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
[pic: imgur.com/wOlLiF7.png ]
Above: Grammer during a political trip to New Mexico last month
…the President is reportedly unsatisfied with the bill’s handling of cuts to federal income taxes and wants a passage addressing the raising of some tariffs to be removed due to “lingering Iacocca-era issues,” according to the reliable source…
– The Chicago Tribune, 2/15/2015
COBAIN TALKS MUSIC, HEALTH AND AGING IN EXCLUSIVE NEW INTERVIEW
[pic: imgur.com/TikI5GF.png ]
…“I never would have thought that I would live for this long. Twenty, thirty years ago, honestly, I honestly thought I’d be dead by now. That the drugs or my stomach problems would have done me in,” the singer-songwriter explains as he reflects on the fact that he turns 48 on February 20. “At least I still look good” he says before getting serious and beings discussing what it has been like raising his three daughters amid his tumultuous on-again, off-again marriage to their mother, Courtney Love. “Parenthood had been a roller coaster ride. Sometimes it’s bad, worse than any headache or stomachache, but thankfully, more often, being a dad is better than anything found in a needle or syringe”…
– Tumbleweed Magazine, mid-February 2015 issue
“…In light of the Prime Minister of Spain’s economic investments into the region through their national bailout implementations, the people of the Basque autonomous provinces have voted against independence in tonight’s regional referendum. With a margin of just 4%, the results are very close, even requiring a recount in more than one village, but the results are nevertheless very clear – the nation of Spain is in a period of economic recovery that is beneficial to more than just those at the top, and so tensions in the Basque region and Catalonia are at last starting to simmer back down to their pre-recession levels…”
– ITV3, UK TV channel, 22/2/2015 broadcast
AMERICAN EX-PAT SELECTED AS “INTERIM” PM!
…Lawrence “Larry” Sanders was born in New York City in 1935 and moved to London in the late 1960s after “falling head over heels for the beautiful future Mrs. Sanders.” To the left of the party, Sanders, the older brother of American media mogul Bern Sanders, was elected to Parliament from Oxfordshire in 2000 after joining the Labour party in the 1980s and working his way up the political latter under the administration of PM John Lennon, whom Sanders found to be an “inspiration.” …He will assume the office of Prime Minister on the third of March…
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 26/2/2015
List of Heads of State of Bulgaria
[snip]
Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria
1/5/1985-1/5/1995: 1) Zhelyu Zhelev (UDF) – term-limited
1/5/1995-1/5/2005: 2) George Ganchev (BBB) – term-limited
1/5/2005-1/5/2010: 3) Reneta Indzhova (DPS) – first female President; lost re-election
1/5/2010-present: 4) Angel Marin (Socialist) – incumbent
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa, c. February 2015
“…It has, yes, it is now confirmed that the leader of Bulgaria, President Angel Marin of the Socialist party, has been deposed in a coup led by opposition leader Volen Siderov of the Patriotic Nationalist party. The coup, which has seen several hundred military officers storm the nation’s capital, is the first of its kind in Bulgaria since the 1992 coup attempt perpetrated by Foreign Minister Petar Mladenov. That endeavor to overthrow the people’s choice, however, was of a much smaller scale – dozens have been shot and killed in this bloody siege on the President’s residence, and the whereabouts of both Marin and the Prime Minister, both of whom were in the city at the time, are still currently unknown…”
– BBC World News, 27/2/2015 broadcast
TAMPA MAYOR GRECO RE-ELECTED
…Greco, age 82, won a second term (and third term overall) with 71.2% of the vote, meaning a runoff will not need to be held on March 14…
– usarightnow.co.usa, c. 3/1/2015
10/1/1963-10/1/1967: 49) Nicholas Chillura “Nick” Nuccio (D, 1901-1989) – city’s first Italian-American mayor; former mayor from 1956 to 1959; previously served on the city council from 1929 to 1937 and on the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County from 1937 to 1956; unseated incumbent in a race that saw both candidates oppose the Governor’s handling of Cuban refugees, leading to many anti-refugee voters sitting the election out in protest; moderate; criticized for his handling of flooding along the Hillsborough River; lost re-election
9/24/1963: Julian B. Lane (D, 1914-1997)
10/1/1967-10/1/1975: 50) Richard Attilio “Dick” Greco (D, b. 1933) – media-savvy civic activist and former businessman; city’s youngest mayor, having entered office at the age of 34; his election was considered a moment of “generational change”; addressed crime rates by improving social programs via taxation reform; was both praised and derided for having several city employees investigated for sexual pestering during the 1970-1971 Ark Wave; retired; later worked for an urban development company
9/26/1967: Nick Nuccio (D)
9/14/1971: Nick Nuccio (D), Armando P. Valdes Jr. (I) and Sam Capitano (I)
10/1/1975-11/11/1982: 51) William F. “Bill” Poe Sr. (R, 1931-2014) – former realtor and insurance company chair; Air Force veteran; conservative; aggressively combated crime and strongly supported city police; sought to revitalize the city’s downtown area to curb rising unemployment rates in the immediate aftermath of the Economic Crash of 1978; won a second term, albeit very narrowly, due to dropping unemployment rates; resigned after winning election to the U.S. House, where he served from 1983 to 1987 (as he lost election to a third term in 1986); later worked in the insurance industry
9/2/1975: Joe Kotvas (I)
9/4/1979: Robert “Bob” Martinez (D, b. 1934)
11/11/1982-4/1/1983: 52) Charles Miranda (D, b. 1940) – former criminologist; previously served on city council from 1974 to 1982; appointed by city council to complete Poe’s second term; adjusted term length and shifted election date; lost election to a full term
4/1/1983-4/1/1991: 53) Rosemary Barkett (D, b. 1939) – city’s first female and first Arab-American mayor; born in Mexico to Syrian immigrants; former attorney; previously served as a state circuit court judge from 1975 to 1983; strongly supported by city’s Latin-American and immigrant communities; retired; later appointed US Circuit Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
3/1/1983: Charles Miranda (D)
3/1/1987: Helen Chavez (R)
4/1/1991-4/1/1995: 54) Faye B. Culp (R, b. 1939) – former teacher; previously served on the city council from 1987 to 1991; conservative; lost re-election; later served in the state House from 2006 to 2014
3/1/1991: Guy Spicola (D) and Charles A. Eidson (I)
4/1/1995-4/1/2003: 55) Jan Platt (D) – former city council member; previously served as county commissioner from 1987 to 1995; retired
3/1/1995: Faye B. Culp (R)
3/1/1999: Edward T. Young (R)
4/1/2003-4/1/2011: 56) David Richardson (D, b. 1957) – city’s first openly Blutago-American mayor; previously worked as an accountant and previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2015; retired; later founded a large accounting firm
3/1/2003: Frank Sanchez (D, b. 1959)
3/1/2007: Marion Serious Lewis (I) and Aria Ray Green (I)
4/1/2011-4/1/2019: 57) Richard Attilio “Dick” Greco (D, b. 1933) – city’s oldest mayor, having left office at the age of 86; retired due to old age
3/1/2011: Rose Ferlita (R, b. 1945)
3/1/2015: Harry Cohen (D, b. 1970), Ed Turanchik (D) and Becky Rubright (I)
4/1/2019-present: 58) Carlos Guillermo Smith (D, b. 1980) – openly Blutago-American; former community activist; originally from Fort Lauderdale; previously served in the state House from 2012 to 2018; incumbent
3/1/2019: Jennifer Necole Webb (D, b. 1979) and Edwin Aubron “Ed” Narain (D, b. 1976)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
JACK FRENCH KEMP DIES AT 79
…the former US President was in poor health for the past many years, battling a form of cancer kept private by him and his family, with his official diagnosis and prognosis never being publicly disclosed... Kemp’s administration from December 1986 to January 1989 can be viewed as one of transition between the scandalous final years of the conservative Denton Presidency and the policies of the progressive Bellamy years. The Kemp years was best known for being energetic and relatively scandal-free, and is responsible for ZEDs, short for Zones of Economic Development, improving living conditions in urban areas across the country… After declining to run for President again in 1992, 2004 and 2008, Kemp served as a senior advisor for the Grammer campaign…
– The New York Times, 3/2/2015
[pic: imgur.com/lGZWKC1.png ]
– clickopedia.co.usa
OLIVIA CHOW WINS LEADERSHIP ELECTION
…With the Progressive Liberal’s first use of a Ranked Choice Voting system for their leadership elections, MP Olivia Chow of Ontario has won the PL leadership post, making her the leader of the opposition and the person that PM Rogers will face in the next general election. Chow won the position over Darrell Dexter of Nova Scotia, Jean-Yves Duclos and Guy Caron of Quebec, Charlie Angus of Ontario, Glen Murray of Manitoba, and Nathan Cullen of British Columbia…
– The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 3/3/2015
FORMER FLG CEO MARY LOLITA STARNES HANNON DIES AT 83
…Finger Lickin’ Good Inc.’s current CEO, Adrien McNaughton, issued a public statement today, describing her as a “smart, witty and kind” leader, and praising her dedication to expanding the company, modernizing its business practices and upholding the Colonel’s dedication to cleanliness and the original recipe…
– The Louisville Courier, Kentucky newspaper, 3/4/2015
…The decline of the recreadrug cartels in Mexico are most often attributed to the Cartel Wars of the 1990s, similar to the intensity of the Yakuza during this same time period. However, many scholars tend to downplay the impact of recreadrug legalization during this period as well. Furthermore, it is very arguable that the decriminalization of recreation drugs at the federal level during Jesse Jackson’s second term played a vital role in recreadrug cartels failing to regain their old footholds in US cities following the American stock markets entering recession in 2013…
– Novelist, researcher and former journalist John Clay Walker’s Recreadrug Lords And The Cartels of Today, 2019
GRAMMER SIGNS TRADE PREFERENCES EXTENSION ACT INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 3/6/2015
…After the conclusion of the rent moratorium, the city had a clearer understanding of how renters prioritized their income and, more importantly, how renters capitalized from it. McMillan’s partially-transferrable rent caps were picked up by other cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Charlotte, North Carolina, but the policy of rent control found in NYC had its been based on earlier rent control models. For example, in 1986, San Francisco voters reacted to President Kemp’s ZED proposals by passing a ballot initiative to expand the city’s existing rent control laws to include small multi-unit apartments with four or less units built prior to 1980 (which comprised roughly 30% of the city’s rental housing stock at that time), amid fears at the time that ZEDs would lead to racial-discriminatory gentrification trends for the city. While this led to only marginal success, a 1994 pilot program in Reno, Nevada yielded much more positive results both immediately and in the long term.
These earlier endeavors saw the natural formation of two main types of rent control – vacancy control, where the rent is controlled irrespective of whether the tenant remains in the unit or not, and vacancy decontrol, where the rent level is controlled only while the existing tenant remains in the unit. Studies focused on California show that the policy of vacancy control protects existing tenants but discourages investors from building new rental housing units. [1] Thus, McMillan was encouraged to offer tax breaks to real estate developers starting in March 2015. This led to MLB pitcher-turned-real estate developer-turned-filmmaker/actor Donald Trump go from being one of his most harsh critics to being his most avid supporter at a time when Trump was beginning to shift his career’s main focus back into real estate…
– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021
WELD SAYS HIGHER TREASURY YIELDS SIGNALS RECOVERY, NOT INFLATION
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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
[pic: imgur.com/o4aqIdU.png ]
– clickopedia or The Boston Globe, 5/10/2015
Former Deliberation Committee member Chris PETHERICK: “The Electoral Trust is reviewing several petitions and proposals, but Electoral College reform is dominating the civilian efforts. And it seems the EC Reform movement is slowly shifting in favor of Ranked Choice Voting, but it’s very likely that it won’t be fixed in time for the 2016 election.”
Panelist Ana NAVARRO: “Okay, interesting, now why is that?”
PETHERICK: “It’s just how the system is set up, right, Senator Gravel.”
US Senator Mike GRAVEL (D-CA): “Yes and no. Yes, because the process is designed to avoid flavor-of-month ideas to be passed in the heat of the moment, allowing the idea to stick around long enough for everyone to gather a clear understanding of its positive and negative attributes. No, because the processed could be sped up by congress simply passing a law reforming the EC upon viewing the Hearing Records and Deliberation Committee reports. But since they won’t do that, you’re basically right, Chris.”
NAVARRO: “So, the pace of this it’s a good thing.”
GRAVEL: “Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how forgetful people are. The farther we get from the 2008 and 2012 elections, the higher the number of people that simply forget about them.”
PETHERICK: “Oh, I agree. This relatively slow process could hurt the momentum of the EC Reform movement because tend to focus more on the present than on the past. People are already starting to forget about the 2012 election and already many people have forgotten about the 2008 election because people move on. But we’ve got to remind them to fix the EC before they do so, and before it happens again.”
NAVARRO: “Well, maybe the Electoral College will be reform in time for 2020 election.”
GRAVEL: “Maybe. Remember, before UHC was passed in 1990, we had been discussing it since the early 1970s, so if a new voting process gets implemented in time for the 2020, it will actually be impressively fast, relatively and contextually-speaking.”
