009 to 2012) – 2013

(128) 3: Constance A. Howard (D, b. 1942; previously served in the state from 1995 to 2000; has been accused of corruption throughout her career) – 2000

(129) 4: LeAlan Marvin Jones (D, b. 1979; African-American; environmentalist; former journalist) – 2011

(130) 5: Patrick J. O’Connor (D, b. 1955; previously served as the City of Chicago's Alderman from its 40th Ward from 1983 to 1986) – 1987

(131) 6: Andre Vasquez (D, b. 1979; former hip-hop rapper and progressive community organizer) – 2021

(132) 7: Daniel Kalman Biss (D, b. 1977; progressive; previously served in the state senate from 2013 to 2019) – 2019

(133) 8: Julie Hamos (D, b. 1949 in Hungary fled with her family to the US at the height of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956; previously served in the state House from 1998 to 2010) – 2011

(134) 9: Daniel Joseph “Dan” Seals (D, b. 1971 to Chicago Bears lineman George Seals; political consultant; party loyalist) – 2007

(135) 10: Debbie Halvorson (D, b. 1958; previously served in the state senate from 1997 to 2009, has come very close to losing re-election several times) – 2009

(136) 11: Elizabeth Coulson (R, b. 1954; previously served in the state House from 1997 to 2003) – 2003

(137) 12: Theresa Kormos (R; former nurse) – 2011

(138) 13: Jeanne M. Remmes (R, b. 1964; previously served in the state House from 2013 to 2019) – 2019

(139) 14: Ricca Slone (D, b. 1947; previously served in the state House from 1997 to 2005) – 2005

(140) 15: Angela Michael (D) – 2013

(141) 16: Chris Miller (R, b. 1954; former farmer) – 2017

(142) 17: Esther Joy King (R; former attorney and businesswoman) – 2021

(143) 18: Jim McConoughey (R; conservative) – 2021

(144) 19: Jeanette Beatrice Taylor (D, b. 1975; progressive community organizer; previously served as a city councilwoman) – 2021

Indiana (9; 2D, 7R)

(145) 1: Katherine L. Davis (D, b. 1956; former entrepreneur and aide to several Democratic party officials) – 2003

(146) 2: Donald Rainwater (R; strongly libertarian) – 2015

(147) 3: Rebecca S. "Becky" Skillman (R, b. 1950; previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 2009 to 2013 and in the state senate from 1992 to 2004; unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 2004 and 2012) – 2015

(148) 4: Sue Boeglin (R, b. 1960; former academic; previously served in the state House from 2010 to 2016) – 2017

(149) 5: W. Roland Stine (R, b. 1940; previously served in the state House from 2002 to 2004) – 2005

(150) 6: Michael Richard "Dick" Pence (R, b. 1959; former conservative activist; elected as part of the overall cultural and political backlash to Bellamy's election in 1988) – 1991

(151) 7: Vi Simpson (D, b. 1946; previously served in the state senate from 1984 to 1992) – 1993

(152) 8: H. Jonathon Costas (R, b. 1957; guitarist; previously served as the Mayor of Valparaiso from 2004 to 2020) – 2021

(153) 9: John Massie Mutz (R, b. 1935; oldest member of Congress; former businessman; previously served as Lieutenant Governor) – 1989

Iowa (4; 1D, 3R)

(154) 1: Monica Vernon (D, b. 1957; previously served as the Mayor of Cedar Rapids) – 2019

(155) 2: Beneful “Benny” Johnson (R, b. 1987; former columnist and political activist; recently accused of plagiarizing with speeches from other politicians) – 2021

(156) 3: John Archer (R; conservative) – 2015

(157) 4: Greg Ganske (R, b. 1949; former plastic surgeon, and retired U.S. Army reserve lieutenant colonel) – 1995

Kansas (4; 1D, 3R)

(158) 1: Tami Wiencek (R; former reporter and anchor for KWWL-TV Waterloo; previously served in the state House from 2007 to 2009) – 2009

(159) 2: Michelle De La Isla (D, b. 1976; Latin-American; previously served as the Mayor of Topeka from 2018 to 2020 and on the Topeka City Council from 2013 to 2018; elected in a good year for Democrats) – 2021

(160) 3: Jacob Andrew Joseph "Jake" LaTurner (R, b. 1988; previously served as state Treasurer from 2017 to 2021) – 2021

(161) 4: Todd Tiahrt (R, b. 1951; previously served in the state senate from 1993 to 1995) – 1995

Kentucky (6; 1D, 5R)

(162) 1: Vickie Yates Glisson (R; previously served as state Secretary of Health and Family Services) – 2019

(163) 2: Robert Lee Perry (R) – 2021

(164) 3: Jack Conway (D, b. 1969; previously served as state Deputy Attorney General) – 2003

(165) 4: Alecia Webb-Edgington (R, b. 1966; previously served in the state House from 2008 to 2012) – 2013

(166) 5: Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers (R, b. 1937; previously served as Commonwealth Attorney of Pulaski County and Rockcastle County from 1969 to 1981) – 1981

(167) 6: Stephen B. “Steve” Pence (R, b. 1953; previously served an award-winning Assistant US Attorney for the Western Division of Kentucky during the 1990s) – 2007

Louisiana (6; 1D, 5R)

(168) 1: Melvin Lee “Kip” Holden (D, b. 1952; African-American; previously served as Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish from 2005 to 2008) – 2009

(169) 2: Claston Bernard (R, b. 1979; former Jamaican decathlete) – 2021

(170) 3: William Harold Nungesser (R, b. 1959; previously served as President of Plaquemines Parish from 2007 to 2014) – 2015

(171) 4: Randall Lord (R) – 2013

(172) 5: Luke Joshua Letlow (R, b. 1979; previously served as an aide and advisor to several local and statewide politicians) – 2021

(173) 6: Ralph “Trey” Baucum (R) – 2017

Maine (2; 2D)

(174) 1: Dennis L. "Duke" Dutremble (D, b. 1947; previously served in the state House and state Senate) – 1995

(175) 2: Emily Ann Cain (D, b. 1980; previously served in the state House from 2005 to 2012 and in the state Senate from 2012 to 2014) – 2015

Maryland (8; 7D, 1R)

(176) 1: Kostas Alexakis (D; Greek-American; former business owner and political activist) – 2005

(177) 2: Wendy Rosen (D) – 2013

(178) 3: Byron Sigcho-Lopez (D, b. 1983 in Ecuador; former educator and community activist) – 2021

(179) 4: Nancy Jacobs (R; alleged "LID") – 2017

(180) 5: Norman R. Stone Jr. (D, b. 1935; second-oldest member of Congress; won his first election to public office in 1962; moderate; previously served in the state Senate from 1983 to 1987) – 1987

(181) 6: Richard Madaleno (D, b. 1965; progressive; previously served in the state senate from 2007 to 2010) – 2011

(182) 7: Isiah “Ike” Leggett (D, b. 1944; African-American; previously served as a member of the Montgomery County Council from the At-Large district from 1986 to 1990) – 1991

(183) 8: Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D, b. 1966 in the Dominican Republican; previously served as a member of the state House of Delegates from the 21st district from 2007 to 2012) – 2013

Massachusetts (9; 9D)

(184) 1: Andrea F. “Andy” Nuciforo Jr. (D, b. 1964; previously served in the state senate from 1997 to 2007; focuses on real estate, healthcare, education, and business litigation issues) – 2007

(185) 2: Alex Morse (D, b. 1989; previously served as the Mayor of Holyoke from 2012 to 2021) – 2021

(186) 3: Michael Albano (D, b. 1950; former college professor and government affairs consultant; party loyalist; previously served as the Mayor of Springfield from 1995 to 2000, and in various appointments under Governors Dukakis and Murphy) – 2001

(187) 4: Kevin O’Sullivan (D, b. 1953; former businessman; previously served in the state House from 1987 to 1995) – 1995

(188) 5: Ed Markey (D, b. 1946; current House Speaker; previously served in the state House from 1973 to 1976) – 1976

(189) 6: Setti Warren (D, b. 1970; African-American; previously served as the Mayor of Newton from 2010 to 2016) – 2017

(190) 7: Barbara A. L’Italien (D, b. 1961; previously served in the state House from 2003 to 2011) – 2011

(191) 8: Brianna Wu (D, b. 1977; former video game developer and computer programmer; has a small but passionate "cult" following ontech) – 2019

(192) 9: Tito Jackson (D, b. 1975; African-American; previously served on the Boston City Council for District 7 from 2011 to 2017) – 2017

Michigan (15; 10D, 5R)

(193) 1: Lynn Afendoulis (R, b. 1958; Greek-American; previously worked as a reporter and media consultant, and in the state House from 2019 to 2021) – 2021

(194) 2: William Opalicky (D; progressive) – 2013

(195) 3: Justin Amash (R, b. 1980; Arab Christian; libertarian; previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2011) – 2011

(196) 4: Aric Nesbitt (R, b. 1980; previously served in the state House from 2011 to 2017) – 2017

(197) 5: Gretchen Demarest Driskell (D, b. 1958; previously served in the state House from 2013 to 2016 and as the Mayor of Saline for 14 years) – 2017

(198) 6: Frederick Stephen "Fred" Upton (R, b. 1953; previously served as a congressional staff members, and then in the White House Office of Management and Budget from 1981 to 1985; collaborated with investigators during the Lukens Hush Money Scandal) – 1987

(199) 7: Dale W. Zorn (R, b. 1953; previously served as a member of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners from 1991 to 2010) – 1999

(200) 8: Ellen Cogen Lipton (D, b. 1967; former patent attorney; previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2013) – 2013

(201) 9: Nancy Skinner (D; not to be confused for the California state senator with the exact same name) – 2007

(202) 10: Garlin Gilchrist II (D, b. 1982; African-American; previously served as Detroit City Clerk from 2018 to 2020) – 2021

(203) 11: Fayrouz Saad (D; born in Michigan to Lebanese immigrants; previously served in the Jackson administration's Department of Community Development on immigration reform, security issues and economic development programs, and in the Wellstone administration as a DCD Undersecretary; worked on congressional campaigns in 2014 and 2016) – 2019

(204) 12: Debbie Dingell (D, b. 1953; former executive director of Global Community Relations and Government Relations at GM and former member of Wayne State University's board of governors) – 2015

(205) 13: Greg Mathis (D, b. 1960; African-American; former TV court show arbitrator; previously served as a Judge of the District Court of the State of Michigan from 1995 to 1998; won special election; currently serves on judiciary committee) – 2018

(206) 14: Brenda Lawrence (D, b. 1954; African-American; previously served as the Mayor of Southfield from 2001 to 2015) – 2015

(207) 15: Kimberly Bizon (D; previously served as an online marketing director and as the head of a real estate agency) – 2021

Minnesota (8; 5D, 3R)

(208) 1: Al Quie (R, b. 1923; as the longest continuously serving member of the House, he is the "Dean of the House"; at 62+ years in office, he holds the record for longest-serving member of US Congress in history) – 1958

(209) 2: Bobby Joe Champion (D, b. 1963; African-American; former attorney; previously served in the state senate from 2013 to 2019 and in the state House from 2009 to 2013) – 2019

(210) 3: Terri E. Bonoff (D, b. 1957; previously served in the state senate from 2005 to 2009) – 2009

(211) 4: Susan Pendergast Sindt (D; former science teacher; previously owned and operated a tobacco vaping business) – 2019

(212) 5: Daniel La Spata (D, b. 1981 in New Jersey but went to college in MN; former activist; progressive Democratic Socialist; previously served in the state House from 2017 to 2021) – 2021

(213) 6: Jay Pond (D, b. 1959; environmentalist; "apprentice" of Jim McGovern) – 2005

(214) 7: Linda Runbeck (R, b. 1946; previously served in the state Senate from 1993 to 1997) – 1997

(215) 8: Jenifer W. Loon (R, b. 1963; previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2017) – 2017

Mississippi (4; 1D, 3R)

(216) 1: Nancy Adams Collins (R, b. 1947; previously served as President of Sanctuary Hospice house) – 2011

(217) 2: Henry William “Chuck” Espy III (D, b. 1975; African-American; previously served in the state House from 2000 to 2008; is just barely holding onto this seat despite the district being gerrymandered in his favor) – 2009

(218) 3: Hayes Dent (R, b. 1962) – 1997

(219) 4: Clinton Bernard LeSueur (R, b. 1969; African-American; socially conservative; left the Democratic party in 2001; former newspaper reporter) – 2005

Missouri (8; 3D, 5R)

(220) 1: William Clay Jr. (D, b. 1956; African-American; is the son of former US Rep. Bill Clay (D), who served this same seat from 1969 to 2001; previously served in the state senate from 1991 to 2001 and in the state House from 1983 to 1991) – 2001

(221) 2: Ted House (D, b. 1959; previously served in the state House from 1989 to 1993) – 1993

(222) 3: Francis E. “Franc” Flotron Jr. (R, b. 1964; serves on the US House Committee for small businesses; known for sporting a beard and ponytail; previously served in the state Senate and in the state House) – 2001

(223) 4: William J. Federer (R, b. 1957; conservative author; previously served on the board of several nonprofit organizations, ministries, and local schools) – 2007

(224) 5: Judy Baker (D, b. 1960; former business owner; previously served in the state House from 2005 to 2009) – 2009

(225) 6: Jeanne Patterson (R; serves on transportation committee) – 2007

(226) 7: Jack Goodman (R, b. 1973; previously served in the state senate from 2005 to 2012) – 2013

(227) 8: Mike Moon (R, b. 1958; previously served in the state House from 2013 to 2018) – 2019

Montana (1; 1R)

(228) At-large: Elsie Arntzen (R, b. 1956; previously served in the state House from 2005 to 2009; serves on education committee) – 2009

Nebraska (3; 3R)

(229) 1: Curt Bromm (R, b. 1945; previously served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2003 to 2004) – 2005

(230) 2: Colby Coash (R, b. 1975; cites conservative talking points for why he opposes the death penalty; previously served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2009 to 2013) – 2013

(231) 3: David Ingolf Maurstad (R, b. 1953; former insurance agent; previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 1999 to 2001) – 2001

Nevada (4; 3D, 1R)

(232) 1: Dario Herrera (D, b. 1973; previously served as Clark County (Nevada) Commissioner from district "G" from 1999 to 2003; has been investigated for corruption numerous times but keeps getting cleared of wrongdoing and keeps (barely) winning re-election) – 2005

(233) 2: Chad Christensen (R; when former police officer Chad Christensen of Idaho served in the US House from 2013 to 2017, both of these Republican men named Chad Christensen served on the agriculture committee, creating confusion that made its way onto late night comedy shows during that time period) – 2011

(234) 3: John Oceguera (D, b. 1968; Native-American (Walker River Paiute tribe); previously served as the Speaker of the Nevada Assembly from 2011 to 2013 and as a member of the Nevada Assembly from 2000 to 2013) – 2013

(235) 4: Patricia Ann "Pat" Spearman (D, b. 1955; former Military Police Corps Lieutenant Colonel; supporter of women's rights, veterans rights, and BLUTAGO rights; previously served in the state senate from 2013 to 2018) – 2019

New Hampshire (2; 1D, 1R)

(236) 1: Kathleen “Kathy” Sullivan (D, b. 1954; former chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party) – 2021

(237) 2: Marilinda Joy Garcia (R, b. 1983; former professional harpist; previously served in the state House from 2006 to 2008 and again from 2010 to 2014) – 2015

New Jersey (12; 9D, 3R)

(238) 1: Steven Michael Fulop (D, b. 1977; Jewish; previously served as the Mayor of Jersey City from 2013 to 2019 and as a member of the Jersey City Council from 2005 to 2013) – 2019

(239) 2: Adam J. Taliaferro (D, b. 1982; African-American; former college football player known for making a miraculous recovery from a life-threatening accident; previously served in the state General Assembly from 2015 to 2020) – 2021

(240) 3: James R. Kern III (R, b. 1988; previously served as a Freeholder of Warren County from 2019 to 2021 and as the Mayor of Pohatcong Township from 2011 to 2018) – 2021

(241) 4: Matthew "Matt" Riccardi (R, b. 1987; self-declared "constitutionalist"; previously worked n several positions for the state Republican Party) – 2019

(242) 5: Victoria Lynn Spellman Napolitano (R, b. 1988; Catholic; previously served as the Mayor of Moorestown Township and on the Moorestown Town Council) – 2021

(243) 6: James Edward “Jim” Johnson (D, b. 1960; former prosecuting attorney; previously served as the US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Enforcement from 2001 to 2004) – 2005

(244) 7: John Wisniewski (D, b. 1962; Polish; previously served in the state General Assembly from the 19th district from 1996 to 2000; won the seat over incumbent Leonard Lance (R, b. 1952), who had held the seat since 1993) – 2001

(245) 8: Francis X. Tenaglio (D, b. 1949; previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 159th district from 1977 to 1978; worked as an accountant until landing a higher-paying job in New Jersey and moved there in 1981; worked in multiple positions for the state Democratic Party) – 1987

(246) 9: Ronald C. Rice (D, b. 1968; previously served on the Newark Municipal Council as a West Ward Councilman from 2006 to 2010; won special election) – 2010

(247) 10: Tamara Harris (D; African-American; former businesswoman and former equity research analyst; won the seat over incumbent Michael James "Mike" Pappas (R, b. 1960; Greek-American), who had held the seat since 1997) – 2019

(248) 11: Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D, b. 1971; previously served as a member of the Trenton City Council from 2010 to 2018) – 2019

(249) 12: Rush Dew Holt III (D, b. 1976; former psephologist and political analyst for TON; elected to succeed his father, Rush Holt Jr. (D, b. 1948), who held this same seat from 1999 to 2005) – 2015

New Mexico (3; 1D, 2R)

(250) 1: Rebecca Vigil-Giron (D, b. 1954; Hispanic; previously served as the state Secretary of State from 1987 to 1991) – 1991

(251) 2: Janice E. Arnold-Jones (R, b. 1952; former business manager and community activist with close ties to the US military; previously served in the state House from 2003 to 2010) – 2011

(252) 3: Michelle Garcia-Holmes (R; former Chief of Staff for the state Attorney General's Office) – 2021

New York (27; 23D, 4R)

(253) 1: Randy Altschuler (R, b. 1970; wealthy former businessman) – 2011

(254) 2: James A. Garner (R; African-American; Army veteran of the Indochina Wars era; former Mayor of Hempstead Village from 1989 to 1993) – 1993

(255) 3: Kevan M. Abrahams (D; African-American; previously served as a Nassau County Legislator in the 1st Legislative District) – 2005

(256) 4: David A. Bishop (D, b. 1966; progressive; previously served in the Suffolk County Legislature from 1993 to 2001) – 2001

(257) 5: Julia Salazar (D, b. 1990; DSA member; former activist; progressive; known for supporting sex workers rights and other views; previously served in the state senate from 2019 to 2021) – 2021

(258) 6: Elizabeth Crowley-O’Hara (D, b. 1977; cousin of incumbent US Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY14); previously served as a member of the New York City Council from the 30th district) – 2013

(259) 7: Evergreen Chou (D; born in Taiwan and moved to the US with his parents when he was 9; environmentalist; previously served in the NY State Assembly) – 2009

(260) 8: Darryl C. Towns (D, b. 1961; previously served in the state assembly from the 54th district; focused on urban housing and community renewal efforts) – 2013

(261) 9: William Colridge "Bill" Thompson Jr. (D, b. 1953; previously served as the New York City Comptroller from 2002 to 2007) – 2007

(262) 10: Margaret S. Chin (D, b. 1953 in Hong Kong; Asian-American; previously served in the state senate; first elected in special election) – 2020

(263) 11: Michael Tannousis (R; Greek-American; elected from a conservative district) – 2021

(264) 12: Nelson Antonio Denis (D, b. 1955; former film director; previously served in the state Assembly) – 2001

(265) 13: Suzan Johnson Cook (D, b. 1957; African-American; previously served in multiple positions in the Jackson and Wellstone administrations) – 2015

(266) 14: Joe Crowley (D, b. 1962; Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and is considered to be "next in line" for the position of Speaker of the House; previously served in the state Assembly from 1987 to 1998) – 1999

(267) 15: Adolfo Carrion Jr. (D, b. 1961; previously served in multiple positions under Presidents Jackson and Wellstone) – 2015

(268) 16: Robert J. "Harlando" Rodriguez (D, b. 1976; previously served in the state Assembly) – 2013

(269) 17: Adam Clayton Powell IV (D, b. 1962 in Puerto Rico to then-incumbent US Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr.; previously served as a member of the state senate from 1995 to 1997; first elected in a special election) – 1997

(270) 18: Kathy Hochul (D, b. 1958; previously served as a County Clerk and as a legislative aide) – 2009

(271) 19: Zephyr Rain Teachout (D, b. 1971; progressive; advocate of campaign finance reform and government transparency; former author, activist, and community organizer; previously worked as a college professor and law firm associate; briefly ran for President during 2020 election cycle) – 2015

(272) 20: Kirsten "Tina" Gillibrand (D, b. 1966; moderate; former law firm associate and former law clerk; previously held the same seat from 2005 until 2011, when she lost re-election in a bad year for Democrats) – 2015

(273) 21: Francis Joseph "Frank" Scaturro (R, b. 1972; constitutional law expert; previously served as a law clerk and as an aide for an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court) – 2011

(274) 22: William Lewis "Bill" Owens (D, b. 1949; former partner at a law firm) – 2009

(275) 23: Svante L. Myrick (D, b. 1987; previously served as the Mayor of Ithaca from 2012 to 2018) – 2019

(276) 24: Eric Leroy Adams (D, b. 1960; moderate-to-conservative record; was a strong supporter of Mario Biaggi; former NYPD police officer from 1984 to 1996; previously served in the US House from New York from 1997 to 2001 (lost re-election); was a Republican from 1995 to 2011) – 2017

(277) 25: Stephanie Miner (D, b. 1970; previously served as the Mayor of Syracuse from 2010 to 2018) – 2019

(278) 26: Byron Brown (D, b. 1958; African-American; previously served as the Mayor of Buffalo from 2006 to 2010) – 2011

(279) 27: Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D, b. 1951; previously served in the State Assembly from 2001 to 2007) – 2007

North Carolina (13; 8D, 5R)

(280) 1: Donald G. “Don” Davis (D, b. 1971; African-American; previously served as the Mayor of Snow Hill from 2001 to 2004; first elected via special election) – 2004

(281) 2: Daniel Kent McCreary (D, b. 1983; former businessman, entrepreneur and US Marine Corps captain; first elected via special election after incumbent Representative L. McCrae Dowless Jr. (R, b. 1956) was expelled for voter fraud in the previous election which Dowless "stole" from incumbent (since 1997) Bobby Ray "Bob" Etheridge (D, b. 1941)) – 2019

(282) 3: George Grant Cleveland (R, b. 1939; previously served in the state house from 2005 to 2009; known for making "out of touch" statements such as suggesting that poverty does not exist in his state, and supporting the repeal of Article 1, Section 4 of the NC Constitution that prohibits the state from seceding from the US) – 2009

(283) 4: Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken (D, b. 1978; openly BLUTAGO; former musician, activist, and TV personality; recently criticized ontech for making several "elitist" comments) – 2019

(284) 5: Patricia Earlene “Pat” McElraft (R, b. 1947; former technical sales representative for Microbiology Product Company; previously served in the state House from 2007 to 2011) – 2011

(285) 6: Kandie Diane Smith (D, b. 1969; African-American; previously served in the state House from 2015 to 2021) – 2021

(286) 7: Dr. Joan T. Perry, MD (R; former primary care physician) – 2011

(287) 8: Vince Coakley (R; former talk radio host) – 2015

(288) 9: Dr. Ada M. Fisher (R, b. 1947; African-American; Jewish; her grandfather was freed from slavery via the Emancipation Proclamation when he was 10 years old; former physician; previously served in various positions for the state Republican party) – 2007

(289) 10: Patricia Timmons-Goodson (D, b. 1954; African-American; previously served as an Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 2006 to 2012) – 2013

(290) 11: Morris Durham “Moe” Davis (D, b. 1958; retired US Air Force Colonel; former attorney and educator) – 2021

(291) 12: Beverly Miller Earle (D, b. 1943; African-American; previously served in the state House from 1995 to 1999) – 1999

(292) 13: Viola Alexander Lyles (D, b. 1952; previously served as the Mayor of Charlotte) – 2021

North Dakota (1; 1R)

(293) At-large: Ryan Lee Provancher (R, b. 1987; previously worked as an oilman and a worker safety activist, and belonged to the Civil Air Patrol; considered a moderate and often accused of being a "LID" for supporting legislation to strengthen worker safety procedures, due to such measures saving his life in 2013 when he was almost exposed to hydrogen sulfide and again in 2014 when he was almost crushed by a collapsing structure) – 2017

Ohio (17; 5D, 12R)

(294) 1: Dennis Kucinich (D, b. 1946; has served several non-consecutive terms in the US House from total of three states, started with his first congressional victory in 1972, which was a good year for Democrats) – 2019

(295) 2: Gregory S. Lashutka (R, b. 1944; former football player (AFL); previously ran for Mayor of Columbus twice in the 1990s) – 2001

(296) 3: Michael B. Coleman (D, b. 1954; African-American; previously served as the Mayor of Columbus from 2000 to 2016) – 2017

(297) 4: James Peter “Jim” Trakas (R, b. 1965; previously served in the state House from 1999 to 2006) – 2007

(298) 5: Niraj J. Antani (R, b. 1991 in Ohio but briefly lived in Pennsylvania with his parents during middle school; party loyalist; previously served in the state House from 2013 to 2017 and in the state senate from 2017 to 2021) – 2021

(299) 6: Chuck Blasdel (R, b. 1971; previously served in the state House from 2001 to 2006) – 2007

(300) 7: Matt Huffman (R, b. 1960; previously served in the state House from 2007 to 2011) – 2011

(301) 8: Robert R. "Bob" Cupp (R, b. 1950; previously served in the state senate from 1985 to 1990) – 1991

(302) 9: Marcia Carolyn "Marcy" Kaptur (D, b. 1946; progressive and pro-labor unions; former academic; previously involved in Democratic organization and voter mobilization efforts) – 1983

(303) 10: Samuel Joseph "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher (R, b. 1973; former small business owner and conservative political activist) – 2013

(304) 11: Bohdan Andrew Futey (D, b. 1939 in Buczacz, Poland (now Buchach, Ukraine) and moved with his family to the US in 1957; speaks Ukrainian fluently; former professor, founding law firm partner, and chief assistant police prosecutor; first elected as an Independent, then served as a Republican from early 1976 to early 2020, switching to the Democratic party in protest of his party "embracing his [Harley Brown's] dangerous version of Republican values" and barely winning the Democratic nomination and general election later in the year) – 1975

(305) 12: Larry Lee Householder (R, b. 1959; current House Minority Leader and Leader of the House Republican Conference; previously served in the state House from 1997 to 1999) – 1999

(306) 13: Charleta Tavares (D; previously served in the state senate from 1998 to 2004 and in the state House from 1993 to 1998) – 2005

(307) 14: Keith Faber (R, b. 1966; previously served in the state senate from 2007 to 2012 and in the state House from 2001 to 2007) – 2013

(308) 15: Larry J. Obhof (R, b. 1977; previously served in the state senate from 2011 to 2016) – 2017

(309) 16: Mark J. Romanchuk (R, b. 1962; previously served in the state house from 2013 to 2017; strongly supported Harley Brown in 2020 and was rumored to be a possible candidate for a cabinet position in a 2021-to-2025 Brown administration) – 2017

(310) 17: Theresa Gavarone (R, b. 1966; previously served in the state senate from 2019 to 2020 and in the state House from 2016 to 2019) – 2021

Oklahoma (5; 5R)

(311) 1: George Faught (R, b. 1962 in Texas; previously served in the state House from 2007 to 2009) – 2009

(312) 2: John Tyler Hammons (R, b. 1988; Native American (Cherokee); previously served as the Mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma from 2008 to 2012 and as an assistant attorney general for the Cherokee Nation from 2015 to 2017) – 2021

(313) 3: Richard Castaldo (R; conservative; former small business owner) – 2019

(314) 4: Brian Bingman (R, b. 1953; Native American (Creek); previously served in the state senate from 2007 to 2011) – 2011

(315) 5: Janet Barresi (R, b. 1952; previously served as the state Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2011 to 2015) – 2017

Oregon (5; 3D, 2R)

(316) 1: Carol Voisin (D, b. 1947 in Kansas and raised in Colorado; former peace activist; academic; previously taught ethics, critical thinking, and writing at Southern Oregon University) – 2005

(317) 2: James M. Lindsay (R, b. 1959 in Massachusetts; author; former academic; considered to be a leading authority on foreign policy analysis ) – 2017

(318) 3: Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D, b. 1963; previously served as a member of the state Senate from the 17th district from 2011 to 2015) – 2015

(319) 4: Aleksander Reed "Alek" Skarlatos (R, b. 1992; Greek-American; former US Army Specialist; previously served as Douglas County Commissioner from 2019 to 2021; as the youngest member of congress, he is sometimes referred to the "Baby of the House") – 2021

(320) 5: Mary Nolan (D, b. 1954; previously served as a member of the state House from 2001 to 2011) – 2011

Pennsylvania (19; 12D, 7R)

(321) 1: Debbie Williams (R; former conservative political activist) – 2017

(322) 2: Isabella Fitzgerald (D, b. 1949; previously served in the state house from 2017 to 2019) – 2019

(323) 3: Bibiana Boerio (D, b. 1954; former businesswoman; previously served as Chief of Staff to Governor Goldberg from 2011 to 2015 and as an advisor during his presidential campaign in late 2015 and early 2016) – 2019

(324) 4: Anndrea M. Benson (D; moderate-to-progressive) – 2003

(325) 5: Linda Deliah Thompson (D, b. 1961; previously served as the Mayor of Harrisburg from 2010 to 2014) – 2015

(326) 6: Eric Papenfuse (D, b. 1971; former businessman; previously served as the Mayor of Harrisburg from 2014 to 2020) – 2021

(327) 7: Steve Santarsiero (D; former state senator; focused on education, infrastructure investment, environmental protection, women's health issues, and mental health improvement initiatives) – 2011

(328) 8: Summer L. Lee (D, b. 1987; member of the DSA; former lawyer and community organizer; previously served in the state House from the 34th district from 2019 to 2021) – 2021

(229) 9: John Karl Fetterman (D, b. 1969; former football player and former business owner; progressive; became political involved after joining the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program, initially to impress someone he was dating but the experience gave him perspective and his life a sense of greater purpose) – 2009

(330) 10: Dawn Keefer (R, b. 1972; previously served in the state House of Representatives from the 92nd district from 2017 to 2021) – 2021

(331) 11: Charles W. Smithgall (R, b. 1945; former pharmacist and businessman; previously served as the Mayor of Lancaster from 1998 to 2004) – 2005

(332) 12: John Eichelberger (R, b. 1958; previously served as a member of the Blair County Board of Commissioners) – 1999

(333) 13: Stephen Bloom (R, b. 1961; previously served in the state House of Representatives from the 199th district from 2011 to 2013) – 2013

(334) 14: Douglas Vincent "Doug" Mastriano (R, b. 1964; previously served in the state House of Representatives from the 33rd district from 2019 to 2021; has been described by some as a "Christian nationalist") – 2021

(335) 15: Marty Nothstein (R, b. 1971; former professional road bicycle racer and track cyclist, winning gold medals at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games; former coach, business owner, and moderate-to-conservative political activist) – 2017

(336) 16: Anthony Hardy Williams (D, b. 1957; African-American; previously served in the state House of Representatives from 1989 to 1998) – 1999

(337) 17: Dan Onorato (D, b. 1961; former Certified Public Accountant; previously served as Chief Executive of Allegheny County from 2004 to 2012, as the Controller of Allegheny County from 2000 to 2004, and as a member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 1st district from 19992 to 2000; considered running for Governor in 2018; may run for Governor in 2022) – 2013

(338) 18: Helen Gym (D, b. circa 1968 in Seattle, WA to parents born in Korea who immigrated to the US in the 1960s; raised in Ohio but went to college in PA; former reporter, teacher, and grassroots organizer, and civil rights activist; previously worked on the Locke'16 Presidential campaign and as a member of the Philadelphia City Council from the At-Large district from 2016 to 2019) – 2019

(339) 19: William Mark "Bill" Peduto (D, b. 1964; known for sporting a very large beard; previously served as the Mayor of Pittsburgh from 2014 to 2020 and as a member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 8th district from 2002 to 2014) – 2021

Potomac (1; 1D)

(340) At-large: Marie Collins Johns (D, b. 1951; African-American; former businesswoman; previously served as the Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Jackson from 2005 to 2006) – 2006

Puerto Rico (6; 4D, 2R)

(341) 1: Antonio J. Colorado (R, b. 1939; former lawyer; previously served as the Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1992 to 2000) – 2006

(342) 2: Dr. Miriam J. Ramirez, M.D. (D, b. 1941; former physician and political activist, becoming active in Puerto Rico's statehood movement in the 1970s; served as a medical advisor to Governor Rocky Versace during the SARS Global Pandemic; enjoys high approval ratings at home, winning her current term unopposed) – 2006

(343) 3: Epifanio "Epi" Jimenez (D, b. 1965; retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Army National Guard of Puerto Rico; previously served in the commonwealth Rico House of Representatives from 1994 to 2006 and in the state senate from 2006 to 2016) – 2017

(344) 4: Leonides “Leo” Diaz Urbina (R, b. 1962; former lawyer; previously served in the commonwealth House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001) – 2006

(345) 5: Rafael "Tatito" Hernandez (D, b. 1972; previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2019) – 2019

(346) 6: Maria de Lourdes Santiago (D, b. 1968; was a strong supporter of the statehood movement; former newspaper columnist; previously served in the state senate from 2006 to 2013; currently focused on women's health, mental health, and special education issues, among other issues) – 2013

Rhode Island (2; 2D)

(347) 1: Anastasia P. Williams (D, b. 1957 in Panama; previously served in the state House from the 9th district from 1993 to 2001) – 2001

(348) 2: Gordon Dennis Fox (D, b. 1961; openly BLUTAGO; previously served in the state House from 1993 to 2005; has been accused of corruption numerous times) – 2005

South Carolina (8; 3D, 5R)

(349) 1: Katie Arrington (R, b. 1970; former businesswoman; previously served in the state House from 2017 to 2019) – 2019

(350) 2: Joe Grimaud (R; social conservative; former business owner and political activist) – 2001

(351) 3: Robert Lee Waldrep Jr. (R; conservative; party loyalist; defeated perennial candidate Benjamin "Ben" Frasier Jr. (D, b. 1942) in both the 2018 and 2020 general elections) – 2003

(352) 4: Richard J. “Rich” Cash (R, b. 1960; serves on the House Budget Committee; previously served in the state senate from 2017 to 2021) – 2021

(353) 5: Jaime R. Harrison (D, b. 1976; African-American; liberal; previously served as Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party from 2013 to 2017) – 2019

(354) 6: Matt Moore (R, b. 1982; conservative; previously served as Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party from 2013 to 2017; noted for getting along well with Harrison, with the strength of their friendship being brought up on occasion when describing inter-party relations in D.C.) – 2019

(355) 7: Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D, b. 1954; former economist; previously served as the Director of Business Development at Clemson University; her brother is actor-comedian Stephen Colbert) – 2013

(356) 8: Bakari T. Sellers (D, b. 1984; African-American; just barely won this seat in 2020, which was a good year for Democrats overall; previously served in the state House from 2006 to 2014 and in the state senate from 2014 to 2020) – 2021

South Dakota (1; 1R)

(357) At-large: Shantel Swedlund Krebs (R, b. 1973; former businesswoman; previously served in the state House of Representatives from the 10th district from 2005 to 2011) – 2011

Tennessee (9; 3D, 6R)

(358) 1: Carl Twofeathers Whitaker (R, b. 1953; Native American (Mohegan); previously served as the Chief of Police of West Mansfield from 1986 to 2001; former political activist and community affairs organizer) – 2017

(359) 2: Shane Reeves (R, b. 1968; former pharmacist and businessman; previously served as a member of the state senate from the 14th district from 2018 to 2021) – 2021

(360) 3: Charles V. Brown (D; former construction worker; previously served as a county road supervisor in the 1980s) – 2007

(361) 4: Todd Gardenhire (R, b. 1948; previously served in the state senate from the 10th district from 2013 to 2015) – 2015

(362) 5: Marquita Bradshaw (D, b. 1974; African-American; environmentalist; activist; political organizer; progressive; is the niece of former moderate-to-conservative US Rep. John J. DeBerry Jr. (D, b. 1951), who held this same seat from 2001 to 2017 (lost re-election to Eddie Mannies (R, b. 1959; openly BLUTAGO), who lost re-election in 2020); previously served as the environmental justice chair of the Tennessee chapter of The Sierra Club) – 2021

(363) 6: Dolores R. Gresham (R, b. 1942; previously served in the state House from district 94 from 2003 to 2007) – 2007

(364) 7: Marsha Blackburn (R, b. 1952; conservative; strongly endorsed and campaigned for Harley Brown in 2012 and 2020; floated as a possible VP nomination candidate in 2012 and 2020; previously served in the state senate from the 23rd district from 1999 to 2003) – 2003

(365) 8: Hoyt "Colonel Mark" White (R, b. 1950; former political activist; party loyalist; previously served as second vice-chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party and in the state House from 2005 to 2007) – 2007

(366) 9: Steve Cohen (D, b. 1949; Jewish; previously served in the state senate from the 30th district from 1983 to 1989; currently works on the Judiciary, Transportation, and Natural Resources Committees) – 1989

Texas (36; 17D, 19R)

(367) 1: Wayne Christian (R, b. 1950; former financial planner; previously served in the state House from 1997 to 2005) – 2005

(368) 2: Thad Heartfield (R, b. 1940; previously served in the state House from 1975 to 1979, as the District Attorney for Jefferson County from 1969 to 1975, and as that county's assistant district attorney from 1965 to 1969) – 1979

(369) 3: Lorie Burch (D; previously founded and managed her own law practice; was known as a perennial candidate for previously running for various public offices in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012. 2014, and 2016) – 2019

(370) 4: John Kevin Ellzey Sr. (R, b. 1970; KW2 veteran; served in the US Navy as a fighter pilot until retiring at the rank of Commander in 2010; previously served as an aide and advisor to Governor Bill Owens (R-TX) from 2011 to 2013) – 2015

(371) 5: Ken Ashby (R; boasts having an "ultra-libertarian" record and "idolizing" Ron Paul; previously worked in teaching and engineering; first elected in 1996 and first running for Congress in 1992) – 1997

(372) 6: Dr. Laura G. Murillo (R; previously served as an Executive at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center) – 2013

(373) 7: Cristina Tzintzun-Ramirez (D, b. 1982; Mexican-American; former labor organizer) – 2021

(374) 8: William Cameron "Willie" McCool (R, b. 1961; former NASA astronaut, best known for being one of the first Marstronauts to step foot on the planet Mars (2003); will likely run for higher office in 2022 or 2024) – 2017

(375) 9: Royce Barry West (D, b. 1952; African-American; previously served in the state Senate from the 23rd district from 1993 to 1998) – 1999

(376) 10: Brewster McCracken (R; previously served on the Austin City Council and worked as a felony prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney's Office) – 2007

(377) 11: Edwin Barry “Ed” Young (R, b. 1961; pastor; founder of the Fellowship Church (1989); controversial member of "the religious far-right"; strongly supported Harley Brown in 2020 despite calling him a "fake Christian" in early 2012 for Brown's support of BLUTAGO rights) – 2017

(378) 12: Barbara Elizabeth Cornelius "Betsy" Price (R, b. 1949; former businesswoman; previously served as the Mayor of Fort Worth from 2011 to 2021) – 2021

(379) 13: Calvin DeWeese (R; conservative; former political activist) – 2019

(380) 14: Chris Peden (R; conservative; former political organizer) – 2009

(381) 15: Ivy Ruth Taylor (D, b. 1970; African-American; previously served as the Mayor of San Antonio from 2014 to 2017) – 2017

(382) 16: Carol Alvarado (D, b. 1967; previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2013) – 2013

(383) 17: Peter Churchman (R; conservative; former political activist) – 2017

(384) 18: Enrique Garcia (D; moderate; former community organizer) – 2019

(385) 19: Arlene Wohlgemuth (R, b. 1947; previously served in the state House from 1995 to 2005) – 2005

(386) 20: Sri Preston Kulkarni (D, b. 1978; Indian-American; previously served in the US Foreign Service) – 2019

(387) 21: James Arthur Strohm (R; conservative; former political activist) – 2007

(388) 22: Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R, b. 1953; previously served on the Houston City Council from 2002 to 2006) – 2006

(389) 23: David Gordon Wallace (R; conservative; former political activist) – 2009

(390) 24: Steve Stockman (R, b. 1956; libertarian; former computer salesman; has been investigated for corruption several times) – 1995

(391) 25: Raul Torres (R, b. 1955; former Certified Public Accountant; previously served in the state House from 2011 to 2013) – 2013

(392) 26: Roque De La Fuente III (D; moderate; serving alongside father, who is currently representing a House seat from California) – 2021

(393) 27: Dr. Marty Perez (R; former political organizer) – 2019

(394) 28: Enrique Roberto "Henry" Cuellar (D, b. 1955; Mexican-American; one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress; previously served in the state House from 1987 to 1999) – 1999

(395) 29: Gina Ortiz Jones (D, b. 1981; openly BLUTAGO; is the daughter of a single mother immigrant from the Philippines (Ilocano); retired US Air Force Captain; former intelligence officer) – 2019

(396) 30: Eddie Bernice Johnson (D, b. 1935; oldest incumbent member of congress, has announced that she will not run for re-election in 2022; African-American; previously served in the state senate from the 23rd district from 1987 to 1993 and in the state House from the 33rd district from 1973 to 1977) – 1993

(397) 31: Scott McClellan (R, b. 1968; former campaign manager and conservative grassroots organizer; previously served as Governor Owens' press secretary from 2007 to 2015; is the youngest son of former US Rep. Carole Keeton (R-TX, 1991-1999 (lost re-election)); become well known for feuding with his former boss ontech in 2019) – 2017

(398) 32: Carlos Quintanilla (D, b. in Illinois; former business owner) – 2019

(399) 33: William Patrick "Will" Wynn (D, b. 1961; former businessman and Mayor) – 2009

(400) 34: Laura Miller (D, b. 1958; previously served as a city councilwoman) – 2007

(401) 35: Jasmine Crockett (D, b. 1981; former attorney and political activist) – 2021

(402) 36: Lloyd Alton Doggett II (D, b. 1946; previously served as a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court from 1989 to 1994) – 1995

Utah (4; 1D, 3R)

(403) 1: Lilia Laura Pace (D, b. 1955; former teacher and labor union leader; previously served as President of the National Education Association from 2014 to 2020) – 2021

(404) 2: Bruce Patton Summerhays (R, b. 1944; former professional golfer and prominent member of the Mormon church) – 2007

(405) 3: Wayne Larry Niederhauser (R, b. 1959; former certified public accountant; previously served as a member of the state Senate from 2006 to 2019 and as President of the state Senate from 2013 to 2018) – 2019

(406) 4: John Dougall (R, b. 1966; has received bipartisan praise for his work on several US House subcommittees; previously served as state Auditor from 2013 to 2021 and in the state House from 2003 to 2013) – 2021

Vermont (1; 1D)

(407) At-large: John O’Brien (D, b. 1962; former filmmaker, Justice of the Peace, and campaign manager; best known for his work with dairy farmer-turned-US Senator Fred Tuttle; previously served on the Town of Tunbridge selectboard from 2015 to 2028 and in the state House from 2019 to 2021) – 2021