PETHERICK: “Yeah, I agree, but I also think we can keep it in public discourse until that time comes, though. Even if it takes until 2020, we can keep it relevant by continuing to discuss the importance of utilizing the N.I.A. to bring attention to it, and by discussing it on important, major, wide-reaching platforms such as this one.”
GRAVEL: “Was that a shameless plug?”
PETHERICK: “It wasn’t shameless.”
NAVARRO: “Ha-ha, well, um, this Ranked Choice Voting idea certainly is getting attention on the technet, where many are claiming that RCV is far too complicated for under-educated Americans.”
GRAVEL: “Possibly, but that’s why people have to access all voting literature and helpful voting material that’s out there on the technet in the first place.”
PETHERICK: “Yeah, and besides, RCV is still much better than a direct popular two-round system or a congressional delegation allocation system because the RCV would not fundamentally change voting habits in a negative way. And its instant-runoff ability is superior to the second round repeat system because its less costly in regards to both time and money!”
GRAVEL: “And don’t forget about the other glaring problem with the CDA system – gerrymandering. If politicians didn’t work tirelessly to choose their voters before, under a CDA system the gerrymandering would be taken up to eleven!”
NAVARRO: “But don’t the Democrats oppose gerrymandering?”
GRAVEL: “Only when they aren’t the ones gerrymandering, Ana.”
– Kennedy News Network, roundtable discussion, 5/11/2015
12 May 2015: on this day in history, a major earthquake strikes Nepal, merely weeks after a severe one struck the region. Due to prior evacuations, houses still damaged, cleanup and emergency personnel still working, and a less severe magnitude, the seismic activity only kills 92 people.
[pic: imgur.com/MMrFMAn.png ]
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
List of Monarchs of Nepal
[snip]
1972-2014: Birendra Bir Bikram Shah (1945-2014, aged 68) – oversaw the nation shift to being a constitutional monarchy in 1990; defeated a Maoist coup attempt in 1998; died from heart failure
2014-present: Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah (b. 1978, age 37) – was next in line to the throne after his older brother Dipendra committed suicide in 2002
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2015
GRAMMER SIGNS SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS’ RIGHTS BILL INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 5/18/2015
JULIETTE PARKER ELECTED MAYOR OF COLORADO SPRINGS: Former Homeless Person Unseats Incumbent In Stunning Political Upset
– The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado newspaper, side article, 5/19/2015
Mayors of COLORADO SPRINGS
1975-1979: 36) Lawrence “Larry” Ochs (I, 1924-2003) – former businessman; began serving on the city council in 1967; became Vice Mayor in 1970; the last mayor to be elected by City Council rather than popular vote; worked aggressively to expand business opportunities for the city; retired
1979-1985: 37) Robert Michael “Bob” Isaac (R, 1928-2008) – of Syrian Christian descent; former math teacher and law firm partner; previously worked as an assistant district attorney for the Fourth Judicial District of Colorado in 1965 and 1966, as a judge for the Colorado Springs Municipal Court from 1966 to 1969, and as a city councilman from 1975 to 1979; city’s first-ever popularly-elected mayor; “during his tenure, KVUU radio aired a daily drive-time segment called ‘Stump Mayor Bob,’ in which the DJs would call the mayor's office and ask him trivia questions” [source: his wiki article!]; resigned for a higher-paying position in the Denton administration’s Justice Department
1979: Myron H. “Mike” Pike (I) and Ken Curtis (I)
1983: Frederic J. “Fred” Weber (I) and Thomas C. “Tom” Fisher (I)
1985-1985: 38) Leon Young (I) – city’s first African-American mayor; selected by city council to succeed Mayor Isaac; lost election to complete the 1983-1987 mayoral term
1985-1991: 39) Cheryl D. Gillaspie (R) – city’s first female mayor; conservative; former business owner and political donor; known for carrying a pistol in public; lost re-election
1985 (special): Mary Ellen McNally (I), Leon Young (I) and Frederic J. “Fred” Weber (I)
1987: Joseph Jones (I)
1991-2003: 40) Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Makepeace (R, b. 1940) – city’s second female mayor; previously worked as a caseworker and non-profit director; previously served on the city council from 1985 to 1999; promoted child rights, elder care, and beautification projects; known for her open, innovative, and unifying leadership; term-limited by an opposition-led city referendum in 2001; ran for Lieutenant Governor as an Independent in 2006 despite not officially leaving the GOP to oppose the “Goetzite” Republican nominee that year; later served in the U.S. House from Colorado’s 3rdd district from 2017 to 2021
1991: Cheryl D. Gillaspie (R)
1995: Jeff Valdez (I)
1999: Will Perkins (R)
2003-2011: 41) Sallie Clark (R) – former business owner; previously served on the city council from 1999 to 2003
2003: Ted Eastburn (I)
2007: Mike Coletta (I)
2011-2015: 42) Charles Fowler (R) – former businessman; previously served on the city council 2005 to 2011; was a close ally of Mayor Clark; conservative; lost re-election in an upset
2011: Kenneth Paul Duncan (I)
2015-present: 43) Juliette Parker (I) – former “army brat” and former homeless person; previously worked as a small business owner and as a nonprofit organizer; supports fiscal responsibility and vocational education; ran a successful grassroots campaign against an “establishment” incumbent; currently working to combat the root causes of homelessness; incumbent
2015: Charles Fowler (R)
2019: Brian Bahr (R) and Lawrence Martinez (I)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
…Spurred on by Marin cutting funding to the military in the midst of the 2013-2014 economic recession sweeping Europe, many within the military junta soon found its civilian leader to have an unrealistic understanding of their nation’s military capabilities. Blaming Marin’s socialist policies and the nations of Greece, Turkey and Romania for Bulgaria’s economic woes, Volen Siderov wanted to send jets bomb Thessaloniki, Bucharest and Ankara “as a trilogy of warning shot.” This military leaders knew this would lead to those three nations quickly mobilizing of forces, bringing them to war. Only some of them, however, were aware of just how truly outdated their firepower was, and found Siderov’s notion to “use a lot of ammo to compensate for any problems” to be absolutely ridiculous. The plan to have other cities being hit by Bulgarian fighter jets was soon leaked to certain members of the nation’s parliament…
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
“…We can now confirm reports that the Bulgarian military junta that took control of that nation’s capital earlier this year has been overthrown in a counter-coup lead by prominent technocratic members of the Bulgarian National Assembly and several anti-Siderov soldiers within the military…”
– BBC World News, 25/5/2015 broadcast
…Marin was reinstated, Siderov was sentenced to life in prison for treason, and a massive crackdown on the military began to sniff out everyone in the armed forces who had particiated in or had supported the February Coup…
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
BROWN APOLOGIZES FOR HIS LATEST “HARLEYISM”
…The Vice President told the joke, “Jewish men get circumcised because Jewish women won’t touch anything that’s not at least 20% off” [4] to a gathering of reporters outside the US Senate Chamber two weeks ago, shortly after Brown casted a tie-breaking vote that in favor of a Republican bill to extend federal regulations but lower fines for littering in national parks… In today’s statement, Brown announced “sometime a joke of mine may be construed by those of a gentle nature, a sensitive disposition or the young, to be offensive, shocking, or even obscene. To them, I apologize. To the rest of my fellow citizens who understood that the comment was in jest, the backlash highlights the need for us all to be more honest and straightforward with one another instead of deceiving each other and ourselves. Dishonesty in any of its forms and any encroachment whatsoever upon our sacred right to free speech is nothing more than bondage to fear. I believe that this or any other form of unwanted bondage is repugnant and do hereby announce that I hold it in great contempt. [5]”…
– The Boston Globe, 5/30/2015
“Your majesty, I hope everything was to your satisfaction,” President Grammer said the royal visitor upon the completion of dinner. The dishes of the stately meal had all been rooted in Laotian tradition, but given an American spin her and there to highlight the theme of the trip – the strengths of close US and Laotian relations. Naturally, KFC was also served.
At 83, King Vong Savang of Laos had no time for lengthy monologues, and so responded bluntly, “I was. I again thank you for welcoming us into your home.”
“It was pleasure, sir, but the White House is not my home. I may live here, but its true owners are the 328 million citizens of America.”
“I see. Well, then you can tell the landlords that I enjoyed the visit,” the octogenarian ruler smiled with sincere glee.
As Grammar had wanted, the visit had taken the President and his VIP visitor beyond the Beltway. Over the span of three days, the two had traveled across the US, starting in Seattle to speak before the Laotian-American community there, complete with a trip to the “Little Laos” district and media outlets joking that Dr. Frasier had again returned to his home town. Next, the two visited Wichita Kansas, impressing the King with the sheer vastness of the Great Plains and the electric, wind and solar power systems strewn across it over the past several years, and allowing Grammer to check in on a state that had almost voted Democratic in 2012. Then the tour came to New York City to inspect the latest opportunities capitalism has to offer people and businesses, and partake in more American culture and cuisine. The tour came to a close in D.C. with a welcomed “sleepover” stay at the White House.
At the end of the trip, Grammer turned to his second-in-command Harley Brown and said, “And that is his how you make an ally.”
Indeed, Grammer and Laos’ Prime Minister would sign a major trade deal three months later…
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
POTUS SIGNS CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT INTO EFFECT
– The Washington Post, 6/4/2015
…The company’s decision to expand farther into Africa did not stop at South Africa and Morocco. KFC’s CEO decided to be even bolder, and offered to open one small dine-in outlet in the capital of the new nation of South Sudan. The country’s leaders saw the notion as an offering of goodwill, and as an opportunity to develop the new nation’s struggling economic markets in a way that did not “threaten our national identity” given that this particular KFC would be donned in the local colors instead of its iconic red-and-white stripes, marking the first time in 55 years that a standalone KFC waived the uniform look. This shake-up in building appearance would later be replicated in KFC outlets in other nations as well; in fact, at the time of this book’s publications, roughly 20% of KFC outlets found outside the US maintain building facades closer to local designs than to the standard one… KFC-South Sudan opened in Juba on June 5, 2015…
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
DRUMSTICKS AND DEMOCRACY: Northup’s Latest Studies How The Colonel Still Effects The Nation Today
…Anne Meagher Northup’s Chicken and Politickin’: the Rise of Colonel Sanders and Rational Conservatism in the Republican Party, examines and analyzes Colonel Sanders’ impact on fast food culture, the US Presidency, the Republican Party, and world trends during his life, and how those impacts still reverberate is modern times...
[pic: imgur.com/TS3vidz.png ]
– The New York Times, book review section, 6/6/2015
“..The totals were astounding to these researchers: no more than 10% of all applicants had been approved for state-level welfare programs in the state of Mississippi. The state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program had rejected most welfare applicants under former Governor Hudson Holliday, and incumbent current Governor Martha Rainville, a Republican. Governor Rainville isn’t running for a second term amid low approval ratings, which are only getting lower in the midst of this growing scandal…”
– KNN News, 6/7/2015 report
MILLS: Republican politics often sing the praises of not just President Saunders but the company he founded as well. Did has led to the occasional news story about some KFC employee posting some controversial and wildly partisan comment ontech. These have in turn led to claims that KFC harbors a cult-like workplace environment. Does KFC have a cult problem?
YOHE: I don’t think so. Low-key, there is a connection to the GOP, but it is the opposite of what those ex-employees have professed. That particular party loves us more. For example: ever since the days of the Colonel Sanders Presidency, in nearly every Republican administration, nearly every time there is a major celebration at the White House, KFC is served or offered somewhere. Kemp, Iacocca, Dinger, and now Grammer. So KFC has affected White House planning but the GOP does not affect KFC’s actions as a business.
MILLS: But does the GOP impact the company workplace-wise?
YOHE: We often enjoyed working with any administration, gubernatorial or federal-level regardless of political party, but workplace culture? Maybe. I mean, most who work for us are simply not political; they aren’t into politics because it’s not a part of the job to be political. We serve anyone and everywhere. But, I have to say, I worked at that company for decades, starting at the bottom even though my Dad was a big player in the company even then, and I worked up to middle and to the top. And, I’ve got to say, of those who were openly political during my time there, nearly all at the very top were Republican. I’d say half didn’t care; they cared about the food – you know, the whole point of the company – more than about who liked us more than others. About a quarter of my branch of the KFC family, for example, were independent, about 20% of them were Republican, most of which were avidly Republican, and about 5% were openly Democrat.
MILLS: So were Democrats intimidated into not espousing their views, or do most Democrats simply not apply at FLG because they are discouraged from working there?
YOHE. No, there’s a difference between affiliation and the reality of things. Yes, KFC has become associated with the GOP. It has become as much a symbol of their party as the elephant, similar to how a painted tree has become a symbol for Democrats thanks to the ascension of Bob Ross. But I worked at the top for ten years, and we didn’t care if you were a Democrat because half the country is Democrats, and shutting out half a country is never good for business. Why ever would any company shy away from so many potential customers?