Virginia (11; 8D, 3R)

(408) 1: Krystal Marie Ball (D, b. 1981 in King George County, VA; progressive; former business owner, certified public accountant, political commentator and TV/newspaper contributor) – 2011

(409) 2: A. Joseph Canada Jr. (R, b. 1939; previously served in the state senate from the 8th district from 1972 to 1980) – 1981

(410) 3: Jerrauld C. "Jay" Jones (D, b. 1989; African-American; previously served in the state House of Delegates from the 89th district 2018-2021) – 2021

(411) 4: Jody Moses Wagner (D, b. 1955; previously served as the state Secretary of Finance and as the state Treasurer) – 2015

(412) 5: Winsome Earle Sears (R, b. 1964; African-American; former US Marine Corps Commander and former state senator; previously served as the Director of the CIA from 2013 to 2017 and as the Director of the FBI from 2017 to 2019) – 2021

(413) 6: Jennifer Carroll Foy (D, b. 1981; African-American; previously served in the state House of Delegates from 2018 to 2020) – 2021

(414) 7: David L. Bulova (D, b. 1969; previously served in the state House of Delegates from 2006 to 2014; first elected in a special election) – 2014

(415) 8: Charniele LeRhonda Herring (D, b. 1969 in the Dominican Republic to Army parents; African-American; previously served as Chair of the Virginia Democratic Party from 2012 to 2014) – 2015

(416) 9: William Bruce "Bill" Redpath (R, b. 1957; strongly libertarian; former Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Accredited Senior Appraiser; previously served in the state House of Delegates from 1994 to 1998 and in the state Senate from 1998 to 2002; lost US House bid in 2002) – 2007

(417) 10: Linda Q. Smyth (D, b. 1949 in Missouri; former appointee to the Fairfax County Planning Commission; previously served as a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from the Providence district from 2003 to 2005) – 2005

(418) 11: Katherine Keith "Kate" Hanley (D, b. 1943 in Missouri; previously served in the state senate from 1991 to 1995) – 1995

Washington (10; 8D, 2R)

(419) 1: Laura Ruderman (D, b. 1970; previously served in the state House from 1999 to 2005) – 2004

(420) 2: Mary B. Verner (D, b. 1956; previously served in multiple positions for the Governor's office, and as Executive Director of the Upper Columbia United Tribes) – 2005

(421) 3: Dino John Rossi (R, b. 1959; former businessman; moderate; previously served in the state senate from 1997 to 2003; briefly ran for President in 2004, 2008, and 2012, and has considered running for higher office multiple times; might run for President again in 2024) – 2003

(422) 4: Kshama Sawant (D, b. 1973 in India to a Tamil Brahmin family; moved to the US in the late 1990s; self-declared "outright, morally right, anti-Right, far-left socialist"; former software engineer and economics instructor; previously served as a member of the Seattle City Council) – 2021

(423) 5: Clint Bradley Didier (R, b. 1959; former NFL player) – 2011

(424) 6: Kesha Ram (D, b. 1986 in California, but went to college in WA; Indian-American; is the great-great-granddaughter of Sir Ganga Ram; previously served in the state House from 2011 to 2017; unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2016) – 2021

(425) 7: Kevin W. Van De Wege (D, b. 1974; previously served in the state senate from 2017 to 2021 and in the state House from 2007 to 2017) – 2021

(426) 8: Christine Rolfes (D, b. 1967; previously served in the state House from 2007 to 2011; currently serves of education, veterans affairs and environment committees) – 2011

(427) 9: Brian S. Sonntag (D, b. 1951; previously served as state Auditor from 1993 to 2013) – 2013

(428) 10: Marko Liias (D, b. 1981; Finnish-American; openly BLUTAGO; previously served in the state senate from 2014 to 2018 and in the state House from 2008 to 2014) – 2019

West Virginia (3; 1D, 2R)

(429) 1: Michael Angelo "Mike" Oliverio II (R, b. 1963; former lobbyist; previously served in the state senate from 1995 to 2011 and in the state House of Delegates from 1993 to 1994; left the Democratic party in 2009 over its national shift to the left) – 2015

(430) 2: Paula Jean Swearengin (D, b. 1974; former activist; progressive; won seat in an upset credited to Pritt's presidential candidacy) – 2021

(431) 3: Robert D. Beach (R, b. 1959; previously served in the state senate from 2011 to 2016; currently serves on the agriculture committee) – 2017

Wisconsin (9; 6D, 3R)

(432) 1: Rob Zerban (D; former entrepreneur; previously served as Kenosha County Supervisor from the 2nd district from 2008 to 2012) – 2013

(433) 2: Peter Theron (R; former businessman) – 2015

(434) 3: Randall John Bryce (D, b. 1964; former ironworker; strongly pro-union; known for his prominent mustache) – 2019

(435) 4: G. Spencer Coggs (D, b. 1949; African-American; previously served in the state assembly from 1983 to 1987) – 1987

(436) 5: LaTonya Johnson (D, b. 1972; African-American; former activist; previously served in the state senate from 2017 to 2019 and in the state assembly from 2013 to 2017) – 2019

(437) 6: S. Biko Barnes (D, b. 1986; African-American; previously served in the state assembly from 2013 to 2017) – 2021

(438) 7: Mary Burke (D, b. 1959; previously served as the state secretary of commerce) – 2007

(439) 8: Peggy A. Rosenzweig (R, b. 1936; second-oldest female member of Congress; may retire next year; previously served in the state senate from 1993 to 1997; almost lost re-election to Marina Dimitrijevic, who is running for the seat again in 2022) – 1997

(440) 9: John G. Gard (R, b. 1963; previously served as Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly from 2003 to 2007) – 2007

Wyoming (1; 1R)

(441) At-large: Colin Mackenzie Simpson (R, b. 1959; a member of the Simpson political family of Wyoming; previously served in the state House from 1999 to 2003) – 2003
 
Post 118
Post 118: Index 4



Index 4 – U.S. Governors and Lieutenant Governors

Governors and Lieutenant Governors (or the state’s equivalent to a Lieutenant Governor) in this timeline, as of July 4, 2021


Governors of ALABAMA

1947-1951: 42) Jim Folsom Sr. (D) – term-limited
1946: Lyman Ward (R)

1951-1955: 43) Gordon Person (D) – term-limited
1950: John S. Crowder (R)

1955-1959: (42)) Jim Folsom Sr. (D) – term-limited
1954: Tom Abernathy (R)

1959-1963: 44) John Malcolm Patterson (D) – term-limited; served as C. Farris Bryant’s more moderate running mate in 1964
1958: William Longshore (R)

1963-1967: 45) George Wallace (D) – term-limited; ran for President in 1968
1962: Frank P. Walls (I)

1967-1971: 46) Ryan DeGreffenried Sr. (D) – term-limited
1966: John M. Patterson (HIP) and Arthur Glenn Andrews (R)

1971-1971: (45)) George Wallace (D) – died in office in a plane crash before he could officially launch a bid for US President
1970: Bull Connor (I), Asa Carter (HIP) and Bert Nettles (R)

1971-1975: 47) Sam Engelhardt (D, then HIP in 1972) – term-limited; ran for President in 1972

1975-1979: 48) Jeremiah Denton (R) – Cuban War veteran and war hero; term-limited; successfully ran for President in 1980
1974: Richmond Flowers Sr. (D) and J. Taylor Hardin (I)

1979-1981: 49) Elvin McCary (R) – died in office from heart failure
1978: Melba Till Allen (D) and J. Taylor Hardin (I)

1981-1983: 50) Charles Woods (D) – WWII veteran/burn victim known for his iconic eyepatch and deformed hands and face; term-limited

1983-1987: 51) Ann Bedsole (R) – first female Governor; term-limited
1982: Mary Texas Hurt Garner (D)

1987-1991: 52) Bill Baxley (D) – term-limited; considered running for President in 1996 and 2000
1986: John Hall Buchanan Jr. (R)

1991-1995: 53) Shorty Price (R) – term-limited
1990: Joseph Charles McCorquodale Jr. (D) and John Logan Cashin Jr. (Alabama)

1995-1999: 54) Bettye Frink (R) – second female Governor; term-limited
1994: Lambert Mims (D)

1999-2003: 55) Winton Blount (R) – term-limited
1998: Lenora Pate (D)

2003-2006: 56) Ryan DeGraffenried Jr. (D) – died in office suddenly from poor health
2002: Richard Shelby (R)

2006-2007: 57) Lowell Ray Barron (D) – ascended to office as president pro tempore of the state senate after the Lt. Gov., then Gov., each died

2007-2011: 58) Jim Folsom Jr. (D) – ascended to office as Lt. Gov.-Elect, after Lt. Gov./Gov.-Elect Baxley died; son of former Governor Jim Folsom Sr.; term-limited; considered running for President in 2016
2006: Lucy Baxley (D) over Roy Moore (R) and Tony Petelos (Integrity)

2011-2015: 59) David Woods (R) – son of former Governor Charles Woods; term-limited
2010: Beth Killough Chapman (Boulder) and Sadie Moore Stewart (D)

2015-2019: 60) Richmond McDavid Flowers Jr. (D) – term-limited
2014: Adelbert Carl “Del” Marsh (R)

2019-present: 61) Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh (R) – third female Governor but fourth female to be elected Governor; incumbent; may run for President in 2024
2018: Artur G. Davis (D)

Lieutenant Governors of ALABAMA
1947-1951: 16) James C. Inzer (D) – term-limited
1951-1955: 17) James Allen (D) – term-limited
1955-1959: 18) William G. Hardwick (D) – term-limited
1959-1963: 19) Albert Boutwell (D) – term-limited
1963-1967: 20) James Allen (D) – term-limited
1967-1971: 21) Albert Brewer (D) – term-limited
1971-1971: 22) Sam Engelhardt (D) – ascended to the governorship
1971-1975: vacant
1975-1979: 23) Albert Brewer (D) – term-limited
1979-1981: 24) Charles Woods (D) – ascended to the governorship
1981-1983: vacant
1983-1987: 25) Albert Brewer (D) – term-limited
1987-1991: 26) Jim Folsom Jr. (D) – term-limited
1991-1995: 27) George McMillan (D) – term-limited
1995-1999: 28) Don Siegelman (D) – term-limited
1999-2003: 29) Steve Windom (R) – term-limited
2003-2006: 30) Lucy Baxley (D) – first female Lt. Gov.; died in office after being elected Governor but before she could be sworn into the governorship
2006-2007: vacant
2007-2011: 31) Sadie Moore Stewart (D) – first African-American and second female Lt. Gov.; term-limited
2011-2015: 32) Kay Ivey (R) – third female Lt. Gov.; term-limited
2015-2019: 33) Beth Chapman (R) – fourth female Lt. Gov.; term-limited
2019-present: 34) Stan Cooke (R) – incumbent



Governors of ALASKA

1959-1962: 1) William A. Egan (D) – lost re-election
1958: John Butrovich Jr. (R)

1962-1970: 2) Mike Stepovich (R) – term-limited; was the GOP nominee for VP in 1972
1962: William A. Egan (D)
1966: Wendall P. Kay (D) and John Grasse (I)

1970-1978: 3) Jay Hammond (R) – term-limited
1970: W. Eugene Guess (D) and Ralph M. Anderson (I)
1974: Chauncey Croft (D) and Joe Vogler (I)

1978-1986: 4) Bill Clinton (D) – term-limited
1978: Lowell Thomas Jr. (R), Don Wright (I) and Mike Colletta (Alaskan Libertarian Party)
1982: Terry Miller (R) and Richard L. Randolph (Liberty)

1986-1988: 5) Tom Fink (R) – recalled from office over his poor handling of the Chevron Oil Spill
1986: George H. Hohman Jr. (D), Don Wright (Green), Andre Marrou (Liberty), and Bill Hudson (Alaska Independence Party)

1988-1994: 6) Bob Ross (I) – retired to focus on cancer diagnosis
1988 (successful recall special election): Bill Overstreet (I), Bill Sheffield (D), Jay Kerttula (R), Joe Vogler (AIP) and Benjamin F. “Ben” Grussendorf Jr. (D)
1990: Wally Hickel (R), Tony Knowles (D), Joe Vogler (AIP), Rick Halford (Liberty), and Michael O’Callaghan (I)

1994-1998: 7) Nora Dauenhauer (Green) – retired to uphold single-term pledge from 1994 election bid
1994: Robin L. Taylor (Liberty), Red Boucher (D), J. H. Lindauer Jr. (R), and Joe Vogler (AIP)

1998-2002: 8) Kenneth James Fanning (Libertarian-Republican Alliance) – lost re-election
1998: Samuel R. Cotton (D), Jim Sykes (Green) and Joe Vogler (AIP)

2002-2010: 9) Niilo Emil Koponen (Democratic-Green-Union) – term-limited
2002: Kenneth James Fanning (LRA), Don Wright (AIP), W.A.R. Ross (Defense), and Ralph Winterrowd (Patriots’)
2006: Loren Leman (Libertarian-Republican Alliance) and Daniel DeNardo (Independent/AIP)

2010-2014: 10) Willie Hensley (GDU) – lost re-election
2010: Jerry Ward (LRA/Boulder) and Clyde Baxley (AIP)

2014-present: 11) Lesil Lynn “Lizzie” McGuire (LRA) – incumbent; term-limited; may run for President in 2024
2014: Willie Hensley (GDU), Jerry Ward (Boulder) and Mead Treadwell (I)
2018: Anna McKinnon (Democratic), Craig Campbell (I), Jeffrey D. Brown (Green), Della Coburn (Socialist) and Ivan M. Ivan (Progressive Green)

Lieutenant Governors of ALASKA
1969-1970: 1) Robert W. Ward (R) – retired to run for Governor
1970-1978: 2) Hazel P. Heath (R) – retired to successfully run for the US Senate
1978-1982: 3) Katie Hurley (D) – retired to run for Governor
1982-1986: 4) Red Boucher (D) – lost re-election
1986-1990: 5) Terry Miller (R) – lost re-election
1990-1994: 6) Nora Dauenhauer (I until 1994, then Green) – retired to successfully run for Governor
1994-1998: 7) Jim Sykes (Green) – retired to run for Governor
1998-2002: 8) Loren Leman (LRA) – lost re-election
2002-2010: 9) Willie Hensley (GDU) – term-limited
2010-2014: 10) Hollis S. French (GDU) – lost re-election
2014-present: 11) Mike Chenault (LRA) – incumbent



Governors of ARIZONA

1959-1969: 11) Paul Fannin (R) – retired
1958: Robert Morrison (D)
1960: Lee Ackerman (D)
1962: Samuel Goddard (D)
1964: Art Brock (D)
1966: Norman Green (D)

1969-1971: 12) Jack Williams (R) – lost re-election
1968: Samuel Goddard II (D)

1971-1975: 13) Raul Hector Castro (D) – lost re-election
1970: Jack Williams (R) and Evan Mecham (HIP)

1975-1983: 14) Sam Steiger (R) – term-limited
1974: Raul Hector Castro (D) and Jack Ross (I)
1978: Jack Ross (D)

1983-1987: 15) Richard Kleindienst (R) – lost re-election
1982: Bruce Babbitt (D)

1987-1995: 16) Carolyn Warner (D) – term-limited
1986: Richard Kleindienst (R)
1990: Fife Symington III (R) and Max Hawkins (Life)

1995-1999: 17) Samuel Goddard III (D) – lost re-election
1994: Barbara Barrett (R) and John A. Buttrick (Liberty)

1999-2007: 18) David Fraser Nolan (R) – term-limited
1998: Samuel Goddard III (D), Paul Johnson (I) and Scott Malcolmson (I)
2002: Betsey Bayless (D)

2007-2011: 19) Debbie McCune Davis (D) – lost re-election
2006: Brenda Burns (R)

2011-2013: 20) Russell K. Pearce (R) – recalled
2010: Debbie McCune Davis (D)

2013-2015: 21) Don Goldwater (R) – lost re-election
2013 (successful recall special election): Neil Giuliano (D), Russell K. Pearce (R), Jer Lewis (R), Tommy Cattey (I) and Bob Worsley (R)

2015-2019: 22) Tina Flint Smith (D) – retired
2014: Don Goldwater (R)

2019-present: 23) Barry Hess (R) – incumbent
2018: Marco A. Lopez Jr. (D)

Secretaries of State of ARIZONA
1949-1978: 11) Wesley Brolin (D)
1978-1983: 12) Bart Fleming (R)
1983-1991: 13) Rose Mofford (D)
1991-1999: 14) Ray Rottas (R)
1999-2003: 15) Tony West (R)
2003-2011: 16) Chris Deschene (D)
2011-2019: 17) Barry Hess (R)
2019-present: 18) Michele Reagan (R)



Governors of ARKANSAS

1955-1965: 36) Orval Faubus (D) – lost re-election
1954: Pratt C. Remmel (R)
1956: Roy Mitchell (R)
1958: George W. Johnson (R)
1960: Henry M. Britt (R)
1962: Willis Ricketts (R)

1965-1972: 37) Winthrop Rockefeller (R) – withdrew from re-election and resigned from office due to worsening cancer
1964: Orval Faubus (D)
1966: James Douglas Johnson (D)
1970: Virginia Johnson (D)

1972-1973: 38) Footsie Britt (R) – lost election

1973-1975: 39) Dale Bumpers (D) – retired
1972: Footsie Britt (R)

1975-1979: 40) David Pryor (D) – retired
1974: Frank D. White (R)
1976: Leon Griffith (R)

1979-1987: 41) Orval Faubus (D) – lost re-election
1978: Lynn Lowe (R) and Nancy Pearl Johnson Hall (Independent)
1980: Frank D. White (R)
1982: Marshall Chrisman (R)

1987-1991: 42) Lynn Lowe (R) – lost re-election
1986: Orval Faubus (D)

1991-1999: 43) Mike Beebe (D) – term-limited
1990: Lynn Lowe (R)
1994: James Douglas Johnson (R)

1999-2003: 44) Nicky Daniel “Nick” Bacon (D) – lost re-election
1998: E. Sheffield Nelson (R)

2003-2009: 45) Winthrop Paul Rockefeller (R) – died
2002: Nick Bacon (D)
2006: Mike Ross (D)

2009-2015: 46) Mark Darr (R) – lost re-election
2010: Jim Lendall (D) and Elvis D. Presley (I)

2015-present: 47) Conner Eldridge (D) – incumbent
2014: Mark Darr (R)
2018: John Timothy “Tim” Griffin (R) and Mar Stodola (Independent)

Lieutenant Governors of ARKANSAS
1947-1967: 10) Nathan Green Gordon (D)
1967-1972: 11) Footsie Britt (R)
1972-1973: vacant
1973-1981: 12) Joe Purcell (D)
1981-1991: 13) Winston Bryant (D)
1991-1999: 14) Nick Bacon (D)
1999-2003: 15) Winthrop Paul Rockefeller (R)
2003-2009: 16) Mark Darr (R)
2009-2011: vacant
2011-present: 17) Debra Hobbs (R)



Governors of CALIFORNIA

1959-1971: 32) Pat Brown (D) – retired
1958: William F. Knowland (R)
1962: Joe Shell (R)
1966: Ray Kroc (R), Tim Leary (NM)

1971-1979: 33) Ronald Reagan (R) – lost re-election
1970: Jesse Unruh (D), Tim Leary (NM) and Max Rafferty (HIP)
1974: Robert Moretti (D) and Elizabeth Keathley (NM)

1979-1983: 34) Phillip Burton (D) – died
1978: Ronald Reagan (R)
1982: Edward M. Davis (R)

1983-1987: 35) George Christopher (R) – retired

1987-1995: 36) Donald Kennedy (D)
– retired
1986: Anthony Kennedy (R)
1990: Mary K. Shell (R), Peter Camejo (Green) and Maria Elizabeth Munoz (La Raza Unida)

1995-2003: 37) Kathleen Brown (D) – lost re-election
1994: Carol Boyd Hallett (R)
1998: Dennis R. Peron (R)

2003-2003: 38) Dana Rohrabacher (R) – fled; removed from office in absentia
2002: Kathleen Brown (D), Peter Camejo (Green) and Van Vo (Liberty)

2003-2005: 39) John L. Burton (D) – resigned

2005-2007: 40) Debbie Cook (D until 2005, then G) – lost election

2007-2012: 41) Kelsey Grammer (R) – resigned
2006: Debbie Cook (Green), Laura Wells (D) and Leonard Padilla (Liberty)
2010: Steve Peace (D) and Tommy Chong (Green)

2012-present: 42) Cruz Bustamante (D) – incumbent
2014 blanket primary: Cruz Bustamante (D) and Steve Westley (D) over George Radanovich (R), Tom Campbell (Liberty) and Judy May Eng (Green)
2014 runoff: Steve Westley (D)
2018 blanket primary: Cruz Bustamante (D) and Steve Knight (R) over Malia Cohen (Green), Oliver Stone (Bigfoot) and Mary “The Fringe Centerfold Candidate” Carey (Natural Mind)
2018 runoff: Steve Knight (R)

Lieutenant Governors of CALIFORNIA
1959-1967: 37) Glenn M. Anderson (D)
1967-1971: 38) Rob Finch (R)
1971-1975: 39) Ed Reinecke (R)
1975-1979: 40) Mervyn M. Dymally (D)
1979-1983: 41) Mike Curb (R)
1983-1983: 42) George Christopher (R)
1983-1987: 43) Cathie Wright (R)
1987-2003: 44) Leo T. McCarthy (D)
2003-2003: 45) John L. Burton (D)
2003-2005: 46) Debbie Cook (D)
2005-2007: 47) Audie Bock (Green)
2007-2011: 48) Liz Figueroa (D)
2011-2012: 49) Cruz Bustamante (D)
2012-2019: 50) Delaine Eastin (D)
2019-present: 51) Mark Leno (D)



Governors of COLORADO

1957-1963: Stephen McNichols (D) – lost re-election
1956: Donald G. Brotzman (R)
1958: Palmer L. Burch (R)

1963-1975: John Arthur Love (R) – retired
1962: Stephen McNichols (D)
1966: Robert Lee Knous (D) and Walter R. Plankinton (HIP)
1970: Mark Hogan (D) and Albert Gurule (La Raza Unida)

1975-1979: Dick Lamm (D) – lost re-election
1974: John David Vanderhoof (R) and Earl Dodge (Prohibition)

1979-1987: Bill Daniels (R) – retired
1978: Dick Lamm (D), Roy Peister (Tea) and Earl Dodge (Prohibition)
1982: Raymond Kogovsek (D), Paul K. Grant (Libertarian), John D. Fuhr (Country), Earl Dodge (Prohibition)

1987-1991: Byron L. Johnson (D) – lost re-election
1986: Bob Leon Kirscht (R)

1991-1995: John Andrews (R) – lost re-election
1990: Byron L. Johnson (D)

1995-2007: Wellington Webb (D) – retired
1994: John Andrews (R)
1998: Gene Nichol (R)
2002: Bo Callaway (R)

2007-2011: Jane E. Norton (R) – lost re-nomination
2006: Gail Schoettler (D) and Mary Lou Makepeace (I)

2011-2019: William “Bill” Thiebaut Jr. (D) – retired
2010: Sandra D. Johnson (R)
2014: Patricia Elaine Miller (R)

2019-present: Mark Allen Callahan (R) – incumbent
2018: Bernie Buescher (D), A. Harlan Romanoff (G) and Joseph A. Garcia (La Raza Unida)

Lieutenant Governors of COLORADO
1959-1967: 36) Robert Lee Knous (D)
1967-1971: 37) Mark Anthony Hogan (D)
1971-1975: 38) John D. Vanderhoof (R)
1975-1979: 39) George L. Brown (D)
1979-1987: 40) Ted L. Strickland (R)
1987-1991: 41) Mike Callihan (D)
1991-1995: 42) Lillian Bickel (R)
1995-2007: 43) Gail Schoettler (D)
2007-2011: 44) Clyde Harkins (R)
2011-2019: 45) A. Harlan Romanoff (D until 2018, then G)
2019-present: 46) Cynthia Coffman (R)



Governors of CONNECTICUT

1955-1963: 80) Abraham Ribicoff (D) – retired
1954: John Davis Lodge (R)
1958: Fred R. Zeller (R)

1963-1971: 81) John N. Dempsey (D) – retired
1962: John deKoven Alsop (R)
1966: E. Clayton Gengras (R)

1971-1975: 82) Fiske Holcomb Ventres (R) – lost re-election
1970: Attilio R. Frassinelli (D)

1975-1980: 83) Ella T. Grasso (D) – resigned from office due to poor health, died soon after from ovarian cancer
1974: Fiske Holcomb Ventres (R)
1978: Ronald Sarasin (R)

1980-1981: 84) William Ross Cotter (D) – died

1981-1991: 85) Robert K. Killian (D) – lost re-nomination
1982: Julie Belaga (R)
1986: Lowell Weicker (R)

1991-1995: 86) Eunice Groark (R) – established term-limits; retired
1990: Bill O’Neill (D)

1995-2003: 87) Bruce Morrison (D) – term-limited
1994: Jodi Rell (R)
1998: Jodi Rell (R) and Sandra Bender (Independent Democratic)

2003-2009: 88) Phyllis Busansky (D) – died
2002: John Rowland (R)
2006: Michael Fedele (R) and Roberta Scaglione (I)

2009-2011: 89) Nancy S. Wyman (D) – lost election

2011-2019: 90) Nancy Lee Johnson (R)
– term-limited
2010: Nancy S. Wyman (D)
2014: Susan Bysiewicz (D) and Nancy S. Wyman (Independent Democratic)

2019-present: 91) Ted Kennedy Jr. (D) – incumbent
2018: Prasad Srinivasan (R)

Lieutenant Governors of CONNECTICUT
1959-1963: 94) John N. Dempsey (D)
1963-1967: 95) Anthony J. Armentano (D)
1967-1971: 96) Attilio R. Frassinelli (D)
1971-1975: 97) Ronald Sarasin (R)
1975-1980: 98) William Ross Cotter (D)
1980-1981: 99) Robert K. Killian (D)
1981-1991: 100) Joseph J. Fauliso (D)
1991-1995: 101) Robert Jaekle (R)
1995-1999: 102) Joe Ganim (D)
1999-2003: 103) Joe Courtney (D)
2003-2007: 104) George Jepsen (D)
2007-2009: 105) Nancy S. Wyman (D)
2009-2011: 106) Dannel Malloy (D)
2011-2015: 107) Mark Boughton (R)
2015-2019: 108) Richard Nelson “Oz” Griebel (R)
2019-present: 109) Juan Figueroa (D)



Governors of DELAWARE

1961-1965: 64) Elbert N. Carvel (D) – term-limited
1960: John W. Rollins (R)

1965-1969: 65) David P. Buckson (R) – adjusted term limits; retired
1964: Charles L. Terry Jr. (D)

1969-1977: 66) Russell W. Peterson (R) – term-limited
1968: Charles L. Terry Jr. (D)
1972: Sherman W. Tribbitt (D) and Virginia M. Lyndall (HIP)

1977-1985: 67) Joseph R. “Joe” Biden Jr. (D) – term-limited
1976: Pete du Pont (R)
1980: Andrew Foltz (R) and George Cripps (Conservative)

1985-1992: 68) Michael Castle (R) – resigned
1984: William J. Quillen (D)
1988: Jacob Kreshtool (D)

1992-1993: 69) Shien Bau Woo (D) – completed predecessor’s term

1993-2001: 70) Janet Rzewnicki (R) – term-limited
1992: John Carney (D)
1996: Midge Osterlund (D)

2001-2009: 71) Ruth Ann Minner (D) – term-limited
2000: John Burris (R)
2004: William Swain Lee (R)

2009-2017: 72) John C. Carney Jr. (D) – term-limited
2008: William Swain Lee (R) and Robert Venables Sr. (Independent Democrat)
2012: Jeff Cragg (R)

2017-present: 73) Stephanie Hansen (D) – incumbent
2016: Kevin Wade (R)
2020: John Machurek (R)

Lieutenant Governors of DELAWARE
1961-1965: 16) Eugene Lammot (D)
1965-1969: 17) Russell W. Peterson (R)
1969-1977: 18) Eugene Bookhammer (R)
1977-1985: 19) William J. Quillen (D)
1985-1992: 20) Shien Bau Woo (D)
1992-1993: vacant
1993-2001: 21) John Burris (R)
2001-2009: 22) John C. Carney Jr. (D)
2009-2017: 23) Stephanie Hansen (D)
2017-present: 24) Matthew Denn (D)



Governors of FLORIDA

1961-1965: 34) C. Farris Bryant (D before mid-1964, HIP after mid-1964) – retired
1960: George C. Peterson (R)

1965-1967: 35) LeRoy Collins Sr. (D) – lost re-nomination
1964: Charles R. Holley (R)

1967: 36) Robert King High (D) – died
1966: Claude Kirk (R)

1967-1971: 37) Verle Allyn Pope (D) – lost re-election

1971-1979: 38) Louis Bafalis (R) – term-limited
1970: Verle Allyn Pope (D)
1974: Wayne Mixson (D)

1979-1987: 39) Jack Eckerd (R) – term-limited
1978: Buddy McKay (D)
1982: Earl Hutto (D)

1987-1995: 40) Bruce A. Smathers (D) – term-limited
1986: Louis Frey (R)
1990: Bill McCollum (R)

1995-2003: 41) LeRoy Collins Jr. (D) – term-limited
1994: Tillie K. Fowler (R)
1998: Joe Scarborough (R)

2003-2011: 42) Antoinette “Toni” Jennings (R) – term-limited
2002: Gary Pajcic (D)
2006: Bill McBride (D)

2011-2015: 43) Bob Smith (R) – lost re-election
2010: Katherine Castor (D) and Nancy Argenziano (I)

2015-2019: 44) Alex Sink (D) – lost re-election
2014: Bob Smith (R) and Pam Iorio (Independent Democratic)

2019-present: 45) Jennifer Sandra Johnson (R) – incumbent
2018: Alex Sink (D), Danny Whitney (Country) and Lewis Black (Liberty Union)

Lieutenant Governors of FLORIDA
1969-1971: 9) Thomas Burton “Tom” Adams Jr. (D)
1971-1979: 10) Ray C. Osborne (R)
1979-1981: 11) Paula Hawkins (R)
1981-1987: 12) Leo Callahan (R)
1987-1995: 13) Franklin B. Mann (D)
1995-2003: 14) Gary Pajcic (D)
2003-2011: 15) Frank Brogan (R)
2011-2015: 16) John E. Thrasher (R)
2015-2019: 17) Daniel Saul Gelber (D)
2019-present: 18) Steve Southerland (R)



Governors of GEORGIA

1959-1963: 73) Ernest Vandiver (D) – term-limited
1958: unopposed

1963-1967: 74) Carl Sanders (D) – term-limited
1962: unopposed

1967-1971: 75) Bo Callaway (R) – term-limited
1966: Jimmy Carter (D) and Lester Maddox (HIP)

1971-1975: 76) Lester Maddox (D) – term-limited
1970: James Bentley (R) and Udolpho Sikes Underwood (I)

1975-1977: 77) Bert Lance (D) – resigned
1974: Ronny Thompson (R)

1977-1979: 78) Benjamin W. Fortson Jr. (D) – term-limited

1979-1983: 79) John Skandalakis (D) – term-limited
1978: Rodney M. Cook (R) and J. B. Stoner (I)

1983-1987: 80) Hal Suit (R) – term-limited
1982: Larry McDonald (D)

1987-1988: 81) Billy Carter (D) – adjusted term limits; died
1986: Guy Davis (R)

1988-1995: 82) Jimmy Lee Jackson (D) – term-limited
1990: Guy Millner (R)

1995-2003: 83) Eston Wycliffe “Wyc” Orr Sr. (D) – term-limited
1994: Sonny Perdue (R)
1998: Mike Bowers (R)

2003-2011: 84) Karen Christine Walker (R) – term-limited
2002: Roy Barnes (D)
2006: Connie Stokes (D)

2011-2019: 85) Shirley Franklin (D) – term-limited
2010: Alveda King (R)
2014: John Barge (R)

2019-present: 86) Ben Lewis Jones (D) – incumbent
2018: Newton Leroy “Newt” Gingrich (R) and Kasim Reed (Justice)

Lieutenant Governors of GEORGIA
1959-1963: 4) Garland T. Byrd (D)
1963-1967: 5) Peter Zack Geer (D)
1967-1971: 6) George T. Smith (D)
1971-1975: 7) Peter Zack Geer (D)
1975-1979: 8) Zell Miller (D)
1979-1983: 9) Peter Zack Geer (D)
1983-1987: 10) Zell Miller (D)
1987-1988: 11) Jimmy Lee Jackson (D)
1988-1999: 12) Zell Miller (D)
1999-2003: 13) Connie Stokes (D)
2003-2011: 14) Susan Holmes (R)
2011-2017: 15) Bubber Epps (R)
2017-2019: 16) Matt Dollar (R)
2019-present: 17) Clay Cox (R)



Governors of HAWAII

1959-1962: 1) William F. Quinn (R) – lost re-election
1959: John A. Burns (D)

1962-1970: 2) John A. Burns (D) – term-limited
1962: William F. Quinn (R)
1966: Randolph Crossley (R)

1970-1978: 3) Thomas Ponce Gill (D) – term-limited
1970: Samuel Pailthorpe King (R)
1974: Randolph Crossley (R)

1978-1981: 4) Alema Leota (Independent) – impeached
1978: Frank Fasi (D) and John R. Leopold (R)

1981-1982: 5) Tokio Ige (I) – lost election

1982-1990: 6) Jean S. M. King (D) – term-limited
1982: David M. Akui (R) and incumbent Tokio Ige (I)
1986: Dominis Garrida “D. G.” Anderson (R)

1990-1997: 7) Fred Hemmings (R) – resigned
1990: John D. Waihee III (D), John P. Craven (I) and Peggy Ross (Natural Mind)
1994: Malama Solomon (D) and Frank Fasi (I)

1997-2002: 8) Pat Saiki (R) – retired
1998: Jackie King (D)

2002-2004: 9) Mike Gabbard (R) – resigned
2002: Roseanne Barr (D)

2004-2006: 10) John Carroll (R) – lost election

2006-2014: 11) Frank Hannemann (D)
– term-limited
2006: John Carroll (R)
2010: George G. Peabody (R)

2014-present: 12) Douglas “Doug” Chin (D) – incumbent
2014: Jeff Davis (R)
2018: Ray L’Heureux (R)

Lieutenant Governors of HAWAII
1959-1962: 1) James Kealoha (R)
1962-1966: 2) William S. Richardson (D)
1966-1970: 3) Thomas Ponce Gill (D)
1970-1978: 4) George Ariyoshi (D)
1978-1981: 5) Tokio Ige (I)
1981-1982: 6) Frank Pore (I)
1982-1986: 7) Nelson Doi (D)
1986-1990: 8) Ben Cayetano (D)
1990-1994: 9) Billie Beamer (R)
1994-1997: 10) Pat Saiki (R)
1997-1998: 11) Stan Koki (R)
1998-2002: 12) Linda Lingle (R)
2002-2004: 13) John Carroll (R)
2004-2006: 14) Duke Aiona (R)
2006-2014: 15) Douglas “Doug” Chin (D)
2014-present: 16) David Ige (D)



Governors of IDAHO

1955-1963: 24) Robert E. Smylie (R) – lost re-election
1954: Clark Hamilton (D)
1958: Alfred M. Derr (D)

1963-1966: 25) Vernon K. Smith (D) – died
1962: Robert E. Smylie (R)

1966-1967: 26) William Edward Drevlow (D) – retired

1967-1975: 27) Charles Herndon (D)
– set term limits; retired
1966: Don Samuelson (R), Perry Swisher (I) and Philip Jungert (I)
1970: Jack M. Murphy (R)

1975-1983: 28) Jay S. Amyx (R) – term-limited
1974: Vernon Ravenscroft (D)
1978: John V. Evans (D)

1983-1991: 29) Larry Jackson (R) – term-limited
1982: Compton Ignatius White Jr. (D)
1986: Marjorie Ruth Moon (D)

1991-1995: 30) Larry LaRocco (D) – lost re-election
1990: Roger Fairchild (R)

1995-1999: 31) Butch Otter (R) – lost re-nomination
1994: Larry LaRocco (D)

1999-2007: 32) Larry J. Echo Hawk (D) – term-limited
1998: Dirk Kempthorne (R) and Peter Rickards (I)
2002: Daniel Adams (R)

2007-2012: 33) Harley D. Brown (R) – resigned
2006: Jerry Brady (D)
2010: Robert C. Huntley (D)

2012-2015: 34) Sharon L. Block (R) – retired

2015-present: 35) Butch Otter (R) – incumbent
2014: Brian C. Cronin (D)
2018: Michelle Stennett (D)

Lieutenant Governors of IDAHO
1959-1966: 31) William Edward Drevlow (D)
1966-1967: 32) Charles Herndon (D)
1967-1975: 33) Vernon Ravenscroft (D)
1975-1983: 34) Larry Jackson (R)
1983-1987: 35) David Leroy (R)
1987-1995: 36) Butch Otter (R)
1995-2003: 37) Jack Riggs (R)
2003-2007: 38) Jim Risch (R)
2007-2012: 39) Sharon L. Block (R)
2012-present: 40) Brad Little (R)



Governors of ILLINOIS

1961-1965: 33) Otto Kerner Jr. (D) – lost re-election
1960: William Stratton (R)

1965-1973: 34) Charles Percy (R) – retired
1964: Otto Kerner Jr. (D)
1968: Samuel H. Shapiro (D)

1973-1981: 35) Paul Simon (D) – retired
1972: Richard B. Ogilvie (R)
1976: J. R. Thompson (R)

1981-1991: 36) John B. Anderson (R) – established term limits; retired
1980: Neil F. Hartigan (D)
1982: Adlai Stevenson III (D)
1986: Adlai Stevenson III (D)

1991-1999: 37) Jim Edgar (R) – term-limited
1990: Frank Annunzio (D)
1994: Dawn Netsch (D)

1999-2003: 38) Darrell Issa (R) – retired
1998: Glenn Poshard (D)

2003-2004: 39) Jim Cantalupo (R) – died in office from a sudden heart attack
2002: Pat Quinn (D)

2004-2008: 40) Corrine J. Wood (R) – resigned for a position in the Wellstone administration
2006: Edwin Eisendrath (D)

2008-2015: 41) Roland Burris (D) – retired
2010: Kirk W. Dillard (R)

2015-present: 42) Al Giannoulias (D) – Greek-American; incumbent
2014: Christine Radogno (R)
2018: Jeanne Ives (R) and Chris Fleming (Bigfoot)

Lieutenant Governors of ILLINOIS
1961-1969: 38) Samuel H. Shapiro (D)
1969-1973: 39) Paul Simon (D)
1973-1981: 40) Neil Haritgan (D)
1981-1999: 41) George H. Ryan (R)
1999-2004: 42) Corrine J. Wood (R)
2004-2007: vacant
2007-2008: 43) Roland Burris (D)
2008-2011: vacant
2011-2015: 44) Daniel W. Hynes (D)
2015-present: 45) Litesa Wallace (D)



Governors of INDIANA

1957-1961: 40) Harold W. Handley (R) – term-limited
1956: Ralph Tucker (D)

1961-1965: 41) Crawford Fairbanks Parker (R) – term-limited
1960: Matthew E. Welsh (D)

1965-1969: 42) Richard O. Ristine (R) – term-limited
1964: Roger D. Branigin (D)

1969-1973: 43) J. Irwin Miller (R) – term limits adjusted in 1972; retired
1968: Robert L. Rock (D) and Melvin E. Hawk (Prohibition)

1973-1977: 44) Robert L. Rock (D) – lost re-election
1972: Otis Bowen (R), Berryman S. Hurley (HIP) and Finley N. Campbell (NM)

1977-1981: 45) Danny Lee Burton (R) – retired
1976: Robert L. Rock (D)

1981-1989: 46) Dan Quayle (R) – term-limited
1980: John A. Hillenbrand (D)
1984: Richard Gordon Hatcher (D)

1989-1997: 47) Evan Bayh (D) – term-limited
1988: John Mutz (R)
1992: Lindley Pearson (R)

1997-2005: 48) Steve Goldsmith (R) – term-limited
1996: Frank O’Bannon (D)
2000: Joe Kernan (D)

2005-2009: 49) Jill Long Thompson (D) – lost re-election
2004: David Martin McIntosh (R (official write-in)), Ken Gividen (Liberty) and Jonathon Sharkey (R/VWP)

2009-2013: 50) Rupert Boneham (R) – lost re-election
2008: Jill Long Thompson (D)

2013-2021: 51) John R. Gregg (D) – term-limited
2012: Rupert Boneham (R)
2016: Allen Lucas Messer (R) and Thomas McDermott Jr. (Rent Regulation, endorsed by Jimmy McMillan/NY Working Families)

2021-present: 52) Ben Quayle (R) – incumbent
2020: Jonathan Weinzapfel (D) and Karen Freeman-Wilson (Green)

Lieutenant Governors of INDIANA
1961-1965: 41) Richard O. Ristine (D)
1965-1969: 42) Robert L. Rock (D)
1969-1973: 43) Richard C. Bodine (D)
1973-1981: 44) Robert D. Orr (R)
1981-1989: 45) John Mutz (R)
1989-1997: 46) Frank O’Bannon (D)
1997-2005: 47) Linley E. Pearson (R)
2005-2013: 48) David McIntosh (R)
2013-2021: 49) Mitch Daniels (R)
2021-present: 50) Jennifer McCormick (R)



Governors of IOWA

1961-1963: 35) Norman A. Erbe (R) – lost re-election
1960: Edward J. McManus (D)

1963-1967: 36) Harold Hughes (D) – resigned
1962: Norman A. Erbe (R)
1964: Evan L. “Curly” Hultman (R) and Robert Dilley (HIP)

1967-1967: 37) Robert D. Fulton (D) – finished predecessor’s term

1967-1971: 38) Robert D. Ray (R) – lost re-election
1966: Robert D. Fulton (D) and David B. Quiner (HIP)
1968: Paul Franzenburg (D)

1971-1979: 39) Armour Boot (D) – retired
1970: Robert D. Ray (R)
1974: Arthur Alan Neu (R)

1979-1983: 40) Chuck Grassley (R) – lost re-election
1978: Jerome D. Fitzgerald (D)

1983-1991: 41) Jo Ann McIntosh Zimmerman (D) – term-limited
1982: Chuck Grassley (R)
1986: Roxanne Conlin (R)

1991-1999: 42) Joy Coming (R) – term-limited
1990: Donald Avenson (D)
1994: Bonnie Campbell (D)

1999-2007: 43) Sally Pederson (D) – term-limited
1998: Tom Tauke (R)
2002: Kim Reynolds (R)

2007-2015: 44) Fred Grandy (R) – former actor; term-limited
2006: Mike Blouin (D)
2010: Pam Jochum (D)

2015-present: 45) Kimberly Ann McFadden (R) – incumbent
2014: Jack Hatch (D) and Chris Reed (Independent R)
2018: Cathy Glasson (D)

Lieutenant Governors of IOWA
1961-1965: 36) William Lewis Mooty (R)
1965-1967: 37) Robert D. Fulton (D)
1967-1975: 38) Roger Jepsen (R)
1975-1983: 39) Roxanne Conlin (R)
1983-1991: 40) Terry Branstad (R)
1991-1995: 41) Bonnie Campbell (D)
1995-2003: 42) Ann Dearing Holtgren Pellegreno (R)
2003-2011: 43) Pam Jochum (D)
2011-2019: 44) Cathy Glasson (D)
2019-present: 45) Rita Hart (D)



Governors of KANSAS

1961-1965: 36) John Anderson Jr. (R) – retired
1960: George Docking (D)
1962: Dale Saffels (D)

1965-1967: 37) William H. Avery (R) – lost re-election
1964: Harry G. Wiles (D) and Kenneth L. Myers (HIP)

1967-1975: 38) Robert B. Docking (D) – retired
1966: William H. Avery (R) and Rolland Ernest Fisher (Prohibition)
1968: Rick Harman (R)
1970: Kent Frizzell (R)
1972: Morris Kay (R)

1975-1987: 39) Robert Frederick Bennett (R) – lost re-election
1974: Vern Miller (D) and Marshall Uncapher (Prohibition)
1978: John W. Carlin (D) and Frank W. Shelton Jr. (American)
1982: John W. Carlin (D)

1987-1995: 40) Jim Slattery (D) – retired
1986: Robert Frederick Bennett (R)
1990: Mike Hayden (R) and Christina Campbell-Cline (I)

1995-2003: 41) Martha Keys (D) – term-limited
1994: Jan Meyers (R)
1998: Bill Graves (R)

2003-2007: 42) Nancy Boyda (D) – term-limited
2002: Tim Shallenburger (R)

2007-2015: 43) Lynn Jenkins (R) – term-limited
2006: Nancy Boyda (D)
2010: Jill Docking (D)

2015-present: 44) Susan Wagle (R) – incumbent
2014: Carl Brewer (D)
2018: Pam Horton Curtis (D)

Lieutenant Governors of KANSAS
1961-1965: 34) Harold H. Chase (R)
1965-1973: 35) John Crutcher (R)
1973-1975: 36) James H. DeCoursey Jr. (D)
1975-1976: 37) Harold H. Chase (R)
1976-1979: 38) Shelby Smith (R)
1979-1987: 39) Paul Dugan (D)
1987-1995: 40) Jack D. Walker (R)
1995-2003: 41) Sheila Frahm (R)
2003-2011: 42) Gary Sherrer (R)
2011-2015: 43) Susan Wagle (R)
2015-present: 44) Jeff Colyer (R)



Governors of KENTUCKY

1947-1950: 47) Earle Clements (D) – resigned
1947: Eldon S. Dummit (R)

1950-1955: 48) Lawrence Wetherby (D) – term-limited
1951: Eugene Siler (R)

1955-1959: 49) Harland David “(The) Colonel” Sanders Sr. (R) – retired as part of bipartisan deal to extend term limits
1955: Albert B. “Happy” Chandler (D)

1959-1967: 50) Bert T. Combs (D) – term-limited
1959: Edwin Denney (R)
1963: Louie Nunn (R)

1967-1975: 51) John M. Robsion Jr. (R) – term-limited
1967: Ed Breadthitt (D) and Christian Glanz (HIP)
1971: Happy Chandler (D) and Louie Nunn (HIP)

1975-1979: 52) Mary Louise Foust (R) – first female Governor; lost re-election
1975: Wendell H. Ford (D) and Louie Nunn (HIP)

1979-1980: 53) John B. Breckinridge (D) – died in office suddenly from a heart ailment
1979: Mary Louise Foust (R)

1980-1987: 54) Martha Layne Osborne (nee Hall) (D) – term-limited
1981 (sp): Thurman Jerome Hamlin (R)
1983: Jim Bunning (R)

1987-1995: 55) Bucky Ray Jarrell (D) – term-limited
1987: John Harper (R)
1991: Larry Forgy (R)

1995-1999: 56) Sonny Landham (R) – former actor; lost re-election
1995: Bob Babbage (D)

1999-2007: 57) Gatewood Galbraith (D) – term-limited
1999: Sonny Landham (R) and Louie Nunn (I)
2003: Rebecca Jackson (R)

2007-2015: 58) Darryl Owens (D) – first African-American Governor of Kentucky; term-limited
2007: Donna Walker Mancini (R) and Jackson W. Andrews (Independent Democrat)
2011: Thomas Massie (R)

2015-present: 59) Hal Heiner (R) – incumbent
2015: Geoff Young (D)
2019: Adam Edelen (D)

Lieutenant Governors of KENTUCKY
1947-1950: 40) Lawrence W. Wetherby (D)
1950-1951: vacant
1951-1955: 41) Doc Beauchamp (D)
1955-1959: 42) Ed Denney (R)
1959-1963: 43) Wilson W. Wyatt (D)
1963-1967: 44) H. Bernie Lawrence (R)
1967-1975: 45) Mary Louise Faust (R)
1975-1979: 46) Thurman Jerome Hamlin (R)
1979-1980: 47) Martha Layne Hall Osborne (D)
1980-1980: vacant
1980-1983: 48) Steve Beshear (D)
1983-1987: 49) Brereton C. Jones (D)
1987-1995: 50) Bob Babbage (D)
1995-1999: 51) Rebecca Jackson (R)
1999-2007: 52) Darryl Owens (D)
2007-2015: 53) Geoff Young (D)
2015-present: 54) Julie Denton (R)



Governors of LOUISIANA

1960-1964: (47)) Jimmie Davis (D) – term-limited
1959: Francis Grevemberg (R)

1964-1968: 49) Gillis Long (D) – term-limited
1963: Charlton Lyons (R)

1968-1972: 50) John J. McKeithen (D) – term-limited
1967: Charlton Lyons (R) and John Rarick (HIP)

1972-1976: (47)) Jimmie Davis (D) – term-limited
1971: Robert Max Ross (R)

1976-1980: 51) Edwin Edwards (D) – term-limited
1975: Robert G. Jones (D) and Wade O. Martin Jr. (D)

1980-1984: 52) James Edward “Jimmy” Fitzmorris Jr. (D) – term-limited
1979: Edgar Gonzague “Sonny” Mouton Jr. (D)

1984-1985: (49)) Gillis W. Long (D) – died in office suddenly from a heart attack
1983: Henson Moore (R)

1985-1988: 53) Robert Louis Freeman Sr. (D) – term-limited

1988-1992: 54) Edith Kirkpatrick (D) – first female Governor of Louisiana; term-limited
1987: Billy Tauzin (D), Speedy Oteria Long (D), James H. Brown (D), and Bob Livingston (R)

1992-1996: 55) W. Fox McKeithen (R) – term-limited
1991: Kathleen “Kat” Blanco (D)

1996-2000: 56) Cleo Fields (D) – first African-American Governor of Louisiana; term-limited
1995: T. Lee Horne III (R)

2000-2004: (55)) W. Fox McKeithen (R) – term-limited
1999: Melinda Schwegmann (D)

2004-2008: 57) Harry Shearer (D) – term-limited and returned to acting
2003: Huntington Downer (R)

2008-2012: 58) Steve Scalise (R) – term-limited
2007: Foster Campbell (D), Walt Boasso (D) and C. E. “Peppi” Bruneau Jr. (R)

2012-2016: 59) Sharon Woodall Hewitt (R) – term-limited
2011: Dorothy A. Brown

2016-2020: 60) Joseph M. Nixon (R) – term-limited
2015: John N. Kennedy (D)

2020-present: 61) Caroline Fayard (D) – incumbent
2019: Clay John Schexnayder (R)

Lieutenant Governors of LOUISIANA
1960-1972: 45) Clarence C. “Taddy” Aycock (D)
1972-1980: 46) James Edward “Jimmy” Fitzmorris Jr. (D)
1980-1985: 47) Robert Louis Freeman Sr. (D)
1985-1985: vacant
1985-1988: 48) James H. “Jim” Brown (D)
1988-1992: 49) Paul Hardy (R)
1992-1996: 50) Melinda Schwegmann (D)
1996-2011: 51) Kathleen “Kat” Blanco (D)
2011-2011: vacant
2011-2012: 52) Sharon Woodall Hewitt (R)
2012-2016: 53) Benedict G. “Benny” Rouselle (I)
2016-present: 54) Elbert Guillory (R)



Governors of MAINE

1959-1959: 66) Clinton A. Clauson (D) – died in office
1958: Horace A. Hildreth (R)

1959-1971: 67) John H. Reed (R) – term-limited
1962: Maynard Dolloff (D)
1966: Kenneth M. Curtis (D)

1971-1979: 68) Pete Kyros (D) – term-limited
1970: James S. Erwin (R)
1974: James B. Longley (I) and James Erwin (R)

1979-1983: 69) Linwood E. Palmer Jr. (R) – lost re-election
1978: Joseph Brennan (D)

1983-1987: 70) Helen Longley (Progressive) – retired
1982: Linwood E. Palmer Jr. (R) and Joseph Brennan (D)

1987-1995: 71) Libby Mitchell (D) – term-limited
1986: John McKernan (R) and Sherry Huber (Progressive)
1990: Andrew Adam (R) and John Menario (Progressive)

1995-2003: 72) James B. Longley Jr. (I) – term-limited
1994: Andrew Adam (D) and Richard David Hewes (R)
1998: Tom Connolly (D) and William Clarke (R)

2003-2007: 73) Matthew Dunlap (D/DSA) – lost re-election
2002: Tom Connolly (R), Jonathan Carter (G) and John Michael (I)

2007-2015: 74) Peter E. Cianchette (R) – term-limited
2006: incumbent Matthew Dunlap (D/DSA) and Jonathan Carter (G)
2010: Barbara Merrill (D) and Lynne Williams (I)

2015-2019: 75) Patricia LaMarche (Green) – lost re-election
2014: Kimberley Clark Rosen (R) and Hannah Pingree (D)

2019-present: 76) Cynthia Dill (D) – incumbent
2018 (first round of RCV): Marianne Moore (R), Patricia LaMarche (Green) and Justin Alfond (Independent)
2018 (final round of RCV): Marianne Moore (R)

Presidents of the Senate of MAINE
1958-1959: John H. Reed (R)
1959-1962: Earle M. Hillman (R)
1962-1964: Robert A. Marden (R)
1964-1968: Carlton Day Reed Jr. (D)
1968-1974: Kenneth P. MacLeod (R)
1974-1982: Joseph Sewall (R)
1982-1984: Gerard Conley (D)
1984-1992: Charles P. Pray (D)
1992-1996: Dennis L. Dutremble (D)
1996-2000: Jeffrey Butland (R)
2000-2001: Mike Michaud (D)
2001-2002: Richard A. Bennett (R)
2002-2008: Beverly Daggett (D)
2008-2012: Beth Edmonds (D)
2012-2016: Eloise Vitelli (D)
2016-2020: Catherine Breen (D)
2020-present: Matthea Elisabeth Larsen-Daughtry (D)



Governors of MARYLAND

1959-1967: 54) J. Millard Tawes (D) – term-limited
1958: James P. S. Devereux (R)
1962: Frank Small Jr. (R)

1967-1971: 55) Spiro Agnew (R) – Greek-American; lost re-election
1966: Hyman Pressman (D) and George Mahoney (HIP)

1971-1977: 56) Marvin Mandel (D) – resigned
1970: Spiro Agnew (R) and Robert Woods Merkle Sr. (HIP)
1974: Louise Gore (R)

1977-1987: 57) Blair Lee III (D) – term-limited
1978: John Glenn Beall Jr. (R)
1982: Robert A. Pascal (R)

1987-1990: 58) William O. Mills (R) – committed suicide amid numerous scandals
1986: Stephen H. Sachs (D)

1990-1991: 59) Melvin A. Bilal (R) – lost election

1991-1999: 60) Decatur “Bucky” Trotter (D)
– term-limited
1990: Melvin A. Bilal (R)
1994: Ellen Sauerbrey (R)

1999-2007: 61) Eileen Rehrmann (D) – lost re-election
1998: Helen Delich Bentley (R)
2002: Spear Lancaster (R)

2007-2015: 62) John P. Sarbanes (D) – term-limited
2006: Bob Ehrlich (R)
2010: Dean Ahmad (R/L) and Dan Bongino (I)

2015-present: 63) Kumar P. Barve (D) – incumbent
2014: Daniel Bongino (R)
2018: Jonathan Bartlett Jennings (R)

Lieutenant Governors of MARYLAND
1971-1977: 2) Blair Lee III (D)
1977-1983: 3) Samuel W. Bogley (D)
1983-1987: 4) J. Joseph Curran Jr. (D)
1987-1990: 5) Melvin A. Bilal (R)
1990-1991: 6) Ellen Sauerbrey (R)
1991-1999: 7) Eileen M. Rehrmann (D)
1999-2007: 8) Parris Glendening (D)
2007-2015: 9) Kumar P. Barve (D)
2015-present: 10) Kenneth Ulman (D)



Governors of MASSACHUSETTS

1961-1963: 61) John Volpe (R) – lost re-election
1960: Joseph D. Ward (D)

1963-1965: 62) Endicott Peabody (D) – lost re-election
1962: John Volpe (R)

1965-1971: 63) John Volpe (R) – retired
1964: Endicott Peabody (D)
1966: Edward J. McCormack Jr. (D)

1971-1977: 64) Pierre Salinger (D) – resigned
1970: Francis W. Sargent (R)
1974: John Frederick Collins (R)

1977-1991: 65) Michael Dukakis (D) – retired
1978: Lou Nickinello (R)
1982: Christopher A. Iannella (R) and Paul Tsongas (Liberty)
1986: George Kariotis (R), John Cassavetes (Liberty), Christy Mihos (I) and Nick Paleologos (I)

1991-1999: 66) Evelyn Murphy (D) – lost re-nomination
1990: Steven Pierce (R)
1994: Paul Tsongas (Liberty) and Argeo Paul Cellucci (R)

1999-2015: 67) Michael Dukakis (D) – retired
1998: George Bachrach (R) and Paul Loscocco (I)
2002: Daniel Grabauskas (R)
2006: Christy Mihos (R)
2010: Patrick Guerriero (R)

2015-present: 68) Maura Healey (D) – incumbent
2014: Gabriel Eduardo Gomez (R) and Scott Lively (Boulder)
2018 (RCV): Kerry Healey (R), Bruce Tarr (R), Steven Xiarhos (R)

Lieutenant Governors of MASSACHUSETTS
1961-1963: 60) Edward F. McLaughlin Jr. (D)
1963-1965: 61) Francis X. Bellotti (D)
1965-1967: 62) Elliot Richardson (R)
1967-1971: 63) Francis Sargent (R)
1971-1977: 64) Michael Dukakis (D)
1977-1979: vacant
1979-1987: 65) Thomas P. O’Neill III (D)
1987-1991: 66) Joyce Spiliotis (D)
1991-1999: 67) Ted Speliotis (D)
1999-2007: 68) Sally Kerans (D)
2007-2011: 69) Gale Candaras (D)
2011-2015: 70) Demetrius Atsalis (D)
2015-2019: 71) Leland Cheung (D)
2019-present: 72) Jay Gonzalez (D)



Governors of MICHIGAN

1961-1963: 42) John Swainson (D) – lost re-election
1960: Paul D. Bagwell (R)

1963-1971: 43) George W. Romney (R) – retired
1962: John Swainson (D)
1964: Neil O. Staebler (D)
1966: Zolton Ferency (D)

1971-1979: 44) Martha Griffiths (D) – retired
1970: William Milliken (R)
1974: Marvin Leonel Esch (R)

1979-1983: 45) Soapy Williams (D) – retired
1978: William Milliken (R)

1983-1989: 46) Elly M. Peterson (R) – resigned
1982: Soapy Williams (D), Don Riegle (Progressive) and Jimmy Hoffa (Workers’)
1986: William B. Fitzgerald Jr. (D)

1989-1991: 47) James H. Brickley (R) – lost election

1991-2003: 48) James J. Blanchard (D)
– lost re-election
1990: James H. Brickley (R)
1994: Connie Binsfeld (R)
1998: Allen Alley (R)

2003-2011: 49) Ronna Romney (R) – retired
2002: James J. Blanchard (D)
2006: David Bonior (D)

2011-2019: 50) Michael Moore (D) – retired
2010: Cornelius Pieter “Pete” Hoekstra (R)
2014: John Hoogendyk (R)

2019-present: 51) Brian Calley (R) – incumbent
2018: Abdul El-Sayed (D)

Lieutenant Governors of MICHIGAN
1959-1961: 52) John Swainson (D)
1961-1965: 53) T. John Lesinski (D)
1965-1971: 54) William G. Milliken (R)
1971-1975: 55) Carl Levin (D)
1975-1983: 56) James Damman (R)
1983-1989: 57) James H. Brickley (R)
1989-1989: vacant
1989-1991: 58) Connie Binsfeld (R)
1991-2003: 59) Olivia Maynard (D)
2003-2011: 60) Dick Posthumus (R)
2011-2019: 61) Lisa Brown (D)
2019-present: 62) Patrick J. Colbeck (R)



Governors of MINNESOTA

1955-1963: 29) Orville Freeman (DFL) – lost re-election
1954: C. Elmer Anderson (R)
1956: Ancher Nelson (R)
1958: George MacKinnon (R)
1960: Elmer L. Andersen (R)

1963-1967: 30) Donald Orr Wright Sr. (R) – lost re-nomination
1962: Orville Freeman (DFL)

1967-1975: 31) Coya Knutson (DFL) – first female Governor of Minnesota; retired
1966: Harold LeVander (R)
1970: Douglas M. Head (R)

1975-1976: 32) Odin Langen (R) – resigned
1974: Edward J. Gearty (DFL)

1976-1979: 33) Clark MacGregor (R) – lost election

1979-1991: 34) Coya Knutson (DFL) – retired
1978: Clark MacGregor (R) and Richard Pedersen (American)
1982: Wheelock “Whee” Whitney Jr. (Independent-Republican-Liberty)
1986: Jon Grunseth (Independent-Republican-Liberty) and Florian Chmielewski (I)

1991-1995: 35) Rudy Perpich (DFL) – died in office from cancer
1990: Bill Frenzel (R), Jerome M. Hughes (Independent), and Arlan Stangeland (Liberty)
1994: Harveydale Maruska (IRL (Independence-Republican-Liberty))

1995-2000: 36) Paul David Wellstone (DFL) – resigned to become Vice President of the United States
1998: Frank Germann (IRL) and Warren Limmer (Sanctity)

2000-2011: 37) Nancy Elizabeth Lee Johnson (DFL) – retired
2002: Steven Sviggum (IRL)
2006: Tom Emmer (IRL)

2011-2016: 38) Alex Kozinski (IRL) – impeached
2010: Rick Nolan (DFL), David Tomassoni (Green) and Rick Staneck (Boulder)
2014: Margaret Kelliher (DFL) and Sandy Pappas (Green)

2016-2019: 39) Michelle Bachmann (IRL) – lost re-election

2019-present: 40) Melvin Carter (DFL) – first African-American Governor of Minnesota; incumbent
2018: Michelle Bachmann (IRL) and Maureen Reed (Green)

Lieutenant Governors of MINNESOTA
1955-1963: 36) Karl Rolvaag (DFL)
1963-1967: 37) Alex Keith (DFL)
1967-1975: 38) Ed Gearty (DFL)
1975-1976: 39) Clark MacGregor (R)
1976-1976: vacant
1976-1979: 40) Wheelock “Whee” Whitney Jr. (R)
1979-1983: 41) Warren Spannaus (DFL)
1983-1989: 42) Rudy Perpich (DFL)
1989-1989: vacant
1989-1991: 43) Marlene Johnson (DFL)
1991-1995: 44) Paul Wellstone (DFL)
1995-1995: vacant
1995-2000: 45) Nancy Johnson (DFL)
2000-2001: vacant
2001-2011: 46) Judy Dutcher (DFL)
2011-2016: 47) Michelle Bachmann (IRL)
2016-2016: vacant
2016-2019: 48) Patti Anderson (IRL)
2019-present: 49) Rebecca Otto (DFL)



Governors of MISSISSIPPI

1960-1964: 53) Ross Barnett (D) – term-limited
1959: unopposed

1964-1968: 54) Paul B. Johnson Jr. (D) – term-limited
1963: Ruben Phillips (R)

1968-1972: 55) Ruben Phillips (R) – term-limited
1967: William Winter (D)

1972-1976: 56) Walter Nixon (D) – term-limited
1971: Gil Carmichael (R) and Charles Evers (I)

1976-1980: 57) William Winter (D) – term-limited
1975: Gil Carmichael (R)

1980-1984: 58) Evelyn Gandy (D) – term-limited
1979: Charles Evers (R) and Arthur Eaves Sr. (I)

1984-1986: 59) Cliff Finch (D) – died in office from a sudden heart attack
1983: Wayne Dowdy (R)

1986-1988: 60) Evelyn Gandy (D) – retired

1988-1996: 61) Ray Mabus (D) – term-limited
1987: Rex Armistead (R)
1991: Pete Johnson (R)

1996-2000: 62) Rev. Estus Pirkle (R) – lost re-election
1995: Dick Molpus (D)

2000-2004: 63) Unita Zelma Blackwell (D) – first female African-American Governor of Mississippi; retired
1999: Estus Pirkle (R) and Ed Briggs (M)

2004-2008: 64) James Earl Chaney (D) – lost re-election
2003: Cecil Ray Price (R)

2008-2012: 65) Hudson Holliday (R) – retired
2007: James Earl Chaney (D) and Louis Fondren (Reform)

2012-2016: 66) Martha Rainville (R) – lost re-nomination
2011: Jim Hood (D)

2016-present: 67) Robert Gray (D) – incumbent
2015: Michael Watson (R)
2019: Phil Gunn (R)

Lieutenant Governors of MISSISSIPPI
1960-1964: 23) Paul B. Johnson Jr. (D)
1964-1966: (22)) Carroll Gartin (D)
1966-1968: vacant
1968-1972: 24) Charles L. Sullivan (D)
1972-1976: 25) Cliff Finch (D)
1976-1980: 26) Evelyn Gandy (D)
1980-1984: (25)) Cliff Finch (D)
1984-1986: (26)) Evelyn Gandy (D)
1986-1988: vacant
1988-1996: 27) Brad Dye (D)
1996-2004: 28) Eddie Briggs (R)
2004-2012: 29) Michael Watson (R)
2012-2020: (28)) Eddie Briggs (R)
2020-present: 30) Jason M. White (R)



Governors of MISSOURI

1957-1965: 44) James T. Blair Jr. (D) – term-limited
1956: Lon Hocker (R)
1960: Edward G. Farmer (R)

1965-1973: 45) Ethan A. H. Shepley (R) – term-limited
1964: Warren E. Hearnes (D)
1968: Thomas F. Eagleton (D), Lawrence K. Roos (Missourian) and Bill Beeny (HIP)

1973-1977: 46) James W. Symington (D) – lost re-nomination
1972: Christopher S. “Kit” Bond (R)

1977-1985: 47) Bill Bradley (D) – term-limited
1976: Harvey F. Euge (R) and Helen Savio (I)
1980: Bill Phelps (R)

1985-1993: 48) Betty Cooper Hearnes (D) – term-limited
1984: Gene McNary (R) and Ken Rothman (I)
1988: Mike Roberts (R) and John Ashcroft (Country)

1993-2001: 49) Mel Carnahan (D) – term-limited
1992: William L. Webster (R)
1996: Margaret Blake Kelly (R)

2001-2009: 50) Cynthia Bowers (D) – term-limited
2000: Jim Talent (R) and Bob Holden (I)
2004: John Swenson (R)

2009-2017: 51) Perry B. Clark (D) – term-limited
2008: Kenny Hulshof (R)
2012: Dave Spence (R)

2017-2018: 52) Tom Schweich (R) – resigned to seek mental health assistance after experiencing serious thoughts of suicide
2016: Chris Koster (D)

2018-present: 53) Catherine Hanaway (R) – incumbent
2020: Sylvester “Sly” James Jr. (D)

Lieutenant Governors of MISSOURI
1961-1965: 37) Hilary A. Bush (D)
1965-1969: 38) Thomas Eagleton (D)
1969-1977: 39) William S. Morris (D)
1977-1981: 40) William C. Phelps (R)
1981-1989: 41) William L. Webster (R)
1989-1993: 42) N. William Emerson (R)
1993-1996: 43) Vincent C. Schoemehl (D)
1996-2001: 44) R. Wendell “Will” Bailey (R)
2001-2009: 45) William White (R)
2009-2017: 46) William Campbell (D)
2017-2018: 47) Catherine Hanaway (R)
2018-present: 48) William Randles (R)



Governors of MONTANA

1961-1969: 15) Donald G. Nutter (R) – retired
1960: Paul Cannon (D)
1964: Roland Renne (D)

1969-1973: 16) Tim Babcock (R) – lost re-election
1968: Forrest H. Anderson (D) and Wayne Montgomery (New Reform)

1973-1981: 17) Thomas Lee Judge (D) – retired
1972: Tim Babcock (R) and Ed Smith (New Reform)
1976: Stanley G. Stephens (R)

1981-1985: 18) Martin J. “Red” Beckman (D, I after losing re-nomination) – lost re-election
1980: Jack Ramirez (R)

1985-1993: 19) Dorothy Bradley (D) – first female Governor; retired
1984: Pat Goodover (R) and Red Beckman (I)
1988: Stan Stephens (R)

1993-1997: 20) Gordon McOmber (D) – lost re-election
1992: Marc Racicot (R)

1997-2005: 21) Denny Rehberg (R) – retired
1996: Gordon McOmber (D)
2000: Mark O’Keefe (D)

2005-2006: 22) Thomas Lee Judge (D) – died
2004: Bob Brown (R)

2006-2013: 23) Michael R. Cooney (D) – retired
2008: Rick Hill (R) and Ben Garrison (Boulder)

2013-2021: 24) Rocky McCain (R) – retired
2012: Brian Schweitzer (D), Ben Garrison (Boulder) and Lloyd Havaw Reese (I)
2016: Bill McChesney (D)

2021-present: 25) Bob Quist (D) – incumbent
2020: Albert Olszewski (R)

Lieutenant Governors of MONTANA
1961-1969: 21) Tim Babcock (R)
1969-1973: 22) Thomas Lee Judge (D)
1973-1981: 23) Martin J. “Red” Beckman (D)
1981-1989: 24) Stan Stephens (R)
1989-1993: 25) Gordon McOmber (D)
1993-1997: 26) Denny Rehberg (R)
1997-2005: 27) Judy Martz (R)
2005-2006: 28) Michael Cooney (D)
2006-2009: 29) Carol Williams (D)
2009-2013: 30) Amanda Curtis (D)
2013-2021: 31) Jon Sonju (R)
2021-present: 32) Linda McCulloch (D)



Governors of NEBRASKA

1959-1960: 29) Ralph G. Brooks (D) – died
1958: Victor Anderson (R)

1960-1961: 30) Dwight W. Burney (R) – retired

1961-1971: 31) Frank B. Morrison (D)
– retired
1960: John R. Cooper (R)
1962: Fred Seaton (R)
1964: Dwight W. Burney (R)
1966: Philip Hart Weaver (R) and Philip C. Sorensen (Liberal)

1971-1979: 32) J. James Exon (D) – term-limited
1970: Albert C. Walsh (R)
1974: Richard Marvel (R) and Ernie Chambers (I)

1979-1987: 33) Charles Thone (R) – term-limited
1978: Gerald T. Whelan (D)
1982: J. Robert “Bob” Kerrey (D)

1987-1995: 34) Helen Boosalis (D) – term-limited
1986: Kay A. Orr (R)
1990: David Domina (R)

1995-2003: 35) Kay A. Orr (R) – term-limited
1994: Maxine B. Moul (D)
1998: Kim Robak (D)

2003-2011: 36) Lowen Kruse (D) – term-limited
2002: Mike Johanns (R) and Stormy Dean (I)
2006: Dave Nabity (R)

2011-2015: 37) Ernie Chambers (I) – lost re-election
2010: John W. DeCamp (R) and Brenda J. Council (D)

2015-2020: 38) David K. Karnes (R) – resigned due to worsening cancer and died soon afterwards
2014: Kim Robak (D) and Ernie Chambers (I)
2018: Steve Lathrop (D)

2020-present: 39) Beau McCoy (R) – incumbent

Lieutenant Governors of NEBRASKA
1957-1960: 26) Dwight W. Burney (R)
1960-1965: 27) John E. Everroad (R)
1965-1967: 28) Philip C. Sorensen (D)
1967-1975: 29) Frank Marsh (R)
1975-1979: 30) Gerald T. Whelan (D)
1979-1987: 31) Roland A. Luedtke (R)
1987-1995: 32) Donald F. McGinley (D)
1995-2003: 33) Mike Johanns (R)
2003-2011: 34) Brenda J. Council (D)
2011-2019: 35) John E. Nelson (R)
2019-2020: 36) Beau McCoy (R)
2020-present: 37) Charlie Janssen (R)



Governors of NEVADA

1959-1971: 21) F. Grant Sawyer (D) – retired
1958: Charles H. Russell (R)
1962: Oran K. Grayson (R)
1966: Wilford Owen Woodruff (R) and Lloyd Gilbert (HIP)

1971-1983: 22) Rex Bell Jr. (R) – retired
1970: Mike O’Callaghan (D) and Charles Springer (I)
1974: Henry W. “Hank” Thornley (D)
1978: Robert E. Rose (D)

1983-1995: 23) Joseph Yale Resnick (D) – retired
1982: Clarence Clifton Young (R)
1986: Ed Fike (R)
1990: Charles Woods (R)

1995-2007: 24) Doug Swanson (R) – retired
1994: Sue Wagner (D)
1998: Jan Laverty Jones (D)
2002: Joe Neal (D)

2007-2011: 25) Dennis Hof (R) – lost re-election
2006: James B. Gibson (D)

2011-2015: 26) Oscar Goodman (D) – lost re-election
2010: Dennis Hof (R)

2015-2019: 27) Randy Quaid (R) – lost re-election
2014: Oscar Goodman (D)

2019-present: 28) Lucy Flores (D) – incumbent
2018: Randy Quaid (R) and Rory Reid (Compromise)

Lieutenant Governors of NEVADA
1955-1962: 21) Rex Bell (D)
1962-1962: vacant
1962-1963: 22) Maude Frazier (D)
1963-1964: 23) Paul Laxalt (R)
1964-1965: vacant
1965-1967: 24) Cameron McVicar Batjer (I)
1967-1971: 25) Ed Fike (R)
1971-1975: 26) Harry M. Reid (D)
1975-1979: 27) Robert E. Rose (D)
1979-1987: 28) Ed Fike (R)
1987-1995: 29) Sue Wagner (D)
1995-2003: 30) Dawn Gibbons (R)
2003-2011: 31) Nancy Saitta (R)
2011-2019: 32) Frankie Sue Del Papa (D)
2019-present: 33) George James Chanos (R)



Governors of NEW HAMPSHIRE

1959-1963: 70) Wesley Powell (R) – retired
1958: Bernard L. Boutin (D)
1960: Bernard L. Boutin (D

1963-1967: 71) John W. King (D) – lost re-election
1962: John Pillsbury (R)
1964: John Pillsbury (R)

1967-1973: 72) Harrison Reed Thyng (R) – retired
1966: John W. King (D)
1968: Emile R. Bussiere (D)
1970: Meldrim Thomson Jr. (HIP) and Roger Crowley (D)

1973-1981: 73) Malcolm McLane (D) – retired
1972: Chester Earl Merrow (R)
1974: David L. Nixon (R)
1976: Walter R. Peterson Jr. (R)
1978: Mabel Everett (R)

1981-1985: 74) Walter R. Peterson Jr. (R) – retired
1980: Thomas B. Wingate (D)
1982: John W, King (D)

1985-1991: 75) Calvin Warburton (R) – retired
1984: Chris Spirou (D)
1986: Paul McEachern (D) and Paul N. Gagnon (Independent)
1988: Paul N. Gagnon (D)

1991-1993: 76) Bob Smith (R) – lost re-election
1990: Joe Grandmaison (D) and Miriam Luce (Liberty)

1993-1997: 77) Chris Spirou (D) – lost re-election
1992: Bob Smith (R) and Miriam Luce (Liberty)
1994: Steve Winter (R)

1997-1999: 78) Ovide Lamontagne (R) – lost re-election
1996: Chris Spirou (D)

1999-2005: 79) George Condodemetraky (D) – retired
1998: Ovide Lamontage (R)
2000: John Babiarz (R)
2002: Craig Benson (R)

2005-2009: 80) Kelley Ashby (R) – retired to run for a US Senate seat
2004: John Lynch (D)
2006: John Lynch (D)

2009-2011: 81) Sherman Packard (R) – lost re-election
2008: Mark Fernald (D)

2011-2017: 82) Rushern L. Baker III (D) – retired
2010: Sherman Packard (R)
2012: John Henry Sununu (R) and William Byrk (I)
2014: Walt Havenstein (R)

2017-2021: 83) Darryl W. Perry (R) – lost re-election
2016: Andrew Hosmer (D)
2018: Andru H. Volinsky (D)

2021-present: 84) Martha S. Hennessey (D) – incumbent
2020: Darryl W. Perry (R)

Presidents of the Senate of NEW HAMPSHIRE
1959-1961: Norman A. Packard (R)
1961-1963: Samuel Green (R)
1963-1965: Phillip S. Dunlap ( R)
1965-1968: Stewart Lamprey (R)
1968-1970: Arthur Tufts (R)
1970-1972: John R. Bradshaw (R)
1972-1974: David L. Nixon (R)
1974-1976: Alf E. Jacobson (R)
1976-1978: Mabel Everett (R)
1978-1980: Robert B. Monier (R)
1980-1982: Vesta M. Roy (R)
1982-1984: William S. Bartlett, Jr. (R)
1984-1986: Edward C. Dupont, Jr. (R)
1986-1988: Ralph D. Hough (R)
1988-1990: Joseph L. Delahunty (R)
1990-1992: David W. Hess (R)
1992-1994: Sherman Packard (R)
1994-1996: Clesson J. Blaisdell (D)
1996-1998: Arthur P. Klemm, Jr. (R)
1998-2000: Gary Lambert (R)
2000-2002: Debora Pignatelli (D)
2002-2004: Joseph E. “Jeb” Bradley (R)
2004-2006: Bette R. Lasky (D)
2006-2008: Michael D. Whalley (R)
2008-2010: Lucinda “Cindy” Rosenwald (D)
2010-2012: Gordon J. MacDonald (R)
2012-2014: David Boutin (D)
2014-2016: Joyce Craig (D)
2016-2018: Kevin Cavanaugh (D)
2018-2020: Dan Feltey (D)
2020-present: Scott McGilvray (D)



Governors of NEW JERSEY

1954-1962: 44) Robert B. Meyner (D) – term-limited
1953: Paul L. Troast (R)
1957: Malcolm Forbes (R)

1962-1970: 45) Richard J. Hughes (D) – term-limited
1961: James P. Mitchell (R)
1965: Wayne Dumont (R)

1970-1978: 46) Francis X. McDermott (R) – term-limited
1969: Alexander Buel “Sandy” Trowbridge III (D)
1973: Ann Klein (D)

1978-1986: 47) James J. Florio (D) – term-limited
1977: Raymond Bateman (R)
1981: Walter H. Jones (R)

1986-1993: 48) Gloria A. Decker (D) – resigned
1985: Barbara A. Curran (R)
1989: W. Cary Edwards (R)

1993-1994: Acting) Richard J. Codey (D) – retired

1994-1997: 49) Maryanne Trump Giuliani (R) – resigned
1993: Peter Shapiro (D)

1997-1998: Acting) Richard J. Codey (D) – retired

1998-1999: 50) Richard Pucci (D) – resigned
1997: José F. Sosa (R)

1999-2002: Acting) Richard J. Codey (D) – retired

2002-2003: 51) John P. O’Neill (R) – resigned
2001: Wilbur Ross (D)

2003-2008: 52) Richard J. Codey (D) – resigned
2005: Bret D. Schundler (R) and Joan Little (G)

2008-2018: 53) Joe Louis Clark (D) – term-limited
2009: Steve Lonegan (R)
2013: Joe Kyrillos (R)

2018-present: 54) Glenn K. Rieth (R) – incumbent
2017: Stephen M. Sweeney (D)

Lieutenant Governors of NEW JERSEY
2006-2008: 1) Joe Louis Clark (D)
2008-2018: 2) Peter Benson Carlisle (D)
2018-present: 3) Anna Campbell Little (R)



Governors of NEW MEXICO

1961-1962: 19) Edwin L. Mechem (R) – resigned
1960: John Burroughs (D)

1962-1963: 20) Tom Bolack (R) – retired

1963-1967: 21) Jack M. Campbell (D)
– lost re-election
1962: Edwin L. Mechem (R)
1964: Merle H. Tucker (R)

1967-1971: 22) David F. Cargo (R) – lost re-election
1966: Jack M. Campbell (D)
1968: Mack Easley (D)

1971-1975: 23) Bruce King (D) – term-limited
1970: David F. Cargo (R)

1975-1979: 24) Jerry Apodaca (D) – term-limited
1974: Pete Domenici (R) and Gene Gonzales (La Raza Unida)

1979-1983: 25) Joe Skeen (R) – term-limited
1978: Bruce King (D)

1983-1987: 26) Toney Anaya (D) – term-limited
1982: John B. Irick (R)

1987-1991: 27) Fabian Chavez Jr. (D) – term-limited
1986: Joseph H. Mercer (R)

1991-1995: 28) Ben Lujan Sr. (D) – term-limited
1990: Frank M. Bond (R)

1995-1999: 29) Richard P. “Rick” Cheney (R) – term-limited
1994: Paul G. Bardacke (D) and Bill Richardson (LRU)

1999-2003: 30) Richard “Cheech” Marin (D/LRU) – term-limited
1998: John Dendahl (R)

2003-2007: 31) Gary Earl Johnson (R/Liberty) – term-limited
2002: Martin David Bacon (D/Green/DSA/LRU)

2007-2011: 32) Martin Chavez (D/LRU) – term-limited
2006: John A. Sanchez (R)

2011-2015: 33) Gary Earl Johnson (R/Liberty) – term-limited
2010: Jim Baca (D/La Raza Unida)

2015-2019: 34) Allen Edward Weh (R) – term-limited
2014: Gary King (D)

2019-present: 35) Javier Gonzales (D) – incumbent
2018: Aubrey Dunn Jr. (R) and Hector Hugo Balderas Jr. (Independent Democratic)

Lieutenant Governors of NEW MEXICO
1961-1962: 18) Tom Bolack (R)
1962-1963: vacant
1963-1967: 19) Mack Easley (D)
1967-1971: 20) Lee Francis (R)
1971-1972: 21) Roberto Mondragon (D)
1972-1975: vacant
1975-1979: 22) Robert E. Ferguson (D)
1979-1983: 23) Lee Francis (R)
1983-1987: 24) Fabian Chavez Jr. (D)
1987-1991: 25) Paul G. Bardacke (D)
1991-1995: 26) Casey Luna (D)
1995-1999: 27) John Dendahl (R)
1999-2003: 28) Martin David Bacon (D)
2003-2007: 29) John A. Sanchez (R)
2007-2011: 30) Jim Baca (D)
2011-2015: 31) John A. Sanchez (R)
2015-2019: 32) Aubrey Dunn Jr. (R)
2019-present: 33) Howie Morales (D)



Governors of NEW YORK

1/1/1959-1/23/1965: 49) Nelson Rockefeller (R) – resigned to take a Cabinet position in the Sanders Administration
1958: W. Averell Harriman (D)
1962: Robert Morgenthau (D)

1/23/1965-12/31/1966: 50) Malcolm Wilson (R) – lost election

1/1/1967-1/3/1981: 51) Mario Biaggi (D until 1978, Conservative 1978-1979, D after 1979) – resigned to take US Senate seat
1966: Malcolm Wilson (R) and Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. (Liberal)
1970: Steven Boghos Derounian (R), Arthur J. Goldberg (Liberal) and Norman Mailer (Natural Mind)
1974: Peter A. Peyser (R/Liberal)
1978: Hugh Carey (D), Nelson Rockefeller (R/Liberal) and Mary Jane Tobin (Independence)

1/3/1981-12/31/1998: 52) Mario Cuomo (D) – retired
1982: Lewis Lehrman (R/Conservative)
1986: Paul J. Curran (R/Conservative), Denis Dillon (Life) and Lenora Fulani (Green)
1990: Pierre Andrew Rinfret (R), Herbert London (Conservative), and Louis P. Wein (Life)
1994: Tom Golisano (Conservative) and Herbert London (R)

1/1/1999-12/31/2002: 53) Bernadette Castro (R) – lost re-election
1998: Mary Anne Krupsak (D), Tom Golisano (I), Roy Innis (WF), Rudy Giuliani (C), Al Lewis (G), Evan Galbraith (L), and Lenora Fulani (NM)

1/1/2003-2/21/2009: Andrew Cuomo (D) – resigned to become a US Ambassador under President Wellstone
2002: Bernadette Castro (R)
2006: James Bacalles (R)

2/21/2009-12/31/2010: Matthew Driscoll (D) – lost election

1/1/2011-12/31/2014: Blase Thomas “Tom” Golisano (I) – billionaire; retired; declined running for President in 2012, 2016 and 2020
2010: Matthew Driscoll (D/Liberal), Andrea Stewart-Cousins (Working Families/Green), William Christie Samuels (Progressive), John Edward Sweeney (R/Conservative), and Robert “Naked Cowboy” Burck (Independence/Natural Mind)

1/1/2015-present: Michael Gianaris (D) – first Greek-American Governor of New York; incumbent
2014: John M. Kennedy Jr. (R)
2018: Michael H. Ranzenhofer (R)

Lieutenant Governors of NEW YORK
1959-1965: Malcolm Wilson (R)
1965-1965: Acting) Joseph Zaretski (D)
1965-1966: Acting) Earl W. Brydges (R)
1967-1978: Howard J. Samuels (D)
1979-1981: Mario Cuomo (D)
1981-1982: Acting) Warren M. Anderson (R)
1983-1984: Howard J. Samuels (D)
1984-1986: Acting) Warren M. Anderson (R)
1987-1998: Basil Alexander Paterson (D)
1999-2001: Ralph J. Marino (R)
2001-2002: Acting) William Christie Samuels (D)
2003-2006: Ken Auletta (D)
2007-2009: Matthew Driscoll (D)
2009-2010: Acting) Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D)
2011-2014: Tom Ognibene (I)
2015-present: RoAnn Maggiolino Destito (D)



Governors of NORTH CAROLINA

1961-1965: 65) Terry Sanford (D) – term-limited
1960: Robert L. Gavin (R)

1965-1969: 66) Daniel K. Moore (D) – term-limited
1964: Robert L. Gavin (R)

1969-1973: 67) James Carson Gardner (R) – term-limited
1968: Robert W. Scott (D)

1973-1977: 68) Walter B. Jones Sr. (D) – term-limited
1972: James Holshouser (R), Hargrove “Skipper” Bowles (Independent Democrat), and Arlis F. Pettyjohn (HIP)

1977-1985: 69) Jim Hunt (D) – term-limited
1976: David Flaherty (R) and Herbert F. “Chub” Seawall Jr. (Country)
1980: Jesse Helms (R)

1985-1989: 70) Elizabeth Hanford “Liddy” Gardner (R) – lost re-election
1984: Rufus L. Edmisten (D)

1989-1997: 71) Harvey Gantt (D) – term-limited
1988: Liddy Gardner (R), Ruby T. Hooper (Independent) and Jesse Helms (Exposure)
1992: Scott McLaughlin (R)

1997-2001: 72) James Carson Gardner (R) – lost re-election
1996: Lacy Thornburg (D)

2001-2009: 73) Jim Hunt (D) – term-limited
2000: James Carson Gardner (R)
2004: Patrick Ballantine (R)

2009-2013: 74) Fern Shubert (D until mid-2009, then R) – lost re-election
2008: Fred Smith (R)

2013-2018: 75) Helen Elizabeth “Beth” Garrett (D) – died
2012: Fern Shubert (R)
2016: Clyde Robert Brawley (R)

2018-2021: 76) Cherie K. Berry (R) – lost election

2021-present: 77) Rachel Hunt (D)
– incumbent
2020: Cherie K. Berry (R)