– Former CEO of FLG Inc.’s Smoky Mountain Bbq Steakhouse (2005-2015) David Yohe and a Reporter, Tumbleweed Magazine, 6/8/2015 interview
…In the early summer of 2015, Vice President Harley Brown began calling for the US to pull out of the World Court, also known as the UN International Court of Justice. Initially, the US refused to ratify its protocol, but still had a jurist on the bench, until President Jesse Jackson got the US into it thanks to the huge to Democrats controlling the US Senate 63-37 in 2005. In private discussions with his VP, Grammer seemed supportive of the notion that the UN should not influence the US’s handling of judicial affairs…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SAYS PRESIDENT SHOULD RESIGN
…Speaker of the Vietnam National Assembly and unofficial opposition leader Dang Thi Ngoc Dung of Saigon, b. 1978, is joining the voices calling for President Viet D. Dinh to step down amid corruption claims…
– Tuoi Tre News, United Vietnam newspaper, 6/10/2015
BEZOS’ BOLD PLANS FOR BOT HUB
…NASA Director Bezos has just taken us one step closer to building a robot hub on the moon by obtaining for the administration a $25million donation from South African ore mining billionaire Elon Musk. …Shuttleplanes and the I.S.S. will play vital roles in the launching of a lunar orbiter. …Once operational, the S.O.G.’s robots can potentially carry out long-term experiments on the moon, explore its poles and Dark Side, and even dig deeper than ever before in order to learn more about Earth’s sole natural satellite...
– popularscience.co.usa, 6/14/2015
“I know the Demowusses have got a new talking point lately, they’re complaining about how expensive military uniforms are: gloves, rifle mags, helmets, night vision on helmets, plates and plate carriers, rifle, scope, camo clothing, pouches, it all adds up in the end. But you know what? You pay for what you get – it’s either expensive gear to help our soldiers, or cheap gear to help an enemy’s soldiers. But to their credit, I have always supported the libertarian proposal to have it so that a state’s militia reports exclusively to that state’s governor, and that all of their material, supplies and equipment falls under state jurisdiction, away from the fingers of the feds, so they can’t charge taxes for them. That would certainly lower federal taxes.
But, then again, Democrats love taxes. Their motto is basically ‘Work hard, chumps – millions on welfare depend on it!’ Yeah, the Democrats complain about our tax policies, then come this close to violating the BBA and creating a constitutional crisis. They’re hella confused – a lot of ’em need Jesus. They need to reject stupidity and embrace the glory of God. Yeah, that’s why it’s so important to keep up good relations with the people of the Middle East. Jesus was born there. He wasn’t born elsewhere. He wasn’t born in some place like India or China or Poland. We definitely know for a fact that Jesus was not born in Poland because nobody has ever found three wise men or a virgin in Poland” [6]
– Vice President Harley Brown at a televised political fundraiser hosted by the Family Research Council, 6/19/2015
“You really messed things up this time, Harley,” the White House Chief of Staff shook her head with a tired look of disapproval. The administration’s staff had gone into overtime trying to minimize the fallout to Brown’s comments the previous day, calling up news stations to keep track of how fall the comments were spreading and cling on firefighter as two hearings ago..
“I was just trying to liven up the room. Ralph Reed is such a stick in the mud. And that Dobson fella looked like he was dead,” Harley defended himself, “It was just a joke!”
“To you, yes, but to others it struck a nerve. There are 38 million people in Poland and if Polish social media and all the Polish officials denouncing you ontech are any indication, you’ve just upset all of them.”
“Not to mention all the Christians in this country complaining that you were insulting and belittling Jesus,” Grammar slowly exhaled as he flexed his fingers around a stress ball, squeezing it at a quickening pace.
“What?” That’s ridiculous. Don’t they know me? I’m one of God’s biggest fans!”
“Alright, that’s it!” President Grammar spoke up, slamming the ball against his desk as he rose from his chair to stand in front of Brown.
“Harley, oh, my dear Harley, you know I support people being themselves, but do you think you can try to not offend large swaths of the world population? I mean, for God’s sake, man! You are the Vice President of the United States, you’re not some semi-sentient simian from the sticks.”
Grammer’s Chief of State pressed her counterpart, VP Brown’s Chief of Staff “Viper” Kelly, to give the two politicians some room.
“I don’t filter, Kelsey,” answered Brown. “I don’t do fancying modern etiquette-type things like censoring myself.”
“This isn’t just about you, Harley! It’s about common courtesy, and about what one’s actions indicate about their own self-respect. And it reflects poorly not just one you, Harley Davidson Brown, but on this whole administration. Don’t you realize that you are causing so much damage sullying our reputation that party leaders are saying I should find a different running mate?”
To this, Harley was surprised, as he had apparently not heard of the recent discussions. “What?”
“Party leaders are saying that if I had to drop you from the ticket, replace you with someone just a religious but way less self-destructive, this White House’s approval ratings would skyrocket faster than the Milestone and Seeker!”
Harley thought for a moment before proclaiming firmly, “I won’t change who I am. And if I did decide to change, I don’t think I’d be able to.”
Grammar groaned, “You don’t have to change who you are. You just clean up your act. It’s not censorship, its common sense. You don’t swear at other people’s children, you don’t cry ‘fire’ in a fire-free place, and you don’t crack off-hand religion jokes about the Polish at a religious event. What next, you’re going to make fun of Jewish people at the Holocaust Museum in New York?!”
“No, no,” the Vice President crinkled his brow and shook his head; for the first time in his life, with the threat of being dropped from the 2016 making the situation very real for the VP, Harley felt a bit frightened of Kelsey Grammer.
“Just, please, Harley, just go out there and do your best to apologize. Fix this burnt bridge. And just…cut the crap already.” [1]
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
[pic: imgur.com/auVGHSh.png ]
– VP Harley Brown speaking to reporters outside Number One Observatory Circle, the official residence of the VP of the US, apologizing for past remarks while trying to keep the moment lighthearted, 6/21/2015
Helloooo, fellooow technetters! Hizzy McHugh coming at you with the word on the latest fast-food phases and crazes. And in this video, we’re lookin’ at the reasons behind the surprisingly intense connection that some NBA teams have with certain Pizza brands.
You ever notice that, ever since the late 1990s, the NBA has been increasingly sponsoring up with various pizza companies? There’s a reason for it, and it actually has to do with something we’ve covered in series many times before – a little thing called health science. But don’t click away, friends – as always, I’m bringing it to ya bit by bit and in a fun way.
See, back in 2004, as part of a series of articles covering the NBA in the post-pandemic era, Business Insider let out a little secret. According to the article, the bromance between the teams of the National Basketball Association and various Pizza brands – ranging from prominent names like Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, Boston’s, Domino’s Pizza, Figaro’s, Pizza Corner, Eatza Pizza, Sbarro, Marco’s Pizza, and Toppings Galore, to smaller chains like Pizza Haven, Pizza Shack and Papa Murphy’s – began during the 1994-1995 NBA season, when Malik Sealy of the Indiana Pacers got to craving some extra cheese pizza right before the start of the Conference Semifinals. Convincing the team to order a pizza before the game, the team performed better than expected, resulting in fellow teammate Reg Miller demanding they start a habit of eating pizza before every game that season. And as it turned out, that season was their best in over a decade, as they made it not only all the way to the Conference Finals, but they won the NBA Finals that season as well! This surprise success bolstered the rising rumor that pizza was the key to better player performance.
Ever since that season, more and more NBA teams have begun to swear by the combination of cheese, bread and sauce, claiming the slices boost player performances on the court. Some teams reportedly even have their staff order pizza and have them on stand-by for when they start losing a game, and some teams even compare their performances against the pizza brands they eat before each game. No joke! Or...is it? Because if pizza equals mad court skills, how come my pimple-covered adolescent self was terrible at Phys Ed no matter how many pepperonis I stuffed into my face?
Maybe it’s just typical sportsball superstition, like the claim that the curse from a goat kept the Cubs from winning the World Series until 1984, or the Curse of the Colonel Sanders Statue. But the placebo effect – as previously covered in this video here – is well known for giving competitors an edge time and again. So maybe this is all just in their heads? Because from a dietary standpoint, pizza just can’t be the optimal food choice for million-dollar basketball players, right? It just can’t be. Right?
Well, let’s find out. Let’s break it down, and if there is merit, let’s find out quickly, before everyone is eating pizza, which would make the playing field even again and make this entire video be pretty much moot and pointless.
First off, according to this source here, NBA players, due to muscle mass and energy exuded, most often consume roughly around 3,750 calories a day, practically and basically double the amount an average person consumes, so let’s work the math from there. According to financialwizard.co, the average plain cheese pizza has around 250 calories. According to Malik Sealy in a 2005 interview, and according to a 2010 report found here, the most popular pizza chains among NBA players are Pizza Hut (which offers up 240 calories in its 12-inch plain cheese medium pan pizza), Little Caesar’s (which has 148 calories per slice of plain cheese), Boston’s (with its 200 calories per plain cheese slice), and Domino’s Pizza, which is most popular among the Pacers. An entire 10-inch cheese pizza from Domino's has 1,140 calories if you opt for the standard hand-tossed pizza. If you get a thin crust pizza, calories drop down to 800 for the whole pizza. A regular slice of cheese pizza has 190 calories [7]. So consuming three whole pizza from Domino’s would make up 100% of a typical NBA player’s daily calorie intake – which is a hypothetical for these calculations on the screen here, I’m not saying their downing entire pies over in the NBA – but then again, I’m not in the NBA, so I can’t personally verify that.
Anyway, here’s a breakdown of what exactly they would need so much off-court pizza for – these athletes need protein to help their muscles recharge between games, and they need energy for bursts of movement on the court.
But, as you can see by the chart here, not all pizzas are created equal. It may be possible that consuming a pizza can improve game performance, but it depends on the pizza – more specifically, the ingredients, not so much the brand. What you need is the right bread, the right tomato, and the right cheese – and possibly even certain toppings can help, too.
Now, bread has carbohydrates, and the body’s main source of energy is carbs. White bread, though, is a high glycemic index food, meaning it raises blood glucose levels quickly because the body can break down their type of carbs very quickly, absorbing them into the bloodstream and giving you energy pretty much immediately. So bread equals energy, which may explain why the Boston Celtic’s Reggie Lewis said in a 2011 interview that he hates stuffed crust, telling the interviewer, ‘You need that extra bread for energy, don’t you hollow it out.’ You heard the man – Reggie Lewis has spoken! Anyway, my point is that if you want to get a quick burst of energy, eat bread high on the glycemic food chart, such as white bread and these types of bread on this chart here.
Meanwhile, low glycemic index food means the food takes longer to digest, so the energy you need to get from it shows up later than the energy from the bread – such as, say, later on in a basketball game.
Furthermore, the ingredients found in a plain cheese pizza contain enough protein to help you with muscle recovery and can help you to replenish the sodium, which athletes lose a lot of from all the sweating they do on the court. To sum it up, pizza has the carbs to give you energy on the court, protein content to help your muscles, and sodium make up for sodium lost from sweating.
Huh. So I guess there really is something to the partnerships between certain NBA teams and certain pizza chains. It’s not just the mutual financial profits that has led to the Chicago Bulls and Pizza Hut, the Milwaukee Bucks and Figaro’s, and the Boston Celtics and Boston’s Pizza pairing up.
But like these charts show, it depends on what kind of pizza it is. And the quest to determine the best pizza has seemingly become an obsession for some teams. It certainly explains why the entourage for the NJ Nets make sure they have a pizza buffet ahead of every game, and I mean they have a massive operation: a decked-out layout of pizzas – gluten free, vegan, whole wheat, you name it, they’ve got it – and they even offer players pizza-flavored pancakes, oatmeal, powershakes and even custom-made pizza burgers as well. But what fascinates me is the rumored topping bars – a multitude of toppings ranging from the typical to the obscure and highly unusual, almost as if they’re trying to figure out the exact right combination of toppings to maximize their slice.
But which topping is the best one for their pizza? And which pizza chain is the right one for NBA players? Well that’s all coming up in the next video, so stay subscribed and I’ll see you next week, same time, same channel. This is Hizzy McHugh saying to you have a great day, check out my site if you haven’t already, and if there’s anything concerning the latest fast-food phases and crazes out there that you would like me to cover, please let me know. Bye-ya!
– transcript of video essay, “NBA Pizzas: Food Fact or Food Fantasy?,” uploaded to Ourvids.co.can on 6/24/2015 [8]
“…wage theft occurrences are increasing nationwide, according to an official report by an independent investigation…”
– CBS Evening News, 6/26/2015 broadcast
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] These italicized bits for from Wikipedia’s article on rent control
[2] Basically all of this was pulled from here: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/bionic-eye-sensitive-as-a-human-retina-may-give-sight-to-millions/
[3] Italicized passages are all from the 9/10/2019 gardenandgun.com article by Jessica Giles “Bob Ross Gets The Recognition He Deserves”
[4] Joke found on the “Harleyisms” page of his 2014 website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[5] Passages in italics were pulled from the “warning” page of his 2014 campaign website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[6] A variation of this joke was found on the “Harleyisms” page of his 2014 website, too: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[7] This part in italics was pulled from here: https://www.livestrong.com/article/302169-how-many-calories-are-in-a-10-inch-dominos-cheese-pizza/
[8] August 5, 2021 EDIT: Went back and added this write-up after being inspired by this OTL article: https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/presents18931717/the-nba-secret-addiction and by this video I recently came across (and lifted much of the transcript’s structure (and maybe, possibly, unintentionally, even a few lines, ngl) from for said write-up): youtube / cNVjXRFf5ag
And, finally, to @President Eternal’s previous queries:
Thank you for the compliments!