Lieutenant Governors of NORTH CAROLINA
1961-1961: 24) Harvey Cloyd Philpott (D)
1961-1965: vacant
1965-1969: 25) Robert W. Scott (D)
1969-1973: 26) Walter B. Jones Sr. (D)
1973-1977: 27) Jim Hunt (D)
1977-1985: 28) Rufus L. Edmisten (D)
1985-1993: 29) Robert B. Jordan (D)
1993-2001: 30) Dennis Wicker (D)
2001-2009: 31) Bev Perdue (D)
2009-2013: 32) Robert Pittenger (R)
2013-2017: 33) Linda Coleman (D)
2017-2018: 34) Cherie K. Berry (R)
2018-2021: vacant
2021-present: 35) Chaz Beasley (D)



Governors of NORTH DAKOTA

1961-1973: 26) William L. Guy (D) – retired
1960: Clarence P. Dahl (R) and Herschel Lashkowitz (Independent)
1962: Mark Andrews (R)
1964: Donald M. Halcrow (R)
1968: Robert P. McCarney (R)

1973-1981: 27) Aloha Pearl Taylor Brown Eagles (R) – retired; ran for President in 1980
1972: Charles Tighe (D)
1976: Sophus Vernon Trom (D)

1981-1987: 28) Ruth Meiers (D) – died in office from cancer
1980: Ernest Sands (R)
1984: Anna Bourgois (R)

1987-1993: 29) George A. Sinner (D) – retired
1988: Rosemarie Myrdal (R)

1993-2001: 30) Edward Thomas Schafer (R) – retired
1992: Nicholas Spaeth (D)
1996: Eliot Glassheim (D)

2001-2009: 31) Tracy Potter (D) – retired
2000: John Hoeven (R)
2004: Roland Riemers (R)

2009-2017: 32) Heidi Heitkamp (D) – retired
2008: Tim Mathem (R)
2012: Rick Berg (R)

2017-present: 33) Jasper Schneider (R) – incumbent
2016: Ryan Taylor (D)
2020: Anthony Weiner (D)

Lieutenant Governors of NORTH DAKOTA
1961-1963: 27) Orville W. Hagen (R)
1963-1965: 28) Frank A. Wenstrom (R)
1965-1973: 29) Charles Tighe (R)
1973-1981: 30) Wayne G. Sanstead (D)
1981-1987: 31) George A. Sinner (D)
1987-1989: 32) Lloyd Omdahl (D)
1989-1997: 33) Ernest Sands (R)
1997-2005: 34) Roland Riemers (R)
2005-2013: 35) Rick Berg (R)
2013-2017: 36) Ryan Taylor (D)
2017-present: 37) Drew Wrigley (R)



Governors of OHIO

1959-1963: 60) Michael V. DiSalle (D) – lost re-election
1958: C. William O’Neill (D)

1963-1971: 61) Jim Rhodes (R) – term-limited
1962: Michael DiSalle (D)
1966: Frazier Reams Jr. (D)

1971-1979: 62) Buz Lukens (R) – term-limited
1970: Robert E. Sweeney (D), Roger Cloud (IR) and Edward T. Lawton (HIP)
1974: Robert E. Sweeney (D)

1979-1987: 63) Jim Rhodes (R) – term-limited
1978: J. J. Gilligan (D)
1982: Dick Celeste (D)

1987-1995: 64) Jerry Springer (D) – term-limited
1986: Paul E. Gillmor (R)
1990: George Voinovich (R) and Ron Daniels (I)

1995-1999: 65) William J. Brown (D) – died from heart issue
1994: Bob Taft (R)
1998: Greg Lashutka (R)

1999-2003: 66) Douglas DeGood (D) – died in plane crash
2002: Paul Eugene Gillmor (R)

2003-2007: 67) Sherrod Brown (D) – retired to successfully run for the US Senate

2007-2015: 68) Maureen O’Connor (R) – term-limited
2006: Michael B. Coleman (D)
2010: Robert L. Burch Jr. (D)

2015-2019: 69) James M. “Jim” Petro (R) – lost re-election
2014: Robert “Bob” Fitrakis (D)

2019-present: 70) Yvette McGee Brown (D) – incumbent
2018: James M. “Jim” Petro (R)

Lieutenant Governors of OHIO
1959-1963: 53) John W. Donahey (D)
1963-1979: 54) John W. Brown (R)
1979-1984: 55) George Voinovich (R)
1987-1999: 56) Paul R. Leonard (D)
1999-1999: 57) William J. Brown (D)
2003-2003: 58) Sherrod Brown (D)
2004-2007: 59) Robert L. Burch Jr. (D)
2007-2015: 60) Jim Renacci (R)
2015-2019: 61) Mary Taylor (R)
2019-present: 62) Joseph Schiavoni (D)



Governors of OKLAHOMA

1955-1959: 15) Raymond D. Gary (D) – retired
1954: Reuben K. Sparks (R)

1959-1963: 16) J. Howard Edmondson (D) – resigned
1958: Phil Ferguson (R) and D. A. Jelly Bryce (I)

1963: 17) George Patterson Nigh (D) – finished Edmondson’s term

1963-1971: 18) Henry Bellmon (R) – term-limited
1962: W. P. Bill Atkinson (D)
1966: Preston J. Moore (D)

1971-1979: 19) David Hall (D) – term-limited
1970: Dewey F. Bartlett (R) and Reel Little (HIP)
1974: Jim Inhofe (R)

1979-1983: 20) George Patterson Nigh (D) – lost re-election
1978: Ron Shotts (R)

1983-1987: 21) Neal McCaleb (R) – retired
1982: George Patterson Nigh (D) and Howard Bell (Progressive)

1987-1991: 22) Mike Turpen (D) – lost re-election
1986: Robert N. Goodhead (R) and Mike Fair (I)

1991-1995: 23) Bill Price (R) – lost re-election
1990: Mike Turpen (D) and Thomas Ledgerwood II (I)

1995-2003: 24) Robert S. Kerr III (D) – term-limited
1994: Wes Watkins (I) and incumbent Bill Price (R)
1998: Hoppy Heidelberg (R)

2003-2011: 25) J. C. Watts Jr. (R) – term-limited
2002: Brad Henry (D)
2006: Constance Johnson (D)

2011-2019: 26) Rebecca Hamilton (R) – term-limited
2010: Randy William Bass (Boulder) and Susan Savage (D)
2014: Elizabeth Herring (D) and R. J. Harris (Liberty)

2019-present: 27) T. W. Shannon (R) – incumbent
2018: Anastasia A. Pittman (D)

Lieutenant Governors of OKLAHOMA
1955-1959: 7) Cowboy Pink Williams (D)
1959-1963: 8) George Nigh (D)
1963-1967: 9) Leo Winters (D)
1967-1979: 10) George Nigh (D)
1979-1987: 11) Spencer Bernard (D)
1987-1995: 12) Robert S. Kerr III (D)
1995-2003: 13) Mary Fallin (R)
2003-2011: 14) Rebecca Hamilton (R)
2011-2015: 15) R. J. Harris (R until 2014, then Liberty)
2015-2019: 16) T. W. Shannon (R)
2019-present: 17) Dana Murphy (R)



Governors of OREGON

1959-1967: 29) Mark Hatfield (R) – term-limited
1958: Robert D. Holmes (D)
1962: Robert Y. Thornton (D)

1967-1975: 30) Tom McCall (R) – term-limited
1966: Robert Straub (D)
1970: Robert Straub (D)

1975-1979: 31) Edith Green (D) – lost re-election
1974: Wendell Wyatt (R)

1979-1987: 32) Victor Atiyeh (R) – term-limited
1978: Edith Green (D)
1982: Ted Kulongoski (D)

1987-1995: 33) Norma Paulus (R) – term-limited
1986: Edward Fadeley (D)
1990: Barbara Roberts (D), David B. Frohnmayer (Independent R) and Al Mobley (Independent)

1995-1999: 34) John Lim (R) – first Korean-American Governor of Oregon; retired
1994: Rod Monroe (D) and Ed Hickam (Country)

1999-2007: 35) John Elwood “Bud” Clark (I before 6/5/2004, D after 6/5/2004) – term-limited
1998: John Kitzhaber (D) and Bill Sizemore (R)
2002: Ted Kulongoski (D) and Kevin Mannix (R)

2007-2013: 36) Mary Starrett (R) – resigned
2006: Harry Lonsdale (D)
2010: John Kitzhaber (D)

2013-present: 37) Tina Kotek (D) – incumbent
2014: Suzanne Bonamici (R) and Frances Lappe (I)
2018: Vicki Berger (R)

Secretaries of State of OREGON
1959-1965: 17) Howell Appling (R)
1965-1967: 18) Tom McCall (R)
1967-1977: 19) Clay Myers (R)
1977-1985: 20) Norma Paulus (R)
1985-1991: 21) Barbara Roberts (D)
1991-1999: 22) Phil Keisling (D)
1999-2009: 23) Bill Bradbury (D)
2009-2013: 24) Tina Kotek (D)
2013-2019: 25) Jeanne Atkins (D)
2019-present: 26) Jennifer Williamson (D)



Governors of PENNSYLVANIA

1959-1963: 37) David Leo Lawrence (D) – term-limited
1958: Art McGonigle (R)

1963-1965: 38) William W. Scranton II (R)
1962: Richardson Dilworth (D)

1965-1967: 39) Raymond P. Shafer (R)

1967-1971: 40) Robert Casey Sr. (D)
– term-limited
1966: Harold Stassen (R)

1971-1975: 41) Milton Shapp (D) – term-limited
1970: Raymond Shafer (R) and Andrew J. Watson (Constitution)

1975-1979: 42) Martin P. Mullen (D) – term-limited
1974: Drew Lewis (R)

1979-1983: (41)) Milton Shapp (D) – term-limited
1978: Dick Thornburgh (R)

1983-1987: 43) Stewart Greenleaf (D) – lost re-election
1982: Bobby Butera (R)

1987-1995: 44) William Scranton III (R) – term-limited
1986: Stewart Greenleaf (D)
1990: Ed Rendell (R)

1995-2003: 45) Lynn Yeakel (D) – term-limited
1994: Peg Luksik (R)
1998: Ernie Preate (R)

2003-2011: 46) Lynn Swann (R) – term-limited
2002: Catherine Baker Knoll (D)
2006: Marjorie Margolies (D)

2011-2019: 47) Dr. Barry Goldberg (D) – term-limited
2010: Jane M. Earll (R)
2014: Everett A. Stern (R) and Lynne Abraham (Boulder)

2019-present: 48) Paul Mango (R) – incumbent
2018: Jo Ellen Litz (D)

Lieutenant Governors of PENNSYLVANIA
1959-1963: 22) John Morgan Davis (D)
1963-1965: 23) Raymond P. Shafer (R)
1965-1967: 24) Raymond J. Broderick (R)
1967-1971: 25) John Morgan Davis (D)
1971-1975: 26) Martin P. Mullen (D)
1975-1979: 27) Ernie Kline (D)
1979-1983: 28) Stewart Greenleaf (D)
1983-1987: 29) James Lloyd (D)
1987-1995: 30) Mike Fisher (R)
1995-2003: 31) Tom Foley (D)
2003-2011: 32) Jane M. Earll (R)
2011-2019: 33) Jo Ellen Litz (D)
2019-present: 34) Kristin Phillips-Hill (R)



Governors of POTOMAC (since statehood, 7/4/2006)

2006-2007: 1) Charlene Drew Jarvis (D) – finished term elected to while Potomac was the city of Washington, D.C.

2007-2015: 2) Vincent Bernard Orange Sr. (D) – term-limited
2006: Michael Kevin Powell (R)
2010: David William Kranich (R)

2015-present: 3) Linda Washington Cropp (D) – incumbent
2014: Kris Hammond (R)
2018: Martin Moulton (R)

Lieutenant Governors of POTOMAC

2006-2007: 1) Vincent Bernard Orange Sr. (D)
2007-2015: 2) Linda Washington Cropp (D)
2015-present: 3) Anas “Andy” Shallal (D)



Governors of PUERTO RICO (since statehood, 7/4/2005)

2006-2009: 1) Rocky Versace (R/NP) – finished term elected to while Puerto Rico was a US Commonwealth

2009-2017: 2) Hector Luis Acevedo (D/PD) – incumbent
2008: Kenneth McClintock-Hernández (D/NP)
2012: Dr. Ivan F. Gonzalez Cancel (D/NP)

2017-2021: 3) Raul Labrador (R/NP) – lost re-election
2016: David Bernier (D/PD) and Manuel Cidre (I)

2021-present: 4) Eduardo Bhatia (D/Progressive) – incumbent
2020: Raul Labrador (R/NP) José Jaime Pierluisi (I/PD)

Lieutenant Governors of PUERTO RICO
2006-2009: 1) Fernando J. Bonilla (R/NP)
2009-2017: 2) David Bernier (D/PD)
2017-2021: 3) Victor Suarez Melendez (R/NP)
2021-present: 4) Maria A. Marcano-De Leon (D/Progressive)



Governors of RHODE ISLAND

1961-1965: 65) John A. Notte Jr. (D) – lost re-election
1960: Christopher Del Sesto (R)
1962: John Chafee (R)

1965-1971: 66) John Chafee (R) – lost re-election
1964: John A. Nolte Jr. (D)
1966: Horace E. Hobbs (D)
1968: Frank Licht (D)

1971-1979: 67) J. Joseph Garrahy (D) – term-limited
1970: John Chafee (R)
1974: James Nugent (R)

1979-1987: 68) Lincoln Almond (R) – term-limited
1978: Tom DiLuglio (D) and Joe Doorley (I)
1982: Hilary R. Salk (D) and Peter Van Daam (Progressive)

1987-1994: 69) Buddy Cianci (R) – impeached, convicted and removed from office for corruption
1986: Anthony Solomon (D), Bob Healey (I) and Tony Affigne (I)
1990: Francis X. Flaherty (D) and Joe Trillo (I)

1994-1999: 70) Bob Weygand (D) – retired
1994: Bob Healey (Cool Moose) and Lincoln Almond (R)

1999-2003: 71) Bob Healey (Independent) – retired
1998: Jack Dennison Potter (D) and Lincoln Almond (R)

2003-2007: 72) Sheldon Whitehouse (D) – lost re-election
2002: Ken Block (R)

2007-2015: 73) Lincoln Davenport Chafee (R) – term-limited
2006: Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
2010: Frank Caprio (D)

2015-2016: 74) Bob Healey (I) – died
2014: Angel Taveras (D) and Brendan Doherty (R)

2016-2019: 75) Marilyn Ann Briggs (I) – lost election

2019-present: 76) Henrique Radonski Capriles (R) – incumbent
2018: Marilyn Ann Briggs (I) and Matt Brown (D)

Lieutenant Governors of RHODE ISLAND
1961-1965: 58) Edward P. Gallogly (D)
1965-1971: 59) Joseph O’Donnell Jr. (R)
1971-1979: 60) Giovanni Folcarelli (D)
1979-1987: 61) James L. Taft Jr. (R)
1987-1993: 62) Edward D. DiPrete (R)
1993-1994: 63) Robert Weygand (D)
1994-1995: 64) Louise Durfee (D)
1995-1999: 65) Joseph Aloysius Doorley Jr. (D)
1999-2003: 66) Joseph F. Devine (I)
2003-2007: 67) Antonio J. Pires (D)
2007-2015: 68) Donald Carcieri (R)
2015-2016: 69) Marilyn Ann Briggs (I)
2016-2019: 70) Joe Trillo (I)
2019-present: 71) Patricia Morgan (R)



Governors of SOUTH CAROLINA

1959-1963: 106) Fritz Hollings (D) – term-limited
1958: unopposed

1963-1965: 107) Donald Stuart Russell (D) – resigned
1962: unopposed

1965-1967: 108) Robert McNair (D) – lost election

1967-1971: 109) Joseph O. Rogers Jr. (R) – term-limited
1966: Robert McNair (D) and Alfred William “Red” Bethea (HIP)

1971-1975: 110) John C. West (D) – term-limited
1970: Albert Watson (R)

1975-1979: 111) William Westmoreland (R) – term-limited
1974: William Jennings Bryan Dorn (D)

1979-1983: 112) Richard Riley (D) – term-limited
1978: Edward Lunn Young (R)

1983-1987: 113) Nancy Stevenson (D) – first female Governor of South Carolina; term-limited
1982: W. D. Workman Jr. (R)

1987-1991: 114) Jesse L. Jackson Sr. (D) – African-American; term-limited
1986: Floyd Spence (R)

1991-1995: 115) Nick Theodore (D) – Greek-American; term-limited
1990: David Beasley (R)

1995-1999: 116) Robert Inglis Sr. (R) – term-limited
1994: Theo Mitchell (D)

1999-2001: (114)) Jesse L. Jackson Sr. (D) – resigned to become President of the United States
1998: Carroll Campbell (R) and Jim Hodges (I)

2001-2003: 117) Elizabeth J. “Liz” Patterson (D) – lost nomination

2003-2011: 118) Lindsey Graham (R) – term-limited
2002: Jim Hodges (D)
2006: Tommy Moore (D)

2011-2019: 119) Andre Bauer (R) – term-limited
2010: Jim Rex (D)
2014: Tony Krajewski Thurmond (D)

2019-present: 120) Gresham Barrett (R) – incumbent
2018: Keisha Waites (D)

Lieutenant Governors of SOUTH CAROLINA
1959-1963: 78) Burnet R. Maybank Jr. (D)
1963-1965: 79) Robert Evander McNair (D)
1967-1971: 80) John C. West (D)
1971-1975: 81) William Jennings Bryan Dorn (D)
1975-1979: 82) Richard Riley (D)
1979-1983: 83) Nancy Stevenson (D)
1983-1987: 84) William Jennings Bryan Dorn (D)
1987-1991: 85) Nick Theodore (D)
1991-1995: 86) Michael R. Daniel (D)
1995-1999: 87) Theo Mitchell (D)
1999-2001: 88) Elizabeth J. “Liz” Patterson (D)
2003-2011: 89) Andre Bauer (R)
2011-2019: 90) Bob Peeler (R)
2019-present: 91) Catherine Templeton (R)



Governors of SOUTH DAKOTA

1961-1963: 22) Archie Gubbrud (R) – lost re-election
1960: Ralph Herseth (D)

1963-1967: 23) Ralph Herseth (D) – lost re-election
1962: Archie M. Gubbrud (R)
1964: Nils Boe (R) and John F. Lindley (I)

1967-1971: 24) Frank Farrar (R) – lost re-election
1966: Ralph Herseth (D)
1968: Leath Carroll Fullerton (D)

1971-1975: 25) George S. McGovern (D) – retired
1970: Frank Farrar (R)
1972: Carveth Thompson (R)

1975-1983: 26) Benjamin “Ben” (Lone Feather) Reifel (R) – Native-American; term-limited
1974: Richard F. Kneip (D) and John E. Olson (Country)
1978: Roger D. McKellips (D)

1983-1987: 27) Clint Roberts (R) – lost re-election
1982: Harvey L. Wollman (D)

1987-1991: 28) Lars Herseth (D) – lost re-election
1986: Clint Roberts (R)

1991-1999: 29) Gus Hercules (R) – term-limited
1990: Lars Herseth (D)
1994: Jim Beddow (D) and Nathan Barton (Liberty)

1999-2003: 30) Susan Wismer (D) – lost re-election
1998: Jack Billion (R)

2003-2011: 31) George Speaker Mickelson (R) – term-limited
2002: Susan Wismer (D) and Nathan Barton (Liberty)
2006: Scott Heidepriem (D)

2011-2016: 32) Stephanie Herseth (D) – withdrew from Presidential race and resigned over a scandal
2010: Mike Rounds (R)
2014: Lora L. Hubbel (R)

2016-2017: 33) Shawn Bordeaux (D) – resigned over a different scandal

2017-2019: 34) Brock L. Greenfield (R) – lost election

2019-present: 35) Brendan Johnson (D) – incumbent
2018: Brock L. Greenfield (R)

Lieutenant Governors of SOUTH DAKOTA
1961-1963: 27) Joseph H. Bottum (R)
1963-1967: 28) Leath Carroll Fullerton (D)
1967-1971: 29) Lem Overpeck (R)
1971-1975: 30) Richard F. Kneip (D)
1975-1983: 31) Clint Roberts (R)
1983-1987: 32) Gus Hercules (R)
1987-1991: 33) Jim Beddow (D)
1991-1999: 34) Carole Hillard (R)
1999-2003: 35) Scott Heidepriem (D)
2003-2011: 36) Dennis Daugaard (R)
2011-2016: 37) Shawn Bordeaux (D)
2016-2017: vacant
2017-2019: 38) Rocky Blare (R)
2019-present: 39) Julie A. Bartling (D)



Governors of TENNESSEE

1953-1959: 41) Frank G. Clement (D) – term-limited
1952: R. Beecher Witt (R)
1954: John Randolph Neal Jr. (I)

1959-1963: 42) Buford Ellington (D) – term-limited
1958: Jim Nance McCord (I) and Tom Wall (R)

1963-1967: (41)) Frank G. Clement (D) – term-limited
1962: William Anderson (I) and Hubert David Patty (R)

1967-1971: (42)) Buford Ellington (D) – term-limited
1966: H. L. Crowder (HIP), Charlie Moffett (I) and Charles Gordon Vick (I)

1971-1975: (41)) Frank G. Clement (D) – term-limited
1970: Winfield Dunn (R)

1975-1979: 43) Lamar Alexander (R) – term-limited
1974: Ray Blanton (D)

1979-1983: 44) Jake Butcher (D) – term-limited
1978: Hubert David Patty (R)

1983-1987: 45) Buford Pusser (R) – term-limited
1982: Ned McWherter (D)

1987-1991: (41)) Frank G. Clement (D) – term-limited
1986: Hubert David Patty (R), Charles G. Vick (Country) and Gentry Crowell (Green)

1991-1995: 46) Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R) – term-limited
1990: Phil Bredesen (D) and Charles Vick (Liberty)

1995-1999: (41)) Frank G. Clement (D) – term-limited; served as Governor for a total of 22 non-consecutive years
1994: Don Sundquist (R) and Dick Fulton (Independent D)

1999-2003: 47) Bill Haslam (R) – term-limited
1998: John Jay Hooker Jr. (D)

2003-2007: 48) Bart Gordon (D) – term-limited
2002: Ron Ramsey (R)

2007-2011: 49) Jim Bryson (R) – term-limited
2006: Mike McWherter (D) and Carl Two Feathers Whitaker (I)

2011-2015: 50) David Lawrence “Dave” Ramsey III (R) – term-limited
2010: Jim Henry (Independent), Mark E. Clayton (D) and Daniel T. Lewis (Liberty)

2015-2016: 51) Monica Wehby (R) – resigned
2014: Sara Kyle (D)

2016-present: 53) Rand McNally (R) – incumbent
2018: Ron Littlefield (D)

Lieutenant Governors of TENNESSEE
1953-1959: 43) Jared Maddux (D)
1959-1963: 44) William D. Baird (D)
1963-1967: 45) Jared Maddux (D)
1967-1971: 46) Frank Gorrell (D)
1971-2014: 47) John Shelton Wilder (D)
2014-2015: vacant
2015-2016: 48) Rand McNally (R)
2016-2016: vacant
2016-present: 49) Stephen Fincher (R)



Governors of TEXAS

1957-1967: 38) Price Daniel (D) – lost re-nomination
1956: Bill Bryant (R) and W. Lee O’Daniel (I)
1958: Edwin S. Mayer (R)
1960: William Steger (R)
1962: Jack Cox (R)
1964: Jack Crichton (R) and John C. Williams (HIP)

1967-1971: 39) John Connally (D before 1969, R after 1969, I in 1970, R after 1971) – lost nomination and lost re-election as an independent
1966: T. E. Kennerly (R) and Ed Walker (HIP)
1968: Paul Eggers (R) and John Trice (HIP)

1971-1974: 40) Waggoner Carr (D) – resigned
1970: Roger Martin (R) and John Connally (I)
1972: Henry Grover (R) and Ramsey Muniz (La Raza Unida)

1974-1979: 41) Frances Farenthold (D) – first female Governor; lost re-election
1974: Jim Granberry (R) and Ramsey Muniz (LRU)

1979-1983: 42) Bill Clements (R) – lost re-election
1978: Frances Farenthold (D) and Mario Compean (LRU)

1983-1987: 43) Ross Perot (I) – lost re-election
1982: Bill Clements (R), Ray Allen Mayo II (D) and Mario Compean (La Raza Unida)

1987-1995: 44) Rick Perry (D) – withdrew re-election bid
1986: Ross Perot (I), Ray Hutchison (R (write-in)), Mike Martin (R) and Maria “Rosie” Castro (La Raza Unida)
1990: Warren G. Harding (R), Jack Rains (Country) and Ramsey Muniz (La Raza Unida)

1995-2003: 45) Henry Cisneros (D) – Hispanic; retired
1994: Henry Cisneros (D/La Raza Unida) over Keary Ehlers (Liberty), Clayton Williams (R) and Ramsey Muniz (Natural Mind)
1998: Ray Hollis (R)

2003-2007: 46) Kinky Friedman (D) – lost re-election
2002: Tom Loeffler (R)

2007-2019: 47) Bill Owens (R) – retired
2006: Kinky Friedman (D), Jim Hightower (Green), Guadalupe Valdez (LRU) and Larry Kilgore (Liberty
2010: Felix Alvarado (D/LRU)
2014: Price Daniel Jr. (D), Debra Medina (LRU)

2019-present: 48) Rick Perry (R) – incumbent
2018: Annise Parker (D/LRU)

Lieutenant Governors of TEXAS
1951-1961: 34) Ben Ramsey (D)
1961-1963: vacant
1963-1969: 35) Preston Earnest Smith (D)
1969-1973: 36) Ben Barnes (D)
1973-1974: 37) Frances Farenthold (D)
1974-1975: vacant
1975-1991: 38) William Hobby Jr. (D)
1991-1995: 39) Henry Cisneros (D)
1995-2007: 40) William Hobby Jr. (D)
2007-2015: 41) David Dewhurst (R)
2015-present: 42) Susan Combs (R)



Governors of UTAH

1957-1965: 10) George Clyde (R) – retired
1956: L. C. “Rennie” Romney (D) and J. Bracken “Brack” Lee (Independent)
1960: William Arthur Barlocker (D)

1965-1973: 11) Mitchell Melich (R) – retired
1964: Calvin L. Rampton (D)
1968: Nicholas L. Strike (D)

1973-1977: 12) K. Gunn McKay (D) – lost re-election
1972: Nicholas L. Strike (R)

1977-1985: 13) Vernon Romney (R) – lost re-election
1976: K. Gunn McKay (D)
1980: David S. King (D)

1985-1989: 14) Wayne Owens (D) – lost re-election
1984: Vernon Bradford Romney (R)

1989-2001: 15) Jon Huntsman Sr. (R) – retired
1988: Wayne Owens (D)
1992: Stewart Hanson (D) and Rita Gum (Populist)
1996: James Bradley (D)

2001-2009: 16) Enid Greene (R) – lost re-nomination
2000: Bill Orton (D)
2004: Scott Matheson (D)

2009-2013: 17) Karl Christian Rove (R) – retired
2008: Bob Springmeyer (D)

2013-present: 18) Robert Wood Young (R) – incumbent
2012: Jim Matheson (D)
2016: James “Jimmy The Greek” Dabakis (D)
2020: Jani Iwamoto (D)

Lieutenant Governors of UTAH (position established in 1975)
1975-1977: 1) Clyde Miller (D)
1985-1993: 2) Wilford V. Oveson (R)
1993-2005: 3) Olene Walker (R)
2005-2013: 4) Christopher Black Cannon (R)
2013-2017: 5) Lew Billings (R)
2017-present: 6) Rob Bishop (R)



Governors of VERMONT

1961-1963: 72) F. Ray Keyser Jr. (R) – lost re-election
1960: Russell Niquette (D)

1963-1973: 73) Phil Hoff (D) – retired
1962: F. Ray Keyser Jr. (R)
1964: Ralph A. Foote (R)
1966: Richard Snelling (R)
1968: Deane C. Davis (R)
1970: John S. Burgess (R)

1973-1975: 74) Consuelo Bailey (R) – retired
1972: Randolph T. Major (D) and Pete Diamondstone (Liberty Union)

1975-1977: 75) Harry H. Cooley (D) – retired
1974: Walter L. Kennedy (R)

1977-1981: 76) Stella Hackel (D) – retired
1976: William G. Craig (R)
1978: Walter L. Kennedy (R) and Earl S. Gardner (LU)

1981-1989: 77) Richard A. Snelling (R) – retired
1980: M. Jerome Diamond (D), Daniel E. Woodward (I) and Bruce Cullen (I)
1982: Madeleine Kunin (D) and Richard Gottlieb (Progressive/Liberty Union)
1984: Madeleine Kunin (D), and Peter Diamondstone (Liberty Union)
1986: Ralph Wright (D) and Richard Gottlieb (LU)

1989-1993: 78) Jan Backus (D) – lost re-election
1988: David Gates (R) and Richard Gottlieb (LU)
1990: David Atkinson (R) and Richard Gottlieb (LU)

1993-1995: 79) John McClaughry (R) – lost re-election
1992: Jan Backus (D) and August Jaccaci (LU)

1995-2005: 80) Howard Dean (D) – retired
1994: John McClaughry (R) and Dennis Lane (LU)
1996: John Gropper (R) and Mary Alice “Mal” Herbert (LU)
1998: Ruth Dwyer (R) and Richard Gottlieb (LU)
2000: Richard Gottlieb (LU), Ruth Dwyer (R), and Anthony Pollina (Progressive)
2002: Jim Douglas (R) and Cornelius Hogan (I)

2005-2013: 81) Deborah L. “Deb” Markowitz (D) – retired
2004: Peter Plympton Smith (R)
2006: Benjamin Clarke (R) and Robert Skold (LU)
2008: Brian Dubie (R) and Ben Mitchell (LU)
2010: Mark Snelling (R) and Mike Parenti (LU)

2013-2015: 82) Bernard Peters (R) – lost re-election
2012: Charles Dean (D) and Mike Parenti (LU)

2015-2021: 83) Jeffrey “Jeff” Weaver (D) – retired
2014: Bernard Peters (R), Dan Feliciano (Liberty) and Cris Ericson (Independent)
2016 (first round): Bruce Lisman (R) and Bill “Spaceman” Lee (LU)
2016 (final round): Bruce Lisman (R)
2018 (first round): Ethan Sonneborn (Independent), Keith Stern (R) and Brenda Siegel (Humanitarian)
2018 (final round): Keith Stern (R)

2021-present: 84) Faisal Mahmood Gill (D) – incumbent
2020 (first round): Emily Payton (R) and Cris Ericson (Independent)
2020 (final round): Emily Payton (R)

Lieutenant Governors of VERMONT
1961-1965: 69) Ralph Foote (R)
1965-1971: 70) John Burgess (R)
1971-1977: 71) Kelton Miller (D)
1977-1981: 72) John Alden (D)
1981-1989: 73) Peg Garland (R)
1989-1991: 74) Pan B. Zolotas (R)
1991-1995: 75) Howard Dean III (D)
1995-1999: 76) David Wolk (D)
1999-2003: 77) Deb Markowitz (D)
2003-2009: 78) Peter Shumlin (D)
2009-2011: 79) Charles Dean (D)
2011-2015: 80) Jeff Weaver (D)
2015-2017: 81) Cheryl Rivers (D)
2017-present: 82) Cassandra Gekas (Progressive)



Governors of VIRGINIA

1958-1962: James Lindsay Almond Jr. (D) – term-limited
1957: Ted Dalton (R)

1962-1966: Albertis S. Harrison Jr. (D) – term-limited
1961: H. Clyde Pearson (R)

1966-1970: Linwood Holton (R) – term-limited
1965: Mills Godwin (D) and William Story Jr. (HIP)

1970-1974: Vince Callahan (R) – term-limited
1969: Henry Howell (D) and William Story Jr. (HIP)

1974-1978: Elmo Zumwalt (D) – term-limited
1973: Mills Godwin (R)

1978-1982: John N. Dalton (R) – term-limited
1977: William Battle (D)

1982-1986: Harrison Wilson Jr. (D) – term-limited
1981: Marshall Coleman (R)

1986-1990: Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. (D) – term-limited
1985: Stanford Elmer “Stan” Parris (R)

1990-1994: Stanford Elmer “Stan” Parris (R) – term-limited
1989: Mary Sue Terry (D)

1994-1998: George Allen (R) – term-limited
1993: Owen Pickett (D)

1998-2002: Jim Gilmore (R) – term-limited
1997: Don Beyer (D)

2002-2006: Meyera Oberndorf (D) – term-limited
2001: J. K. Katzen (R)

2006-2010: E. W. Jackson (R) – term-limited
2005: Terry McAuliffe (D)

2010-2014: Les Steckel (D) – term-limited
2009: Virgil Goode Jr. (R)

2014-2018: Jeremiah Heaton (R) – term-limited
2013: Dwight Clinton Jones (D)

2018-present: Anne Bright Holton (D) – incumbent
2017: Jill Vogel (R)

Lieutenant Governors of VIRGINIA
1952-1962: 27) Al Stephens (D)
1962-1966: 28) Mills Godwin (D)
1966-1970: 29) Henry Howell (D)
1970-1974: 30) William Battle (D)
1974-1978: 31) John N. Dalton (R)
1978-1982: 32) Marshall Coleman (R)
1982-1986: 33) Stan Parris (R)
1986-1990: 34) Rick Boucher (D)
1990-1994: 35) Thomas Davis III (R)
1994-1998: 36) J. K. Katzen (R)
1998-2002: 37) Russ Potts (R)
2002-2006: 38) Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R)
2006-2010: 39) Virgil Goode Jr. (R)
2010-2014: 40) Jeremiah Heaton (R)
2014-2018: 41) Eileen Filler-Corn (D)
2018-present: 42) Kenny Alexander (D)



Governors of WASHINGTON

1957-1965: 15) Al Rossellini (D) – lost re-election
1956: Emmett T. Anderson (R)
1960: Lloyd J. Andrew (R)

1965-1975: 16) Daniel J. Evans (R) – resigned
1964: Al Rossellini (D)
1968: John J. O’Connell (D) and Ken Chriswell (HIP)
1972: Al Rossellini (D) and Vick Gould (Taxpayers)

1975-1977: 17) Arthur Fletcher (R) – lost election

1977-1981: 18) Julia Butler Hansen (D) – lost re-election
1976: Arthur Fletcher (R)

1981-1989: 19) Daniel J. Evans (R) – retired
1980: Julia Butler Hansen (D)
1984: Booth Gardner (D)

1989-2001: 20) Ellen Craswell (R) – retired
1988: John Jovanovich (D)
1992: Booth Gardner (D)
1996: Mike Lowry (D)

2001-2007: 21) Norm Rice (D) – resigned
2000: John Carlson (R)
2004: Michael Patrick Shanks (R) and Ruth Bennett (Liberty)

2007-2017: 22) Lisa J. Simpson (D) – retired
2008: Michael George Nelson (R)
2012: Rob McKenna (R)

2017-2021: 23) Krist Novoselic (D) – retired
2016: Susan Hutchison (R)

2021-present: 24) Ron Sims (D) – incumbent
2020: Drew C. MacEwen (R)

Lieutenant Governors of WASHINGTON
1957-1969: 13) John Andrew Cherberg (D)
1969-1975: 14) Arthur Fletcher (R)
1977-1997: 15) Joel Pritchard (R)
1998-2005: 16) Paull H. Shin (D)
2005-2007: 17) Lisa J. Brown (D)
2007-present: 18) Karen R. Fraser (D)



Governors of WEST VIRGINIA
1957-1961: 25) Cecil Underwood (R) – term-limited
1956: Bob Mollohan (D)

1961-1965: 26) Wally Barron (D) – term-limited
1960: Harold E. Neely (R)

1965-1969: 27) Cecil Underwood (R) – term-limited
1964: Hulett C. Smith (D)

1969-1977: 28) Arch A. Moore Jr. (R) – term-limited
1968: James Marshall Sprouse (D)
1972: Jay Rockefeller (D)

1977-1985: 29) Jay Rockefeller (D) – term-limited
1976: Cecil H. Underwood (R)
1980: Arch A. Moore Jr. (R) and Jack Kelley (I)

1985-1989: 30) Cecil Underwood (R) – lost re-election
1984: Clyde M. See Jr. (D)

1989-1997: 31) Gaston Caperton (D) – term-limited
1988: Cecil Underwood (R) and Jack Fellure (Exposure)
1992: Jack Fellure (R) and Charlotte Pritt (Green)

1997-2005: 32) Cecil Underwood (R) – term-limited
1996: Joe Manchin (D) and Wallace Johnson (Liberty)
2000: Denise Giardina (D)

2005-2009: 33) Bob Wise (D) – retired
2004: Monty Warner (R)

2009-2013: 34) David McKinley (R) – lost re-election
2008: Lloyd M. Jackson II (D)

2013-2021: 35) Charlotte Pritt (D) – term-limited
2012: David McKinley (R)
2016: Erikka Lynn Storch (R)

2021-present: 36) Craig Blair (R) – incumbent
2020: Ron Stollings (D) and Paul T. Farrell Jr. (Independent Democrat)

Presidents of the Senate of WEST VIRGINIA
1961-1969: Howard W. Carson (D)
1969-1971: Lloyd G. Jackson (D)
1971-1973: E. Hansford McCourt (D)
1973-1981: William Brotherton (D)
1981-1985: Warren McGraw (D)
1985-1989: Dan Tonkovich (D)
1989-1989: Larry A. Tucker (D)
1989-1995: Keith Burdette (D)
1995-2011: Earl Ray Tomblin (D)
2011-2019: Jeffrey V. Kessler (D)
2019-2021: Craig Blair (R)
2021-present: Donna Boley (R)



Governors of WISCONSIN

1959-1963: 35) Gaylord A. Nelson (D) – retired
1958: Vernon Wallace Thomson (R)
1960: Philip G. Kuehn (R)

1963-1965: 36) John W. Reynolds (D) – lost re-election
1962: Philip G. Kuehn (R)

1965-1967: 37) Warren P. Knowles (R) – lost re-election
1964: John W. Reynolds (D)

1967-1975: 38) Patrick Lucey (D) – retired
1966: Warren P. Knowles (R)
1968: William Kaiser Van Pelt (R)
1970: Jack B. Olson (R) and Georgia Cozzini (Natural Mind)

1975-1983: 39) Bronson La Follette (D) – retired
1974: Bill Dyke (R)
1978: Lee S. Dreyfus (R)

1983-1995: 40) Paul R. Soglin (D) – retired
1982: Terry Kohler (R)
1986: Robert Walter Kasten Jr. (R)
1990: Steve Gunderson (R)

1995-1999: 41) Margaret Farrow (R) – lost re-election
1994: Martin J. Schreiber (D)

1999-2011: 42) Kathleen Falk (D) – retired
1998: Margaret Farrow (R)
2002: Mary E. Panzer (R)
2006: Mark Green (R)

2011-2019: 43) Mark Green (R) – retired
2010: Barbara Lawton (D)
2014: Ed Garvey (D) and David A. Clarke Jr. (Boulder)

2019-present: 44) Cory Mason (D) – incumbent
2018: Mark Neumann (R) and Wendell J. Harris (DSA/Socialist)

Lieutenant Governors of WISCONSIN
1959-1961: 33) Philleo Nash (D)
1961-1963: 34) Warren P. Knowles (R)
1963-1965: 35) Jack B. Olson (R)
1965-1967: 36) Patrick J. Lucey (D)
1967-1969: 37) William Kaiser Van Pelt (R)
1969-1971: 38) Jack B. Olson (R)
1971-1975: 39) Martin J. Schreiber (D)
1975-1979: 40) Terry Kohler (R)
1979-1983: 41) Robert Walter Kasten Jr. (R)
1983-1987: 42) Mark G. Lipscomb Jr. (D)
1987-1991: 43) Steve Gunderson (R)
1991-1995: 44) Margaret Farrow (R)
1995-1999: 45) Kathleen Falk (D)
1999-2003: 46) Johnnie E. Morris-Tatum (D)
2003-2007: 47) Mark Green (R)
2007-2011: 48) Louis Fortis (D)
2011-2015: 49) Brett Davis (R)
2015-2019: 50) Mark Neumann (R)
2019-present: 51) Jason M. Fields (D)



Governors of WYOMING

1961-1967: 25) Jack Robert Gage (D) – lost re-nomination
1962: Clifford P. Hansen (R)

1967-1975: 26) Teno Roncalio (D) – retired
1966: Stanley K. Hathaway (R)
1970: William H. Harrison (R)

1975-1983: 27) Thyra Thomson (R) – retired
1974: Edgar Herschler (D)
1978: Edgar Herschler (D)

1983-1987: 28) Dick Casull (R) – lost re-nomination
1982: Harry Leimback (D)

1987-1995: 29) Thyra Thomson (R) – retired
1986: Al Hamberg (D)
1990: Mike Sullivan (D)

1995-2003: 30) Harriet Elizabeth Byrd (D) – retired
1994: Richard Bruce Cheney (R) and Mary Mead (Conservative)
1998: Bill Taliaferro (R)

2003-2007: 31) Mary Mead (R) – retired
2002: Paul Hickey (D)

2007-2015: 32) W. Richard West (D) – retired
2006: Mary Mead (R)
2010: Matthew Hansen Mead (R)

2015-present: 33) Cynthia Jo “Cindy” Hill (R) – incumbent
2014: Michael Allen Green (D)
2018: James W. Byrd (D)

Secretaries of State of WYOMING
1959-1961: 15) Jack R. Gage (D)
1961-1975: 16) Thyra Thomson (R)
1975-1991: 17) Kathy Karpan (D)
1991-2003: 18) Diana J. Ohman (R)
2003-2015: 19) Cynthia Jo “Cindy” Hill (R)
2015-present: 20) Leland Christensen (R)



Incumbent Governors in July 2021:

Democrats (28) – AR: Conner Eldridge, CA: Cruz Bustamante, CT: Ted Kennedy Jr., DE: Stephanie Hansen, GA: Ben Lewis Jones, HI: Doug Chin, IL: Al Giannoulias, LA: Caroline Fayard, ME: Cynthia Dill, MD: Kumar P. Barve, MA: Maura Healey, MN: Melvin Carter, MS: Robert Gray, MT: Bob Quist, NV: Lucy Flores, NH: Martha Hennessey, NM: Javier Gonzales, NY: Michael Gianaris, NC: Rachel Hunt, OH: Yvette McGee Brown, OR: Tina Kotek, PO: Lisa Washington Cropp, PR: Eduardo Bhatia, SD: Brendan V. Johnson, VT: Faisal Mahmood Gill, VA: Anne Bright Holton, WA: Ron Sims, and WI: Cory Mason.

Republicans (24) – AL: Twinkle Cavanaugh, AK: Lizzie McGuire, AZ: Barry Hess, CO: Mark Allen Callahan, FL: Jennifer Sandra Johnson, ID: Butch Otter, IN: Ben Quayle, IA: Kimberly Ann McFadden, KS: Susan Wagle, KY: Hal Heiner, MI: Brian Calley, MO: Catherine Hanaway, NE: Beau McCoy, NJ: Glenn Rieth, ND: Jasper Schneider, OK: T. W. Shannon, PA: Paul Mango, RI: Henrique Radonski-Capriles, SC: Gresham Barrett, TN: Rand McNally, TX: Rick Perry, UT: Robert Wood Young, WV: Craig Blair, WY: Cynthia Jo “Cindy” Hill.