1/2) Serial Killer pop culture still has that same sense of morbid curiosity. There’s no real way to really change that, given that it goes back to primitive times, when studying how a fellow caveperson died helped us better understand how best to avoid that same fate. Morbid curiosity is a natural instinct that is part of our collective senses of self-preservation. With that in mind, though, while the genre is pretty much thematically the same, many of the people studied are not. The Zodiac Killer, whoever they were, got taken down at the start of things; John Wayne Gacy killed Jeffrey Dahmer in a kerfuffle that alerted the cops to his murders, making Dahmer a protagonist-like tragic character in most adaptations of Gacy’s murders; with Ted Bundy getting killed by a bomb meant for Lieutenant Governor Arthur Fletcher back in the 1960s, the most famous serial killers from the U.S. are Gacy, Ed Gein, Andrew “Koo-Koo Drew” Cunanan (who murdered 17 people in the late 1990s before finally being captured after contracting SARS from a victim in 2002), and Kristen Heather Strickland (a nurse who injected SARS-tainted blood into patients she disliked, from 2002 until her arrest in 2009). Thus, while specific slasher films many not exist here, the genre still does.
Aileen Wuornos – after her brother died of esophageal cancer, Wuornos traveled back to Michigan to receive the $10,000 from his life insurance; she spent the money paying off fines and buying luxuries such as a new car, which she then drove off a bridge while drunk, wrecking the car and killing her; as she was 20 years old, she was one of several cases cited in arguments for the drinking age in Michigan to be raised to 22, which occurred in the 1980s under Denton.
Richard Ramirez – I actually mentioned him in the notes/sources section of Chapter 50 (late 1983). Essentially, with his disturbed cousin Miguel dying in Vietnam during the 1967 Invasion of Hanoi, he was much less messed up ITTL, but still had issues from his abusive father. He joined the Army at age 18, was stationed in Libya during the war there. In early 1984, he and several other soldiers attacked a village and callously shot and killed several unarmed women and children. A subsequent combat action report did not specify this, and continued vagueness over the incident and the charges pressed against Ramirez in 1985 led to some media outlets investigating the incident. Journalists breaking the story were overshadowed by the Packwood Diaries revelations coming out on the same day. In late 1986, amid talks of Denton being impeached in 1987, a court-martial charged Ramirez and 12 other officers, with only Ramirez and 2 others being found guilty after the rest testified against them. Found guilty of premeditated murder, Ramirez was sentenced to life in prison, beginning in 1987. He was paroled in 1997, but, after roughly five years of working in Mexico for recreadrug cartels, and reportedly killing three prostitutes over the years, died from SARS complications in 2003.
Danny Rolling – TTL’s equivalent to Ted Bundy, as he claims here that he killed for the fame that came from it; his murders (5, from late 1989 to early 1990) still inspire Kevin Williamson to pen the script for Scream, but that movie gets a different director and so not become popular enough to merit its own franchise, or even its own parody film. Instead, the Wayans Brothers TV show lasts for five complete seasons!
BTK – other than being called the BTR Killer (Bind, Torture, Rape, because “the Bind, Torture, Kill Killer” is sort of redundant, no?) he’s nearly same as OTL, sadly; he still kills, but is finally caught in 1990, having killed 8 people from 1974 to 1987.
I was actually planning on mentioning the Unabomber in the 2017 chapter! Here’s a bit of a spoiler: TTL’s equivalent to him is Joseph “Captain Chaos” Konopka. Born in 1976, Konopka was IOTL a hacker who committed various acts of arson and vandalism; here, after failing to get a job with the military upon graduating from high school in 1994 and dropping out of college in 1997, his actions were more extreme and chaotic, and he played a major role in California’s efforts to strip technet sites of anonymous users; Konopka was captured in 2001 after causing computers at a chemical factory to malfunction, almost leading to a major and potentially-deadly chemical spill.
Also: California’s controversial restrictive mental health laws have been either praised or criticized by writers in the slasher genre since their implementation in the late 1990s.
3) George R. R. Martin contracted SARS during the 2002 pandemic, leading to him developing complications that ultimately killed him in 2005. His demise is similar to that of Octavia E. Butler, an African-American Sci-Fi author, in that both died before completing their stories, but their respective stories were turned into TV shows anyway. ASOIAF, or IAF for short, ran on TON from 2007 to 2011, while Butler’s show, NBC’s Earthseed, based on her incomplete Parable trilogy, runs from 2014 to 2016 (three seasons, one each summer) and was modeled after the “miniseries” presentations of the 1990s, with each season covering the events of one book. Both Martin and Butler are equally famous ITTL.
Harry Potter – I’m not sure. The idea for the books likely still came into existence because the author born in 1964 (close enough to the POD that it likely would not have been butterflies away) and thus had a similar life and upbringing; thus, idea of a child not knowing they’re magic until being invited to a school for magic may still “fall into her head” at some point like it did in OTL’s 1990 – I really think you should contact, I want to say, @Joshua Ben Ari for further details, since he’s like the Harry Potter expert around these parts.
The Dresden Files were made into TV series starring Patrick Dempsey and co-starring Jared Padalecki and Laura Prepon, with writer Eric Kripke being a major contributor to the series (essentially picking up many elements from OTL’s Supernatural, which isn’t made here). The series began airing on NBC in 2009 and is still around in early 2021.
4) Avatar The Last Airbender was conceived in 2001 to people born in the mid-1970s, so it’s very possible it doesn’t come into existence; those two creators probably come up with something similar instead at the very least. Avatar the James Cameron film series is made, though, because Cameron wrote a treatment for it in 1994 that pulled from all the Sci-Fi books he read growing up; after directing Alta: Battle Angel (2004) technological advancements allowed him to finally make the movie, which came out in 2008; two sequels are scheduled for release in 2017 and 2018; due to the success of Dances with Wolves, though, TTL’s version of Avatar has a less similar plot focusing more on the Navy culture and on the technology of both worlds. I’ve never seen Ben 10, so I have no idea what happens with it here; odds are it either doesn’t exist or is much different than how it is in OTL given the time difference between this TL’s POD and when that show first came out. Elmer “Butch” Hartman worked for The Cartoon Network on shows like Dexter’s Laboratory and Mina And The Count, and ended up working closely with his friend Seth McFarlane on the TV show Larry & Steve before finally making his own cartoon series in 2003 (Fairly Oddparents) the show ran for ten seasons before ending unceremoniously in 2014 via cancellation, as other, newer TCN shows grew to be more popular. After this, he worked with McFarlane on some other projects before creating the fantasy/Sci-Fi/comedy animated series “Elf Detective” (2018-present (2021)). Billy & Mandy (2001-2003) was cancelled after two seasons because parents voiced complaints about their children watching a show featuring the Grim Reaper at a time when many were dying from SARS; an plague-themed episode made before the pandemic didn’t help, and the series was not picked up for another season in late 2002. Invader Zim developed differently, being semi-syndicated in that certain plot lines and developments carried over into each next episode while the main plot of each episode was usually self-contained; Warner Bros’ Nickelodeon almost cancelled the season at the start of season 2 (January 2002) over its grim imagery, and came even closer to being cancelled later that year due to a germaphobia episode that seems insensitive during the SARS pandemic, but the series creator relented to the executives and introduced more “hopeful” subplots for Dib in Season 3; the series finished after Season 4 with a made-for-TV movie because the creator believed the story had reached a “satisfying unnatural conclusion.” Steven Universe may be too far from the POD to have still been made given when the creators were born, but rest assured that some similar series likely came into existence during these alternate oughts/2010s. Do the shows Jackie Chan Adventures and W.I.T.C.H. still exist in some capacity? Eh, sure.
5) The heavily pro-Christian/family values Presidency of Jeremiah Denton (the culmination of the Religious Right and the Satanic Panic of the 1970s) led to a major cultural backlash in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Not only did it contribute/indirectly lead to the progressive Carol Bellamy being elected President and to the rise of Riot Grrl, as covered in previous chapters, it also led to the OTL 1990s obsession with witches being cranked up to 11, and a few years earlier to boot. Teen Witch began the cultural phenomenon’s mainstream presence, followed by Disney’s Hocus Pocus in 1993, and reboots of the 1960s characters Casper and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the latter of whom was portrayed by future First Lady Melissa Joan Hart. Practical Magic was a TV series ITTL, lasting from 1998 to 2001, while The Craft became a cult classic in 1996. Joining this wave of “feminist” works was Buffy The Vampire Slayer and WBTB’s answer to question of how to cash in on all this, Charmed (a cult classic lasting from 1998 to 2002). But as SARS dominated the news and a new millennium came underway, witches declined in popular culture prominence. But like how some were nostalgic for the sci-fi pop culture of the 1980s during the 2010s, the people of the 2020s are most likely going to be nostalgic for the 1990s…
In November 1997, Kevin Sorbo suffered a fatal brain aneurysm, leading to Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ending with an inconclusive final episode in 1998; most of the writers and actors from that series moved over its spinoff, Xena: Warrior Princess, and that show ended up running from 1995 to 2006.
The Walking Dead comic books weren’t made because nobody was in the mood for mass deaths after the SARS global pandemic of 2002-2005, not even Robert Kirkman, who instead focused more on his comic book Tech Jacket, which was turned into a TV show that lasted from 2005 to 2007; however, the small goth-like and steampunk-like subcultures that grew out of people wearing masks did lead to many zombie-themed and plague-themed films and TV shows, (including a 2018-2020 alternate history TV show about the Spanish flu mutating into a zombie virus in 1918), just none as huge and as long-running as OTL’s The Walking Dead TV series. Seinfeld ran from 1989 to 2005, with the final six seasons being considered the worst; Jay Scott Greenspan (who goes by the stage name “Jason Alexander” IOTL) left the show halfway through its run to work on other projects while Wayne Knight’s character got his own spinoff (2005-2008).
The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 to 1964 like in OTL, with Serling attempting to make a similar show years later that would have been called Night Gallery, but due to finding the writing subpar he cancelled the project to instead write episodes on various TV shows as a guest writer, including for a few episodes of the fifth and final season Star Trek: The Original Series, kindling a friendship between Serling and Roddenberry that lasted for the rest of the former’s life. Even with the Sanders Administration’s Scranton Report on smoking in 1967, Serling failed in his repeat efforts to quit the habit, and he passed away in 1977, age 51, just as talks were beginning for a renewed Twilight Zone series. The first TZ revival series aired from 1979 to 1981, but failed to capture the charm of the original. A second revival was made in the late 1990s and was more successful, lasting from 1997 to 2001, and included more adaptations of famous Sci-Fi/Pulp Fiction stories such as Lone Star Planet and The Nine Billion Names of God, both of which had already been parodied on Futurama. A third revival aired for one season from 2012 to 2013.
6) I have no idea. Not a clue. I have never seen any of those shows. Given that Japan’s economy does not collapse here until about a decade later than IOTL, I imagine some are affected by that difference in timelines. Maybe @ajm8888 has some ideas?
Thanks for the inquiries and thanks again for the compliments! I really appreciate them!
Chapter 109: February 2015 – June 2015
“Never spend money before you have it.”
– Thomas Jefferson (OTL)
“And in the southeast Asian country of Laos, Vong Savang, King of Laos, has suffered but survived a minor heart attack at the age of 83. Born 27 September 1931, Von Savang has served in the somewhat-figurehead role of King since his father’s death in 1992...
– BBC World News, 1/2/2015 broadcast
…Grammar decided to give the Laotian King the red carpet treatment before it was too late… With luck, the invitation and subsequent tour of America’s greatness would rub off on the King’s son and heir apparent, Crown Prince Soulivong Savang, who was an avid anglophile but was less-than-enthusiastic about America over the continuing perception of the US’s foreign policy being “imperialistic” in nature.
The President had that US Ambassador make the arrangements with Laotian PM Khamphoui Sisavatdy to ensure the trip was well planned out ahead of the royal tour…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
…The 2 February 2015 referendum was meant to defy the Euro-sceptics and allow the UK to fully embrace the European Union. Creagh staked her political future on the notion that the voters would surely agree to abandon the pound and adopt the Euro. Undoubtedly, the past two years highlighted the ramifications of a disunited financial front; unquestionably, the UK voters would understand this logic and reasoning.