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Post 119
Post 119: Index 5

Index 5 – U.S. Fast-Food Leaders and U.S. Mayors


Leaders of prominent US-based fast-food chains ITTL (c. 1960-present (2021))

The most prominent fast-food franchises in North America in this TL, by category, in order of popularity (and are considered (by some people, at the very least) to be national chains, not regional chains):

BARBECUE:
1: Dickey’s
2: Smokey Mountain BBQ Steakhouse
3: Ponderosa Steakhouse
4: Sonny's BBQ
5: 4 Rivers Smokehouse
6: Chili's
7: Bill Miller BBQ
8: Good Company
9: Dinosaur BBQ
10: Cooper's Old Time BBQ Pit
11: Famous Dave's
12: Rudy's Ribs
13: Bodacious Bar-B-Q
14: Soulman's Bar-B-Que
15: Mission BBQ
16: Woody's
17: Corky's
18: Pete's BBQ Pit
19: Smokey Bones
20: Steak-&-Ale (also known as The Jolly Ox in some areas) - considered a "barbeque" chain on a technicality, as it is best known for being a steakhouse, but could also qualify as a "sandwich" chain as well

BURGERS:
1: McDonald’s
2: Wendy’s/Wendyburger
3: White Castle
4: Whataburger
5: Culver’s
6: Burger Chef
7: Burger King
8: Burger Czar
9: Red Barn - it has recently experienced a resurgance in popularity among urban and suburban customers who find the rural theme a delightful contrast to where they live and work
10: Smashburgers - has a large and loud number of young fans ontech
11: Jack-in-the-box (often considered and labeled as a sandwich chain due to the diversity of their menu options)
12: Ollie’s Trollies
13: Freddy's Steakburgers and Frozen Custard
14: Fuddruckers
15: Farmer Boy Burgers
16: Burger's Fries and Burgers
17: Riverside Burgers and Fries
18: Albany Hams
19: Burger Hut Thursday's - a shadow of its former self, as it used to hover around #10 less than 10 years ago

CHICKEN:
1: Kentucky Fried Chicken
2: Popeyes
3: Chick-fil-A
4: Kenny Rogers Roasters
5: Boston Chicken
6: Cluckers
7: Zaxby's
8: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
9: Wingstop
10: El Pollo Loco
11: Bojangles'
12: Boston Market
13: Golden Chicken
14: The Chicken Salad Shack
15: Jollibee

HOT DOGS:
1: Lum’s
2: The Bear’s Hotdogs
3: Sonic Drive-In
4: Nathan's Famous
5: Wienerschnitzel
6: Dog Haus
7: Coney I-Lander (technically a region chain centered in Oklahoma and most of its neighboring states, but counts as national chain and international chain due to two outlets in Maine and three in Nova Scotia, plus current plans to greatly expand in the 2020s)
8: Mel's
9: Tomorrowdogs
10: Yocco's Hotdogs
11: Ted's Top Dogs

MEXICAN:
1: Zantigo
2: Chi-Chi’s
3: Salsa’s Fresh Mex Bar & Grill
4: TacoTime
5: Del Taco
6: Moe's Southwest Grill
7: Taco John's
8: Chuy's
9: Taco Olé
10: Tortilla Time (previously known as Tortilla Tuesdays, though some outlets still use that name)

PIZZA:
1: Pizza Hut
2: Little Caesar’s
3: Boston’s
4: Domino’s
5: Figaro’s
6: Pizza Corner
7: Eatza Pizza
8: Sbarro
9: Marco's Pizza
10: Toppings Galore
11: Italian Classic
12: Gerlanda's
13: Amore Pizza Pies
14: Pizza Haven
15: Pizza Shack
16: Papa Murphy's
17: Topper's Pizza

SANDWICHES:
1: Arby’s
2: Dr. Sub’s
3: Homer's Heroes
4: Panera Bread
5: Jimmy John's
6: Jersey Mike's
7: Firehouse Subs
8: Deli Casey's Delicassies
9: Jason's
10: McAlister's Deli
11: Crazy Camilla's Classic Calzones
12: Dusty's
13: Supersubs
14: World's Best Sandwiches
15: American Classics
16: Izzy's (borders on being considered a "regional" chain)

SEAFOOD:
1: SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine
2: Red Lobster
3: Boston Sea Party
4: Captain D’s
5: Wong’s Water Grill
6: Bonefish Grill
7: Pappadeux
8: Joe's Crab Shack
9: Papadopolous
10: H. Salt, Esq. Authentic English Fish and Chips
11: Ocean's Best
12: Eddie V's Prime Seafood



A breakdown of the leaders of the Core Members of the “KFC Corporate Family”:



(parent company) FINGER-LICKIN’ GOOD, INC. CEOs (founded in 1965):

1964-1981: 1) Mildred “Millie” Sanders-Ruggles – the youngest daughter of Colonel Sanders; oversaw company's national and then global expansion efforts; upheld sanitation standards by visiting outlets randomly for surprise inspections like her father did; retired to reportedly keep company leadership "fresh," but stayed on the Board of Directors as "Chair Emeritus" until her death
1981-1990: 2) Lee Cummings – a nephew of Colonel Sanders; developed menu specials during his time as manager of several outlets; continued predecessor's policies to maintain investor/stockholder confidence; expanded parent company ownership of several small, regional chains of various types, ranging from sports bars to candy stores; retired to reportedly hand the company over to the "next generation of KFC leaders" in an internal shakeup that saw "young blood" be brought in to reportedly "modernize" the company's marketing and networking aspects
1990-2001: 3) James A. Collins – after some initial missteps, successfully lead the company through the tumultuous "post-Colonel" years and greenlit further expansion into Asia; oversaw company efforts to harness the potential of the technet, with an official website being launched in late 1995; retired due to exhaustion
2001-2003: 4) Herman Cain – former CEO of Burger Chef, former CEO of the Nation Restaurant Association, and former Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City; the Board of Directors brought him in from outside the company in the hope of him utilizing his success at other business ventures to turn around the company's North American sales results, after years of declining profits; left the company (after failing to improve profit margins with cutbacks and furloughs) in order to successfully run for an open US Senate seat
2003-2012: 5) Mary Lolita Starnes Hannon – improved domestic sales with multiple investments into numerous aspects of the company, including customer service, improving sanitation, and advertising with technet-based "fervid" marketing and networking campaigns (opening up a seasonally-functioning KFC outlet in Antarctica in 2007 was a part of these campaigns); in a somewhat controversial move, improved company transparency with media outlets, but did so to garner positive press coverage; retired due to her advanced age
2012-2017: 6) Adrien McNaughton – was the head of KFC R&D; continued most of the policies of his predecessor; stepped down over growing intra-department management difficulties, deciding he was more useful back at R&D
2017-2018: 7) William Kirk Hannon – the son of Mary Hannon; selection was allegedly the result of nepotism despite his years managing KFC's Southern US divisions; retired due to sudden health issues from which he is still recovering
2018-present: 8) David C. Novak – selected after spending several years improving KFC's ontech outlet ratings; is promoting an "Americanized version" of Japan's "lean production" method by improving communication channels between workers and management; currently overseeing expansion of menu options for nearly all franchises and enhancing customer interactions ontech



(chicken) KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN Head Executives (founded in 1950):

1950-1955: Col. Harland D. Sanders, Sr. – company founder; massively expanded the company at the state level, with Pete Harman as Head Assistant COO from 1951 until Harman’s retirement in 1995, established strict regulations for sanitation and food preparation for optimal results; did not allow tips due to him paying workers "a living wage" and enforced policy franchising chain to racially integrated locations; took a leave of absence after being drafted into running for Governor of Kentucky, and stepped down after he won
1955-1959: Harland D. “Harley” Sanders, Jr. – continued predecessor's business policies; decreased job activities after taking government job in 1958, relegating some responsibilities to Second Assistant COO Mildred Sanders, the alleged power behind “the sibling throne”; retired in order to let company founder resume leadership duties
1959-1964: Harland D. Sanders, Sr. – greatly expanded company at the national (and then international) level, making both KFC and himself household names; opposed rival fast-food chain McDonald’s over personal dislike of its CEO and due to some of the company's policies; took a leave of absence after being drafted into running for President of the United States, and stepped down after he won
1964-1994: Mildred “Millie” Sanders-Ruggles – took over due to her success at handling franchise intra-communication, addressing sexism in the workplace, overseeing collective bargaining agreements, and managing other company responsibilities during her tenure as chief vice-CEO from 1955 to 1964; expanded menu items in later half of 1960s, and again in the 1980s and early 1990s; also oversaw the formation of a “truce” between KFC and McDonald’s that lasted from 1967 to 1973; approved of the creation of a "Cartoon Colonel" (voiced by Randy Quaid) for the company's commercials and advertising in the early 1990s; stepped down after 30 years to enjoy retirement
1994-1999: Harold Omer – previously oversaw the successful launching of “Lee’s Famous Recipe” menu offering in select outlets (with the help of Lee Cummings, who was a regional manager at that time); was an in-law of Colonel Sanders; oversaw efforts to improve stockholder confidence amid stagnant sales for much of the decade; died in office unexpectedly
1999-2000: Charles Yohe – was a close ally of Harold Omer; continued predecessor's efforts to reverse decreases in domestic sales; died in office unexpectedly
2000-2018: David C. Novak – considered to be “young blood” for the position, beginning his tenure at the age of 48; praised for his quick response to implementing safezoning measures at the start of the 2002 Global Pandemic; aided company in recovering from previous losses in the late 2000s by working with parent company leadership to increase advertising expanses, allowing him to continue to uphold the company founder's strict sanitation standards and food preparation procedures despite pushback from company's financial experts who promoted changing recipes to cut down on costs and save time; phased out the "Cartoon Colonel" ads by the end of the 2000s decade as marketing shifted to more ontech-based ideas; co-led efforts to expand KFC into several African countries; stepped down after being selected to head KFC's parent company
2018-present: Roger Eaton – previously worked under Novak; currently continuing predecessor's policies, but is also overseeing efforts to appeal to young consumers, such as by promoting the menu's healthiest items in ads



(barbeque) SMOKEY MOUNTAIN BBQ STEAKHOUSE Head Executives (founded in 1964):

1964-1967: John Y. Brown Jr. – increased number of outlets 200% in 1964, but only 75% and 70% in 1965 and 1966, which were reportedly slower than had been expected for those two fiscal years; fired for underhanded tactics
1967-1990: Floyd “Sonny” Tillman – actively worked to promote business transparency, as symbolized by his all-glass office; personally created the chain’s “Sonny’s Special” menu item; stepped down after 23 years in order to enjoy his retirement years
1990-2005: Bob Yarmuth – company loyalist; privately considered the controversial "Cartoon Colonel" ads to be "a disgraceful insult" to the memory of the recently-departed Colonel Sanders; retired after failing to improve sales in the post-SARS economy
2005-2015: David Yohe – son of former KFC CEO Charles Yohe; had been working in numerous positions in the chain since its inception in the 1960s; launched a massive marketing campaign that allowed company to rebuild prominence by the early 2010s; retired due to exhaustion, then pursued other business ventures
2015-present: Jan Fields – former McDonald’s executive; as an outsider, had to earn FLG leadership's trust by improving sales for FY2016 by 200% without firing or furloughing a single employee or cutting any salaries (she managed to improve sales by 210% by giving herself a pay cut and shifting advertising expenses to producing cheaper, more direct ads for technet devices; currently working with the parent company to coordinate marketing strategies against their main competitors



(burgers) WENDY’S Head Executives (founded in 1968):

1968-2002: Dave Thomas – founded the chain and named it after his daughter; changed the original name of "Wendyburger" to "Wendy's" during the 1980s, but the original name continued to be used by some outlets as late as 2010 and continues to be used by many customers old enough to remember its original title; best known for appearing in commercials in a humble manner in sharp contrast to the boisterous Colonel Sanders that he once worked under; died in office at the age of 69, after being afflicted with a carcinoid neuroendocrine tumor for roughly ten years but that then suddenly metastasized to his liver
2002-2019: Joe Ledington – a nephew of Colonel Sanders; former regional manager for KFC-Appalachia; got into trouble with the parent company for divulging private company information during interviews in the early-to-mid 2010s; retired after 17 years of maintaining post-SARS growth in order to enjoy his retirement years
2019-present: Vipul Chawla – former head of the company's R&D department; currently overseeing technet advertising expansion efforts



(seafood) HADDON SALT, ESQ.’S AUTHENTIC FISH & CHIPS Head Executives (founded in 1965 and purchased by FLG Inc. in 1969):

1965-present: Haddon Salt – chain founder; still going strong after being in charge of the company for over 55 years by adapting to changing market trends without resorting to mimicking rising rivals (for instance, rejecting a proposal to make aminated-live action hybrid commercials to compete against those of SpongeBob's Undersea Cuisine); currently roughly 80 years old, he recently commented that he plans to stay on as the head of the chain for as long as possible



And, finally, a breakdown of some other prominent fast-food chains that have made appearances in this TL:



(hotdogs) THE BEAR’S HOTDOGS Head Executives (founded in 1971):

1971-present: Bear McSavory – founded in New Jersey as a single roadside stand by a proud but camera-shy man who publicly goes by a pseudonym to protect his privacy



(burgers) BURGER CHEF Head Executives (founded in 1957):

1957-1971: Frank and Donald Thomas – co-founders; not related to Wendyburger (later renamed Wendy’s) founder Dave Thomas
1971-1986: Jack Laughery – accepted the position over becoming CEO of Hardee’s, a small and struggling state-wide burger chain in North Carolina that folded in 1987; merged Burger Chef company with the smaller burger chain Sandy’s in 1972 but retained the name Burger Chef; decided to simplify the menu offerings in order to increase the prificiency and speed of the kitchen staff; led redesigning of outlets' interior space to create a more welcoming feel and better utilize the color red; stepped down after 15 years of growth to pursue other projects and interests
1986-1994: John L. N. Bitove – former CEO of the Canadian Big Boy and Roy Rogers chains; ran the company alongside his many Canadian businesses, focusing on workplace efficiency; in 1991, directed more funds into ingredients than into advertising in an effort to promote the chain by word of mouth - an effort that yielded only lukewarm results, but was later praised for being forward-thinking and ahead of its time; stepped down to better focus on the Yellow Knight Diner chain in Canada, which was making more money at the time of his departure
1994-2005: Michael Scott “Mike” Rawlings – lead the company through dire economic straits during the SARS pandemic; later served as the Mayor of Austin, Texas (2009-2014) and unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Texas in 2018; he recently announced that he is running for a US House seat in 2022
2005-2011: John I. Bitove – Canadian businessman involved in a plethora of other businesses and industries, and the son of a previous CEO; he shifted the company’s focus to selling primarily burgers to simplify marketing strategies and cut down on the diversity of ingredients being purchased and stored; he stepped down to better focus on the companies he founded in Canada in a repeat of his father's departure from the company, leading to rumor claiming that in response to "insulting" departures of both Canadian CEOs, Burger King's Board of Directors signed a document in which they agreed to never hire a CEO from Canada ever again
2011-2015: Cara Carlton Sneed – the daughter of a US Supreme Court Justice; COO of AT&T from 1991 to 1997, the US Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) under US President Larry Miles Dinger from 1997 to 2001, and CEO of PepsiCo from 2003 to 2007; unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for a US Senate seat from Texas in 2008; became cancer survivor in 2010 and a nearly-two-years-long battle; orchestrated mass layoffs in response to the 2013 recession; greenlit research into automating as much as 40% of the company's job positions in 2014; dismissed by the BoD amid an overall poor handling of the company and lukewarm improvement of profit margins; later joined a group of political think tanks in Potomac
2015-2019: Steve Easterbrook – began his career as a British accountant and worked his way up through the company from there starting in 2007; oversaw the improvement of the company's rocky financial situation; dismissed by the Board of Director over an “inappropriate incident” with a company employee; currently runs his own accounting firm
2019-present: Chris Kempczinski – previously worked for Procter & Gamble; participates in marathons to promote the company and healthy eating



(artisanal burgers) BURGER CZAR Head Executives (founded in 1997):

1997-present: Marc Benioff – founded the company, but “borrowed” its name, and its tagline (“Burger Czar, Where The Burgers Are”) from a 1970s episode of “Welcome Back, Kotter”



(burgers) BURGER KING head executives (founded in 1953):

1953-1959: Keith J. Kramer and Matthew Burns – co-founders of Insta-Burger King in Florida
1959-1976: James McLamore and David R. Edgerton – co-purchased Insta-Burger King when it faltered and renamed it
1976-1978: Donald N. Smith and David R. Edgerton – standardized outlet designs and menu offerings before Edgerton retired to pursue other projects
1978-1979: Donald N. Smith – restructured corporate practices amid economic recession; left the company in the midst of plummeting sales
1979-1991: Norman E. Brinker – improved cash flow by launching attack ads on rivals to gain attention in a successful "Hail Mary pass" and stepped down after 12 years of steady financial improvement and gradual growth
1991-2003: Jerry W. Levin – oversaw fluctuating strength in the company’s brand as a string of new menu offerings yielded mixed results; stepped down after 12 years due to exhaustion and amid internal criticism of his response to the SARS pandemic
2003-2006: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – ousted by the board of directors over his expensive overhauling of the company’s sanitation procedures and cooking techniques over concerns of Toxic Metal Accumulation (TMA)
2006-2009: John Walker Chidsey – stepped down after the company was hit by a class-action lawsuit concerning customers alleging they developed TMA due to the company's negligence (a lawsuit later settled out of court)
2009-2021: Donald “Don” Thompson – first African-American CEO; redirected brand, and demand generation efforts, toward lower-income customers; stepped down after nearly 12 years due to exhaustion
2021-present: Enrique "Harlando" Hernández – former McDonald’s executive; has expressed interest in "greatly" expanding the company's number of outlets



(chicken) CHICK-FIL-A Head Executives (founded in 1946):

1946-2014: S. Truett Cathy – company founder; known for opposing BLUTAG marriage, opposing keeping outlets open on Sundays, and being actively socially conservative; company reached its "peak" in the 1990s, followed by him receiving criticism and ontech boycotts for endorsing controversial politicians in the 2000s decade (such as Bernie Goetz in 2004 and 2012, and Bo Gritz in 2008); died from diabetic complications at the age of 93; succeeded by his son
2014-present: Daniel Truett Cathy – currently working to appeal to suburban and rural communities with "folksy" advertisements; his second-in-command is his brother, Donald M. “Bubba” Cathy



(burgers) MCDONALD’S Head Executives (founded in 1940):

1940-1961: Richard J. McDonald and Maurice J. McDonald – brothers, co-founders and co-owner’s during the enterprise’s early days; developed the restaurant's quick order delivery system
1961-1969: Ray Kroc – took over company by purchasing the land on which the outlets were located, technically making McDonald's a real estate venture; nationalized and globally expanded the company; took a temporary leave of absence to unsuccessfully run for Governor of California in 1966; agreed to a temporary truce with rival company KFC during the late 1960s; stepped down to run the San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1975; unsuccessfully ran for President of the United States in 1976
1969-1991: June Martino – was a close and longtime ally of Kroc; led company through the 1970s lawsuit and court case that ruled that the company had plagiarized the TV series H. R. Pufnstuf when creating the McDonaldland TV commercials; universally liked by the end of her tenure due to overseeing the company’s period of steady, continuous growth; retired in January at the age of 73
1991-2003: Frederick Leo “Fred” Turner – continued expansion into other countries; was criticized for the company's slow response to SARS concerns in 2002; retired amid continued criticisms causing stockholders to lose faith in his leadership abilities
2003-2018: Ballard F. Smith – Ray Kroc’s son-in-law and former PA-based D.A.; oversaw the introduction of healthier menu options; criticized for defending McDonald's employees receiving minimum wage and few benefits; stepped down after 15 years in order to enjoy retirement
2018-present: Kevin Hochman – was previously in charge of advertising, first for KFC and then (after leaving the company in protest of CEO Herman Cain's furloughs) for McDonald’s; currently facing criticism for the quality of working conditions for McDonald's employees nationwide



(niche burgers) OLLIE’S TROLLEYS Head Executives (founded in 1935):

1935-2002: Oliver “Ollie” Gleichenhaus – founded the original restaurant and created the original menu offerings in what began as a one-man operation; partnered with former KFC employee John Y. Brown Jr. to franchise the restaurant into a national chain; Brown left the company after failing to expand it beyond its "niche" market; oversaw day-to-day operations (even amid health issues in the 1990s) until his death
2002-present: Muktesh “Micky” Pant – has expanded menu options in order to try and keep the company afloat; chain now offers a simpler, cheaper, and easier-to-make alternative to the Ollieburger (informally dubbed the “Newlyburger”) as well as the now-slightly-pricier classic original (informally dubbed the “Oldyburger”)



(pizza) PIZZA HUT Head Executives (founded in 1958):

1958-1981: Dan Carney and Frank Carney – brothers and co-founders; Frank retired early
1981-1999: Dan Carney – expanded company during the "Golden Age of Pizza" that was the 1980s; retired after training successor
1999-2007: Greg Creed – entered office at the age of 41; modernized outlets and was quick to convert them to “drive-thru only” during the 2002 SARS pandemic; stepped down due to exhaustion
2007-2017: Barry Gordon – former S.A.G. President, former talk show host, and former two-term US Congressman (D-CA); also does voice acting work intermittently; stepped down amid declining sales
2017-present: Peter Rokkos – Greek-American businessman (founded Beach Rat Lemonade in 2005) and former prosecuting attorney; currently revamping the company's image to promote a balance between modern healthy eating habits and 1980s nostalgia



(pizza) PIZZA SHACK Head Executives (founded in 2012):

2012-present: James Stephen “Steve” Peace – founder; former actor best known for starring in the “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” film franchise; former state senator (D-CA, 1993-2003), US Congressman (D-CA, 2005-2011), and former gubernatorial nominee (D-CA, 2010); is often confused for Barry Gordon



(chicken) POPEYES Head Executives (founded in 1972):

1972-1995: Alvin Charles "Al" Copeland – chain founder, stepped down to handle the legal fallout of a physical altercation with a rival local businessman
1995-2005: John Walker Chidsey – greatly expanded the company’s presence on the national stage (especially during the late 1990s) and oversaw the company “modernize,” but stepped down due to exhaustion
2005-2008: Alvin Charles "Al" Copeland – returned to running the company to improve shareholder confidence, but died just under three years after entering office (after suffering from a sudden development of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of cancer, first detected in his salivary glands via a tumor that was discovered there in 2007) at the age of 64
2008-2010: Trevor Haynes – Australian businessman; in office during a continued period of declining sales; essentially served as a compromise interim leader until the Board of Director could finally agree on a more permanent officeholder
2010-present: Allen Adamson – former managing director of the brand consultancy Landor; has expanded the company’s number of outlets and has greatly improved the company’s brand recognition and reputation since entering office



(sandwiches) DR. SUB’S Head Executives (founded in 1946):

1965-2011: Dr. Peter Buck and Frederick Adrian “Fred” De Luca – company co-founders and served as co-CEOs; greatly expanded the company nationally in the 1980s and 1990s; Buck retired in 2011 at the age of 81 and is currently (July 4, 2021) still alive at the age of 90
2011-2015: Frederick Adrian “Fred” De Luca – died in office from leukemia at the age of 67
2015-2018: Suzanne De Luca Greco – sister of Fred De Luca; stepped down after failing to increase sales amid criticisms of the company's declining food quality and sanitation standards
2018-present: Robert D. Walter – was the company’s longtime Chairman of the Board; is currently attempting to "revitalize" the company and improve its reputation



(seafood) SPONGEBOB’S UNDERSEA CUISINE Head Executives (founded in 1991 and expanded in 1993):

1991-2016: Stephen Hillenburg – chain founder; greenlit the development of the TV series (which aired in the later half of the 1990s) that was based on the chain's highly popular TV commercials from the mid-'90s; known for refusing to divulge information about the company's trade secrets; has been praised for paying company employees living wages and allowing them to form a union, and for working quickly to apply safezoning measures during the SARS Global Pandemic; stepped down amid health crisis that ended three years later with him beating/surviving brain cancer; has served as a creative consultant for the company since early 2021
2016-present: Bryan Hillenburg – brother of chain founder; has been involved in the company since its founding; is reforming the company model to base it off KFC’s “early” years of growth and success



Bonus:

Presidents of The Walt Disney Company

1923-1945: 1) Walter Elias “Walt” Disney (1901-1966, aged 65) – company founder; introduced several developments and camera techniques in cartoon production; introduced synchronized sound/full-color/three-strip Technicolor/feature-length cartoons in the 1930s; current record-holder for the most Academy Awards won by a single individual, with 22 Oscars and 59 nominations, plus 2 Golden Globes and 1 Emmy; promoted war bonds and produced several “propaganda productions” and instruction films for the US military during WWII; stepped down to focus more on the creative side of the company’s multiple projects; peak net worth: US$1 billion
1945-1968: 2) Roy Oliver Disney (1893-1971, aged 78) – older brother of Walt Disney; worked on both the financial and creative aspects of the company, but primarily managed the finances and production issues to maximize profits; postponed retirement after Walt’s death to oversee the construction of Disney World, and stepped down a short time later; peak net worth: US$1.2 billion
1968-1971: 3) Donn B. Tatum (1913-1993, aged 80) – started working for The Disney as a production business manager in 1956 and worked his way up to Board Chairman; first non-Disney family member to head the company; played a major role in the creation of Walt Disney World Resort, EPCOT Center, Disneyland Tokyo, and Disneyland Barcelona; also contributed to the development of Space Mountain; stepped down after shareholders expressed distrust in his leadership skills amid poor box office performances; peak net worth: US$200 million
1971-1980: 4) Esmond Cardon “Card” Walker (1916-2005, aged 89) – decorated WWII veteran; previously served on the Board; followed Tatum’s interest in foreign markets and expanded the company’s presence abroad by applying the basis of KFC’s model for global expansion (understanding local tastes and tweaking menu ahead of laying down roots) to Disney theme parks abroad; greenlit several “experimental” animation efforts (such as developing painted backgrounds to create the feel of a living, moving portrait) and the developing of state-of-the-art special effects for both animated films and live-action films; stepped down amid animated feature films continuing to underperform at the box office; peak net worth: US$400 million
1980-1984: 5) Ronald William “Ron” Miller (1933-2019, aged 85) – former professional football player and the son-in-law of Walt Disney; had worked for the company since the 1950s, with his father-in-law grooming him to become a film producer; moved into directing in the 1970s before ending up on the Board of Directors; as President, expanded the company by creating Touchstone and The Disney Channel; promoted early CRI efforts and stop-motion projects; was ousted by the Board for failing to develop financial profits for the company’s shareholders; peak net worth: US$500 million
1984-1999: 6) Franklin G. “Frank” Wells (1932-2020, aged 88) – could trace his ancestry back to the Mayflower; was a company outsider, having originally worked his up to Vice Chairman at Warner Bros. before leaving that company in 1982; achieved his goal of climbing the Seven Summits in 1983, by climbing all seven mountains in one year, which was a world record for 12 years; took a hands-off approach to the company’s minutiae; greenlit investments into CRI technology, pairing up with Pixar in the 1990s to co-produce Pixar’s CRI feature films; also greenlit the development of several live-action remakes (such as 101 Dalmatians, Sleeping Beauty, and others) in the late 1990s, none of which were as profitable as the company had expected them to be; retired due to declining health from which he later recovered; peak net worth: US$6.1billion
1999-2007: 7) Jeffrey Katzenberg (b. 1950, age 70) – credited with contributing to reviving the company during the late 1980s as head of the company’s motion picture division; defeated longtime CEO Michael Eisner for the position after Wells privately told the Board that he preferred that Katzenberg be his successor despite Roy E. Disney (a powerful member of the Board) disliking Katzenberg’s “showboating [and] attention-seeking” ways; presided over an externally prosperous but internally tumultuous tenure, as he argued with others in the company hierarchy over CRI technology use, marketing and merchandising techniques, global expansion (most notably, the CRI TV series Kung Fu Panda), and pay equity reform for workers; greenlit several sequels and spinoffs amid calls by some within the company to produce more live-action remakes and by others to adapt original material for new films and TV shows; stepped down as continued internal conflicts were leaked to the press, resulting in stockholders losing faith in the company; peak net worth: US$2.9 billion
2007-2020: 8) Sid Richardson Bass (b. 1942, age 79) – involved in the company since the 1980s; selected over Stanley P. Gold and others; appealed to both stockholders and Disney Animation Artists by greenlighting projects based on folk stories that were lesser-known in the US but could yield profits in foreign markets as well as domestically; responded to the 2013 recession by furloughing over 100,000 low-pay workers; sought to improve theme park conditions and cruise line quality, especially after the Pinnacle-Sirena Collision of 2017 worsened the reputation of cruise lines; quality retired due to health issues; peak net worth: US$6.5 billion
2020-present: 9) Abigail Edna Disney (b. 1960, age 61) – is the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney; previously worked since the 1990s as an Emmy Award-winning documentary film producer, peace activist, and social organizer; was highly critical of her predecessor for earning hundreds of millions of dollars as CEO (including a $75million “farewell” package in 2020); has not denied claims that the Board of Directors only hired her after she publicly pledged to serve for five years, and with a salary that is roughly one-sixth of Bass’s; has expressed interest in addressing issues such as poverty and Global Climate Disruption more directly in future animated feature films; net worth: US$120 million



Also: Some American Mayors in this TL:



NEW YORK CITY

1/1/1966-12/31/1981: 103) Joseph F. "Joey" Periconi (1910-1914; R, R/Liberal until 1977) – former Bronx Borough President from 1962 to 1965; dealt with rising crime rates; retired amid abysmal approval ratings
1965: Paul O’Dwyer (D/Civil Service) and Charles Edison (Conservative)
1969: Mario Angelo Procaccino (D/Conservative)
1973: Harrison Jay Goldin (D) and Barry Farber (Conservative)
1977: Harrison Jay Goldin (D), Barry Farber (Conservative), Edward N. Costikyan (Liberal) and Vito P. Battista (United Taxpayers)

1/1/1982-12/23/1988: 104) Carol Bellamy (b. 1942; D/Liberal, D/Liberal/Progressive/Natural Mind after 1985) – first female Mayor of New York; previously served as President of the New York City Council; served during a slow decline in crime rates and a steady rise in employment; implemented progressive policies and defended BLUTAGO rights; was a prominent voice during the Second Ark Wave (1986); resigned to become President of the United States
1981: Roy M. Goodman (R) and Barry Farber (Conservative)
1985: Guy Molinari (R/Conservative)

12/23/1988-12/31/1989: Acting) Andrew Stein (b. Andrew J. Finkelstein in 1945; D/Liberal) – previously served as New York City Council President; lost nomination for a full term after failing to stand out in a crowded field

1/1/1990-12/31/2001: 105) Edward Irving "Ed" Koch (1924-2013; D) – previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1989; implemented housing renewal programs; dealt with rises in hate crimes toward Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans during the Second Korean War and the War on Recreadrugs; supported the death penalty and added 4,000 officers to the NYPD payroll during his second term; retired amid low approval ratings, leaving office at the age of 77
1989: Allard K. Lowenstein (Liberal/Progressive), Ronald S. Lauder (R) and Henry F. Hewes (Conservative)
1993: Guy Molinari (R/Conservative)
1997: Herman Badillo (R/Conservative)

1/1/2002-12/31/2005: 106) John A. Catsimatidis (b. 1948; R/Conservative) – born in Greece but came with his parents to the US when he was six months old; became a billionaire businessman by owning a real estate and aviation company, a local newspaper, and a chain of grocery stores; chastised for refusing to enforce safezoning measures during the SARS Global Pandemic; lost re-election; currently owns several businesses and serves as the host of a radio talk show host
2001: Al Sharpton (D/Liberal)

1/1/2006-12/31/2013: 107) Dr. Margaret Ann “Peggy” Hamburg (b. 1955; D/Liberal/Working Families) – previously served as a public health administrator (Assistant Secretary of Health and Humane Services from 2001 to 2005, and Health Commissioner of New York City from 1994 to 2001) who clashed with Catsimatidis during the SARS Global Pandemic; drafted into running; supported successful plan to get New York City to host the 2016 Summer Olympics; struggled to respond effectively to the 2013 recession; term-limited after 2006 rule change
2005: John Catsimatidis (R/Conservative)
2009: Richard Parsons (R/Conservative) and Robert “Naked Cowboy” Burck (Independence)

1/1/2014-present: 108) James "Jimmy" McMillan III (b. 1946; Independent/Liberal/Working Families) – first African-American Mayor; former city councilman; best known for running for public offices on a platform calling for the implementing of a rent cap for New York City residents; successfully addressed housing issues with penalties for vacant units, changing zoning laws to allow for more housing areas to be built, and converting former venues for the Summer Olympics into public housing and multi-purpose areas; ran for President in 2016 and 2020; incumbent
2013: Anthony “Tony” Avella Jr. (D/Conservative), Anthony Weiner (Progressive), and Malcolm Smith (R)
2017: Trisha Ellen Meili (D) and Richard A. “Bo” Dietl (R/Conservative)



LOS ANGELES

1961-1969: 37) Samuel William "Sam" Yorty (1909-1998; D until 1973, then R) – previously served in the US House of Representatives from 1951 to 1955; populist conservative; improved city's waste management and highway conditions, cut taxes, "streamlined" city government, and presided over the city emerging as a major city; was criticized for his "zero-tolerance" approach to shoutniks and civil rights activists peacefully protesting in the early-to-mid 1960s; admonished for endorsing Republican candidates in 1964, 1966, and 1968; narrowly lost re-election in a bitter race that saw Yorty try to paint a former police officer as a dangerous radical; later ran unsuccessfully for this and other offices
1961: Norris Poulson (R)
1965: James Roosevelt (D)

1969-1997: 38) Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Bradley (1917-1998; D) – previously served in the LAPD from 1940 to 1963, then served on the city council for the city's 10th district from 1963 to 1969; ran in 1969 on his police record and city council record; city's first African-American Mayor and longest-serving Mayor; promoted business growth as a means of creating city jobs; reformed the city's housing and zoning laws; lost bids for higher office in the 1980s; in his final term was criticized for rises in traffic congestion and air pollution, and for shying away from social movements in the early 1970s and late 1980s; retired amid declining popularity and poor health, but is currently looked back on positively
1969: Samuel W. Yorty (D)
1973: Samuel W. Yorty (R)
1977: Alan Robbins (D) and Howard Jarvis (R)
1981: Samuel W. Yorty (R)
1985: John Ferraro (D)
1989: Nathaniel N. "Nate" Holden (D) and Baxter Ward (D)
1993: Richard Riordan (R)

1997-2005: 39) Nicolas "Nick" Patsaouras (b. 1943; D) – Greek-American engineer, urban planner, and public official; previously served on the board of the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and worked for the L.A. Department of Water and Power; became nationally known when President Lee Iacocca was assassinated while standing next to him, and Patsaouras briefed the press on the tragedy later that day, still wearing his blood-splattered suit in an iconic moment; improved city's infrastructure issues; term-limited, left office with high approval ratings, and later successfully ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
1997: Steve Soboroff (R)
2001: Tom Hayden (D)

2005-2009: 40) Xavier Becerra (b. 1958; D) – Hispanic-American; previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005; served at a time of rising crime rates, hurting his efforts to implement President Jackson's police precinct reform proposals; lost re-election amid accusations of having connections to several scandals concerning city councilmen who were allies of him accepting bribes, even though Becerra himself was never directly linked to the scandals
2005: Joel Wachs (D)

2009-2017: 41) James Kenneth Hahn (b. 1950; D) – former lawyer and business investor; previously served as deputy city attorney (1975-1979), city controller (1981-1985), and city attorney (1985-2005); won election on the phrase "Vote For Hahn, Not The Con," which some accused as being a form of race-baiting; oversaw a drop in crime rates by utilizing the technet to open up channels of communication between the city's residents and law enforcement; switched the city’s voting process to instant-runoff/ranked choice voting in 2015; term-limited, and later successfully ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
2009: Xavier Becerra (D)
2013: David Hernandez (D) and Xavier Becerra (D)

2017-present: 42) Herman J. "Herb" Wesson Jr. (b. 1951; D) – city's second African-American mayor; previously served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 10th district (the same seat once held by Mayor Tom Bradley) from 2005 to 2017; won an 18-month term after city elections were “adjusted” in 2017; won a full term in 2018; incumbent; currently attempting to improve the city's parks and recreational options to promote families moving in to L.A. instead of moving out to neighboring suburban areas
2017: Mitchell Schwartz (D)
2018: Rick Caruso (D)



CHICAGO
1955-1976: 39) Richard J. Daley (1902-1976; D) – previously served as Cook County Clerk from 1950 to 1955; played a prominent role in the Democratic Party at the national level, being an influential figure during the 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 Presidential Elections; many members of his administration were charged of and convicted for corruption; died in office from a massive heart attack at the age of 74
1976-1977: 40) Wilson Lee Frost (1925-2018; D) – city's first African-American Mayor; appointed to be Daley’s successor by city council; previously served as a city alderman from 1967 to 1976; lost bid to complete Daley’s term
1977-1987: 41) Harold Lee Washington (1922-1987; D) – first African-American to be elected Mayor of Chicago; previously served in the state House from 1965 to 1977; often feuded with members of the city council, dubbed the "Council Wars," over transit issues, housing issues, and how to best address rising crime rates; died in office from a sudden heart attack at the age of 55
1987-1995: 42) Timothy C. Evans (b. 1943; D) – appointed to be Washington’s successor by city council; previously served as a member of the Chicago City Council from the 4th ward from 1973 to 1987; declined running for re-election to attempt to "pull a Bellamy" and run for President, but bowed out of the race before the primaries began due to poor polling and fundraising results; his policies were blamed for the high fatality rate of the Chicago Heat Wave of July 1995, though Evans himself accuses his successor of not doing enough during the crisis and attempting a cover-up of the true number of deaths
1995-2009: 43) Richard Michael Daley (b. 1942; D) – son of Richard J. Daley; developed the city's tourism areas and business districts, but was criticized both for presiding over rising police brutality incidents (even during President Jackson's attempts at police precinct reform) and for political allies, family members, and personal friends disproportionally benefiting from city contracting; resigned for a position in the Wellstone administration that he served in for roughly 14 months before Wellstone fired him for nepotistic hiring practices
2009-present: 44) Al Wintersmith (b. 1956; D) – African-American; incumbent; appointed Daley’s successor by city council; previously served as a city alderman from 1997 to 2009; born Deval Laurdine Patrick in Chicago to single mother Emily Wintersmith; has presided over efforts to curb police brutality incidents but has been criticized for ineffective moderate stances and milquetoast policies; failed to run for President in 2016 and 2020 but has recently expressed interest in running for Governor in 2022



HOUSTON

1982-1990: 57) Kathryn Jean Niederhofer "Kathy" Whitmire (b. 1946; D) – city's first female Mayor; previously served as city controller from 1977 to 1981; implemented city finances reform to create new social programs without raising taxes; gained national attention for giving a stirring speech endorsing Carol Bellamy at the 1988 Democratic National Convention; retired to unsuccessfully run for a US Senate seat
1981: Jack Heard (D)
1983: Bill Wright (I)
1985: Louis Welch (R)
1987: Bill Anderson (I)

1990-1994: 58) J. Fred Hofheinz (b. 1938; D) – former lawyer and the son of former Houston Mayor Roy Hofheinz (1953-1955); previously served as Mayor from 1974 to 1978; was considered a rising star in 1992 but fell into political obscurity after retiring from office and politics altogether
1989: Shelby Oringderff (I)
1991: Bob Lanier (R)

1994-2004: 59) Sylvester Turner (b. 1954; D) – city's first African-American Mayor; previously served as a member of the state House of Representatives from the 139th district from 1989 to 1994; retired to successfully run for a US Congressional seat
1993: Luis Ralph Ullrich Jr. (D)
1995: Dave Wilson (D)
1997: Robert A. Mosbacher Jr. (R)
1999: Jack “Jailbird” Terence (D)
2001: Chris Bell (D) and Luis Ralph Ullrich Jr. (D)

2004-2006: 60) Lee Patrick Brown (b. 1937; D) – African-American; former criminologist, police chief, police commissioner and businessman; lost re-election over his handling of Hurricane Rita
2003: Peter Brown (D)

2006-2012: 61) William Howard "Bill" White (D) – former attorney; previously served as the US Deputy Secretary of Energy from 2001 to 2005; retired to unsuccessfully run for a US Senate seat
2005: Lee Brown (D)
2007: Amanda Ulman (Socialist Workers)
2009: Jack O’Connor (R)

2012-2018: 62) Gene L. Locke (D) – African-American; former lawyer; previously served as a county commissioner from 2008 to 2012; lost re-election over his handling of Hurricane Harvey
2011: Roy Morales (R)
2013: Benjamin Hall III (D)
2015: Bill King (R) and Tony Buzbee (R)

2018-present: 63) Dwight Anthony Boykins (b. 1963; D) – African-American; previously served as a member of the Houston City Council for District D from 2014 to 2018; incumbent
2017: Adrian Garcia (D) and Gene L. Locke (D)
2019: Clarence Bradford (D)



PHOENIX
1976-1984: 52) Margaret Taylor Hance (1923-1990; R) – city's first female Mayor; term-limited
1984-1988: 53) Pete Dunn (R) – conservative elected in a good year for Republican; lost re-election in a good year for Democrats
1988-1996: 54) Terry Goddard (b. 1947; D) – previously served as a private attorney who prosecuted white collar crime; amended city rules so members of the city council were elected from districts instead of by a majority of all voters citywide, allowing minorities from certain parts of the city to be elected to represent their home areas and give those areas a more representative voice on the council; term-limited; later ran for higher office
1996-2004: 55) Randy Pullen (R) – addressed 1999 economic crisis by temporarily slashing social programs; barely won re-election; term-limited
2004-2012: 56) Linda Sue Nadolski (D) – supported President Jackson's police precinct reform proposals; term-limited
2012-2020: 57) Margaret D. Stock (b. 1961 in Boston, MA; R) – former member of the Military Police Corps and immigration attorney; term-limited
2020-present: 58) Rodney Glassman (D) – US Air Force veteran and former city councilman; incumbent



PHILADELPHIA

1956-1962: 91) Richardson K. Dilworth (1898-1974, aged 75; D) – previously served as the city's 16th District Attorney from 1952 to 1956; resigned to unsuccessfully run for Governor
1955: W. Thacher Longstreth (R)
1959: Harold Stassen (R)

1962-1972: 92) James Hugh Joseph Tate (1910-1983, aged 73; D) – city's first Roman Catholic mayor; previously served as City Council President from 1955 to 1962; retired
1963: James T. McDermott (R)
1967: Ethel D. Allen (R)

1972-1980: 93) Frank Lazarro Rizzo (1920-1991, aged 70; D until 1979, then R) – previously served as the Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department; conservative; Italian-American; admonished for opposing construction of public housing in majority-white neighborhoods and promoting the city police department engaging in patterns of police brutality, coercion, and intimidation toward African-Americans; almost removed from office twice in narrow recall elections held in late 1975 and early 1978; changed party affiliation after the state Democratic Party Chair and several other prominent state Democrats refused to support him during the second recall attempt; retired amid low approval ratings
1971: W. Thacher Longstreth (R)
1975: Charles W. Bowser (I) and Thomas M. Foglietta (R)

1980-1988: 94) Lucien Edward Blackwell (1931-2003; D) – city's first African-American Mayor; previously served as a member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 3rd district from 1974 to 1980; reversed nearly all of his predecessor's policies; retired
1979: David W. Marston (R)
1983: Tom Gola (R) and Muhammad Kenyatta (I)

1988-1992: 95) George R. Burrell Jr. (D) – former city council; lost re-election
1987: Joan Specter (R)

1992-1993: 96) Frank Lazarro Rizzo (1920-1993, aged 72; D until 1979, then R) – elected with only 39% of the vote due to divided opposition; died in office from a massive heart attack amid another recall attempt
1991: George R. Burrell Jr. (D), Bernard Salera (Progressive) and Joe Rocks (Conservative)

1993-2004: 96) John Franklin Street (b. 1943; D) – previously served as a member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 5th district from 1980 to 1992, and as President of the Philadelphia City Council from 1992 to 1993; reformed the city election system to allow for mayoral runoff elections; retired
1995: W. Thacher Longstreth (R)
1999: Charles F. Dougherty (R)

2004-2008: 97) Chaka Fattah (b. Arthur Davenport in 1956; D) – previously served in the state Senate from 1989 to 1997 and again from 1999 to 2004; lost a bid for a US House seat in 1996; lost re-nomination amid rising corruption allegations
2003: Al Taubenberger (R)

2008-2016: 98) T. Milton Street Sr. (b. 1941; D) – former hot dog vendor and activist against Mayor Rizzo's housing and vending ordinances; brother of John F. Street; previously served in the state Senate from 1981 to 1989 and in the US House of Representatives from 1989 to 2007; retired
2007: Karen Brown (R)
2011: Ronald D. Castille (R)

2016-present: 99) Darrell L. Clarke (b. 1952; D) – previously served as the President of the Philadelphia City Council from 2012 to 2016; incumbent
2015: Rhashea Harmon (R)
2019: Billy Ciancaglini (R)



SAN ANTONIO
1975-1981: 173) Lila Cockrell (D) – city's first female Mayor; retired
1981-1989: 174) Henry G. Cisneros (D) – retired; later elected Lt. Gov., then Governor, of Texas
1989-1993: 175) Lila Cockrell (D) – female; extended term lengths from 2 years to 4 years; retired to successfully run for Congress
1993-2001: 176) Howard W. Peak (R) – term-limited
2001-2009: 177) Edward D. Garza (D) – city's first Hispanic-American Mayor; term-limited; later elected to Congress
2009-2014: 178) Mike Rawlings (D) – businessman; resigned to manage the Houston Astros
2014-2017: 179) Ivy Ruth Taylor (D) – city's first African-American Mayor; retired to successfully run for Congress
2017-2021: 180) Michael U. “Mike” Villarreal (D) – lost re-nomination
2021-present: 181) Diego Bernal (D) – incumbent



SAN FRANCISCO

1/8/1968-1/8/1976: 36) Joseph L. Alioto (D) – Italian-American; term-limited
1967: Harold Dobbs (R) and Jack Morrison (D)
1971: Harold Dobbs (R), Dianne Feinstein (D) and Fred Selinger (I)

1/8/1976-1/7/1984: 37) George Moscone (D) – term-limited
1975: John J. Barbagelata (R)
1979: Eric “Jello Biafra” Boucher (Natural Mind)

1/8/1984-1/7/1992: 38) Carol Ruth Silver (D) – term-limited
1983: Gloria La Riva (Natural Mind)
1987: Dianne Feinstein (D)

1/8/1992-1/7/2000: 39) Art Agnos (D) – Greek-American; term-limited
1991: Frank Jordan (D)
1995: Willie Brown (D)

1/8/2000-1/7/2008: 40) Roberta Achtenberg (D) – openly BLUTAGO; term-limited
1999: Tom Ammiano (D)
2003: Matt Gonzalez (Green)

1/8/2008-1/7/2016: 41) Tom Ammiano (D) – openly BLUTAGO; term-limited
2007: Josh Wolf (Green)
2011: John Avalos (D) – first election to use Ranked-Choice Voting after city approved its use in 2008

1/7/2016-present: 42) Angela Alioto (D) – daughter of Joseph Alioto; incumbent
2015: Stuart Schuffman (Green)
2019: Mark Leno (D)



INDIANAPOLIS

1968-1976: 44) Richard Lugar (R) – retired to successfully run for a US House seat
1967: John J. Barton (D)
1971: John Neff (D)

1976-1990: 45) William H. Hudnut III (R) – resigned to become state Secretary of State
1975: Robert V. Welch (D)
1979: Paul Cantwell (D)
1983: John J. Sullivan (D)
1987: J. Bardford Senden (D)

1990-1996: 46) Stephen Goldsmith (R) – ascended to office as Head of the Indianapolis City-County Council; retired to successfully run for Governor
1991: Louis Mahern (D)

1996-2004: 47) Virginia Blankenbaker (R) – retired
1995: Z. Mae Jimison (D) and Steve Dillon (Liberty)
1999: Jocelyn Tandy-Adande (D)

2004-2012: 48) André Carson (D) – retired to unsuccessfully run for Governor
2003: Robert L. “Bob” Parker (R)
2007: Erick Lynn Gordon (R) and Fred Peterson (Liberty)

2012-2020: 49) Sue Anne Gilroy (R) – retired
2011: Melina Kennedy (D)
2015: Ed DeLaney (D) and Jocelyn Tandy-Adande (Independent Republican)

2020-present: 50) Samuel Ifeanyi “Vop” Osili Jr. (D) – retired
2019: Jeff Cardwell (R)



SEATTLE

1990-1998: 49) Norm Rice (D) – term-limited
1989: Douglas Jewett (R) and Dolores Sibonga (I)
1993: William Cassisus Goodloe III (Taxpayers), Jane Noland (D) and Cheryl Chow (D)

1998-2006: 50) Charlie Chong (D) – term-limited
1997: Gregory J. Nickels (D) and Scott Breen (D)
2001: Bob Hegamin (D)

2006-2009: 51) Al Runte (D) – resigned over scandal
2005: Christal Olivia Wood (D)

2009-2010: 52) Joe Mallahan (D) – interim Mayor

2010-2017: 53) Scott Lindsay (R) – resigned to become a US Representative
2009: Jessyn Farrell (D)
2013: Lorena Gonzalez (D) and Bruce Harrell (D)

2017-2018: 54) Joe Mallahan (D) – interim Mayor

2018-present: 55) Cary Moon (D) – incumbent
2017: Clinton Bliss (D) and Colleen Echohawk (D)



DENVER

1968-1983: 40) William H. McNichols, Jr. (D)
– ascended to office after incumbent resigned; lost re-election
1971: Dale Tooley (D)
1975: Dale Tooley (D)
1979: Felicia Muftic (D)

1983-1987: 41) Federico Pena (D) – lost re-election
1983: William H. McNichols Jr. (D) and Wellington Webb (D)

1987-1994: 42) Wellington Webb (D) – resigned to become Governor
1987: Federico Pena (D) and Don Bain (R)
1991: Norman S. "Norm" Early Jr. (D)

1994-2003: 43) Mary A. DeGroot (D) – ascended to office as she was City Council President at the time
1995: Richard O. Grimes (R)
1999: Stephannie S. Huey (I)

2003-2015: 44) Penfield Tate III (D) – retired to successfully run for a US Senate seat
2003: Aristedes "Ari" Zavaras (D)
2007: Danny F. Lopez (R)
2011: Carol Boigon (D)

2015-present: 45) James Mejia (D) – incumbent
2015: Jamie Giellis (D)
2019: Marcus Giavanni (D)



BOSTON

1960-1968: 50) John F. Collins (D) – retired
1959: John E. Powers (D)
1963: Gabriel F. Piemonte (D)

1968-1972: 51) Kevin H. White (D) – lost re-election
1967: John Winthrop Sears (R)

1972-1976: 52) Leverett Saltonstall Jr. (R) – lost re-election
1971: Kevin H. White (D)

1976-1980: 53) Kevin H. White (D) – lost re-election
1975: Louis Day Hicks (R)

1980-1988: 54) William Lawrence Saltonstall (R) – retired
1979: Kevin H. White (D)
1983: Joseph F. Timilty (D)

1988-2004: 55) Melvin H. “Mel” King (D) – city's first African-American Mayor; retired
1987: Joseph M. Tierney (D)
1991: Raymond Flynn (D)
1995: Thomas Menino (D)
1999: James T. Brett (D)

2004-2011: 56) Kelly Ann Timilty (D) – first female Mayor of Boston; resigned due to declining health
2003: Peggy Davis-Mullen (D)
2007: Althea Garrison (D)

2011-2012: 57) Stephen J. Murphy (D) – ascended to office as City Council President; retired

2012-2016: 58) Sam Yoon (D) – lost re-election
2011: Michael F. Flaherty (D)

2016-present: 59) Ayanna Pressley (D) – incumbent
2015 (blanket primary): Felix G. Arroyo (D) and Sam Yoon (D)
2015 (runoff): Felix G. Arroyo (D)
2019: Tito Jackson (D)



DETROIT
1962-1973: 68) Jerome Patrick Cavanaugh (D) – resigned for a position in the Mondale administration,
1973-1974: 69) William G. “Billy” Rogell (D) – ascended to office as City Council President
1974-1994: 70) Coleman Alexander Young I (D) – first African-American mayor; retired,
1994-2006: 71) George Cushingberry Jr. (D) – retired
2006-2007: 72) Kwame Kilpatrick (D) – was a potential governor candidate; fatally struck by a stray bullet fired by either police or perps during a bank heist,
2007-2008: 73) Kenneth Cockrel Jr. (D) – ascended to office as City Council President; lost bid to complete predecessor’s term
2008-2010: 74) Ella M. Bully-Cummings (D) – first female Mayor; was the city’s Chief of Police (2003-2008); lost re-election
2010-2018: 75) George Cushingberry Jr. (D) – lost re-election
2018-present: 76) Coleman Alexander Young II (D) – is the son of a former Mayor; incumbent



LOUISVILLE
1961-1965: 49) William O. Cowger (R) – term-limited
1965-1969: 50) Kenneth A. Schmied (R) – term-limited
1969-1973: 51) Frank Burke (D) – term-limited
1973-1979: 52) Harvey I. Sloane (D) – worked with city council to amend term limits in 1974 in exchange for retiring in 1979 if he won another term in 1975
1979-1987: 53) Tommy Klein (R) – term-limited
1987-1991: 54) Bob Heleringer (R) – lost re-election
1991-1997: 55) William B. Stansbury (D) – died in office from cancer
1997-2007: 56) Jerry Abramson (D) – term-limited
2007-2015: 57) Hal Heiner (R) – retired to successfully run for Governor of Kentucky
2015-present: 58) David Tandy (D) – incumbent



COLUMBUS
1960-1964: 47) Ralston Westlake (R) – lost re-election
1964-1972: 48) Jack Sensenbrenner (D) – retired to successfully run for Congress
1972-1976: 49) Jerry Spears Jr. (R) – lost re-election
1976-1984: 50) John Rosemond (D) – retired
1984-1992: 51) Buck Rinehart (R) – retired
1992-2000: 52) Ben Espy (D) – first African-American Mayor
2000-2004: 53) Dorothy Teater (R) – first female Mayor
2008-2015: 54) Buck Rinehart (R) – died in office from pancreatic cancer
2015-2015: 55) Michael C. Mentel (R) – ascended to the office as City Council President
2015-2020: 56) Bill Todd (R) – won special election; lost re-election
2020-present: 57) Andrew Yang (D) – first Asian-American Mayor



OKLAHOMA CITY
1971-1987: 31) Patience Latting (D) – retired
1987-1999: 32) Opio Toure (D) – lost re-election
1999-2013: 33) Guy Liebmann (R) – resigned for congressional seat
2013-2013: 34) Frosty Peak (officially nonpartisan) – interim
2013-2019: 35) David Holt (R) – won special election, then regular election, then lost re-election
2019-present: 36) Edward A. Shadid (D) – incumbent



BALTIMORE
1963-1967: 42) Theodore McKeldin (R) – lost re-election
1967-1971: 43) Thomas D’Alesandro III (D) – lost re-nomination
1971-1991: 44) William D. Schaefer (D) – retired
1991-1999: 45) Nancy Pelosi (D) – lost re-election
1999-2008: 46) Kurt Schmoke (D) – resigned after successfully running for a US House seat in 2008
2008-2015: 47) Martin O’Malley (D) – lost a bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2014; lost re-nomination
2015-present: 48) Patricia Coats Jessamy (D) – incumbent



MILWAUKEE
1948-1960: 35) Frank Zeidler (Socialist) – retired
1960-1999: 36) Henry Maier (D) – died in office from natural causes, age 81
1999-2004: 37) James E. Kreuser (D) – ascended to office as City Council President; lost re-election
2004-2012: 38) Wendell J. Harris (Socialist) – first Black Mayor; term-limited
2012-2020: 39) Joe Davis Sr. (D) – second Black Mayor; term-limited
2020-present: 40) Lena C. Taylor (D) – third Black Mayor and first female Mayor; term-limited



ALBUQUERQUE
1985-1989: 24) Ken Schultz (D) – retired
1989-1993: 25) Louis E. Saavedra (D) – retired
1993-2001: 26) Gary Johnson (R) – term-limited
2001-2005: 27) Martin Chavez (D) – retired to run for higher office
2005-2013: 28) Eric Griego (D) – term-limited
2013-present: 29) Richard Romero (D) – incumbent



ATLANTA
1974-1982: 54) Maynard Jackson (D) – term-limited
1982-1983: 55) Sidney Marcus (D) – died (cancer)
1983-1986: 56) Leroy Johnson (D) – ascended to office as City Council President; lost re-election
1986-1990: 57) Charles L. Weltner (D) – lost re-election
1990-1998: 58) Leroy Johnson (D) – term-limited
1998-2006: 59) Shirley Franklin (D) – term-limited
2006-2014: 60) Marvin S. Arrington (D) – term-limited
2014-present: 61) Lisa Borders (D) – former WNBA President; incumbent



JACKSONVILLE
1949-1967: 35) W. Haydon Burns (D) – retired to successfully run for Congress in 1968
1967-1979: 36) Hans Gearhart Tanzler Jr. (D) – retired to unsuccessfully run for the US Senate in 1980
1979-1987: 37) Jake Maurice Godbold (D) – retired
1987-1991: 38) Tommy Hazouri (D) – first Mayor of Lebanese descent; lost re-election
1991-1995: 39) T. Edward “Ed” Austin Jr. (R) – first Republican Mayor since 1888; lost re-election
1995-1999: 40) Betty S. Nolzendorf (D) – first female and first African-American Mayor; lost re-election amid low approval ratings
1999-2007: 41) Nathaniel “Nat” Glover Jr. (R) – retired to successfully run for Congress in 2008
2007-2011: 42) Mike Hogan (R) – lost re-election
2011-2019: 43) Alvin Brown (D) – retired to unsuccessfully run for Congress in 2020
2019-present: 44) Anna Brosche (R) – incumbent



SAN DIEGO

1955-1963: 27) Charles Dail (D) – retired due to waning health
April 1955: Harry L. Foster (I)
March 1959: James W. Morgan (I)

1963-1971: 28) Allen Hitch (R) – previously served on the city council; amended city’s election processes/system; lost re-election due to waning popularity over his response to the “Arkwave” of 1970
Nov 1963: Murray D. Goodrich (D)
Nov 1967: Frank Curran (D)

1971-1975: 29) Helen R. Cobb (I) – previously served on the city council; city’s first female Mayor; reformed city’s election processes/system; retired to uphold to her single-term pledge
Nov 1971: Allen Hitch (R), Ed Butler (D) and several others

1975-1987: 30) John Michael Schaefer (D) – previously served on the city council; retired to successfully run for a US House seat in 1988
Nov 1975: Pete Wilson (R)
Nov 1979: Lee Hubbard (R)
Nov 1983: Rich Riel (I)

1987-1991: 31) Charles Ulmschneider (D) – previously served in the state assembly; lost re-election amid criticisms over his handling of taxes and the city budget
Nov 1987: Dick Carlson (R)

1991-1995: 31) Tom Hom (R) – previously served on the city council, in the state senate, and in the U.S. House; city’s first Asian-America Mayor; lost re-election (finished in third place, missing the runoff) in a race that prominently featured anti-Asian dog-whistling from the race’s most conservative candidate
Nov 1991: Charles Ulmschneider (D)

1995-2001: 32) Richard Silberman (R) – moderate businessman; Jewish; husband of city councilwoman Susan Golding; won in 1995 in a race that saw Democratic support implode because of sympathy over the May 1995 assassination of Lee Iacocca and multiple Democrats splitting the liberal vote in the summer 1995 blanket primary; resigned after being indicted for misuse of funds
Nov 1995: Peter Navarro (I)
Nov 1999: Peter Q. Davis (R)

2001-2001: Acting) Juan Carlos Vargas (D) – previously served on the city council from 1993 to 2001 and served as City Council President from 1999 to 2001; Hispanic-American; retired to successfully run for a U.S. House seat in 2002 as he had initially planned

2001-2015: 33) Donna Frye (D) – inspired by Bob Ross and her surfer husband to become an environmental and community leader in the early 1990s; previously served on the city council from 1997 to 2001; promoted government transparency and numerous social programs; retired amid waning popularity
Aug 2001 (special): Jim Bell (D), Pat Shea (R), Mike Shelby (R), Richard Rider (Liberty) and several others
Nov 2003: Steve Francis (R)
Nov 2007: Floyd L. Morrow (D)
Nov 2011: Tobian Pettus (R)

2015-present: 34) David Alvarez (D) – previously served on the city council from 2010 to 2015; Hispanic; strengthened city’s relations with Mexico and supported the ultimately-unsuccessful effort to have San Diego and Tijuana jointly host the 2028 Summer Olympics (but hadn’t made it a campaign promise); incumbent; may run for Mike Gravel’s U.S. Senate seat in 2022
2015: Tony Young (D)
2019: Christine T. Kehoe (D)



NEW ORLEANS
1946-1961: 54) deLesseps S. “Chep” Morrison Sr. (D) – resigned for a position in the Johnson administration
1961-1962: 55) James E. “Jimmy” Fitzmorris Jr. (D) – as City Council President, ascended and completed predecessor’s term; retired
1962-1966: 56) Victor Hugo “Vic” Schiro (D) – lost re-election due to the candidacy of Addison Roswell “Rozzy” Thompson (H.I.P.) working as a spoiler
1966-1974: 57) Gerald J. Gallinghouse, Sr. (D) – term-limited
1974-1982: 58) Maurice E. “Moon” Landrieu (D) – term-limited
1982-1989: 59) Ernest Nathan “Dutch” Morial (D) – 1st African-American mayor; died suddenly from a respiratory issue
1989-1990: 60) Lambert C. Boissiere Jr. (D) – 2nd African-American mayor; as City Council President, ascended and completed predecessor’s term; retired
1990-1994: 61) James M. Singleton (D) – 3rd African-American mayor; won over longtime rival Bill Jefferson (D); lost re-election over ties to a scandal
1994-1996: 62) deLesseps S. “Toni” Morrison Jr. (D) – the child of a former Mayor; died suddenly from an undisclosed form of cancer
1996-1998: 63) Troy Anthony Carter (D) – 4th Black mayor; as City Council President, ascended and completed predecessor’s term; lost re-nomination
1998-2006: 64) Mary Landrieu (D) – the child of a former Mayor; term-limited
2006-2014: 65) Marc Haydel Morial (D) – 5th African-American mayor; is the child of a former Mayor; term-limited
2014-present: 66) Mitchell J. “Mitch” Landrieu (D) – the child of a former Mayor and the younger sibling of another former Mayor; incumbent



KANSAS CITY (Missouri)

1963-1971: 48) Ilus Winfield Davis (1917-1996, D) – oversaw the building of the Kansas City International Airport; pushed for the construction of the Truman Sports Complex; retired to successfully run for a state Senate seat
1963: Dutton Brookfield (I)
1967: Rex Bone (R)

1971-1979: 49) Charles Bertan Wheeler, Jr. (b. 1926, D) – former county court judge; known for sporting a bowtie; lost re-election; later served in the state senate from 2003 to 2007, and in the US House from 2013 to 2017, stepping down to run for governor in 2016 at the age of 89 (finished in second place in the Democratic Primary); currently (as of July 4, 2021) still alive at the age of 94
1971: Leon Mercer Jordan (1905-2001, D)
1975: Leon Mercer Jordan (1905-2001, D)

1979-1980: 50) Bruce Riley Watkins, Sr. (1924-1980, D) – previously served on the city council from 1963 to 1979; city’s first African-American Mayor; died suddenly from cancer
1979: Charles B. Wheeler (b. 1926, D)

1980-1991: 51) Phil B. Curls, Sr. (1942-2007, D) – previously served on the city council since 1968; ascended via city council selection vote; retired to successfully run for Congress in 1992 (and served from 1993 until his death from a sudden heart attack)
1983: Richard L. Berkley (b. 1931, R)
1987: Richard A. King (1944-2006, D)

1991-1999: 52) Katheryn Shields (b. 1946, D) – previously served on the city council from 1987 to 1991; city’s first female Mayor; oversaw the renovation of county buildings and the Truman Sports Complex, instituted “green” policies, and defended BLUTAGO rights and women’s rights; retired to successfully run for state senate; later ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor but lost amid allegations of wire fraud of which she was later acquitted
1991: Bob Lewellen (D)
1995: Alvin Brooks (b. 1932, D)

1999-2003: 53) George D. Blackwood, Jr. (b. 1939, D) – lawyer and former city councilman; lost re-election amid riots breaking out during safezoning efforts
1999: Kay Barnes (b. 1938, D)

2003-2011: 54) Clay Chastain (R) – former engineer and businessman; focused on job creation via tax cuts to small local businesses; received criticism for opposing President Jackson’s police precinct reform efforts; term-limited
2003: George D. Blackwood, Jr. (b. 1939, D)
2007: Stanford P. Glazer (I)

2011-2019: 55) Deb Hermann (b. 1954, D) – city’s second female Mayor; expanded city’s “green” infrastructure policies; term-limited
2011: Charles B. Wheeler (b. 1926, D)
2015: Janice S. Ellis (D)

2019-present: 56) Jolie L. Justus (b. 1971, D) – city’s third female Mayor and first openly BLUTAGO Mayor; enthusiastic supporter of President Pritt; incumbent
2019: Henry Klein (b. 1962, D)



KANSAS CITY (Kansas)
1/1/1972-12/31/1975: 40) Richard F. Walsh (I) – won election over two-term incumbent; lost re-election
1/1/1976-11/25/1988: 41) John “Jack” Reardon (D) – lured multiple businesses to the region to improve the local economy and lower unemployment rates; died in office from a sudden heart attack at the age of 45
11/25/1988-12/31/1991: 42) M. James Madin (I) – previously served as City Administrator; retired
1/1/1992-12/31/1995: 42) Joe Steineger Jr. (D) – lost re-election
1/1/1996-12/31/2003: 43) Carol Marinovich (D) – previously served on the city council from 1989 to 1996; city’s first female Mayor; focused on improving the city’s tourism industry; retired
1/1/2004-12/31/2015: 44) Joseph “Joe” Reardon (D) – son of Mayor John “Jack” Reardon; previously served as Wyandotte County Commissioner from 2002 to 2004; entered office at the age of 35; revitalized downtown region and worked to develop the Kansas Speedway to produce local jobs; retired
1/1/2016-12/31/2019: 45) Ann Murguia (D) – city’s second female Mayor; entered office at the age of 47; lost re-election over a rise in taxes
1/1/2020-present: 46) Mark R. Holland (D) – entered office at the age of 51; incumbent



SAN JOSE (California)
1967-1971: 58) Ronald Raymond “Ron” James (D, b. 1928) – city’s first popularly elected Mayor; retired
1971-1975: 59) Norman Yoshio Mineta (D, b. 1931) – city’s first Japanese-American Mayor; previously served as Vice Mayor; adjusted election dates and created development-free areas in East and South San Jose; retired to successfully run for a U.S. House seat in 1974 (as served as both the Mayor and a U.S. Congressman from January 3 to January 9 of 1975 due to overlapping terms, a situation which was allowed by the city charter until 1981)
1975-1983: 60) Janet Gray Hayes (D, 1926-2014) – former Vice Mayor and former city councilperson; defended women’s rights and supported social programs; city’s first female Mayor
1983-1991: 61) Barton L. Collins (D) – former chief of detectives of the San Jose Police Department; almost lost re-election over his initial responses to the Second Arkwave; was increasingly unpopular by the end of his time in office; term-limited
1991-1999: 62) Susan Walker Hammer (D, 1938-2020) – rebuilt downtown to foster economic development; created youth programs; oversaw population growth and construction projects across the city; term-limited; later served in the U.S. House of Representatives
1999-2007: 63) Ron Gonzales (D, b. 1951) – previously served as County Supervisor from 1989 to 1999; city’s first Hispanic Mayor since 1845; designed programs to attract young teachers to the city's schools, including home purchase assistance programs; suffered a minor stroke in 2004 amid dog whistle attacks over raising tax to cover a raise for sanitation workers and other city workers; term-limited and retired from election politics
2007-2015: 64) Cindy Chavez (D, b. 1964) – previously served on the city council; focused on public health, human services, and transportation; defended rights for BLUTAGO and immigrants; led efforts to create jail diversion programs for mentally ill offenders and homeless citizens, including sobering stations, crisis stabilization centers, and mobile crisis teams; term-limited; later served in the U.S. House of Representatives
2015-incumbent: 65) Madison Nguyen (D) – born in Vietnam but moved to the US with her family when she was a child; former City Councilor from District 7; working on building new college campuses and in San Jose; incumbent



FORT WORTH
1982-1991: 40) Robert Eugene “Bob” Bolen (1926-2014, R) – former businessman; retired
1991-1995: 41) Kay Granger (b. 1943, R) – city’s first female Mayor; retired to successfully run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives; later elected to the US Senate and was a potential candidate for Vice President of the United States in 2012
1995-2003: 42) Kenneth Barr (D) – former city councilman; retired
2003-2011: 43) Jim Lane (D) – worked with the Jesse Jackson administration to implement police precinct reform despite heavy pushback from several groups; retired
2011-2021: 44) Betsy Price (b. 1949, R) – former business owner and former Tarrant County tax assessor; reversed many of her predecessor’s policies; resigned to become a US Representative
2021-2021: 45) Brian Byrd (D) – head of the city council; lost election to a full term
2021-present: 46) Deborah Peoples (D) – progressive; city’s third female Mayor and first African-American Mayor; incumbent



CHARLOTTE (North Carolina)
1983-1988: 50) Harvey Gantt (D, b. 1943) – city’s first African-American Mayor; previously served on the city council from 1974 to 1983; supported infrastructure improvement efforts; resigned after being elected Governor in 1988; later unsuccessfully ran for the US Senate, then served as the US Ambassador to the UK from 2001 to 2005, as the US Ambassador to the UN from 2005 to 2009, and as the US Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013
1988-1989: 51) Al Rousso (D) – former city councilman; selected by city council to succeed Gantt as Mayor; lost election to a full term
1989-1991: 52) Sue Wilkins Myrick (R, b. 1941) – city’s first female Mayor; previously served on the city council from 1981 to 1989; lost re-election
1991-1995: 53) Craig Madans (D) – former city councilman; retired amid waning popularity and his increasing personal dislike of the occupation’s “limits”
1995-1999: 54) Patrick Lloyd McCrory (R, b. 1956) – previously served on the city council from 1989 to 1995; city’s youngest elected Mayor, entering office at the age of 39; strongly supported President Larry Dinger and the War on Recreadrugs; lost re-election and failed to challenge the election results despite the narrow margin of Scarborough’s victory; later opened his own law firm and chaired the North Carolina chapter of the Goetz’04 and Goetz’08 campaigns; lost bids for a U.S. House seat in 2010, 2012 and 2014; still claims he won the 1999 election
1999-2005: 55) Ella Butler Scarborough (D) – former city councilperson; city’s first female African-American Mayor; brought a maglev train system to the city; implemented civil rights and police precinct reform; retired to unsuccessfully run for a U.S. House seat in 2006, a bad year for Democrats
2005-2009: 56) Malcolm Graham (D) – former city councilperson; retired amid low popularity
2009-2017: Anthony Foxx (D, b. 1971) – previously served on the city council from 2005 to 2009; changed the city’s small business loan program during the 2013 recession to trump job losses; retired to unsuccessfully run for Congress in 2018
2017-present: Joel D. M. Ford (D) – overseeing the process of bringing electric car companies to the city; incumbent



EL PASO
1977-1985: 40) Reynaldo “Ray” Salazar (D, 1931-2016) – former accountant; city’s second Hispanic Mayor; opposed the Denton administration’s short-lived border fence proposal; later served in Bellamy administration’s Treasury Department
1985-1989: 41) Thomas D. Westfall (D, 1927-2005) – former FBI agent and criminal investigator; bombastic and aggressive approach to city government led to him making more enemies than friends in city government, who helped his political opponents in his failed bid for a second term
1989-1997: 42) Suzanne S. “Suzie” Azar (D, b. 1946) – city’s first female Mayor; former flight instructor; almost lost re-election in 1991 due to “overconfidence”; dealt with the War on Recreadrugs, including a minor 1996 hostage crisis on the US-Mexican border; retired to successfully run for a U.S. House seat in 1998 and served until 2007; lost bids for the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat in 2006 and again in 2012
1997-2001: 43) William Stephen “Bill” Tilney (D, b. 1939) – previously served as the U.S. Consul General in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico; oversaw efforts to minimize the effects of the 1999 recession; retired as part of a 1997 campaign pledge to only serve two terms; later taught US history at Jackie Robinson Academy in Long Beach, California
2001-2005: 44) Carlos Ramirez (D) – Hispanic; supported the Jesse Jackson administration; lost re-election; challenged 2005 election results on the claim that the similarity of the names of the candidates on the ballot confused people
2005-2013: 45) Carmen Rodriguez (D) – Hispanic; supported the Jesse Jackson administration; re-elected in 2011 over Jaime O. Perez (Liberty) after support for the local Republican party dropped so low the party did not even bother to field a candidate and instead endorsed Perez; term-limited
2013-2021: 46) Robert Francis “Bobby” O’Rourke (D, b. 1972) – former indie rock guitarist in the band Foss (1993-2005), former professional skateboarder (2002-2008), and former city councilman (2009-2013); known for feuding with Harley Brown supporters ontech; term-limited; has expressed interest in running for higher office in 2022
2021-present: 47) Estela Casas (D, b. 1961) – Hispanic; city’s second female Mayor; former news anchor for KVIA-TV; currently working to open a new medical school and cancer research center; incumbent



Metropolitan NASHVILLE
1963-1971: 1) Clifford Robertson Allen (D, 1912-1978) – former state senator; populist; worked to make a certain amount of property held by elderly homeowners with low incomes exempt from property tax; term-limited; later served in the U.S. House from 1973 until his death from complications of a heart attack
1971-1979: 2) Richard Harmon Fulton (D, 1927-2018) – previously served in the U.S. House from 1963 to 1971; supported teachers and public schools, but was criticized for his handling of several local issues; term-limited; later lost several bids for public office
1979-1987: 3) Jessie D. McDonald (R until 1986, then I) – young; city’s first African-American Mayor; former city councilman; often feuded with the city police and national Republicans, including President Denton; term-limited and retired from election politics
1987-1995: 4) Robert Nelson “Bob” Clement (D, b. 1943) – son of Governor Frank G. Clement; previously served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority as a Mondale appointee; promoted “clean” energy projects; term-limited; later elected Governor
1995-2003: 5) Thelma Marie Claybrooks Harper (D, 1940-2021) – city’s first female Mayor and second African-American Mayor; longtime political activist; previously served in the state senate from 1989 to 1995; known for wearing flamboyant hats; established programs to provide students from low-income homes with school supplies and lunches, increased legal protections to stop financial exploitation of the elderly by their caretakers, and passed a safe haven law for abandoned babies to promote adoption over abortion; championed women’s rights and children’s rights; term-limited; served in the U.S. House from 2005 until her retirement in 2019
2003-2011: 6) Brenda Gilmore (D, b. 1952) – former city councilperson from 1993 to 2003; city’s second female Mayor and third African-American Mayor; supported teachers union during local CBA dispute; term-limited; later elected to the state house and then the state senate
2011-2019: 7) Megan Barry (D, b. 1963) – former city councilperson; focused on infrastructure improvement; term-limited; currently serving in the state Senate
2019-present: 8) Harold Moses Love Jr. (D, b. 1972) – pastor; previous served in the state House from 2013 to 2019; city’s fourth African-American Mayor; supports civil justice reforms; incumbent



PORTLAND (Oregon)
1/1/1957-4/4/1979: 44) Terrence Doyle “Terry” Schrunk (D, 1913-1979) – previously served as Multnomah County Sheriff from 1949 to 1957; advocated for urban renewal; city’s longest-serving Mayor; died in office at the age of 66 from a heart attack
4/4/1979-12/31/1980: 45) Constance "Connie" Averill McCready (R, 1921-2000) – previously served as City Council Commissioner from 1970 to 1979; supported the ERA and BLUTAGO rights; lost election bid for a full term; later elected to the U.S. House
1/1/1981-12/31/1984: 46) William L. Patrick (D) – former city councilperson; lost re-election over his tax reforms and over his support for a controversial freeway proposal
1/1/1985-12/31/1992: 47) John Elwood “Bud” Clark, Jr. (I, b. 1931) – former businessman; left-leaning populist; supported mass transit improvements, downtown development, and addressing the causes of homelessness; retired after establishing term limits; later elected Governor
1/1/1993-12/31/2000: 48) Vera Pistrak Katz (D, 1933-2017) – born in Germany to a Jewish family that fled to the US after Hitler rose to power; previously served as Speaker of the state House; city’s second female Mayor but first female elected Mayor; supported the arts and public transportation, including maglev trains and bike paths; re-elected an upset over Grattan Kerans (D); term-limited; later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
1/1/2001-12/31/2008: 49) Michael D. “Mike” Schrunk (D, b. 1942) – previously served as the Multnomah County District Attorney from 1981 to 2000; son of Terry Schrunk; worked with the US Justice Department to implement civil justice reform and police precinct reform; re-elected over Jim Posey (Green); term-limited
1/1/2009-12/31/2016: 50) Sho Dozono (I, b. 1944) – former businessman; city’s first Japanese-American Mayor; left-leaning centrist; focused on environmental protection, fiscal responsibility, and education reform; term-limited
1/1/2017-12/31/2020: 51) Peter Edward Zuckerman (D, b. 1979) – former investigative journalist and progressive political activist; city’s first openly BLUTAGO Mayor (his husband is former City Commissioner Samuel Francis Adams); focused on recreadrug-related issues and on civil justice measures; lost re-election (failed to advance to the runoff due to coming in third place in the blanket primary)
1/1/2021-present: 52) Carmen Rubio (I, b. 1973) – city’s third female Mayor; former non-profit executive; Mexican-American; incumbent



PORTLAND (Maine)
1970-1971: 90) Dr. William L. MacVane (D) – open-heart surgeon; retired after one term
1971-1972: 91) Edward I. Bernstein (R) – focused on local issues and ignored national and even some statewide issues; retired after one term
1972-1973: 92) William B. Troubh (D) – in office when Portland voters approved a citywide referendum in November 1972 changing the city charter to recreate an elected mayor position that had previously been removed in 1923
1973-1974: 93) Edward I. Bernstein (R) – supported expanding the office’s powers, abilities, and responsibilities; lost “re-election” bid; city’s last “ceremonial” Mayor
1974-1982: 94) Gerard P. Conley Sr. (D, 1930-2018) – first citizen-elected Mayor in roughly 50 years; previously served on the city council from 1968 to 1977; term-limited
1982-1990: 95) Esther B. Clenott (D, 1924-2015) – city’s first female Mayor; former schoolteacher; previously served on the city council from 1978 to 1982; term-limited
1990-1998: 96) Anne M. Rand (D, b. 1946) – city’s second female Mayor; previously served in the state House from 1986 to 1990; term-limited
1998-2006: 97) Thomas Hiram Andrews (D, b. 1953) – previously served in the state House, state Senate, and U.S. House; term-limited
2006-2014: 98) J. Elizabeth Mitchell (D, b. 1969) – city’s third female Mayor; previously served in the state House and in the state Senate; term-limited
2014-present: 99) Ethan Strimling (D, b. 1967) – former non-profit executive; currently focused on education and city planning reform; incumbent



TUSCON
1955-1961: 33) Don Humnmel (D, 1907-1988) – aggressively encouraged the city’s growth; retired
1961-1963: 34) Frank T. Gibbings (D) – former city councilperson; won in a good year for Democrats due to the initial popularity of the Cuba War
1963-1975: 35) Keith Spalding Brown (R, 1913-1991) – former state GOP chair and former professional athlete; allied with Barry Goldwater in 1971; adjusted term lengths; lost re-election
1975-1979: 36) Lorenzo P. Torrez (D, 1927-2012) – city’s first Hispanic mayor since 1876; former coal miner and union organizer; lost re-election
1979-1987: 37) William Gilkinson (R) – former city councilperson; strongly supported Denton until 1986; lost re-election
1987-1991: 38) Thomas John “Tom” Volgy (D, b. 1946) – born to Hungarian immigrants; former city councilperson; lost re-election over tax agenda
1991-1999: 39) George Borozan (R) – former city councilperson; clashed with city’s Hispanic population over multiple incidents and controversies; won re-election in a landslide over controversial former campaign strategist and political prankster Richard "Dick" Tuck; lost re-election
1999-2007: 40) Emily M. Machala (D) – city’s first female mayor; attempt to reform city’s city department; retired
2007-2011: 41) Thomas John “Tom” Volgy (D, b. 1946) – former mayor; lost re-nomination over his handling of several minor local incidents and controversies
2011-2019: 42) Ramon Valadez (D, b. 1967) – Hispanic; former state senator and former County Supervisor; champion civil justice reform; retired; unsuccessfully ran for a U.S. House seat in 2020
2019-present: 43) Steve Farley (D, b. 1962) – former state representative and former state senator; not related to the Farley comedian brothers; incumbent



RALEIGH (North Carolina)
1971-1973: 52) Thomas Wood “Tom” Bradshaw, Jr. (D) – former businessman; retired
1973-1975: 53) Clarence Everett Lightner (D) – city’s first African-American Mayor; elected in the city’s first contest in which the mayor was to be directly elected instead of being selected by the city council; retired to successfully run for a U.S. House seat in 1976
1975-1977: 54) Jyles Jackson Coggins (D) – former real estate developer and former state senator; lost re-election
1977-1979: 55) Isabella McLean Bett Walton Cannon (D) – city’s first female Mayor; former schoolteacher; retired
1979-1983: 56) G. Smedes York (D) – former businessman; retired
1983-1994: 57) Avery C. Upchurch (D) – former city councilperson; died in officer suddenly from cancer
1994-1997: 58) Mary Watson Nooe (D) – city’s second female Mayor; former city councilperson; selected by city council to succeed Upchurch; retired
1997-1999: 59) Venita Peyton (D until 1998, then R) – city’s third female Mayor; former political activist and community organizer; lost re-election
1999-2009: 60) Stephanie Fanjul (D) – city’s fourth female Mayor; former city councilperson; retired
2009-2013: 61) Gregg S. Kuntz (I) – former business executive and entrepreneur; retired
2013-2015: 62) Venita Peyton (R) – former Mayor; lost re-election
2015-present: 63) Charles Francis (D) – former city councilperson; city’s second African-American Mayor; incumbent



HONOLULU

1955-1969: 11) Neal Shaw Blaisdell (R, 1902-1975) – worked with the Johnson and Sanders administrations on military operations and veterans issues during the Cuba War and Indochina Wars; retired
1954: Frank Fasi (D)
1956: unopposed
1960: Frank Fasi (D)

1969-1981: 12) Frank Francis Fasi (D, 1920-2010) – former businessman and entrepreneur; previously served in the territorial senate; built up the city’s public transportation system; popularized the “shaka” hand gesture; was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 1978; lost re-nomination over his flamboyancy and his fiscal policies
1968: Dominis Garrida “D. G.” Anderson (R)
1972: Richard “Ike” Sutton (R)
1976: Kekoa David Kaapu (R)

1981-1985: 13) Marilyn Bornhorst (D, 1927-2020) – city’s first female Mayor; former city councilperson; laid out “forward-thinking” agenda that included new taxes to pay for new services; lost re-election
1980: Theodore W. Gibson (R) and William Leialoha (I)

1985-1993: 14) Frank Francis Fasi (R, 1920-2010) – considered a political “maverick”; oversaw construction of new parks and energy plants; created recreation programs for children and founded city’s annual Winter Lights festival; lost re-election in an upset described as a “generational shift”
1984: Marilyn Bornhorst (D) and Blase Harris (Liberty)
1988: Kekoa David Kaapu (D)

1993-1997: 15) Arnold Morgado Jr. (D, b. 1952) – previously served on the city council from 1985 to 1992; lost re-election in the city’s first blanket primary
1992: Frank Fasi (R), Jack Schweigert (Liberty) and Jim Brewer (Green)

1997-2001: 16) Frank Francis Fasi (I, 1920-2010) – was an Independent candidate for Governor in 1994; oversaw the renovating of the city’s Civic Center and the construction of new office buildings for the city’s departments and growing business sector; lost re-election won conservatives voted for the Democratic nominee in the runoff, as Fasi took a libertarian stand on certain social issues while Hannemman took a more right-leaning stand on them
1996: Arnold Morgado Jr. (D)

2001-2006: 17) Muliufi Francis “Frank” Hannemann (D, b. 1954) – former teacher and businessman; previously served as a state congressperson (1987-1991) and as a city councilperson (1993-2001); 6-foot-7 Mormon of Samoan descent; fiscally and socially moderate; resigned after being elected Governor
2000: Frank Fasi (I)
2004: Marcus Oshiro (D)

2006-2007: Acting) Carol Fukunaga (D, b. 1947) – former lawyer; state Congressperson from 1979 to 1991, candidate for state senate in 1990 and 1992, city councilperson from 1995 to 2006, and city council President from 2003 to 2006; lost election to a full term in an upset

2007-2017: 18) Mark Edmund “Duke” Bainum (D, 1952-2019) – former physician; previously served on the city council from 1995 to 2003; survived a heart attack in 2009; experienced high approval ratings for his handling of the 2013 recession; retired due to declining health
2007 (special): Carol Fukunaga (D), Frank Fasi (I) Lillian Hong (I), Philmund “Phil” Lee (D), Khristina “Kris” De Jean (I), John Carroll (R) and others
2008: Paul F. Fasi (R)
2012: Rod Tam (R)

2017-2021: 19) Keith Amemiya (D, b. 1965) – former business executive; Japanese-American; criticized for his handling of social programs and for fighting with city council over tax reform efforts; lost re-election (finished in third place in the blanket primary)
2016: Kymberly Pine (R) and William “Bud” Stonebraker (R)

2021-present: 20) Donovan M. Dela Cruz (D, b. 1973) – incumbent
2020: Donna Mercado Kim (D)



VIRGINIA BEACH
1988-2001: 23) Meyera E. Oberndorf (D) – city’s first female Mayor; previously served in the city council from 1976 to 1988; resigned to become Governor after being elected to that office in November 2001 and entered the governorship in January 2002, and later drafted into the November 2002 US Senate election after the Democratic nominee withdrew amid a scandal in September 2002
2001-2002: 24) Jody M. Wagner (D) – previously served in the city council from 1995 to 2001; selected by the city council to succeed Oberndorf until a special election was held to select someone to serve the remainder of her term; lost election
2002-2012: 25) John D. “Jack” Moss (R) – previously served in the city council from 1986 to 1995 and in the state senate from 1995 to 2004; resigned to unsuccessfully run for the GOP nomination for a US House seat, after polling suggested he would lose a bid for a third term
2012-2016: 26) John O. Parmele Jr. (I) – lived from 1942 to 2016; previously served on the city council from 1992 to 2000 and again from 2010 to 2012; retired due to declining health and passed away less than a year after leaving office
2016-present: 27) John E. Uhrin (R) – previously served on the city council from 2011 to 2016; re-elected in a surprisingly close race; incumbent



SOUTH BEND
1960-1964: 25) Frank J. Bruggner (D) – lived from 1891 to 1972; succeeded Mayor Edward F. Voorde (1910-1960), who died in office in a car accident; retired
1964-1968: 26) Eugene Pajakowki (D) – Polish-American; significantly restructured South Bend’s city government; lost re-nomination in a bitterly divisive Democratic primary
1968-1976: 27) Janet Allen (R) – conservative; supported businesses and cut taxes; former Common Council member from 1964 to 1968; not related to Lloyd M. Allen; the city’s first female mayor; retired to successfully run for a US House seat in 1976
1976-1980: 28) George E. Herendeen (D) – former city council member; supported local businesses and trade schools; almost lost re-nomination and lost re-election in a landslide due the effects the 1978 Economic “Crash” had on the city; retired
1980-1988: 29) George Williams Jr. (R) – the city’s first African-American mayor; oversaw bond issues and sought to improve the living conditions of the city’s minorities, especially those of predominantly African-American neighborhoods; briefly entered the national spotlight when he severely criticized President Denton in early 1986; retired due to exhaustion and, after losing bids for the U.S. in 1992 and 1994, retired from election politics
1988-1996: 30) Richard D. Jasinki (D) – former city council member; oversaw period of economic development but was criticized for his handling of local recreadrug use rates; retired due to exhaustion
1996-2000: 31) Sylvia Shelton (R) – the city’s second female Mayor; “law and order” centrist; lost re-election amid a rise in incidents between police and Hispanic-American locals
2000-2012: 32) John Voorde (D) – the son of Mayor Edward F. Voorde and the city’s longest-serving Mayor; longest-serving Mayor; retired to unsuccessfully run for a U.S. House seat, losing the Democratic primary in an upset
2012-present: 33) Ryan Michael Dvorak (D) – previously served in the state senate from 2002 to 2012; incumbent; has expressed interest in running for a fourth term



WASHINGTON, D.C.