The UK citizens voting down adapting Euro by a margin of roughly 10% was a fatal blow to the Creagh administration, upending perceived indications of the citizens’ understanding of the financial situation and damaging Creagh’s reputation. The failure exhausted Creagh of her remaining political capital, and when faced between the options of either leading to party to defeat in the next generation election, or stepping down to let a more satisfactory Labour party member take the helm, Creagh went with the latter option. She announced her resignation on the fifth, specifying that it would not become effective until roughly one month later…
– Hanspeter Kriesi and Takis S. Pappas’ In The Shadow of The Great European Recession, ECPR Press, 2021
…In space-related news, former NASA Director John McAfee, at the center of a congressional investigation, has been indicted for security violations, with prosecutors alleging that McAfee failed to disclose contents that he smuggled onto the I.S.S. last year…
– ABC News, 2/7/2015 broadcast
“OUTRAGEOUS!”: Major Ohio-Based Trucking Company Has Slowly Laid Off Half Its Workers Since 2010!!!
– The Columbus Dispatch, 2/10/2015
GRAMMER IS FIGHTING WITH CONGRESS OVER SPENDING BILL
[pic: imgur.com/wOlLiF7.png ]
Above: Grammer during a political trip to New Mexico last month
…the President is reportedly unsatisfied with the bill’s handling of cuts to federal income taxes and wants a passage addressing the raising of some tariffs to be removed due to “lingering Iacocca-era issues,” according to the reliable source…
– The Chicago Tribune, 2/15/2015
COBAIN TALKS MUSIC, HEALTH AND AGING IN EXCLUSIVE NEW INTERVIEW
[pic: imgur.com/TikI5GF.png ]
…“I never would have thought that I would live for this long. Twenty, thirty years ago, honestly, I honestly thought I’d be dead by now. That the drugs or my stomach problems would have done me in,” the singer-songwriter explains as he reflects on the fact that he turns 48 on February 20. “At least I still look good” he says before getting serious and beings discussing what it has been like raising his three daughters amid his tumultuous on-again, off-again marriage to their mother, Courtney Love. “Parenthood had been a roller coaster ride. Sometimes it’s bad, worse than any headache or stomachache, but thankfully, more often, being a dad is better than anything found in a needle or syringe”…
– Tumbleweed Magazine, mid-February 2015 issue
“…In light of the Prime Minister of Spain’s economic investments into the region through their national bailout implementations, the people of the Basque autonomous provinces have voted against independence in tonight’s regional referendum. With a margin of just 4%, the results are very close, even requiring a recount in more than one village, but the results are nevertheless very clear – the nation of Spain is in a period of economic recovery that is beneficial to more than just those at the top, and so tensions in the Basque region and Catalonia are at last starting to simmer back down to their pre-recession levels…”
– ITV3, UK TV channel, 22/2/2015 broadcast
AMERICAN EX-PAT SELECTED AS “INTERIM” PM!
…Lawrence “Larry” Sanders was born in New York City in 1935 and moved to London in the late 1960s after “falling head over heels for the beautiful future Mrs. Sanders.” To the left of the party, Sanders, the older brother of American media mogul Bern Sanders, was elected to Parliament from Oxfordshire in 2000 after joining the Labour party in the 1980s and working his way up the political latter under the administration of PM John Lennon, whom Sanders found to be an “inspiration.” …He will assume the office of Prime Minister on the third of March…
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 26/2/2015
List of Heads of State of Bulgaria
[snip]
Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria
1/5/1985-1/5/1995: 1) Zhelyu Zhelev (UDF) – term-limited
1/5/1995-1/5/2005: 2) George Ganchev (BBB) – term-limited
1/5/2005-1/5/2010: 3) Reneta Indzhova (DPS) – first female President; lost re-election
1/5/2010-present: 4) Angel Marin (Socialist) – incumbent
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa, c. February 2015
“…It has, yes, it is now confirmed that the leader of Bulgaria, President Angel Marin of the Socialist party, has been deposed in a coup led by opposition leader Volen Siderov of the Patriotic Nationalist party. The coup, which has seen several hundred military officers storm the nation’s capital, is the first of its kind in Bulgaria since the 1992 coup attempt perpetrated by Foreign Minister Petar Mladenov. That endeavor to overthrow the people’s choice, however, was of a much smaller scale – dozens have been shot and killed in this bloody siege on the President’s residence, and the whereabouts of both Marin and the Prime Minister, both of whom were in the city at the time, are still currently unknown…”
– BBC World News, 27/2/2015 broadcast
TAMPA MAYOR GRECO RE-ELECTED
…Greco, age 82, won a second term (and third term overall) with 71.2% of the vote, meaning a runoff will not need to be held on March 14…
– usarightnow.co.usa, c. 3/1/2015
10/1/1963-10/1/1967: 49) Nicholas Chillura “Nick” Nuccio (D, 1901-1989) – city’s first Italian-American mayor; former mayor from 1956 to 1959; previously served on the city council from 1929 to 1937 and on the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County from 1937 to 1956; unseated incumbent in a race that saw both candidates oppose the Governor’s handling of Cuban refugees, leading to many anti-refugee voters sitting the election out in protest; moderate; criticized for his handling of flooding along the Hillsborough River; lost re-election
9/24/1963: Julian B. Lane (D, 1914-1997)
10/1/1967-10/1/1975: 50) Richard Attilio “Dick” Greco (D, b. 1933) – media-savvy civic activist and former businessman; city’s youngest mayor, having entered office at the age of 34; his election was considered a moment of “generational change”; addressed crime rates by improving social programs via taxation reform; was both praised and derided for having several city employees investigated for sexual pestering during the 1970-1971 Ark Wave; retired; later worked for an urban development company
9/26/1967: Nick Nuccio (D)
9/14/1971: Nick Nuccio (D), Armando P. Valdes Jr. (I) and Sam Capitano (I)
10/1/1975-11/11/1982: 51) William F. “Bill” Poe Sr. (R, 1931-2014) – former realtor and insurance company chair; Air Force veteran; conservative; aggressively combated crime and strongly supported city police; sought to revitalize the city’s downtown area to curb rising unemployment rates in the immediate aftermath of the Economic Crash of 1978; won a second term, albeit very narrowly, due to dropping unemployment rates; resigned after winning election to the U.S. House, where he served from 1983 to 1987 (as he lost election to a third term in 1986); later worked in the insurance industry
9/2/1975: Joe Kotvas (I)
9/4/1979: Robert “Bob” Martinez (D, b. 1934)
11/11/1982-4/1/1983: 52) Charles Miranda (D, b. 1940) – former criminologist; previously served on city council from 1974 to 1982; appointed by city council to complete Poe’s second term; adjusted term length and shifted election date; lost election to a full term
4/1/1983-4/1/1991: 53) Rosemary Barkett (D, b. 1939) – city’s first female and first Arab-American mayor; born in Mexico to Syrian immigrants; former attorney; previously served as a state circuit court judge from 1975 to 1983; strongly supported by city’s Latin-American and immigrant communities; retired; later appointed US Circuit Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
3/1/1983: Charles Miranda (D)
3/1/1987: Helen Chavez (R)
4/1/1991-4/1/1995: 54) Faye B. Culp (R, b. 1939) – former teacher; previously served on the city council from 1987 to 1991; conservative; lost re-election; later served in the state House from 2006 to 2014
3/1/1991: Guy Spicola (D) and Charles A. Eidson (I)
4/1/1995-4/1/2003: 55) Jan Platt (D) – former city council member; previously served as county commissioner from 1987 to 1995; retired
3/1/1995: Faye B. Culp (R)
3/1/1999: Edward T. Young (R)
4/1/2003-4/1/2011: 56) David Richardson (D, b. 1957) – city’s first openly Blutago-American mayor; previously worked as an accountant and previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2015; retired; later founded a large accounting firm
3/1/2003: Frank Sanchez (D, b. 1959)
3/1/2007: Marion Serious Lewis (I) and Aria Ray Green (I)
4/1/2011-4/1/2019: 57) Richard Attilio “Dick” Greco (D, b. 1933) – city’s oldest mayor, having left office at the age of 86; retired due to old age
3/1/2011: Rose Ferlita (R, b. 1945)
3/1/2015: Harry Cohen (D, b. 1970), Ed Turanchik (D) and Becky Rubright (I)
4/1/2019-present: 58) Carlos Guillermo Smith (D, b. 1980) – openly Blutago-American; former community activist; originally from Fort Lauderdale; previously served in the state House from 2012 to 2018; incumbent
3/1/2019: Jennifer Necole Webb (D, b. 1979) and Edwin Aubron “Ed” Narain (D, b. 1976)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
JACK FRENCH KEMP DIES AT 79
…the former US President was in poor health for the past many years, battling a form of cancer kept private by him and his family, with his official diagnosis and prognosis never being publicly disclosed... Kemp’s administration from December 1986 to January 1989 can be viewed as one of transition between the scandalous final years of the conservative Denton Presidency and the policies of the progressive Bellamy years. The Kemp years was best known for being energetic and relatively scandal-free, and is responsible for ZEDs, short for Zones of Economic Development, improving living conditions in urban areas across the country… After declining to run for President again in 1992, 2004 and 2008, Kemp served as a senior advisor for the Grammer campaign…
– The New York Times, 3/2/2015
[pic: imgur.com/lGZWKC1.png ]
– clickopedia.co.usa
OLIVIA CHOW WINS LEADERSHIP ELECTION
…With the Progressive Liberal’s first use of a Ranked Choice Voting system for their leadership elections, MP Olivia Chow of Ontario has won the PL leadership post, making her the leader of the opposition and the person that PM Rogers will face in the next general election. Chow won the position over Darrell Dexter of Nova Scotia, Jean-Yves Duclos and Guy Caron of Quebec, Charlie Angus of Ontario, Glen Murray of Manitoba, and Nathan Cullen of British Columbia…
– The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 3/3/2015
FORMER FLG CEO MARY LOLITA STARNES HANNON DIES AT 83
…Finger Lickin’ Good Inc.’s current CEO, Adrien McNaughton, issued a public statement today, describing her as a “smart, witty and kind” leader, and praising her dedication to expanding the company, modernizing its business practices and upholding the Colonel’s dedication to cleanliness and the original recipe…
– The Louisville Courier, Kentucky newspaper, 3/4/2015
…The decline of the recreadrug cartels in Mexico are most often attributed to the Cartel Wars of the 1990s, similar to the intensity of the Yakuza during this same time period. However, many scholars tend to downplay the impact of recreadrug legalization during this period as well. Furthermore, it is very arguable that the decriminalization of recreation drugs at the federal level during Jesse Jackson’s second term played a vital role in recreadrug cartels failing to regain their old footholds in US cities following the American stock markets entering recession in 2013…
– Novelist, researcher and former journalist John Clay Walker’s Recreadrug Lords And The Cartels of Today, 2019
GRAMMER SIGNS TRADE PREFERENCES EXTENSION ACT INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 3/6/2015
…After the conclusion of the rent moratorium, the city had a clearer understanding of how renters prioritized their income and, more importantly, how renters capitalized from it. McMillan’s partially-transferrable rent caps were picked up by other cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Charlotte, North Carolina, but the policy of rent control found in NYC had its been based on earlier rent control models. For example, in 1986, San Francisco voters reacted to President Kemp’s ZED proposals by passing a ballot initiative to expand the city’s existing rent control laws to include small multi-unit apartments with four or less units built prior to 1980 (which comprised roughly 30% of the city’s rental housing stock at that time), amid fears at the time that ZEDs would lead to racial-discriminatory gentrification trends for the city. While this led to only marginal success, a 1994 pilot program in Reno, Nevada yielded much more positive results both immediately and in the long term.
These earlier endeavors saw the natural formation of two main types of rent control – vacancy control, where the rent is controlled irrespective of whether the tenant remains in the unit or not, and vacancy decontrol, where the rent level is controlled only while the existing tenant remains in the unit. Studies focused on California show that the policy of vacancy control protects existing tenants but discourages investors from building new rental housing units. [1] Thus, McMillan was encouraged to offer tax breaks to real estate developers starting in March 2015. This led to MLB pitcher-turned-real estate developer-turned-filmmaker/actor Donald Trump go from being one of his most harsh critics to being his most avid supporter at a time when Trump was beginning to shift his career’s main focus back into real estate…
– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021
WELD SAYS HIGHER TREASURY YIELDS SIGNALS RECOVERY, NOT INFLATION
[pic: imgur.com/SHFnHDv.png ]
Washington, D.C. – US Treasury Secretary Bill Weld announced earlier today that recently higher long-term Treasury bond yields are a sign that “market participants are anticipating a continuation of our strong recovery,” and not a rise in inflation, as has been claimed ontech is recent days…
– Reuters, 3/9/2015
GRAMMER WELCOMES PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL AT THE START OF A FIVE-DAY TOUR OF THE U.S.
– The Miami Herald, 3/11/2015
JOINT HONG KONG-M.I.T. PROJECT MAKES BREAKTHROUGH IN BIONIC EYE RESEARCH
…Engineers have published a paper on the trials of a bionic eye they have developed. The eye could restore sight to an estimated 285 million blind people and is hypothesized to become available in 5 years if early trials continue to yield positive results. This visual prosthetic could change the lives of sufferers of macular denigration and victims of eye accidents. The Electro-Chemical Eye’s design is based on that of the human retina, by mimicking the domed shape of the retina. Scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with MIT developers, made the breakthrough by placing photoreceptors inside aluminum oxide pores… [2]
– scientificamerican.co.usa, 3/15/2015
HOST: “And we are back with professional dietitian Cory Booker, here to show us his latest breakthrough in the field of healthy eating.”