1962-1967: 1) Edward Bennett Williams (1920-1988, D) – previously was a high-profile defense lawyer; appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson; retired; later served as Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee

1967-1983: 2) Clifford Leopold Alexander, Jr. (b. 1933, D) – city’s first popularly-elected Mayor, first African-American Mayor, and longest-serving Mayor; retired; later moved to New York and briefly ran for President in 1988
1966: Sam Harris (I), Raymond Ellis (I), and Jackson Champion (R)
1970: Nan Bailey (Natural Mind)
1974: Tommy Lynn Grant (I)
1978: Marion Barry (Independent Democratic)

1983-1995: 3) Sterling Tucker (1923-2019, D) – former Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia; lost re-nomination amid waning popularity
1982: Jesse Jackson (Democratic (write-in)), Patricia Roberts Harris (I), and Charlene Drew Jarvis (I)
1986: E. Brooke Lee Jr. (R), Dennis S. Sobin (D.C. Statehood) and Brian P. Moore (I)
1990: Arthur Fletcher (R), Josephine D. Butler (D.C. Statehood) and Brian P. Moore (I)

1995-1999: 4) Walter Edward Fauntroy (b. 1933, D) – former pastor; former delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1991 and a candidate for Mayor in 1990; criticized for opposing BLUTAGO marriage; lost re-nomination amid claims that his policies were too moderate, unambitious, and inefficient)
1994: Jodean M. Marks (D.C. Statehood) and Faith Dane (I)

1999-2006: 5) Charlene Rosella Drew Jarvis (b. 1941, D) – city’s first female Mayor; became the Governor of Potomac once the Federal District became a state
1998: John L. Ray (D.C. Statehood), Brian P. Moore (I) and Faith Dane (I)
2002: Steve Donkin (D.C. Statehood)
 
Post 120
Post 120: Index 6

Index 6: Alternate White Houses
(Additional White House Information and Statistics)


1. US PRESIDENTS BY AGE (At The Start Of Their Terms)
1) #26 Theodore Roosevelt – 42 years, 322 days (September 14, 1901)
2) #37 Walter Mondale – 45 years, 15 days (January 20, 1973) – longest post-presidency timespan at 40 years, 160+ days
3) #18 Ulysses S. Grant – 46 years, 311 days (March 4, 1869)
4) #40 Carol Bellamy – 47 years, 6 days (January 20, 1989)
5) #22 Grover Cleveland (first term) – 47 years, 351 days (March 4, 1885)
6) #14 Franklin Pierce – 48 years, 101 days (March 4, 1853)
7) #42 Larry Dinger – 48 years, 274 days (May 9, 1995)
8) #20 James A. Garfield – 49 years, 105 days (March 4, 1881) – third-shortest tenure
9) #11 James K. Polk – 49 years, 122 days (March 4, 1845)
10) #13 Millard Fillmore – 50 years, 183 days (July 9, 1850) – seventh-shortest tenure
11) #10 John Tyler – 51 years, 6 days (April 4, 1841) – tenth-shortest tenure
12) #30 Calvin Coolidge – 51 years, 29 days (August 2, 1923)
13) #32 Franklin D. Roosevelt – 51 years, 33 days (March 4, 1933) – longest tenure
14) #39 Jack French Kemp – 51 years, 168 days (December 28, 1986) – fifth-shortest tenure
15) #27 William Howard Taft – 51 years, 170 days (March 4, 1909)
16) #21 Chester A. Arthur – 51 years, 349 days (September 19, 1881) – eighth-shortest tenure
17) #16 Abraham Lincoln – 52 years, 20 days (March 4, 1861)
18) #35 Lyndon B. Johnson – 52 years, 146 days (January 20, 1961)
19) #25 William McKinley – 54 years, 34 days (March 4, 1897)
20) #8 Martin Van Buren – 54 years, 89 days (March 4, 1837)
21) #19 Rutherford B. Hayes – 54 years, 151 days (March 4, 1877)
22) #31 Herbert Hoover – 54 years, 206 days (March 4, 1929)
23) #29 Warren G. Harding – 55 years, 122 days (March 4, 1921)
24) #23 Benjamin Harrison – 55 years, 196 days (March 4, 1889)
25) #24 Grover Cleveland (second term) – 55 years, 351 days (March 4, 1893)
26) #28 Woodrow Wilson – 56 years, 66 days (March 4, 1913)
27) #17 Andrew Johnson – 56 years, 107 days (April 15, 1865) – ninth-shortest tenure
28) #38 Jeremiah Denton – 56 years, 189 days (January 20, 1981)
29) #1 George Washington – 57 years, 67 days (April 30, 1789)
30) #6 John Quincy Adams – 57 years, 236 days (March 4, 1825)
31) #3 Thomas Jefferson – 57 years, 325 days (March 4, 1801)
32) #45 Kelsey Grammer – 57 years, 334 days (January 20, 2013)
33) #4 James Madison – 57 years, 353 days (March 4, 1809)
34) #5 James Monroe – 58 years, 310 days (March 4, 1817)
35) #43 Jesse Jackson – 59 years, 104 days (January 20, 2001)
36) #33 Harry S. Truman – 60 years, 339 days (April 12, 1945)
37) #2 John Adams – 61 years, 125 days (March 4, 1797)
38) #7 Andrew Jackson – 61 years, 354 days (March 4, 1829)
39) #34 Dwight D. Eisenhower – 62 years, 98 days (January 20, 1953)
40) #12 Zachary Taylor – 64 years, 100 days (March 4, 1849) – fourth-shortest tenure
41) #44 Paul Wellstone – 64 years, 183 days (January 20, 2009)
42) #15 James Buchanan – 65 years, 315 days (March 4, 1857)
43) #46 Harley D. Brown – 66 years, 146 days (November 10, 2020) – second-shortest tenure
44) #9 William Henry Harrison – 68 years, 23 days (March 4, 1841) – shortest tenure
45) #41 Lee Iacocca – 68 years, 97 days (January 20, 1993) – sixth-shortest tenure
46) #47 Charlotte Pritt – 72 years, 18 days (January 20, 2021)
47) #36 Harland D. Sanders – 74 years, 133 days (January 20, 1965) – longest-lived President at 100 years, 97 days


2. US FIRST SPOUSES (First Ladies, First Gentlemen, and other White House Hosts and Hostesses since 1961) [F1]

1961-1965: Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor

The groundbreaking Lady Bird was the first White House hostess to hold the Bible during her husband’s inauguration (starting a tradition), the first to have her own Press Secretary, the first to interact directly with Congress (contributing to the passing of the 1962 Civil Rights Act by meeting with lawmakers who refused to meet with her husband), and the first to serve as a US Ambassador (to the UK, under President Mondale, from 1973 to 1975). Being a staunch advocate for “beautifying” America’s cities and highways led to the passage of the Highway Beautification Act, and being a mediating force between her husband and many of his political opponents allowed cooler heads to prevail more often than not. Furthermore, her positive demeanor and hopeful disposition was a pleasant distraction from her husband’s grim bungling of warfare in Cuba. After leaving the White House, Lady Bird was hesitant to support her husband's proposed attempt to run for a second non-consecutive term, as she grew concerned over his health. In regards to the First Ladies that followed her, Lady Bird expressed sympathy and support for all of them, including those that she personally did not get along with too well, because she understood the pressures of the office, and possibly felt a bit guilty for expanding the role so greatly, subsequently contributing to said pressure. After her overall health began to decline in the late 1980s, Lady Bird passed away in 2008 at the age of 95, having outlived Lyndon by 33 years.

1965-1973: Claudia Ellen Ledington Price
As First Lady of the United States, the former First Lady of Kentucky was noticeably less active than her White House predecessor, but nevertheless promoted music, art preservation, food programs, and young children’s education programs. She supported renovating parts of the White House and preserving Washington, D.C.'s many historical landmarks. Claudia also utilized her experience working with Harland to expand his business enterprise in Kentucky to work with many members of Congress to promote her husband's political agenda, especially, the proposed Federal Aid Dividend, but was still noticeably less active and public about such activities than her predecessor had been. Nevertheless, Claudia was a gracious White House host; during hosting duties, Claudia would usually play the piano, and often worked with the President and the White House kitchen staff to prepare meals for the guests. Claudia’s biggest impact, though, would have to be her redecoration of the White House interior, blending traditional styles found across the country to make an interesting visual representation of the U.S.'s "melting pot" metaphor.

1973-1981: Joan Adams
Entering office at the age of 42, and being over 28 years younger than her predecessor, Joan was an energetic and enthusiastic First Lady. “Joan of Art” got her nickname from her promotion of artworks ranging from modern American to traditional Asian. With this in mind, Joan added numerous artworks in the White House, enriching its atmosphere with the inclusion of the latest art styles, albeit causing minor controversy along the way. Artists showcased included Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Nevelson, Ansel Adams, Edward Hopper, and Norman Rockwell, the last of whom reportedly got along well with both Claudia and Joan. As the former chairperson of the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities, Joan was able to successfully champion “inter-cultural understanding through art,” and helped to make for closer relations with American allies. As an accomplished pottery-maker in her own right, she also often gifted works of pottery she made herself to heads of state during trips abroad with her husband. Joan proved to be much more actively supportive of international cultural causes than had been Claudia, communicating with prominent artists around the world, and even maintaining a friendly correspondence with Dorothy Foot, the wife of the UK's PM. Privately, Joan was to the left of her husband, and often served as an advisor on decisions regarding women’s issues; as a result, Joan often (at least tried to) serve as a mediator between him and his more openly progressive Vice President, albeit with mixed results. After leaving the White House, Joan continued to try to help the two men bury the hatchet, even telling Gravel of her alleged dislike of his wife at the time (after Joan passed away in 2014, Gravel claimed Joan though his first wife was a "sourpuss," which may explain why the two woman rarely worked on or even attended functions together).

1981-1986: Kathryn Jane Maury
Kathryn’s handling of her position was closer in nature to Claudia than it was to Joan or Lady Bird, gladly letting her husband soak up the spotlight while she supported the causes close to her heart more privately. Still, as a social conservative and a religious Catholic like her husband, she joined her spouse in being a “soldier” in the war on recreadrugs and juvenile delinquency, believing that after-school vocational programs and part-time jobs and internships would keep “young teen punk hoodlums off the streets.” Naturally, she was not all that popular among many young Americans, or among feminist activists who believed her loyalty to her husband came off as a "step backward" as the activist Gloria Steinem once put it. However, during her last two years as First Lady, Kathryn decreased the frequency of White House parties to try and reassure supporters and the American public that her husband was taking the increasing number of scandals and accusations very seriously. She continued to promote family values long after leaving the White House, and often attempted to privately work with future First Ladies to ensure that the "prestige" of the office remained intact.

1986-1989: Joanne Main
Joanne was similar to Kathryn in regards to the issues and causes that they championed, except that Joanne was far more timid of than her predecessor. While the two had become friends during the mid-1980s, this relationship was strained by Joanne’s husband granting his predecessor a pardon for specific crimes, unofficially “branding [Kathryn’s] husband guilty without a trial,” as Kathryn later put it. However, the two eventually made amends as they appeared alongside one another in 1989 at a social function supporting the Protection of Marriage Act of 1986. As someone who had gone through the horrors of having a miscarriage, Joanne was low-key more anti-abortion than Kathryn, and considered the landmark Supreme Court decision that made it legal nationwide to be a "travesty." She continued to promote conservative issues in the background of political circles after leaving the White House, quietly supporting various anti-abortion candidates but otherwise keeping herself while her husband continued to receive more attention. Interestingly, according to a 2017 report, during the 1992 Republican primaries, Joanne donated to the Estus Pirkle campaign while Jack donated to the Lee Iacocca campaign. As of July 4, 2021, she is the earliest-serving First Lady to still be alive; she is reportedly on good terms with all of her successors, including the incumbent one.

1989-1993: none/various
With Carol being unmarried and “too busy [working] to go on a date,” as she once put it, various friends, relatives [C1], and even political surrogates – most notably former First Lady Joan Mondale and the incumbent Second Lady – took turns serving as Acting White House Hostess when needed. This situation of “rotating” hostesses was highly criticized by many Republicans and social conservatives for being too "non-traditional" or even (somehow) "insulting." White House staff have described the upstairs residence during this time as being full of books and charts, and more akin to “a lived-in library” than the “almost-regal home” it was described as being like under First Ladies Kathryn and Joanne. These partisan criticisms were dismissed by Bellamy, who told her aides that she had "bigger problems" to deal with. The hostess situation subsequently led to the “mood/tone” of White House functions depend on the host/hostess, which inevitably caught the attention of TV producers. At least two Hollywood production studios sought to make a reality TV series (which, incidentally, were growing in popularity at the time) on the concept of each show contestant, upon being cleared by Secret Service and other White House figures, serving as the White House host/hostess for one week each in order to see "who does the best job at it," as Tumbleweed reported in 1990. However, the White House always shot down these proposals.

1993-1995: Lia Iacocca Nagy and Kathryn “Kathy” Iacocca Hentz (as Acting Co-Hostesses)
With future President Lee Iacocca’s beloved wife Mary McCleary passing away in 1983 at age 57 from diabetes, fueling her husband's commitment to funding diabetes research passed away, White House hosting duties were almost always jointly carried out by their two daughters. The President’s sister, Delma Marie Iacocca Kelechava (1922-2017), occasionally served as hostess when neither of them could. All three women advocated medical research and threw their support behind multiple health-related organizations, hospitals, and charity drives. Lia Iacocca (b. 1964) who married in 1987 to James F. Nagy Jr., a landscaping supervisor, served slightly more often than her older sister Kathy (b. circa 1959), who married businessman Ned Carlton Hentz in 1986. Kathy was a polyglot who used her fluency in Italian, Spanish, and French to help strengthen relations with several nations, while Lia utilized her degree in communications to network with Republican donors during the 1992 campaign; Lia was meeting with such donors in D.C., in anticipation of a 1996 re-election campaign, when she learned her father had been shot.

1995-2001: Paula Gaffey
Continuing the hands-off “back seat” approach to White House hosting duties followed by Claudia, Kathryn, and Joanne, Paula maintained a low profile during the 1990s, avoiding the limelight to better help her husband with decision-making and optics issues from behind the scenes. However, the two were not considered a "Power Couple" at the time due to her modesty, with her contributions to the administration only being noted by researchers in more recent years. Nevertheless, she was a strong supporter of causes that supported the families of military officers and veterans, of Gold Star families, and of Veterans’ affairs, along other relevant issues such as education for adults (night school classes) and scholarships for veterans. Paula noticeably partnered with Second Lady Meredith to oppose Recreadrug legalization on the grounds of protecting families and children from addiction and gang violence. After leaving the White House, Paula continued to be on good terms with all the former First Ladies, including Joan, and did her best to be on friendly terms with those that held the position after her.

2001-2009: Jacqueline Lavinia Brown
As the matriarch of the first Black First Family, “Jackie” was greatly worried about her husband’s safety, and oversaw the modernization of the White House’s security measures. Jacqueline was more politically active than many of her predecessor, as she sought to be persuasive when lobbying for legislation, initially for feminist causes but later advocating for other issues, primarily child-raising. Her religious dedication and adherence to safezoning was a source of hopefulness and uplifting inspiration for many during the SARS pandemic. Jackie also supported penal code reform – even before her one son’s arrest in 2006 – in order to “nip [problems] in the bud;” she backed legislation promoting after-school programs and improving worker pay to get parents more involved in their children’s lives to minimize first-time and repeat offender incidents, telling reporters in 2004 “the answer doesn’t start just in D.C., it starts at home, too. It starts with D.C. helping parents find and hold jobs that give them the time to sit down with their children and teach right from wrong.” She got along well with daughter-in-law Michelle Robinson, and helped to promote many of Michelle’s own passion projects concerning child nutrition.

2009-2013: Sheila Ison
Even more politically active than Jacqueline, Sheila was a strong advocate for human rights, the environment, and peace. Pointing out that women also suffer from police brutality as well as from human trafficking and illicit narcotic peddling, Sheila utilized her work on domestic violence prevention and assistance for survivors of such events while First Lady of Minnesota to support efforts to improve worker conditions and support the Women And Children’s Protection Act. As America’s first Jewish First lady, Sheila also worked with numerous organizations to confront anti-Semitism, racism, and hate groups.

2013-2020: Marissa Joan Hart
Like her husband, Marissa was a “screen thespian” who had had roles in several movies and TV shows; she most notably starred in Clarissa Explains It All (TV series, 1991-1994), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV series, 1996-2001), Drive Me Crazy (1999 film), Rent (2002 film), Holiday in Handcuffs (2007 TV film) and My Fake Fiance (2009 TV film), the last role being filmed when she was First Lady of California. Marissa also cameoed in the 2019 Sabrina reboot film, which underperformed at the box office despite her appearance receiving praise. Marissa was known for having a very energetic personality as First Lady, redecorating the Executive Residence to give it a “more modern and lived-in feel,” in contrast to First Lady Sheila Wellstone’s retention of its more traditional aesthetics. A gracious host like the First Ladies before her, Marissa was a passionate supporter of a number of causes, including several conservation societies, medical research, anti-bullying measures, The Art of Elysium, and IFS Virus research organizations. She also cared greatly about “child protection” causes such as eliminating child hunger, child homeless, child abuse, child neglect and child poverty, and worked well alongside her sister-in-law Karen Grammer to address these concerns. However, after over 15 years in the political spotlight (starting with her husband’s run for governor beginning in 2005), Marissa supported her husband’s decision to retire prematurely and resign 71 days before the end of his second Presidential term.

2020-2021: Joni Brown
Having little time to do much, Joni hosted a handful of small social events and organized festivities for the Winter Holidays. Similar to Claudia Sanders, she was comfortable away from the limelight and letting her husband have more attention, allowing her to have more privacy. However, she still gave her support to many charities that she had endorsed during her time as Second Lady, including March of Dimes, The Art of Elysium, and several groups focused on animal habitat conservation and early education programs to promote child literacy and vocational training.

2021-present: James Midkiff
With the President combating economic concerns like worker displacement, the first-ever First Gentleman of the US is highlighting social issues related to said concerns. Midkiff is focusing primarily on the importance of parenthood and “being there for your children,” supporting paternity leave and organizations aimed to help people, especially white-collar fathers, suffering from addiction to gambling, recreadrugs and/or alcohol. The “First Guy” is also continuing the passion projects that he had championed while First Gentleman of West Virginia, such as land conservation and teaching financial literacy in grade schools.



3. THE CHILDREN OF THE US PRESIDENTS (Since 1961)

JOHNSON

With Lyndon, Lady Bird had two daughters. Lynda Bird Johnson (b. 1944) Chaired the board of Reading is Fundamental (1996–2001), the nation's largest children's literacy organization, and was a contributing editor to Ladies Home Journal magazine (1969–81); she currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Luci Baines Johnson (b. 1947) has been the Chair of the Board of the LBJ Asset Management Partners, a family office, since 1993; she also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the LBJ Foundation, the advisory board of the Center for Battered Women, and multiple civic boards, and has raised funds for the American Heart Association as well.

SANDERS
The first divorcé to serve as First Lady since Florence Harding, Claudia was the mother of Elvis Ray Price (1926-2009) and stepmother of the Colonel’s children from his marriage to Josephine King (1888-1975): Margaret (1910-2001), an entrepreneur and businesswoman known for being outgoing, flamboyant and adventurous like her father; Harley (1912-2007), a WWII veteran, businessman, and politician (advisor to his father during his governorship and presidency, and a US Senator, 1984-1993); and Mildred (1919-2010), a philanthropist and businesswoman who headed numerous operations at KFC for decades.

MONDALE
Joan and Mondale also were affectionate parents their three children. Theodore Adams “Ted” Mondale (b. 1957), who was 15 when his father became President, went on to serve as a state senator (D-MN) but failed to win the 2002 Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat. Eleanor Mondale (1960-2011), who infamously threw a raucous sorority party at the White House in late 1979 when she was 19, became a radio personality, TV host, and actress (mainly small or supporting roles in several mostly-independent films) before succumbing to cancer. William Hall Mondale (b. 1962) became a prominent lawyer and currently manages his father’s Presidential lawyer.

DENTON
Having 5 sons and 2 daughters made the 1980s a busy time for the White House staff. The couple’s most famous child, James S. Denton (1951-2018), worked in publishing and repeatedly defended his father and his Presidency whenever interviewed. The First Couple’s daughter two daughters, Mary and Madeline, each became attorneys but pretty much stayed out of the national spotlight after the 1980s. Similarly, middle child Michael C. Denton became the president of an investment firm, while William C. Denton manages the Denton Presidential library. Jeremiah A. Denton III, or “Jerry Jr.,” followed his father into politics by becoming a state senator (R-AL) but lost a bid for the GOP nomination for Governor in 1998, and a bid for that party’s nomination for an open House seat in 2000. The most camera-shy Denton children was Dr. Donald M. “Don” Denton who became a dentist in Daytona Beach, Florida.

KEMP
The Kemps had four children (two sons and two daughters). Jeffrey Allen “Jeff” Kemp (b. 1959) was an NFL quarterback, first for the Los Angeles Rams (1981–1985 (playing in Superbowl XVI, which that team won, though it was not Kemp who received the MVP trophy)), and then for the San Francisco 49ers (1986), the Seattle Seahawks (1987–1991), and the Philadelphia Eagles (1991) before retiring. Jennifer Kemp Andrews (b. 1961) currently serves as the head of the Kemp Presidential Library. Judith Kemp (b. 1963) is an author. James Paul “Jimmy” Kemp (b. 1971), who was a teenager during his father’s Presidency, also became a quarterback, but for the CFL, leading to some joking that he fled the country.

IACOCCA
Iacocca’s two daughters took on more responsibilities than other modern First Daughters, as they were the first ones to serve as the White House hostesses since since Margaret Wilson served as White House hostess from 1914 to 1915. Before their father’s Presidency, Lia (who was 28 in 1992) and Kathy (who was roughly 35 in 1992) were working on starting their respective careers and families; after their father’s assassination, both shied away from political functions altogether. Lia went on to be a founding member of Kacoon Development Inc., a residential development company in California, while Kathy is currently the chair of the Iacocca Family Foundation.

DINGER
All 5 of the Dinger children kept a low profile during their family’s time in the White House. All born between 1980 and 1990, children Christina, James, William, Noah, and Lauraine gave a “hectic” and “lively” nature to the Upstairs Residence in a refreshing break from the “cold [and] empty…feeling” the Presidential quarters had gone through under Presidents Bellamy and Iacocca. Due to his years as a US Ambassador for several Latin American countries, Dinger was the first US President ever to speak Spanish fluently (and the first President since FDR to be multilingual); he helped teach the language to his daughter Christina, who in turn appeared with him on some campaign stops where Spanish-speaking voters approved of the “little darling,” possibly helping to bring in much of the Hispanic vote in the elections of 1996 and (to a lesser extent) 2000. Currently, Christina is a languages professor, James runs the family’s “homestead” in Iowa, and William manages the Dinger Presidential Library. Noah is currently working in Namibia for the Peace Corp, and Lauraine is presently interning at the US State Department, and is reportedly “still trying to find [her]self.”

JACKSON
The Jacksons have five children (3 sons, 2 daughters). Santita Jackson (b. 1963) is a professional singer and the host of an eponymous talk show on the Word Network, the largest African-American religious network in the world; she went to high school with future sister-in-law Michelle Robinson (Jesse Jr.’s wife). Jesse Louis Jackson Jr. (b. 1965) made headlines in early 2006 for being arrested for physically assaulting a reporter who had invaded his personal space while he was suffering a nervous breakdown; still practicing law, Junior has gone through years of therapy to “get [him]self back together” and is now a passionate mental health advocate; he also currently works for “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington” (CREW), a nonprofit organization and nonpartisan (but noticeably left-leaning) US government ethics and accountability watchdog organization. Jonathan Luther Jackson (b. 1966), an academic and longtime political, civil rights, and human rights activist who still appears on TV on occasion to defend his father’s administration and legacy, was elected to the state senate (D-SC) in 2018; he is currently running for South Carolina’s Class 3 US Senate seat in 2022; media outlets speculate that he win run for President someday, likely in 2028 or 2032 at the earliest. Yusef DuBois Jackson (b. 1970), a former linebacker for the Virginia Cavaliers and for the Carolina Panthers, currently works for ESPN and several civil justice organizations. Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson (b. 1975) presently co-manages the Jesse Jackson Presidential Library, doing so alongside Jesse Junior and Michelle.

WELLSTONE
The Wellstones had three young adult children by the time Paul became Vice President in 2000. Their only daughter, Marcia Allison Wellstone Markuson (b. 1969) was inspired by Bellamy to enter political activism, working on her campaigns in 1988 and 1992; after meeting former astronaut Jerrie Cobb at a D.C. function in 1993, she went to flight school and became a pilot, and has been flying small aircraft professionally since 2002; she is currently a feminist activist who with her husband and children often stayed over at the White House during the Jackson and Wellstone administrations due to her activism work being headquartered in Potomac and northern Virginia. The First Couple’s son Mark picked up the mantle of his father’s legacy by running for public office, and has been serving as Minnesota’s state attorney general since 2019. The Frist Couple’s son David is also involved in progressive activism and academic, and currently manages the Wellstone Presidential Library.

GRAMMER
With his first wife, dance instructor Doreen Alderman, Grammer fathered two children – actress Spencer Karen Grammer (b. 1983) and child psychiatrist Judy Isabella Grammer (b. 1985). His second marriage, to makeup stylist Barrie Buckner, produced a third daughter – actress Kandace Greer Grammer (b. 1992). A third marriage, to Tammi Baliszewski, produced a fourth daughter – model and prominent conservative technetter Mason Olivia Grammer (b. 2001). Mason lived with her mother until she was 18, but strongly supported her father ontech and often attended family functions at the White House; similarly, Spencer, Judy and Kandace lived with their respective mothers but were nevertheless close to their father and supported his political campaigns. Grammer’s marriage to Hart, however, produced five children – in 2005 (his first son, Gordon Harland Grammer, currently a high school student), 2007 (Evangeline Elisa “Eve” Grammer, a middle school student), 2010 (Comfort Faith “Comfy” Grammer, a daughter named after one of Grammer’s ancestors due to Kelsey liking the name), 2014 (his second son, William Franklin Grammer), and 2017 (Alicia Charlotte Grammer). With the birth of Alicia, Grammer joked that he had “finally caught up to” Harley’s number of children (nine). Former White House personnel say the Upstairs Residence felt “alive” with five young children living in it; when they moved out, Grammer and Hart’s oldest was 15 and their youngest was three.

BROWN
Despite his boisterous personality, there is little publicly disclosed information about Harley Brown’s children, especially his adult children. Brown has been married three times and has fathered nine children during his lifetime. He fathered the last three (two sons and a daughter, best known for playfully running around the grounds of VP residence with their “fun” dad) with his third/current wife. His oldest was born in 1982 and the youngest was born in 2009; his third oldest daughter had a child out of wedlock, and the child was raised alongside his younger siblings. This circumstance led to Brown occasionally misstating that he had ten children, leading to some of his critics claiming that Harley “can’t even keep track of how many kids he has.” One son owns his own auto repair shop in Nampa, while 2 other sons and one of his daughters are either serving in the military or are veterans, according to a 2020 interview.

PRITT
Madam President is the stepmother to the three children from her husband’s first marriage, but she helped raised them and played a huge role in their lives.



4. SECRET SERVICE CODENAMES

Ever since the 1950s, Secret Service Codenames used for Presidents, VPs, and their family members, plus other VIPs, are selected by the White House Communications Agency, an agency of the White House Military Office. Their key tactic in selecting the codenames is avoiding common words.

Presidents
Truman – General (also, Supervise)
Eisenhower – Scorecard (also, Providence)
Johnson – Valiant
Sanders – Rawhide
Mondale – Snowbank
Denton – Searchlight
Kemp – Scoreboard
Bellamy – Schoolhouse
Iacocca – Fastlane
Dinger – Empire
Jackson – Trailblazer
Wellstone – Testament
Grammer – Sojourn
Brown – Fireball
Pritt – Mountain

Vice Presidents
Humphrey – Pharmacy
Scranton – Metropolis
Gravel – Glacier
Alexander – Hillside
Kemp – Goalpost
Polonko – Liberty
Litton – Rockfield
Dinger – Eagle
Meredith – Beacon
Wellstone – Witness
Ross – Acrylic
Brown – Dragon
Dumanis – Gavel
Kwame – Maglev

First Families
Truman – Sunnyside (First Lady Bess)
Eisenhower – Springtime (First Lady Mamie), Sahara (First Son David)
Johnson – Valor (First Lady Ladybird), Velvet (First Daughter Lynda), Volunteer (First Daughter Luci)
Sanders – Regal (First Lady Claudia), Rotunda (First Son Harley), Roadhouse (First Daughter Margaret), Regent (First Daughter Mildred)
Mondale – Skyward (First Lady Joan), Seminole (First Son Ted), Sunbrella (Frist Daughter Eleanor)
Denton – Seagull (First Lady Kathryn), Sunline (First Son Jer Jr.)
Kemp – Scorecard (First Lady Joannie), Skylight (First Son Jeff), Scanner (First Son Jimmy)
Bellamy – Starline (First Nephew)
Iacocca – Everest (First Daughter Lia), Evergreen (First Daughter Kathryn), Energy (First Sister Delma)
Dinger – Trident, later Rainville (First Lady Paula)
Jackson – Photograph (First Lady Jacqueline), Traveler (First Son Jesse Jr.)
Wellstone – Witness (First Lady Sheila), Wanderer (First Son David)
Grammer – Sapphire (First Lady Marissa)
Brown – Firefly, later Discus (First Lady Joni)
Pritt – Groundbreaker (First Gentleman James Midkiff)

Prominent Presidential Candidates
Secret Service Protection was expanded to Presidential candidates after an attempt on the life of then-candidate Colonel Sanders in 1964

1968 – Lance (Kennedy)
1972 – Hammer (Biaggi), Intrepid (Goldwater)
1976 – Thunder (Reagan)
1980 – Prospector (Paul), Swordfish (Brooke), Orville (Eagles), Boeing (Jackson)
1984 – Sunburn (Glenn), Parchment (Carter), Cocoa (Knutson)
1988 – Legacy (Kennedy-Shriver), Redwood (Reagan), Scarlet (Thomson), Crossfire (McCormack)
1992 – Pulpit (Pirkle), Pathfinder (Engeleiter)
1996 – Screenplay (Laughlin), Champion (Clemente), Pontiac (Jackson), Market (Leland)
2000 – Pioneer (Richards), Asteroid (Blanchard)
2004 – Patriot (Goetz), Cornerstone (Meredith), Pantheon (Huntsman), Minuteman (Weld)
2008 – Winter (Snowe), Mahogany (Rodham-Clinton), Speedway (Johnson), Bunker (Gritz)
2012 – Driller (Graham)
2016 – Laser (Locke), Watchman (Moore), Parasol (Simpson), 2016 – Stardust (McAfee)
2020 – Phoenix (Paul), Woodlark (Lugaro), Willow (Lewinsky)



5. The Ten Most Senior Members of Each Presidential Cabinet

(People who served in an Acting capacity for less than two months excluded from lists)



VICE PRESIDENTS

1961-1965: 37) Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN) – selected to regionally balance the 1960 ticket; supported Johnson’s work on Civil Rights but controversially kept his true thoughts on Cuba to himself

1965-1973: 38) Bill Scranton (R-PA) – selected to appeal to moderate Republicans wary of The Colonel's conservatism; led several projects, including the Scranton Commission, and maintained a strong working relationship with Sanders

1973-1981: 39) Maurice Robert “Mike” Gravel (D-AS) – selected to unite the party's factions after a bitter, intense, and divisive primary season; often feuded publicly with Mondale due to being more progressive than the President

1981-1985: 40) Lamar Alexander (R-TN) – Gravel’s public feud with Mondale led to Denton choosing a running mate he could work well with; Lamar expanded the range and scope of the office more so than did Nixon by meeting often with foreign dignitaries and members of congress, and maintained a close rapport with Denton; resigned over scandal overshadowed by Denton’s own controversies

1985-1987: 41) Jack French Kemp (R-NY) – selected for the purpose of helping Denton work with the House to pass legislation; kept a low profile during the Lukens Hush Money Scandal

1987-1989: 42) J. J. Polonko Jr. (R-NJ) – had been a friend and ally of Kemp for years; used his army experience to aid Kemp with several foreign policy issues; reportedly supported a more militaristic approach to the Chinese persecution of the Uyghur population in western China in early 1988; strongly backed the Veterans’ Affairs department

1989-1993: 43) Jerry Litton (D-MO) – selected to appeal to rural and populist voters; worked with Bellamy to pass UHC and with Senators to pass farmer relief legislation; also promoted youth involvement, vocational school programs, and at-risk youth projects

1993-1995: 44) Larry Miles Dinger (R-IA) – selected to add legislative experience and rural appeal to the ticket; used foreign policy experience to advice Iacocca on multiple issues; worked with congress to pass bills to help rural businesses

1995-2001: 45) James H. Meredith (R-MS) – nation's first African-American VP; supported Dinger’s actions in Korea and Latin America, and backed efforts and proposals from the left and the right to combat racism and prejudice

2001-2009: 46) Paul David Wellstone (D-MN) – nation's first Jewish VP; advised the President on foreign policy issues in Africa, playing a role in several foreign policy decisions during the Administration's second term, and helped strengthen Black-Jewish relations

2009-2013: 47) Bob Ross (D-AS) – selected as a "wild card" candidate in the hope of appealing to a wider array of voters; strongly supported preserving natural resources, recycling efforts, renewable energy legislation, anti-hunger measures, and the arts; also supported the Chicken Dinner Summits in Jerusalem and other efforts to resolve foreign conflicts peacefully

2013-2020: 48) Harley Brown (R-ID) – selected to unite the party; promoted religious freedom, road infrastructure projects, and the 10th Amendment; originally critical of the President but developed a friendship with him by the end of his time in office; advised Grammer in cabinet meetings, often pushing for belligerent responses to foreign policy issues; served as Acting President in 2013 while Grammer recovered from a heart attack

2020-2021: 49) Bonnie Dumanis (R-PO) – nation's first female VP; during her brief tenure, she certified the 2020 election and promoted Brown’s executive orders to combat crime; reportedly only met with some members of congress a handful of times

2021-present: 50) Kwame Raoul (D-IL) – nation's first Haitian-American VP; selected to enhance ticket's appeal to minority voters and urban voters; currently utilizing US Senate experience to work with congress to implement and uphold federal civil justice measures



US SECRETARIES OF STATE

1961-1965: 54) Jack Kennedy (D-MA) – former US Senator; allegedly selected as part of a deal for Kennedy to support Johnson during the 1960 Presidential election in exchange for this cabinet position; received controversy for getting his younger brother to serve as Assistant Secretary of State; disagreed with Johnson on the latter's handling of Cuba and on the situation unfolding in Indochina, but continued to serve under him to maintain diplomatic ties with vital allies overseas; later accused of undermining the administration

1965-1973: 55) Carl Curtis (R-NE) – as a former US Senator, he brought much experience to the office; maintained friendly relationship with Sanders even when disagreeing with him on occasion; strengthened ties with NATO; oversaw the establishing of détente with the USSR's premiers and the somewhat-reluctant opening of relations with China in 1967-1968

1973-1977: 56) Philleo Nash (D-WI) – former anthropologist and supporter of human rights, civil rights, and the rights of Native Americans and other minorities; strengthened ties with China and Western Europe amid US intervention in Cold War proxy confrontations in Africa; retired

1977-1981: 57) Jimmy Carter (D-GA) – former US Senator; won a Nobel Prize for his role in the landmark 1978 Atlanta Peace Treaty that cooled tensions in the Middle East; later ran for President in 1984 and promoted human rights by traveling extensively to conduct peace negotiations, monitor elections, advance disease prevention and eradication, and fund the construction of homes across developing areas

1981-1985: 58) Buz Lukens (R-OH) – former Governor praised for bringing jobs to the buckeye state; retained strong ties with NATO; close ally of the President, but eventually resigned over his use of US State Department funds to cover up a sex scandal

1985-1986: Phyllis E. Oakley (R-OK) (acting) – department's first female Acting Secretary; served until a more permanent replacement could be found; stayed neutral during scandals and eventually returned to being Assistant Secretary

1986-1987: 59) Morton I. Abramowitz (I-NJ) – former Ambassador; promoted department transparency; attempted to shift nation’s focus from scandals and toward developments in post-Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe; promoted addressing global refugee migration trends by coordinating with allies "'so America doesn't have to take in 100% of them"; dismissed by President Kemp due to irreconcilable ideological differences

1987-1989: 60) Lawrence S. Eagleburger (R-WI) – former Ambassador; worked diligently to repair relations with several western countries and establish relations with post-Soviet nations, including the UT and the NDRR; was better-known abroad than at home

1989-1993: 61) Peter Flaherty (D-PA) – “Mayor Pete” served on several relevant House committees during his time in the U.S. Congress (1981-1989); sought to normalize relations with China in the immediate fallout of Chairman Li ending his nation’s “western camps” policy amid international pressure; was one of the most high-profile casualties of the SARS pandemic

1993-1997: 62) Edward J. Perkins (R-LA) – department's first African-American Secretary; former Ambassador; repeatedly served as the “voice of reason” during rising tension between the US and North Korea, but supported KW2 when it broke out by keeping communication channels open between the US, Japan, China, and (South) Korea; retired due to exhaustion

1997-2001: 63) Susan M. Livingstone (R-MO) – department's first female Secretary; previously served at the Veterans Administration; served as Chief National Security Advisor during the Second Korean War; focused on both post-war development in KW2, and on shoring up international support for the War on Recreadrugs

2001-2005: 64) Ann Richards (D-TX) – former US Senator who ran for President in 2000; selected for the position to end the "bad blood" between her and Jackson, and the two got along better with each passing year; maintained lines of communication during the SARS pandemic and assisted in efforts to give aid to India; stepped down in October after cancer diagnosis and passed away in 2011

2005-2009: 65) Kenneth H. Bacon (I-PO) – worked to address persons displaced by conflicts ongoing in Africa; a humanitarian who was very transparent to the press, he passed away soon after leaving office

2009-2013: 66) Harvey Gantt (D-NC) – former Governor and former Ambassador; was less reluctant than the President was to intervene in foreign conflicts; failed to avoid warfare from unfolding in Sudan, resulting in the nation breaking up into three smaller states

2013-2021: 67) Richard L. “Dick” Morningstar (R-NY) – former Ambassador; sought to promote US strength after Europe suffered major recession in 2013 and sought to address cybersecurity/hacking issues with nuance to maintain diplomatic relations with Russia and China; served under both Grammer and Brown, but got along better with the former, later (allegedly) comparing working with the latter to "holding back a wild dog with a very flimsy leash."

2021-present: 68) Lisa Perez Jackson (D-NJ) – department's first female African-American Secretary; previously worked in the US Senate and for the EPA, collaborating with foreign governments and international organizations to address multiple environmental issues; currently promoting the proposal of as many nations as possible creating a more formal “global united front” to combat Global Climate Disruption.



US SECRETARIES OF THE TREASURY

1961-1965: 57) Henry Hammill Fowler (D-VA) – former Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization under President Truman; Democratic Party insider; loyally backed Johnson’s taxation programs; balanced payments deficits, started calls for a 10% tax surcharge proposal, promoted a "go-slow" approach to economic growth but a quick response to efforts to recover from the Salad Oil Recession, and created a modernized international monetary reserve system

1965-1973: 58) Eugene Edward Siler Sr. (R-KY) – a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1955 to 1965 and the GOP nominee for governor of Kentucky in 1951; socially conservative “fiscal watchdog” critical of Sanders’ military interventions; dismantled Fowler's monetary system and reversed Fowler’s decision to end silver coinage and fiercely defended the Gold Standard as being more dependable than paper currency during times of fluctuating inflation rates; unsuccessfully ran for the US Senate after leaving office.