BOOKER: “That’s right, ma’am. I call it – ‘mangonnaise,’ a mayonnaise-substitute vegan spread made primarily out of mangoes! Now available on my ontech store…”
– The Food Network, TV channel, 3/17/2015 broadcast
HOUSE PASSES LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS SUCCESSION MODERNIZATION ACT WITH WIDE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT; Grammer To Sign It Into Law “Soon”
– The Washington Post, 3/18/2015
BOB ROSS INSTITUTE OF ART OPENS, CELEBRATING FAMOUS SOUTHERN ARTIST
...While living for much of his life in Alaska, Bob Ross was born and raised in Florida, where he worked as a carpenter before serving in the Cuba War. In 1994, Bob Ross told talk show host Phil Donahue that his paintings would likely never hang in the Smithsonian, but it looks like the famous PBS painter may have spoken too soon. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. acquired four authentic Bob Ross paintings in March along with his original easel made from a step stool, paint brushes, and the palette used on The Joy of Painting, the now-classic public television show he hosted from 1974 to 1988, says Sarah Strohl, executive assistant at Bob Ross, Inc., the company started by Ross that now manages his brand. When Strohl stumbled upon Ross’s quote about his work never hanging in the Smithsonian, she was inspired to land at least one of his paintings there. “It was through a love of Bob and also being like, ‘No Bob, you’re wrong. You need to be in the Smithsonian.’ Stroll reached out to the former Vice President in 2013… [3]
– The Miami Herald, 3/22/2015
…Several tense weeks in Washington, D.C. came to a close today when President Grammer signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 into law…
– CBS Evening News, 3/25/2015 broadcast
“…As calls for Scottish independence subside, the leader of Scotland’s parliament, who has been a fiery vocal advocate for the waning Scottish independence movement, has announced his decision to step down from his current position amid political backlash to several incendiary comments she made last year, which are being described as ‘unprofessional,’ ‘divisive,’ and even ‘treasonous’…”
– BBC News, 29/3/2015 broadcast
NEMTSOV CLAIMS OPPONENTS ARE “CORRUPT,” THEY COUNTER AND CALL HIM “INEPT,” IN LATEST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
– Kommersant (The Businessman), Russian newspaper, 4/2/2015
“We will prove to this court that Mr. McAfee willingly took actions that were not only illegal, but were also reckless and irresponsible. We will prove to the court that Mr. McAfee was, prior to the April 12, 2014 launch of the Shuttleplane dauntless to the International Space Station, briefed about the properties of fire in zero gravity, and how ash and smoke can contaminate air, instruments and experiments. We will prove he was informed of the high level of difficulty involved in ridding the I.S.S. of the smell of smoke. We will present evidence such as trace elements of cocaine found on the space suit Mr. McAfee wore on the date in question. And we will present audio recordings in which Mr. McAfee confessed to smoking a combination of cocaine and marijuana with a custom pipe carved in his likeness while experiencing zero gravity.”
– Head of NASA’s legal team, Potomac Court, 4/4/2015 hearing
28-YEAR-OLD ELECTED MAYOR OF MADISON
– The Post-Crescent, Wisconsin newspaper, 4/7/2015
Mayors of MADISON (Wisconsin)
1969-1971: 50) William D. “Bill” Dyke (R, 1930-2016) – fiscally and socially “hard-c” conservative; former TV/media personality and political interviewer; aggressively opposed shoutniks; lost re-election; later appointed to a circuit court seat
1969 (blanket primary): Robert L. “Toby” Reynolds (I, 1930-1994), Adam Schesch (I) and Edward Ben Elson (I, 1941-1983)
1969 (runoff): Toby Reynolds (I)
1971-1983: 51) Paul R. Soglin (D, b. 1945) – progressive; former student organizer; previously served on the city’s common council from 1968 to 1971; one of the youngest mayors in the country at the time of his inauguration, shortly after turning 26 years old; resigned to serve as Governor from 1983 to 1995; unsuccessfully ran for President in 1988 and 1996; later worked as a political commentator, as a public speaker, as a columnist, and as an advisor and consultant for various progressive organizations
1971 (primary): Bill Dyke (R), Leo Cooper (I, 1919-2001) and Alfonse Reichenberger (I, b. 1941)
1971 (runoff): Bill Dyke (R)
1973 (primary): Leo Cooper (I), David Stewart (I) and R. Whelan Burke (I)
1973 (runoff): Leo Cooper (I)
1977 (primary): Henry Reynolds (I)
1977 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Soglin winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1979 (primary): Anthony “Nino” Amato (R)
1979 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Soglin winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1981 (primary): Jim Rowen (I) and George Wiesner (I)
1981 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Soglin winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1983-1983: 52) Joel Skornicka (I, 1937-2019) – previously worked in academia; selected by common council to complete Soglin’s term; retired and later returned to academia
1983-1994: 53) Frank James “Jim” Sensenbrenner Jr. (R, b. 1943) – previously served in the state assembly from 1971 to 1975 and in the state senate from 1975 to 1983; conservative; won in 1985 over his second cousin; resigned after winning election to the U.S. House, where he served from 1995 to 2021
1983 (primary): Alex Cunningham (D) and Lucille Berrien (Farm and Factory)
1983 (runoff): Alex Cunningham (D)
1985 (primary): Frank Joseph “Joe” Sensenbrenner Jr. (D, b. 1948) and Mary Kay Baum (Farm and Factory)
1985 (runoff): Joe Sensenbrenner Jr. (D)
1987 (primary): Eugene Parks (D) and Richard Berg (Farm and Factory)
1987 (runoff): Eugene Parks (D)
1989 (primary): Dennis Amadeus de Nure (I), Rich Bogovich (I) and Carnell Adams (I)
1989 (runoff): Rich Bogovich (I) (de Nure died on the night of the primary election in a freak accident; Bogovich, demanding he advance to the runoff, took the matter to court, which ruled in his favor, resolving the “crisis” situation)
1991 (primary): Toby Reynolds (I) and Mary Kay Baum (Farm and Factory)
1991 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Sensenbrenner winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1993 (primary): Terry Turnquist (I) and Rich Bogovich (I)
1993 (runoff): Terry Turnquist (I)
1994-1995: 54) Wayne Bigelow (I) – previously served as Common Council President; selected by the common council to complete Sensenbrenner’s term; lost election to a full term; later returned to the common council
1995-1997: 55) Al Matano (Progressive) – former aide to Governor Soglin; previously served on the common council from 1991 to 1995; failed to get much done due to opposition from a majority-moderate common council; lost re-election
1995 (primary): Wayne Bigelow (I), Philip John Schumacher (D) and Todd Hunter (R)
1995 (runoff): Wayne Bigelow (I)
1997-2005: 56) David M. “Dave” Travis (D, b. 1948) – previously served in the state assembly from 1979 to 1997; almost lost in 2003 over his handling of multiple issues including SARS and police precinct reform; retired amid low popularity
1997 (primary): Ray Allen (R)
1997 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Travis winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1999 (primary): John Hendrick (D)
1999 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Travis winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2001 (primary): Bert G. Zipperer (Progressive) and Will Sandstrom (D)
2001 (runoff): Bert G. Zipperer (Progressive)
2003 (primary): David J. “Dave” Cieslewicz (D, b. 1959) and Will Sandstrom (D)
2003 (runoff): Dave Cieslewicz (D)
2005-2015: 57) Mary Lang-Sollinger (D) – city’s first female mayor; previously served on the common council from 1997 to 2003; moderate; retired
2005 (primary): Dave Cieslewicz (D), Eugene Parks (D)
2005 (runoff): Dave Cieslewicz (D)
2007 (primary): Ray Allen (R), Davy Mayer (I), Peter Munoz (I) and Bridget Maniaci (I)
2007 (runoff): Ray Allen (R)
2009 (primary): Peter Munoz (I)
2009 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Lang-Sollinger winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2011 (primary): Christian Hansen (Green)
2011 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Lang-Sollinger winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2013 (primary): Satya Rhodes-Conway (D, b. 1971), Kyle Szarzynski (I) and Peter Munoz (I)
2013 (runoff): Satya Rhodes-Conway (D)
2015-2017: 58) Scott J. Resnick (D, b. 1986) – co-founded netsite development company; moderate technocrat; previously served on the common council from 2011 to 2013; entered office at the age of 28; lost re-election; later elected to the state House
2015 (primary): Richard V. Brown Sr. (I) and Nick Hart (I)
2015 (runoff): Richard V. Brown Sr. (I)
2017-present: 59) Kelda Helen Roys (D, b. 1979) – city’s second female mayor; progressive; former tech entrepreneur, business owner, and attorney; previously served in the state assembly from 2009 to 2015; incumbent
2017 (primary): Scott J. Resnick (I)
2017 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Roys winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2019 (primary): Zachary Wood (D), Raj Shukla (I) and Nick Hart (I)
2019 (runoff): Zachary Wood (D)
2021 (primary): Maurice S. Cheeks (D) and Nick Hart (I)
2021 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Roys winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
TONIGHT’S SNL CASTS PITT AGAINST TYPE IN SEVERAL COMIC SKETCHES
…Recurring Guest Star Brad Pitt demonstrated his comedic acting abilities in tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live, portraying actor-turned-politician Kelsey Grammer as a professional man surrounded by affable idiots and malicious morons… Guest star Nick Offerman’s spot-on depiction of Vice President Harley Brown is also worthy of praise, given its hilarious accuracy…
– variety.co.usa/tv/reviews, 4/11/2015
Portrayers of the US Presidents on NBC’s Saturday Night Live
Walter Mondale – Chevy Chase (1975-1977), John Belushi (1977-1979), Bill Murray (1979-1980), Patrick Weathers (1980-1981)
Jeremiah Denton – Chevy Chase (as Presidential candidate, 1980), Tim Kazurinsky (1981-1984), Christopher Lee (guest, 1984), Jon Lovitz (1984-1986)
Jack Kemp – John “Tooz” Matuszak (1987-1988), John Belushi (guest, 1988)
Carol Bellamy – Jane Curtin (guest, as Presidential candidate, 1988), Jan Hooks (1989-1993)
Lee Iacocca – Phil Hartman (as Presidential candidate, 1992, and as President 1993-1995)
Larry Dinger – Jim Brewer (1995-1999), Bob Newhart (guest, 2000)
Jesse Jackson – Eddie Murphy (guest, as Presidential candidate, 2000), Tracy Morgan (2002-2003), Kenan Thompson (2003-2009)
Paul Wellstone – Ronald “Horshack” Palillo (guest, 2001), Fred Armisen (as VP, 2002-2009, and as President, 2009-2013)
Kelsey Grammer – rotating guest star lineup (Heath Ledger 2013-2014, Matthew Bomer 2014-2015, Brad Pitt 2015-2016, Woody Harrelson 2016-2017)
– James A. Miller and Tom Shales’ The Comedy Wars: SNL vs. CSTV, Vanguard Publishing, 2016 edition
France, UK, Germany Sign S.P.A.C.E. Accord In Response to McAfee’s “Stardust” Incident
…The multinational “Scientific Planning for Aerodynamic Celestial Exploration” Accord aims to set specific guidelines for establishing international collaborative procedures for all manned outer-space vehicles and satellites. Prominent leaders in the modern Space Age, such as the heads of the space agencies of Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, Japan and Iran, have all called for the U.S. to sign onto the accord…
– The Houston Chronicle, 4/13/2015
…KFC was not the only company concerned about the increasing dominance of Culver’s on the culinary landscape of the Midwest. The fast food restaurant chain has a little bit of competition for everyone. Their butter burgers went up against McDonald’s, Wendyburger, Burger Chef and Whataburger, and their poultry selections put KFC and Popeyes on alert, but places like SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine was also threatened by a siphoning-off of customers due to Culver’s fish menu items, prompting SBUC executives to better strategize where they opened new locations in tandem with new Culver’s locations…
– Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Sunrise Publishers, 2021
“Watch: Henry Paulson Testifies Before Congress (Highlights Reel)”
Run Time: 15min, 3secs
Description: The US House Commerce Committee hearing concerns allegations that both former Federal Reserve Chair Henry Paulson and former US Commerce Secretary R. Severin Fuld sought to hide the signs of the recession by downplaying its seriousness, and cause it to be worse than it could have been by not doing anything at all to minimize its impact.
– video uploaded to OurVids.co.can, a video-sharing netsite, on 4/15/2015
I met up with my contact in the backroom a blacksmith shop in Moroka, seedy and sweaty little bush-country town, clinging for dear life on the edge of the Tati River five miles away from the Zimbabwe border. I gave the password to the guards, who nodded approvingly and stepped away from the door. With not too much haste – never make sudden moves around jumpy idiots with submachine guns – I slipped in to greet ol’ Vik. “Good to see you’re still alive.”
“That cop’s bullet had my vest’s name on it,” he shrugged off his most recent near-brush with law enforcement. In his defense, it does come with the job, after all. But Viktor was much than just your typical everyday gun smuggler. Viktor Anatolyevich Bout was one of the most prominent Russian arms dealer of the post-FARC era. Born in 1967 in Tajik SSR, this big fish had earned the nickname “The Merchant of Death” by operating his own air transport companies for both legal and illegal services. He had been involved in smuggling ever since he was 17, when the USSR collapsed; he made a living smuggling local weapons out to places like Africa and North Korea before moving his base of operations to post-Volkov Russia and expanding his business from there.
“I hear you’re getting around the embargoes from the capital,” I said to the former “kingmaker” for the Colombian Civil War. Smuggling arms to FARC had turned out to be the apex of his career, as the success of the peace process cost him millions and caused him to look for purchasers elsewhere.
“You now smuggling diamonds?” He asked inquisitively.
“No, but diamond smugglers often need protection.”
He nodded, “Some of my friends may need guns. How many do you think they’ll need.”
We talked price; I started high. “Ten?”
“Two.”
“Seven.”
“Six.”
I hesitated, “Six-point-five.”
He tilted his head up while keeping his eyes on me, “Need the money that bad, huh?”
“You know how it is, Vic. What do you say. For old times?”
“Six-point-five, and throw in some uzis for half their price.”
“Deal.”
Just as we were about to shake on it, we heard two foomp-like sounds outside the door, like someone had simultaneously dropped two buckets full of laundry. Then we heard the door unlock. I asked, “Were you expecting someone else today?”
“Not until 2:30.”
“It is 2:30.”
“I work on Russia time. I’m an hour ahead of–”
The next sounds were heard were the crashing cacophony of the door swinging wildly out and the shouting of several armed officers filling up the room. They ordered us down on the ground, hands up and behind our heads. Just before a group of the hellhounds swarmed onto me to force me to taste the dusty floor, I exchanged a glance with Viktor. He looked surprised, a bit disappointed in his guards – which we later learned were 'tranqed' out by snipers – and scared that, this time, in this place, this third-world country still at war with itself, partially thanks to people like us, we were not going to get acquitted no matter how much bribing was done. Judging by the way he looked at me, he saw the same expressions wash over my mug as well.
It was only after being handcuffed and blindfolded did I realize that these officers were not local, but were from the group of authorities that I had feared the most since the beginning of my career – they were INTERPOL!
– Tommy Gun Thompson’s With Cold, Dead Eyes: A Gun Runner’s Confessions, Borders Books, 2015
The Cairo Protocol is an international treaty which extends regulations and procedures originally laid out in the 1995 Kiev Protocol, which aimed to combat Global Climate Disruption via its signatories committing to a years-long plan to reduce greenhouse gas (/carbon) emissions. This protocol reinforced the commitment, adjusted timetables and regulations, and reestablished international cooperation. It was adopted in Cairo, Egypt on December 10, 2014, and was opened for signature four months later…
…The US signed the Protocol on April 22, 2015, during the Grammer Presidency. In order for the treaty to become binding, it had to be approved by the US Senate, which was split evenly between the Democratic and Republican parties, 52-52, with Vice President Brown’s vote breaking ties in favor of the latter party. Most Senate Republicans joined the Vice President in strongly opposing ratification on the grounds of it possibly harming America’s independence, with Brown stating that “America is mature enough to handle its own problems; we don’t need people on a whole other continent telling us how to run our own country!” A majority of these Senators, and the VP, publicly stated that they believed that greenhouse gases/carbon emissions wee, at least, “contributing factors” to the record-breaking worldwide temperature increases, but behind closed doors, many of those same politicians expressed doubt, with Brown allegedly once stating “I’ve driven all over this country and it still amazes me how so enormously huge it is. How can human activity have such major effects on something so vast?”
With 69 (2/3rds of 104) votes being needed, Grammer broke with his party yet again to join the 52 Senate Democrats in calling for 17 Republicans to vote in favor of ratification. Soon, nine Republican Senators (Snowe, Woods, Heinz, Fortuno, Marriott, Granger, Cafferata, Stenberg and Williams) announced their support for the treaty. By April 2015, the main talking point for anti-treaty Republicans was China’s open reluctance to sign onto the treaty. Grammer’s retort (“So you think we should be just as bad and just as wrong as the Chinese?”) was allegedly said to Senators Hatch, Holloway and Bachus at a private White House meeting in mid-April. Soon after said meeting, Grammar gave a short speech at a White House press briefing on April 16th, not to denounce Republican Senators holding back the treaty, but instead to denounce China for leading the world in pollution rates. The biting critique satisfied the conservatives in the party, and is credited with encouraging 9 more Republican Senators (Hatch, Holloway, Bachus, Wold, Dole, Gatsas, Bilirakis, Rammel, and Bilbao) to announce their support for the treaty, making for 70 Senators in total. Grammer signed onto the Cairo Protocol six days after the press speech.
– clickopedia.co.usa
Reporter Marilyn WALLMAN: “As you can see by the closed offices behind me, the parliamentary squabble over the latest funding bill is impacting even the tourism department. Prime Minister Varvaris swears he will reach an agreement with the opposition soon, but without a passed budget, this office can’t afford to stay open indefinitely. For further insight into this, here with me is the floor manager for Australia’s Trafalgar Travel, a travel agency that is not run by the government, Mr. Morrison. So, Mr. Morrison.”
Manager Scotty MORRISON: “Please, call me Scotty.”
WALLMAN: “Alright, Scotty. What do you think about the government needing to close allegedly extraneous departments? Do you think this crisis will last longer than just a week, like the Prime Minister has promised?”
MORRISON: “Well, first off, I think Varvaris is trying not to be booted out of office by his party, that’s why he’s promising a week, to buy himself some time. But now that he’s done that, he’s locked into it, so he’s probably going to have to concede someone to break it, else he could face a leadership challenge or something, because this is ridiculous. I mean, it’s good for some business, but given the shutdowns here and elsewhere of certain government parks, this is got to be costing us more and more money every day. And let me say this, I’ve lived in Australia all my life – my family roots go back to the First Fleet, in fact – and I’ve worked in the tourist industry for most of my life. I never made to the top, not yet anyway, but I’m a good manager because I pay attention to things, and I have to say this – never have I ever seen something as irresponsible as this.”
– Nine News, Australian TV service, 4/23/2015 broadcast
THE GAME-CHANGING RAMIFICATIONS OF THE MCAFEE TRIAL
…Because NASA is headquartered in Potomac, and McAfee traveled to the I.S.S. in a shuttleplane owned by NASA, the case falls under Potomac jurisdiction, regardless of McAfee’s official residence being in Tennessee. The case is being presided over by Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield…
…This case is unprecedented in that it centers on the first-ever alleged crime to occur in space. A US criminal jurisdiction applies to the case because space, much like the high seas, is considered “res communis,” or “common to all” – belonging to all and to none. Thus, no country can claim it, but governments can hold their own citizens accountable for actions in space. Entering new legal territory, this case could establish a precedence for future protocols ahead of space tourism and increased military and commercial activities in space, trends which are projected to begin to occur in the next few decades...
…Disagreeable or offensive smells may nauseate astronauts and put missions at risk because smells are intensified in the confined space and heat of the I.S.S.’s closed environment, making it difficult to eliminate odors once they are introduced. Furthermore, by McAfee getting high during his visit, he jeopardized his own ability to properly operate his space suit, putting the life of himself in danger as well as risking the lives of others on board…
– popularmechanics.co.usa/space/news, 4/24/2015
25 April 2015: on this day in history, a severe earthquake strikes Nepal, killing roughly 8,100 people; rescue operators save the lives of 40 people in the hours that follow as collapsed buildings are dug out from snowy avalanches triggered by the seismic activity.
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
MEDGAR EVERS DIES AT 89
…the prominent Civil Rights activist was the progressive mayor of Decatur, Mississippi during the 1970s, and ran for the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat in 1984; had he won that nomination, it would have pitted him against future VP James Meredith. …Medgar publicly clashed with his more conservative brother, former mayor of Fayette, MS and 1980 presidential candidate Charles Evers, on multiple occasions in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s over political philosophy. However, both put their political differences aside during family gatherings, a friend of the Evers family tells us anonymously… Medgar is survived by his wife Myrlie and their five children, all of whom were reportedly at his bedside when he passed away from natural causes…
– The Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi newspaper, 4/29/2015
IRAQI VOTERS ELECT AL-SHAHRISTANI, REJECTING DIVISIVE INCUMBENT
…Iraq elected its Presidents by a Council of Representatives by a 2/3rds majority until the implementation of an Electorate College election system based indirectly on US presidential elections via 1990-1991 reforms. Earlier today, that process was on full display as the incumbent President, the controversial Nouri al-Maliki (b. 1950), lost his bid for a second term by a margin of almost 15%. Said election’s winner, and thus the man who will be sworn into office on the eighth of May, is Hussain al-Shahristani (b. 1942) of the ASU (“Pro-West” faction). He defeated al-Malik exceptionally, while Ali al-Adeeb of the Dawa Party only received 5.1% of the vote…
…After winning the Presidency in 2009 over Ayad Allawi of the ASU’s “Pro-West” faction and Rafi Hiyad al-Issawi of the National Gathering Party, the conservative politician al-Maliki immediately began trying and failing to reverse several popular social programs and regulations. Under al-Maliki, Iraqi relations with Israel were at their worst in over 40 years, which caused problems for the nation’s economy during the Unlucky Recession. While the outgoing President has not conceded and has announced that he is contesting the results, most political analysts in Iraq believe that little will come from the queries due to the sheer size of Al-Maliki’s his “landslide” loss...
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 1/5/2015
…seven years after their last manned moon mission, the Middle East has still hesitant to venture back out into the stars. The Saudi Arabian space agency was lacking self-confidence through most of its personnel. Successfully sending people a mission to the moon was one thing, but the death of one crew member and the serious injury of the Crown Prince onboard upon re-entry was another matter altogether. The scene had been understandably shocking, and the leaders of the Saudi Arabian space agency believed that indefinitely suspending manned travel was the right call. NASA, meanwhile, offered an olive branch in order to make up for openly questioning the validity of their lunar mission, then-Governor Harley Brown even openly stating his belief that the mission was a “publicity stunt” of sorts. Due to this, and due to Chinese public interest in space exploration beginning to rise, NASA offered to let the Iranians and Saudis space agencies make major contributions to the construction of a Sustain Orbital Gateway, which would be, essentially, a drone hub for robots on the Moon and a pit stop” for Marstronauts passing by on their way to the Red Planet. Both the Iranians and Saudis space agencies agreeing to the construction proposal gave hope to the possibility that US would soon return its gaze to the stars...
– Madawi al-Rasheed’s The History of Modern Saudi Arabia, Sunrise Books, 2019 edition
MCMILLAN SIGNS LANDMARK “REASONABLE CAUSE” EVICTION BILL INTO LAW!
– The New York Times, 5/5/2015
VARVARIS OFFICIALLY SIGNS OFF OF ON 2015-2016 BUDGET, ALLOWING SEVERAL FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS TO RESUME AT FULL CAPACITY
– The Canberra Times, Australian newspaper, 5/8/2015
…As Botswana’s Revolutionary War began to wind down, temporary tribal alliances helped to unify the revolutionary forces dismantling the country’s corrupt system from the ground up, with one military leader, a diamond mine worker-turned-lieutenant commander, famously saying “more evil blood than good blood is being spilled here today” on May 9… Meanwhile, the reeling government forces lost unity, territory, and foreign backup as the days and weeks of fighting continued on. The apparent success of the government overthrow made congressional war hawks like Milton Wolf (R-KS) bitterly criticized President Grammer for not doing more to defend the capitalist and pro-American government, once saying in a speech on the floor of the US House “corruption alone cannot make a government worthy of being overthrown. You do not throw out the baby with the bathwater!”…
– Walter Allen McDougall’s The Promise And Potential of US Foreign Policy In The 21st Century, Dove Books, 2019
GRAMMER SIGNS REVISED SPENDING BILL
[pic: imgur.com/o4aqIdU.png ]
– clickopedia or The Boston Globe, 5/10/2015
Former Deliberation Committee member Chris PETHERICK: “The Electoral Trust is reviewing several petitions and proposals, but Electoral College reform is dominating the civilian efforts. And it seems the EC Reform movement is slowly shifting in favor of Ranked Choice Voting, but it’s very likely that it won’t be fixed in time for the 2016 election.”
Panelist Ana NAVARRO: “Okay, interesting, now why is that?”
PETHERICK: “It’s just how the system is set up, right, Senator Gravel.”
US Senator Mike GRAVEL (D-CA): “Yes and no. Yes, because the process is designed to avoid flavor-of-month ideas to be passed in the heat of the moment, allowing the idea to stick around long enough for everyone to gather a clear understanding of its positive and negative attributes. No, because the processed could be sped up by congress simply passing a law reforming the EC upon viewing the Hearing Records and Deliberation Committee reports. But since they won’t do that, you’re basically right, Chris.”
NAVARRO: “So, the pace of this it’s a good thing.”