1973-1981: 59) Robert V. Roosa (D-MI) – prominent economist and banker; his support for the US dollar led to him ending the Gold Standard, consequently leading to Dr. Ron Paul entering politics in 1975; responded to the 1973 oil shock and 1978 recession by issuing bonds to boost Fowler’s restored international monetary system

1981-1985: 60) Thelma Loyace Hawkins Stovall (R-KY) – department's first female Secretary; previously served as the State Treasurer of Kentucky; responded to the 1978 recession and minor recessions of the early 1980s with financial loan system to keep the Fed in the black; as a supporter of labor rights and women's rights, resigned due to Denton’s opposition to a minor migrant worker strike and to protest Denton's connections to the Lukens Hush Money Scandal

1985-1987: 61) Preston Martin (R-DC) – former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve; supported Lockheed and other major corporations; attempted to stabilize the American dollar to enhance its performance in global markets; the failure of a national 5% mortgage loan bill he supported cost him his job once Kemp entered office

1987-1989: 62) Patty Cafferata (R-NV) – former state Treasurer; promoted stronger ties with Russia to keep said country’s economy afloat in the immediate post-Soviet era and strengthened support for the US in Russia as well

1989-1993: 63) E. Gerald Corrigan (D-MN) – philanthropic reformer; combatted financial corruption to minimize counterparty credit risk and market risk management, and challenged unusual hedge fund operations nationally by coordinating with the rest of the US Cabinet in order to keep the administration transparent and uncorrupt

1993-1997: 64) Jean M. Yokum (I-VA) – former accountant, former credit union specialist, former board member of the USO, and former board chair for the Virginia Air and Space Center; utilized background in banking and credit unions to promote consumer spending and investor confidence, especially in the wake of the President's assassination and during the Second Korean War; stepped down due to exhaustion

1997-2001: 65) Lew Rockwell (R-AL) – right-wing libertarian approved by the senate at the height of Dinger’s popularity; former Chair of the Mises Institute; supported the 10th Amendment and supported cutting funds for domestic programs to keep the administration from violating the BBA

2001-2006: 66) Timonthy Peter Johnson (D-SD) – former member of the U.S. House of Representatives; former ranking member of the U.S. House Committee on Banking; managed shifting resources from the military to social programs, making him instrumental in keeping the administration from violating the BBA; died in office in December from a cerebral hemorrhage, possibly aggravated by stress

2006-2007: J. Dorrance Smith (I-PO) (acting) – served on an interim basis, until a more permanent replacement was confirmed

2007-2009: 67) Elouise Pepion “Yellow Bird Woman” Cobell (D-CO) – department's first Native-American Secretary; former Native-American tribal leader, banker, and rancher; former Treasurer of the Blackfeet Tribe and former advisor to the U.S. Treasury Department from 2003 to 2007; opposed trust fund actions and supported efforts to protect natural resources; repeatedly accused by Republicans of showing bias toward Native Americans over the federal government in several cases concerning land use

2009-2013: 68) David Alan Curson (D-MI) – worked with the UAW to combat white-collar crime issues concerning GM and Chrysler; believing the key to economic success is job creation, supported efforts to raise taxes/tax rates on the top 1% to pay for roads, schools, and energy systems; controversially promoted efforts to ease US employers safely hiring foreign workers

2013-2020: 69) William Floyd “Bill” Weld (R-MA) – former U.S. Senator; ran for President in 2008 and again in 2012; backed “moderate” deregulation; played a vital role in the handling of the Unlucky Recession of 2013 and in the overseeing of post-recession economic expansion/prosperity, but resigned soon after Harley Brown became President due to Brown shifting administrative policy away from backing social programs alongside other issues; got along well with Secretary Rodham-Clinton but reportedly disliked Brown

2020-2021: 70) Robert Kyoung Hur (R-MD) – former US Attorney for the District of Maryland; tried to address multiple issues concerning gang violence and recreadrug trafficking during his 62-day tenure

2021-present: 71) Robert Reich (D-MA) – considered progressive; has vowed to oversee vigorous crackdowns on wage theft, unfair labor policies, and immigrant worker exploitation



US SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE

1961-1963: 8) Homer Laurence Litzenberg (D-PA) – "Blitzen Litzen," a decorated former lieutenant general in the US Marine Corps, oversaw the first half of the Cuba War; he died in office suddenly at the age of 60 from poor health

1963-1965: 9) Clark Clifford (D-KS) – a lawyer, war hawk, and close advisor to Johnson who, despite best efforts, failed to improve the situation unfolding in Cuba, contributing to Johnson losing re-election

1965-1973: 10) Charles Hartwell Bonesteel III (I-VA) – US Army General (ret.); close ally of the Sanders throughout several crises concerning Indochina, Korea, China, and the USSR

1973-1981: 11) Benjamin O. Davis Jr. (I-DC) – department's first African-American Secretary; US Air Force General (ret.) and former WWII Tuskegee Airman; supported US intervention in Ethiopia, Angola and Uganda

1981-1981: 12) John Sidney “Jack” McCain Jr. (I-HI) – US Navy Admiral (ret.); died after only seven weeks in office, during the very start of the 1980s’ War in Libya, from a sudden heart attack at the age of 70, after years of poor health

1981-1987: 13) William Childs Westmoreland (R-SC) – US Army General (ret.); former US Ambassador to Laos under President Sanders; supported escalating operations in Libya, Nicaragua, and Colombia; tried (but failed) to convince Denton and then Kemp to return troops to Angola; stepped down due to disagreeing with the less-hawkish views of Kemp

1987-1988: 14) Donald Roan "Donnie" Dunagan (I-DC) – decorated veteran of the Indochina Wars; former Marine Corps officer who contributed to the founding of the Veterans Administration and successfully administrated multiple leadership roles concerning counterintelligence and training; agreed with Kemp’s “restrained attack dog” approach to foreign policy, especially in regards to continuous operations in Colombia; stepped down over personal embarrassment, believing recent revelations about his past had “tarnish[ed] the [department’s] image”

1988-1989: 15) Larry Miles Dinger (R-IA) – former Ambassador to several countries; oversaw attempts to end hostilities in Colombia; became UN Ambassador upon Bellamy taking office

1989-1993: 16) Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-CA) – maintained a more diplomatic approach to the office; attempted to “slowly and carefully” conclude conflicts in Latin America; liberal “humanitarian hawk” who previously served on multiple foreign and military affairs committees while serving in the U.S. Congress

1993-1997: 17) Humbert Roque “Rocky” Versace (R-VA) – department's first Hispanic Secretary; former Brigadier General and a Cuba War veteran; hailed for overseeing combat operations during KW2, but retired due to exhaustion; later elected Governor of Puerto Rico

1997-2001: 18) John Sidney McCain III (R-VA) – son of Secretary Jack McCain; retired US Navy Admiral and war hero/Cuba War veteran; managed operations in Latin America in support of the War on Recreadrugs and proposed keeping US “security troops” in the former North Korea indefinitely

2001-2005: 19) Larry Rudell Ellis (R-MD) – US Air Force General (ret.); sought to find “balanced compromises” between calls for military intervention and Jackson’s efforts to negotiate peace in Colombia; oversaw efforts to minimize FP incidents spurred by SARS Pandemic-related safezoning measures for military posts at home and abroad; a supporter of "limited intervention"; retired due to being increasingly at odds with the President's foreign policy ideology

2005-2009: 20) Claudia Jean Kennedy (D-VA) – department's first female Secretary; US Army General (ret.) and former Deputy Inspector General; assisted Jackson in shutting down “unnecessary” military posts abroad to free up funds for social programs; supported the rights of women and blutagos in the armed forces; later worked as an advisor to the Wellstone administration from 2009 to 2012 and served as the Democratic Party's national co-chair from 2013 to 2017; was reportedly considered as a potential running mate in 2008 and 2016

2009-2011: 21) James Logan Jones Jr. (D-MO) – US Marine Corps General (ret.); relationship with Jackson was closer to Ellis’ than Kennedy’s; stepped down in June after disagreeing with President’s handling of the unfolding situation in Darfur

2011-2011: Michael X. Garrett (I-OH) (acting)held position on an interim basis, until a more permanent replacement was confirmed

2011-2013: 22) Howard Lawrence Berman (D-CA) – narrowly confirmed; previously served in the US House (from 1983 until losing re-election in 2011), where he Chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2005 to 2011

2013-2021: 23) Eileen Marie Collins (I-TX) – former astronaut and retired US Air Force colonel and shuttleplane commander; worked well with both Grammer and Brown to try and settle conflicts in Africa; modernized US cyberwarfare defense measures; promoted a “mostly isolationist” foreign policy

2021-present: 24) Curtis Michael “Mike” Scaparrotti (I-PO) – retired US Army General; currently touting plan to strengthen anti-cyberhacking measures



US ATTORNEYS GENERAL

1961-1965: 64) Rosser Lynn Malone Jr. (D-MO) – conservative Johnson ally who cautiously perused the rights of shoutniks to burn the American flag, judging that it depended on the context and the threat that the fire/flames/smoke posed to public health

1965-1969: 65) Lawrence Welsh (D-NY) – defended Sanders’ support for Civil Rights but declined to serve under his second term due to fatigue

1969-1973: 66) Wayne M. Collins (I-CA) – supported censoring comics and supported Sanders’ decision to come clean during the Ms. Arkansas Scandal

1973-1981: 67) Ramsey Clark (D-TX) – strongly backed Civil Rights, the ERA, and even the comics and pornography industries; opposed the death penalty

1981-1985: 68) Buddy Cianci (R-RI) – appointed Special Prosecutor; after the investigation into Denton’s funding misuse led to Denton instructed him to fire said prosecutor, Cianci resigned, citing being unable to defend the President’s actions anymore; successfully ran for Governor of Rhode Island in 1986 as an anti-administration candidate, only to be impeached in 1993/1994 in an unrelated scandal

1985-1986: 69) Delwen L. Jensen (D-CA) – failed to have the Supreme Court reinstate the death penalty; resigned after losing faith in Denton’s ability to lead

1986-1987: Acting) Theodore Bevry Olson (R-IL) – served temporarily, until a more permanent replacement could be found

1987-1989: 70) Leander J. Shaw (I-FL) – first African-American US Attorney General; defended issues concerning tenant ownership and recreadrug abuse

1989-1993: 71) Amalya Kearse (D-NJ) – first female US Attorney General; defended women’s rights issues such as abortion and combating domestic violence

1993-1997: 72) J’Ada Mergeaux Finch-Sheen (I-VI) – continued many of Kearse’s policies, but also defended businesses in several pro-deregulation cases

1997-2001: 73) Linda K. Neuman (I-IA) – worked closely with Dinger to defend administration’s actions during the War on Recreadrugs

2001-2007: 74) Harry Thomas Edwards (D-DC) – oversaw copyright reform in 2002 and police precinct conduct reform throughout tenure; retired due to exhaustion

2007-2013: 75) Ralph Nader (I-CT) – served under both Jackson and Wellstone; focused primarily on consumer protection, but also on labor rights, clean energy proposals, affordable housing, police reform, environmental protection and ending gerrymandering

2013-2021: 76) Susana Martinez (R-NM) – served under and got along well with both Grammer and Brown; first Hispanic US Attorney General; ramped up department’s efforts to go after domestic cyberhacking, reassigning dozens of agents to successfully track down and arrest alleged hackers/leakers

2021-present: 77) Paul Fong (D-CA) – Asian-American; currently overseeing crackdowns on insider trading and other forms of corporate malpractice



POSTMASTER GENERAL

1961-1965: 58) J. Edward Day (D-IL) – reduced the postal deficit, introduced ZIP codes, and improved service and employee morale; signed the department’s first labor contract with the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association; left office at age 80 and died soon after

1965-1973: 59) Leif Erickson (D-MN) – continued most of his predecessor’s policies, plus promoted “mail by rail” contracts, and worked to end racial discrimination against postal workers; approved plan to get NASA to photograph the Moon during the Moon Landings for use on postage stamps

1973-1981: 60) Maurine Neuberger (D-OR) – first female Postmaster General; sought to modernize the department by shifting from “mail by rail” to air and road transport; this led to intense backlash from workers of passenger train and rail routes that had carried mail to supplement their workers’ incomes since the 1830s, and was strongly criticized by former President Colonel Sanders, an avid supporter of the US train systems; nevertheless, the shifted continued on

1981-1989: 61) William F. Bolger (D-WI) – slowed his predecessor’s modernization efforts to give workers time to be retrain for other department jobs; criticized for leaving office with a deficit, high rates, and other issues left unresolved

1989-1993: 62) Frederick Wallace Smith (R-TN) – struggled to prep department for possible spikes in mail volume in case the 1991 Hantavirus Outbreak evolved into a pandemic; criticized for laying off hundreds of postal workers in 1991 despite doing so to keep the federal government from violating the BBA; also dealt with contracting issues, leading to Republicans calling for the department to be removed from the Cabinet

1993-2001: 63) Albert Vincent Carey (R-CA) – strengthened department’s powers to participate in communication services amid the rise of e-mail by convincing Iacocca and congress to expand department’s responsibilities to digital mail alongside paper mail and packaging

2001-2005: 64) Raymond Walter Apple Jr. (I-OH) – improved technet services and broadband strength to maintain e-commerce amid the SARS pandemic

2005-2009: 65) James Scheibel (D-MN) – worked with DET (the US Department of Energy and Technology) to clarify jurisdictions of each/both departments

2009-2013: 66) Harry Britt (D-CA) – openly BLUTAG; former US Representative; launched PR campaign to oppose lingering ontech pestering issues

2013-2021: 67) Ralph Nader (I-CT) – defended privacy rights by working with private delivery companies to regulate, schedule and organize multiple initiatives, such as rules and conditions for using drone technology for private delivery systems, most notably the establishing of regulated “sky routes”

2021-present: 68) Kevin Bacon (R-OH) – currently working with businesses to continue the “sky route” regulation practices of his predecessor; he is not related to the Hollywood actor of the same name



SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

1961-1965: 37) Stewart Lee Udall (D-AZ) – aggressively expanded federal public lands and oversaw the creation of several national parks, monuments, recreation areas, historic sites, and wildlife refuges

1965-1973: 38) George Dewey Clyde (R-UT) – worked with congress to implement the Clear Air, Clean Water, and Safe Wilderness Acts of the late 1960s; promoted the controversial Tocks Island Dam project that brought water and energy to NYC but also displaced hundreds from over 70,000 acres

1973-1981: 39) Fred R. Harris (D-OK) – codified policies; worked with congress and environmental groups to establish regulations and parameters to address issues and concerns regarding dam projects; collaborated with the EPA and ODERCA to address the Trojan Tower Disaster and subsequent radioactive fallout

1981-1985: 40) Jay Hammond (R-AS) – advocated for environmentally and fiscally responsible policies, and promoted individual civic responsibility; retired to host the TV series “Jay Hammond’s Alaska” from 1985 to 1992

1985-1987: 41) Charlton Heston (R-CA) – former actor with no governing experience but narrowly confirmed due to his strong support for Denton in 1980; in 1986, supported opening up large swaths of land to hunting and expanding hunting seasons in the wake of rising deer and wolf incidents in rural towns, which were determined in 1987 to have been brought on by Heston opening up large swaths of land to logging and mining in 1985; fired by Kemp for this

1987-1988: Acting) Earl E. Gjedle (I-VA) – served in an interim capacity until a more permanent officeholder could be confirmed

1988-1989: 42) Thelma Stovall (R-KY) – former US Treasury Secretary; reversed her predecessor’s policies and fiscal decisions and worked to leave the department with a budget surplus

1989-1993: 43) Tony Anaya (D-NM) – supported strong legislation to put liabilities on oil companies operating offshore oil rigs and demanded environmental safeguards on oil and coal companies

1993-1997: 44) Jack Brier (R-KS) – criticized for his hands-off approach to policy, though he supported businesses that sought to drill off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, chairing a task force to study the economic benefits of offshore oil drilling and fracking

1997-2001: 45) Constance Berry Newman (R-IL) – African-American; partnered with state governments to preserve historic landmarks and scenic views

2001-2005: 46) Nora Dauenhauer (G-AK) – Tlingit-American; worked diligently to safeguard environmental restoration efforts, support endangered species and their habitats, support biodiversity, and champion public land conservation measures

2005-2009: 47) Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) – discussed anti-GCD measures and proposals with several heads of state to form “universal” consensus on how to address the global issue; supported US Senator Braun’s championing of hydrogen energy projects

2009-2013: 48) Larry J. Echo-Hawk (D-ID) – Pawnee-American and Mormon; US Senators from western states blocked his efforts to raise fees charged to ranchers whose cattle grazed on public lands; Republicans accused him of bias for approving more Indian casino licenses than his 3 predecessors combined

2013-2017: 49) Alphonso R. Jackson (R-TX) – African-American; defended Grammer’s rollback of some environmental regulations in the name of entrepreneurial innovation; permitted limited drilling and fracking in previously “closed-off” areas; retired

2017-2020: 50) Gary Johnson (R-NM) – maintained a relatively libertarian administration, offering up much of his department’s funds to other departments in order to keep the federal government from violating the BBA several times; agreed to resign to allow Brown to have an Interior Secretary of his own

2020-2021: 51) Bernard Peters (R-VT) – elected Governor for a single two-year term in a fluke; avid huntsman and chainsaw-wielding woodsman from “the Northern Kingdom;” took a hands-off approach for his 56 days in office apart from introducing programs to encourage young people to learn to fish and hunt

2021-present: 52) Faith Spotted Eagle (D-SD) – Pueblo-American; previously elected to the state house of representatives in 2006 and later served in the US House of Representatives; currently overseeing efforts to reverse the policies of Alphonso Jackson and Gary Johnson, especially several oil pipeline deals



SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

1961-1965: 16) Jim Folsom Sr. (D-AL) – approved and established the US Food Stamp program; later unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 1966 and 1970

1965-1971: 17) Bourke Hickenlooper (R-IA) – extended the US Food Stamp program and established both the Food and Nutrition Service (to coordinate food programs for the poor) and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (to strategize policy with state and local officials); died in office

1971-1973: 18) Walter Judd (R-MN) – utilized experience in foreign policy affairs to strengthen department’s relations with other countries

1973-1977: 19) Ryan DeGreffenried Sr. (D-AL) – abolished Henry Wallace’s “Ever-Normal Granary” policy and aggressively backed farmers planting all their land to raise produce rates; urging farmers to “get big or get out” led to the US yielding excess commodity crops, which were then sold to other nations, including the USSR in a major controversy; retired due to rising health issues and died soon after leaving office

1977-1981: 20) K. Gunn McKay (D-UT) – expanded predecessor’s policies; artificially increased food demand to make food production more efficient, which subsequently drove down food costs and in turn lowered food insecurity rates in the US

1981-1985: 21) Richard Roudebush (R-IN) – improved farming techniques by working with businesses, and improved food storage and transportation efficiencies by partnering with the US Transportation Department to grant special “toll pass” patches one attaches to the outside of vehicles delivering food

1985-1985: 22) Harold Guy Hunt (R-AL) – struggled to reverse the policies of his predecessors to cut down on federal regulations; resigned amid financial scandal unrelated to the Lukens Hush Money Scandal

1985-1987: 23) Ann Veneman (R-CA) – first female US Secretary of Agriculture; criticized for allegedly not giving farmers enough notice of financial policy changes and of implementing other unpopular policies, resulting in Kemp firing her

1987-1989: 24) John R. Norton III (R-AZ) – During his tenure, a feud between his department and the General Services Administration led to the ironic dedication of the USDA executive cafeteria to Alferd Packer to shame the General Services Administration into terminating a cafeteria services contract [B1]

1989-1993: 25) John Coyle White (D-TX)
– implemented updated pesticide bans and poultry product regulations and worked to combat droughts and GCD’s effects on agriculture

1993-1995: 26) June Martino (R-IL) – former CEO of McDonald’s; oversaw deregulation of previous policies to encourage independent business growth

1995-2001: 27) Standish Fletcher Thompson (R-GA) – focused on farm-sector policy, trade expansion, conservation, rural communities, and shifting nutrition and food assistance responsibilities from the federal level to state governments

2001-2009: 28) Jim McGovern (D-MA) – longtime fighter of food insecurity; improved farm-to-table transportation infrastructure just before the SARS pandemic made feeding families a major challenge; oversaw child malnutrition rates and food insecurity rates among children reach historic lows

2009-2013: 29) Dolores Huerta (D-CA) – Hispanic-American; upheld procedures to control food safety measures at U.S. food-processing facilities to minimize public health risks; also champion farmer worker rights and advocated farmer labor reform to protect immigrant workers

2013-2014: 30) Harold Lee Scott Jr. (R-KS) – former businessman; sought to curb illegal immigrant protections established due to his predecessor’s efforts, and tried to work with congress to repeal food protection regulations as well as trade reform; fired by Grammer amid rising queries into his labor practices while heading several regional department stores chains across the Midwest that came under investigation soon after the 2013 recession hit; later acquitted

2014-2016: 31) Michael L. Young (I-PO) – former USDA Director and the department’s former head of Budget and Policy Analysis; resigned in November after previously disagreeing with Grammer on the department’s budget for the 2017 fiscal year

2017-2020: 32) Martha Bueno (R-FL) – libertarian former cannabis advocate; deregulated several policies and programs to promote small government, but approved of state-level regulations and tried to grow “recreadrug cultivation [into a] legitimate and highly-profitable industry”; was somewhat controversial

2020-2021: 33) Andrea Barthwell (R-KY) – with her background in medicine and international diplomacy, she was easily confirmed after her predecessor stepped down to become the US Ambassador to Cuba; served over an uneventful tenure of just 59 days

2021-present: 34) Ralph Nader (I-CT) – the former holder of four other cabinet positions (Transportation, Labor, AG and Post-G) is currently working on reversing the past eight years of deregulation to bring food security and child nutrition rates back down to the record lows of the 2000s decade



SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

1961-1965: 15) Luther H. Hodges (D-NC) – advised Johnson on how to address the Salad Oil recession to minimize disruption of commercial trade

1965-1973: 16) Milton Friedman (R-IL) – initiated workplace “culture shock” by firing “excessive” personnel, including three of his four secretaries on his first day at work; backed deregulation of trade and commerce policies to promote entrepreneurial innovation and market competition

1973-1981: 17) John Emerson Moss (D-CA) – increased the range of the office by using it to actively oppose censorship and support freedom of information, consumer product safety and trade transparency, both nationally and internationally; also assisted in the US selling grain to the USSR

1981-1985: 18) Alfred Hayes Jr. (I-NY) – worked with the other cabinet members to promote businesses and industries

1985-1986: 19) Malcolm Baldrige Jr. (R-CT) – fostered foreign and domestic buying and selling contracts; resigned in protest of Denton’s recent conduct

1986-1987: 20) Robert Mosbacher (R-TX) – stepped down after disagreeing with Kemp’s views on international trade

1987-1989: 21) Barbara Franklin (R-PA) – first female US Secretary of Commerce; supported trade deals with recently ex-communist nations

1989-1993: 22) Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (D-GA) – utilized experience in campaign finance and tenure on House Commerce Subcomittees to work with businesses to promote commerce transportation infrastucture efforts

1993-1997: 23) Betty Tom Chu (R-CA) – expanded the influence of the office by working closely with Iacocca and later Dinger on numerous economic issues

1997-2001: 24) Henry Merritt Paulson Jr. (R-NY) – supported US-PRC relations and tried to encourage consumer spending during the 1999 “mini-recession”

2001-2009: 25) Robert Reich (D-IL) – worked on multiple economic concerns to combat unfair practices and policies; was instrumental in securing materials for emergency personnel (cotton for masks, medical tools, foofstuffs for safezoning populations) at the start of the SARS pandemic

2009-2011: 26) Gloria Tristani (D-NM) – strengthened communications sector with trade agreements with The Middle Eastern Bloc; continued Reich’s modernization of department’s internal processing methods to increase government transparency; resigned to unsuccessfully run for the US Senate

2011-2013: 27) Theodore William Kassinger (I-GA) – dealt with issues concerning international trade and trade policy

2013-2013: 28) R. Severin Fuld (I-NY) – sought to reform commerce policies with deregulation goals; failed to convince Grammer to bail out major companies during the 2013 recession; fired for repeatedly disagreeing with Grammer’s handling of the economy

2013-2014: 29) Heidi S. Nelson (R-CA) – promoted the federal government handing over some international commerce responsibilities to state governments

2014-2017: 30) Brian Calley (R-MI) – took a moderate approach to addressing financial matters, but otherwise encouraged free trade policies and actions

2017-2021: 31) Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R-TN) – expanded the role of the department even further by working closely with Grammer on several matters

2021-2021: 32) Aswath Damodaran (I-NY) – served for the first five months; after securing trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, he and Pritt agreed he would better serve the administration as OMB Director, so resigned to take that position

2021-present: 33) Sylvia Mathews Burwell (D-WV) – currently working on a “large regional trade agreement” with the EU that is being strongly opposed by French President Bové



SECRETARY OF LABOR

1961-1965: 9) Keen Johnson (D-KY) – developed anti-poverty programs and tested pilot programs concerning low-income work

1965-1969: 10) Arthur Larson (R-SD) – dealt effectively with trade union strikes and counseled Sanders on crafting the details of the proposed F.A.D.

1969-1969: 11) Herbert Hoover Jr. (R-CA) – took a hands-off approach to worker strikes by encouraging labor and management to resolve issues on their own; died in July from a sudden and unexpected stroke

1969-1973: 12) Charlotte Reid (R-IL) – first female Labor Secretary since Francis Perkins; served in an acting capacity from mid-1969 to early 1970; combated sexist labor laws and “toxic” workplaces amid the effects of the Ms. Arkansas Scandal, unwittingly making her a feminist icon

1973-1981: 13) Robert F. Kennedy Sr. (D-VA) – cracked down on union corruption to restore their reputations in order to increase union memberships

1981-1985: 14) Whitney Young (R-KY) – worked with congress to enforce anti-discrimination measures, suggest laws involving unions, and promote “modernizing” workplaces to be more transparent and less sexist/racist/prejudice through open dialogue and workplace diversity

1985-1989: 15) William David Ford (D-MI) – capably managed issues involving manufacturing problems and “business-person” controversies

1989-1993: 16) Ralph Nader (I-CT) – advocated consumer protection regulations; developed close friendship with Bellamy, leading to media speculations that their relationship was romantic in nature despite both denying it (though the two have remained in contacts with each other over the decades since)

1993-1995: 17) Eamon Kelly (I-LA) – partnered with businesses and schools to expand vocational education and training programs nationwide

1995-2001: 18) Larkin I. Smith (R-MS) – expanded minimum wage and federal unemployment benefits to cover more workers

2001-2009: 19) Richard A. “Dick” Gephardt (D-MO) – enhanced workplace safety in 2001, then again to protect “vital workers” amid the SARS pandemic

2009-2013: 20) Ronald A. “Ron” Gettelfinger (D-MI) – worked to protect pensions and strengthen workplace safety laws; worked successfully with congress in 2009 and 2010 to increase benefits for workers left jobless by the effects of outsourcing and international trade

2013-2017: 21) Craig Gunderson (R-WI) – fought with unions over paying workers for overtime and sided with firms over calls for paid sick leave, repeatedly insisting the issues be resolved at state levels; stepped down to successfully run for a US Senate seat

2017-2018: Acting) Wan J. Kim (I-PO) – Korean-American; served until a more permanent officeholder was confirmed for the position

2018-2020: 22) Ariana Fajardo Orshan (I-FL) – strongly defended restaurant managers and denied claims that new department rules eased business abilities to shortchange waiters on tips and commit wage theft; stepped down to let President Brown have a Labor Secretary of his own

2020-2021: 23) Judy Burges (R-AZ) – defended businesses, opposed the power of unions, and strongly opposed immigrant workers during her brief tenure

2021-present: 24) Michael Moore (D-MI) – currently working with Pritt and unions to fill new infrastructure jobs by launching re-training pilot programs



6. THE SUPREME COURT OVER TIME



WARREN SUPREME COURT COMPOSITION (October 1953 – March 1971)

Chief Justice: Earl Warren

Associate Justice from Seat 1: Hugo Black

Associate Justices from Seat 2: Stanley Reed (until 1957), then Charles Whittaker (1957-1962), then Abe Fortas (1962-1967), then Edward Levi (after 1967)

Associate Justices from Seat 3: Felix Frankfurter (until 1962), then Sarah T. Hughes (after 1962)

Associate Justice from Seat 4: William O. Douglas

Associate Justices from Seat 5: Robert H. Jackson (until 1954), then John M. Harlan II (after 1954)

Associate Justices from Seat 6: Harold Hitz Brown (until 1958), then Potter Stewart (after 1958)

Associate Justice from Seat 7: Tom C. Clark

Associate Justices from Seat 8: Sherman Minton (until 1956), then William J. Brennan (after 1956)

Notable Cases:

May 1954 – Brown v. Board of Education – ruled unanimously that segregated schools were unconstitutional

August 1962 – Engel v. Vitale – ruled 6-3 against compulsory school prayer, determining that it violated the First Amendment for state officials to compose an official school prayer and/or encourage its recitation in public schools

March 1963 – Gideon v. Wainwright – ruled unanimously to extend the parameters of the right to counsel in criminal cases by determining that states are required under the Sixth Amendment to provide an attorney to defendants who cannot afford their own attorneys

April 1964 – Butts v. Virginia Board of Elections – ruled 7-2 that poll taxes for elections violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment

February 1966 – Rodgers v. Quitman County School Board – ruled 7-2 that Mississippi’s Quitman County’s public schools admissions system was racially-based, thus violating the 1962 Civil Rights Act

April 1967 – Pierson v. Ray – ruled unanimously that police officers were inhibited and prevented from performing the duties of their occupation by fear of legal ramifications for damages made during arrests, thus introducing the concept of “qualified immunity”

June 1967 – Loving v. Virginia – ruled unanimously that laws banning interracial marriage violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, thus striking down the banning of interracial marriage

April 1971 – Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education – ruled 6-3 that busing students to promote integration is constitutional but cannot be enforced onto parents who refuse to partake in it; the practice was busing was essentially abandoned by the end of the decade

June 1971 – Flood v. Kuhn – concerning the legality of antitrust exemptions granted to MLB, ruled 5-4 in favor of Curt Flood, thus granting more power to free agency players



JOHNSON SUPREME COURT COMPOSITION (March 1971 – May 2001)

Chief Justice: Frank Minis Johnson

Associate Justices from Seat 1: Hugo Black (until 1971), William H. Hastie Jr. (1971-1979), then A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. (1979-1998), then Larry Dean Thompson (after 1999)

Associate Justices from Seat 2: Edward Levi (until 2000), then Emilio M. Garza (after 2000)

Associate Justices from Seat 3: Sarah T. Hughes (until 1985), then Joseph Tyree Sneed III (after 1985)

Associate Justices from Seat 4: William O. Douglas (until 1974), then William Joseph Nealon Jr. (after 1974)

Associate Justices from Seat 5: John M. Harlan II (until 1971), then Sylvia Bacon (after 1971)

Associate Justices from Seat 6: Potter Stewart (until 1981), then Herbert Allan Fogel (after 1981)

Associate Justices from Seat 7: Tom C. Clark (until 1973), then Miles W. Lord (after 1973)

Associate Justices from Seat 8: William J. Brennan (until 1990), then Mary Murphy Schroeder (after 1990)

Notable Cases:

May 1971 – Griggs v. Duke Power Co. – ruled unanimously that the public utility company Duke Power was discriminating against African-American employees via job application tests that disparately impacted ethnic groups, which violated Title VII of the 1962 Civil Rights Act

January 1972 – Smith v. California – ruled 5-4 on a broader definition of obscenity, determining that adult content “without serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value” viewable by the public must be censored to protect minors in public, established specific parameters on what made up “public” display, and upheld state laws concerning distribution of obscene material to minors but not to non-consenting adults; the ruling was highly controversial

April 1973 – Russell v. United States – ruled 5-4 to overturn the 1932 Sorrells v. United States ruling and to clarify parameters for federal undercover agent conduct regarding entrapment

June 1974 – Foreman v. Florida – ruled 5-4 that the death penalty was a form of “cruel and unusual” punishment, citing the 8th Amendment to invalidate all death penalty schemes and effectively reduced all death sentences to life imprisonment; decision was highly controversial and repeatedly challenged

September 1974 – Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron Corp. – ruled 8-1 that states were allowed to freely develop their own trade secret laws

June 1980 – Central Hudson Gas & Electric Co. v. Public Service Commission – ruled 7-2 that there is no authority in the U.S. Constitution that provides “personhood” rights to corporations; only Justices Levi and Stewart made up the ruling’s dissent

September 1982 – Wilson v. NCAA – ruled 5-4 that Colorado legalizing sports betting would violate the 10th Amendment because it could affect citizens outside of Colorado

June 1983 – INS v. Chadha – ruled 8-1 that the one-house “legislative veto” feature violated the constitutional separation of powers

December 1985 – Jensen v. Massachusetts – ruled 5-4 to uphold the 1974 death penalty ruling, despite Denton’s efforts to have the 1974 ruling overturned

April 1986 – Rivera v. Mason County – ruled 5-4 to allow a White House plan to deny green cards to potential immigrants who may need government aid but may have no clear intent to become permanent residents of the US; controversial ruling

June 1987 – Freeman v. Aguillard – ruled 6-3 against a state law requiring the additional teaching of creationism in any public school that taught evolution to its students, determining that it violated the Establishment Clause of the Frist Amendment, as it purposely intended to advance one idea over another instead of giving all ideas equal footing

January 1992 – Moseley v. Van Dam – ruled 7-2 (with Sneed and Fogel dissenting) against a 1981 Utah Supreme Court decision, determining that women in the U.S. have a fundamental right to choose whether or not to have an abortion, that it was illegal for any state government to deny the establishing of abortion centers within said state, and that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion

May 1992 – Kearse v. Hanover Co. & Chemcial Bank – ruled 5-4 in favor of two large banks merging, but established new parameters on how large a national business can become before it creates a monopolistic economic environment at a national level

October 1993 – Karger v. Sonoma County – ruled 6-3 (with Fogel, Bacon, and Sneed dissenting) that it Is unconstitutional to discriminate against sexual preference

March 1994 – Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music Inc. – ruled unanimously in favor of rapper, deciding that profits alone do not make fair use laws inapplicable to commercial parodies and thus determining that fair use laws protect parody works

March 1997 – Mondo Paperworks v. Menendez – ruled 7-2 to uphold state law preventing employers from preventing employees from voting or firing them for taking time off work to exercise said employee’s right to vote, provided that the employee can prove they spent their time off work going to vote; ruling led to a GOP-backed push to expand mail voting availability and accessibility, arguing it would render such laws moot if employees simply vote from home



PAGE SUPREME COURT COMPOSITION (July 2, 2001 – present (2021))

Chief Justice: Alan Cedric Page

Associate Justice from Seat 1: Larry Dean Thompson

Associate Justice from Seat 2: Emilio M. Garza

Associate Justices from Seat 3: Joseph Tyree Sneed III (until 2008), Aida M. Delgado-Colon (after 2008)

Associate Justices from Seat 4: William Joseph Nealon Jr. (until 2018), then Robert Patrick Murphy (after 2018)

Associate Justice from Seat 5: Sylvia Bacon

Associate Justices from Seat 6: Herbert Allan Fogel (until 2002), then Michael J. Sandel (after 2002)

Associate Justices from Seat 7: Miles W. Lord (until 2009), then Check Kong “Denny” Chin (after 2009)

Associate Justices from Seat 8: Mary Murphy Schroeder (until 2021), then George Perry Floyd (after 2021)

Notable Cases:

August 2002 – Stuyvesant v. Edwards – ruled 5-4 to uphold the constitutionality of Congressperson Sonny Bono (R-CA)’s Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which applied to “current” copyrights but not “retroactive” copyrights, meaning that copyrights still covered by the previous “70-years” law had their “expiration dates” extended, while copyrights no longer covered by said law (in other words, anything copyrighted before the 1928) could not be extended due to already expiring

September 2003 – Brill v. Cohen – ruled 6-3 (with Sneed, Garza, and Thompson dissenting) that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment

October 2003 – Pepvibes v. California – ruled 6-3 to overturn California’s state Supreme Court’s “draconian” ruling in 2000, which found technet user anonymity to “endanger domestic security” by making tech users vulnerable to fraud, identity theft, hacking, and other “tech dangers,” violated freedom of speech and right to privacy

January 2004 – Arizona v. Yuma Workers Union – ruled 5-4 to reverse the Supreme Court’s 1986 “Green Card restrictions” ruling

September 2007 – Hillenburg v. Maine – ruled unanimously that trade secrets have “special protection,” upholding the 1979 Trade Secrets Act and several state laws, and overturning the 1974 supreme court ruling the kept trade secret protection at the state level

June 2008 – Blake v. Illinois – ruled unanimously that the warrantless search and seizure of digital contents of a lar phone during an arrest is unconstitutional

April 2009 – Gantt Medical Research Center v. North Carolina – ruled 7-2 that statewide ban on stem-cell research is unconstitutional

December 2009 – Betland v. Fields – ruled 6-3 (with Thompson, Bacon and Garza dissenting) to overturn 1982 sports betting decision

February 2010 – Stone v. Rutland – ruled 5-4 to overturn the 1972 Smith v. California “obscenity” ruling; supported by libertarians and libertarian justices

January 2012 – Thompson v. Miller County – ruled 8-1 that, for the purposes of Title VII of the 1962 Civil Rights Act, discrimination on the basis of transgender status is also ‘discrimination because of sex,’ with the US Attorney General also clarifying that the federal government may make its own determination of sex classification for federally issued documentation regardless of legal sex classifications at state/territorial levels, sparking further debate

June 2014 – DGH Companies, Inc. v. Zimmerman – ruled 7-2 (with Thompson and Garza dissenting) that the 1962 Civil Rights Act protected transgender workers as its language prohibits sex discrimination, which applies to discrimination that is based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity

December 2018 – Westley v. Warren – ruled 5-4 to uphold Massachusetts' restrictions on “soft money,” recognizing that not all political speech is protected by the First Amendment and that the government has a responsibility to combat all forms of corruption, including financial and political



7. US SECOND SPOUSES

1961-1965: Muriel Fay Buck (D-MN) – the somewhat shy Muriel continued the precedencies set by her predecessor, Pat Nixon. Eager to assist her husband's career in any way that she could, she expanded the visibility of the position of Second Lady by traveling extensively around the country, both with and without her husband, to promote various causes; these causes included raising public awareness of (and funding for research into) Down Syndrome (which her granddaughter Victoria Solomon had), mental disabilities, and (after leaving office) abortion rights; Muriel was reportedly on "amicable, but not super-friendly" terms with First Lady Ladybird.

1965-1973: Mary Lowe (R-PA) – a gifted public speaker more energetic on the campaign trail than her husband, Mary focused on numerous issues during her eight eventful years in this position; these issues included improving standards for public housing, encouraging domestic technological innovation, and backing space exploration; she served as a consultant to her husband and members of his staff, and while serving in high-profile positions after leaving 1 Observatory Circle, she failed to translate her rhetoric, superb oratory skills, and many connections into a winning political campaign of her own; the most recent former Second Lady to pass away, she is looked back on fairly favorably by those who followed (with the only real criticism coming from Rita, who reportedly believes she "set the bar too high, so I lowered it."

1973-1981: Rita Jeannette Martin (D-AS) – being less political than her three predecessors, who had truly brought the office to the national spotlight for the first time, Rita shied away from the spotlight and cameras, and focused on more traditional roles while raising her teenage son and daughter; most notably, Rita oversaw renovations and restoration efforts on the VP residence; while she seemed to just be tired of inquisitive cameras, Rita was unhappy behind closed door because of her husband’s infidelity, keeping quiet only for the sake of his career, which seemed to implode in 1980 regardless; after that year’s election, Rita ended the façade and moved out of 1 Observatory Circle, divorcing Mike soon after and returning to private life; still alive (as of July 4, 2021) and still reclusive she has only occasionally agreed to interviews.

1981-1985: Leslie “Honey” Buhler (R-TN) – Children’s literacy was a cornerstone of her time as Second Lady, given her concurrent job as director of a child-care business and a board member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; she reportedly could relate to the pressure “Lamar and Jer were under” during the 1980s, given media examinations of her professional life, too – media outlets “questioned my background, financial histories, labor practices and viewpoints, and scrutinized anything they deemed peculiar”; Honey reportedly felt “relieved” when the Alexanders faded into the background of the political landscape of their days, though in recent years, she and Lamar have been more willing to appear in the media, mostly by lending their recollections to discussions on that tumultuous era known as the 1980s.

1987-1989: Jane Thompson (R-NJ) – A supporter of both education reform to improve America’s public education system and medical care for veterans, the rather elusive Jane supported her husband’s ascension, speaking to newspapers and party leaders to support a future Kemp/Polonko ticket that, alas, was not meant to be; nevertheless, she spent her somewhat short time in this position to meet with teachers and leaders of academia across the country, a practices that she still continues. According to some sources, she was not on good terms with Honey and Sharon, either due to them having different opinions on furniture decoration for the VP's residence, or, according to one source, due to both Honey and Sharon having derisive things to say about her husband's speculative 1992 run for the Presidency. However, Jane did get along well with former Second Lady Mary, future Second Lady Judy, and future First Lady Joni. Jane currently resides with her husband at their home in New Jersey.

1989-1993: Sharon Ann Summerville (D-MO) – Jerry’s beloved was drawn to reforestation programs during her husband’s time in the Senate, and she promoted them and the America Red Cross during their time at 1 Observatory Circle in a “return to form” for the office; given the lack of a First Spouse, though, many treated Sharon as if she held that role (indeed, she did host functions at the White House on a few occasions), and the subsequent media focus expanded the abilities of her true office significantly. Second Lady Sharon was reportedly on friendly terms with former Second Ladies Muriel, Mary, Honey, Jane, and even the elusive Rita, and later was on friendly terms with Second Ladies Judy and Lynda. Now widowed, Sharon divides her time between her family home in Missouri and the residences of her children and adult grandchildren.

1995-2001: Dr. Judy Alsobrooks (R-MS) – America’s first-ever African-American Second Lady was a journalism professor and filmmaker, teaching college mass communications classes at the time of her husband’s ascension; previously working as a TV and radio news reporter and anchor in Jackson, Mississippi, Judy was a natural at handling the press; as Second Lady, she traveled extensively, both professionally and as a visitor, to promote cultural, religious and ethnic diversity, and the coexistence of various groups; she also worked with her husband to combat racism and prejudice, and modernized the office of Second Lady by harnessing the power of the technet to promote peace and love ontech; derided by the far-right, she never buckled under any of the attacks made against her before, during, or after her time in office, working on Jim’s 2004 campaign and continuing to promote civil justice to this day.

2009-2013: Lynda Brown (D-AS) – Like a yin to Bob’s yang, Lynda took up another type of art – music – as a cause for her to champion while Second Lady; generally supporting cultural preservation (including maintaining old buildings, albeit to a certain extent), she soon became highly popular among performing arts schools; not long into office, Lynda developed a friendship with Judy, who is a classical pianist, resulting in the two performing together at a charity benefit held at the White House in early 2010. Lynda reports gets along very well with all of the former Second Ladies right now, but tension between her and Joni Brown allegedly lasted for years; the "frostiness" between them was only thawed by First Lady Marissa inviting Lynda and Joni to join her on numerous charity drives in order to help them find common ground and break bread. After leaving office, Lynda was cautiously supportive of her husband's Presidential campaign in 2015 given his advanced age; her increased concern ahead of the 2020 election may have been a contributing factor in Bob's decision to not run "one last time" and instead enjoy their retirement together. They both currently reside in Bob's birth state of Florida, though they still often travel the country to either visit friends and relatives or promote various causes.

2020-2021: Carrie Smith (R-PO) – Little is really known about the nation’s first openly BLUTAGO Second Lady, given how little time there was for the nation to get to know her; on the other side of that same situation, Carrie had little time to truly promote any causes, at least any through some major projects, and thus she merely backed typical, generic causes (anti-poverty, children’s health and education, and – most noticeably – family safety) via press releases and postings on social media; from what one can tell, it seems she is a serious career woman like her wife, but is an avid supporter of people adopting pets; it does not help matter that her first actual interview did not occur until after her wife had already left office, and her general vagueness during it left more questions than answers surrounding the colorful characters of the almost-enigmatic Harley Brown administration.

2021-present: Dr. Lisa Moore (D-IL) – Lisa has only been married to Kwame since 2018, but the Second Family is already growing, with a second child recently reported to be “on the way”; since entering office, the current Second Lady seems to be making the office more transparent by posting family vids ontech and using the technet to connect with people to promote multiple causes related to her husband’s push for civil justice reform. She herself is promoting American families utilizing UHC and America's national parks to engage in family activities and trips. Lisa also supports First Gentleman Jim's efforts to implement full-pay family leave in order to allow parents to spend more time raising and nurturing their children.


Extra: Just some infobox graphic:
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[Part 1: imgur.com/zvwT19g.png ]
[Part2: imgur.com/6RCKds6.png ]

NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[F1] Portions of the 1961-to-1990 sections of the First Ladies list are from an earlier version found here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...ents-and-pms-ii.407398/page-463#post-20349860 . Also, pre-1991 portions of the first four cabinet lists were pulled from an early KFC alt-cabinets post, which can be found here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...-cabinets-thread.308063/page-20#post-20357145 .
[C1] Bellamy has at least one sibling as she mentions a nephew in the first source listed in Chapter 58 of TTL
[B1] Bizarre event is OTL but occurred earlier, as describe here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bergland#U.S._Secretary_of_Agriculture
 
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