GRAVEL: “Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how forgetful people are. The farther we get from the 2008 and 2012 elections, the higher the number of people that simply forget about them.”
PETHERICK: “Oh, I agree. This relatively slow process could hurt the momentum of the EC Reform movement because tend to focus more on the present than on the past. People are already starting to forget about the 2012 election and already many people have forgotten about the 2008 election because people move on. But we’ve got to remind them to fix the EC before they do so, and before it happens again.”
NAVARRO: “Well, maybe the Electoral College will be reform in time for 2020 election.”
GRAVEL: “Maybe. Remember, before UHC was passed in 1990, we had been discussing it since the early 1970s, so if a new voting process gets implemented in time for the 2020, it will actually be impressively fast, relatively and contextually-speaking.”
PETHERICK: “Yeah, I agree, but I also think we can keep it in public discourse until that time comes, though. Even if it takes until 2020, we can keep it relevant by continuing to discuss the importance of utilizing the N.I.A. to bring attention to it, and by discussing it on important, major, wide-reaching platforms such as this one.”
GRAVEL: “Was that a shameless plug?”
PETHERICK: “It wasn’t shameless.”
NAVARRO: “Ha-ha, well, um, this Ranked Choice Voting idea certainly is getting attention on the technet, where many are claiming that RCV is far too complicated for under-educated Americans.”
GRAVEL: “Possibly, but that’s why people have to access all voting literature and helpful voting material that’s out there on the technet in the first place.”
PETHERICK: “Yeah, and besides, RCV is still much better than a direct popular two-round system or a congressional delegation allocation system because the RCV would not fundamentally change voting habits in a negative way. And its instant-runoff ability is superior to the second round repeat system because its less costly in regards to both time and money!”
GRAVEL: “And don’t forget about the other glaring problem with the CDA system – gerrymandering. If politicians didn’t work tirelessly to choose their voters before, under a CDA system the gerrymandering would be taken up to eleven!”
NAVARRO: “But don’t the Democrats oppose gerrymandering?”
GRAVEL: “Only when they aren’t the ones gerrymandering, Ana.”
– Kennedy News Network, roundtable discussion, 5/11/2015
12 May 2015: on this day in history, a major earthquake strikes Nepal, merely weeks after a severe one struck the region. Due to prior evacuations, houses still damaged, cleanup and emergency personnel still working, and a less severe magnitude, the seismic activity only kills 92 people.
[pic: imgur.com/MMrFMAn.png ]
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
List of Monarchs of Nepal
[snip]
1972-2014: Birendra Bir Bikram Shah (1945-2014, aged 68) – oversaw the nation shift to being a constitutional monarchy in 1990; defeated a Maoist coup attempt in 1998; died from heart failure
2014-present: Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah (b. 1978, age 37) – was next in line to the throne after his older brother Dipendra committed suicide in 2002
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2015
GRAMMER SIGNS SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS’ RIGHTS BILL INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 5/18/2015
JULIETTE PARKER ELECTED MAYOR OF COLORADO SPRINGS: Former Homeless Person Unseats Incumbent In Stunning Political Upset
– The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado newspaper, side article, 5/19/2015
Mayors of COLORADO SPRINGS
1975-1979: 36) Lawrence “Larry” Ochs (I, 1924-2003) – former businessman; began serving on the city council in 1967; became Vice Mayor in 1970; the last mayor to be elected by City Council rather than popular vote; worked aggressively to expand business opportunities for the city; retired
1979-1985: 37) Robert Michael “Bob” Isaac (R, 1928-2008) – of Syrian Christian descent; former math teacher and law firm partner; previously worked as an assistant district attorney for the Fourth Judicial District of Colorado in 1965 and 1966, as a judge for the Colorado Springs Municipal Court from 1966 to 1969, and as a city councilman from 1975 to 1979; city’s first-ever popularly-elected mayor; “during his tenure, KVUU radio aired a daily drive-time segment called ‘Stump Mayor Bob,’ in which the DJs would call the mayor's office and ask him trivia questions” [source: his wiki article!]; resigned for a higher-paying position in the Denton administration’s Justice Department
1979: Myron H. “Mike” Pike (I) and Ken Curtis (I)
1983: Frederic J. “Fred” Weber (I) and Thomas C. “Tom” Fisher (I)
1985-1985: 38) Leon Young (I) – city’s first African-American mayor; selected by city council to succeed Mayor Isaac; lost election to complete the 1983-1987 mayoral term
1985-1991: 39) Cheryl D. Gillaspie (R) – city’s first female mayor; conservative; former business owner and political donor; known for carrying a pistol in public; lost re-election
1985 (special): Mary Ellen McNally (I), Leon Young (I) and Frederic J. “Fred” Weber (I)
1987: Joseph Jones (I)
1991-2003: 40) Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Makepeace (R, b. 1940) – city’s second female mayor; previously worked as a caseworker and non-profit director; previously served on the city council from 1985 to 1999; promoted child rights, elder care, and beautification projects; known for her open, innovative, and unifying leadership; term-limited by an opposition-led city referendum in 2001; ran for Lieutenant Governor as an Independent in 2006 despite not officially leaving the GOP to oppose the “Goetzite” Republican nominee that year; later served in the U.S. House from Colorado’s 3rdd district from 2017 to 2021
1991: Cheryl D. Gillaspie (R)
1995: Jeff Valdez (I)
1999: Will Perkins (R)
2003-2011: 41) Sallie Clark (R) – former business owner; previously served on the city council from 1999 to 2003
2003: Ted Eastburn (I)
2007: Mike Coletta (I)
2011-2015: 42) Charles Fowler (R) – former businessman; previously served on the city council 2005 to 2011; was a close ally of Mayor Clark; conservative; lost re-election in an upset
2011: Kenneth Paul Duncan (I)
2015-present: 43) Juliette Parker (I) – former “army brat” and former homeless person; previously worked as a small business owner and as a nonprofit organizer; supports fiscal responsibility and vocational education; ran a successful grassroots campaign against an “establishment” incumbent; currently working to combat the root causes of homelessness; incumbent
2015: Charles Fowler (R)
2019: Brian Bahr (R) and Lawrence Martinez (I)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
…Spurred on by Marin cutting funding to the military in the midst of the 2013-2014 economic recession sweeping Europe, many within the military junta soon found its civilian leader to have an unrealistic understanding of their nation’s military capabilities. Blaming Marin’s socialist policies and the nations of Greece, Turkey and Romania for Bulgaria’s economic woes, Volen Siderov wanted to send jets bomb Thessaloniki, Bucharest and Ankara “as a trilogy of warning shot.” This military leaders knew this would lead to those three nations quickly mobilizing of forces, bringing them to war. Only some of them, however, were aware of just how truly outdated their firepower was, and found Siderov’s notion to “use a lot of ammo to compensate for any problems” to be absolutely ridiculous. The plan to have other cities being hit by Bulgarian fighter jets was soon leaked to certain members of the nation’s parliament…
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
“…We can now confirm reports that the Bulgarian military junta that took control of that nation’s capital earlier this year has been overthrown in a counter-coup lead by prominent technocratic members of the Bulgarian National Assembly and several anti-Siderov soldiers within the military…”
– BBC World News, 25/5/2015 broadcast
…Marin was reinstated, Siderov was sentenced to life in prison for treason, and a massive crackdown on the military began to sniff out everyone in the armed forces who had particiated in or had supported the February Coup…
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
BROWN APOLOGIZES FOR HIS LATEST “HARLEYISM”
…The Vice President told the joke, “Jewish men get circumcised because Jewish women won’t touch anything that’s not at least 20% off” [4] to a gathering of reporters outside the US Senate Chamber two weeks ago, shortly after Brown casted a tie-breaking vote that in favor of a Republican bill to extend federal regulations but lower fines for littering in national parks… In today’s statement, Brown announced “sometime a joke of mine may be construed by those of a gentle nature, a sensitive disposition or the young, to be offensive, shocking, or even obscene. To them, I apologize. To the rest of my fellow citizens who understood that the comment was in jest, the backlash highlights the need for us all to be more honest and straightforward with one another instead of deceiving each other and ourselves. Dishonesty in any of its forms and any encroachment whatsoever upon our sacred right to free speech is nothing more than bondage to fear. I believe that this or any other form of unwanted bondage is repugnant and do hereby announce that I hold it in great contempt. [5]”…
– The Boston Globe, 5/30/2015
“Your majesty, I hope everything was to your satisfaction,” President Grammer said the royal visitor upon the completion of dinner. The dishes of the stately meal had all been rooted in Laotian tradition, but given an American spin her and there to highlight the theme of the trip – the strengths of close US and Laotian relations. Naturally, KFC was also served.
At 83, King Vong Savang of Laos had no time for lengthy monologues, and so responded bluntly, “I was. I again thank you for welcoming us into your home.”
“It was pleasure, sir, but the White House is not my home. I may live here, but its true owners are the 328 million citizens of America.”
“I see. Well, then you can tell the landlords that I enjoyed the visit,” the octogenarian ruler smiled with sincere glee.
As Grammar had wanted, the visit had taken the President and his VIP visitor beyond the Beltway. Over the span of three days, the two had traveled across the US, starting in Seattle to speak before the Laotian-American community there, complete with a trip to the “Little Laos” district and media outlets joking that Dr. Frasier had again returned to his home town. Next, the two visited Wichita Kansas, impressing the King with the sheer vastness of the Great Plains and the electric, wind and solar power systems strewn across it over the past several years, and allowing Grammer to check in on a state that had almost voted Democratic in 2012. Then the tour came to New York City to inspect the latest opportunities capitalism has to offer people and businesses, and partake in more American culture and cuisine. The tour came to a close in D.C. with a welcomed “sleepover” stay at the White House.
At the end of the trip, Grammer turned to his second-in-command Harley Brown and said, “And that is his how you make an ally.”
Indeed, Grammer and Laos’ Prime Minister would sign a major trade deal three months later…
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
POTUS SIGNS CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT INTO EFFECT
– The Washington Post, 6/4/2015
…The company’s decision to expand farther into Africa did not stop at South Africa and Morocco. KFC’s CEO decided to be even bolder, and offered to open one small dine-in outlet in the capital of the new nation of South Sudan. The country’s leaders saw the notion as an offering of goodwill, and as an opportunity to develop the new nation’s struggling economic markets in a way that did not “threaten our national identity” given that this particular KFC would be donned in the local colors instead of its iconic red-and-white stripes, marking the first time in 55 years that a standalone KFC waived the uniform look. This shake-up in building appearance would later be replicated in KFC outlets in other nations as well; in fact, at the time of this book’s publications, roughly 20% of KFC outlets found outside the US maintain building facades closer to local designs than to the standard one… KFC-South Sudan opened in Juba on June 5, 2015…
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
DRUMSTICKS AND DEMOCRACY: Northup’s Latest Studies How The Colonel Still Effects The Nation Today
…Anne Meagher Northup’s Chicken and Politickin’: the Rise of Colonel Sanders and Rational Conservatism in the Republican Party, examines and analyzes Colonel Sanders’ impact on fast food culture, the US Presidency, the Republican Party, and world trends during his life, and how those impacts still reverberate is modern times...
[pic: imgur.com/TS3vidz.png ]
– The New York Times, book review section, 6/6/2015
“..The totals were astounding to these researchers: no more than 10% of all applicants had been approved for state-level welfare programs in the state of Mississippi. The state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program had rejected most welfare applicants under former Governor Hudson Holliday, and incumbent current Governor Martha Rainville, a Republican. Governor Rainville isn’t running for a second term amid low approval ratings, which are only getting lower in the midst of this growing scandal…”
– KNN News, 6/7/2015 report
MILLS: Republican politics often sing the praises of not just President Saunders but the company he founded as well. Did has led to the occasional news story about some KFC employee posting some controversial and wildly partisan comment ontech. These have in turn led to claims that KFC harbors a cult-like workplace environment. Does KFC have a cult problem?
YOHE: I don’t think so. Low-key, there is a connection to the GOP, but it is the opposite of what those ex-employees have professed. That particular party loves us more. For example: ever since the days of the Colonel Sanders Presidency, in nearly every Republican administration, nearly every time there is a major celebration at the White House, KFC is served or offered somewhere. Kemp, Iacocca, Dinger, and now Grammer. So KFC has affected White House planning but the GOP does not affect KFC’s actions as a business.
MILLS: But does the GOP impact the company workplace-wise?
YOHE: We often enjoyed working with any administration, gubernatorial or federal-level regardless of political party, but workplace culture? Maybe. I mean, most who work for us are simply not political; they aren’t into politics because it’s not a part of the job to be political. We serve anyone and everywhere. But, I have to say, I worked at that company for decades, starting at the bottom even though my Dad was a big player in the company even then, and I worked up to middle and to the top. And, I’ve got to say, of those who were openly political during my time there, nearly all at the very top were Republican. I’d say half didn’t care; they cared about the food – you know, the whole point of the company – more than about who liked us more than others. About a quarter of my branch of the KFC family, for example, were independent, about 20% of them were Republican, most of which were avidly Republican, and about 5% were openly Democrat.
MILLS: So were Democrats intimidated into not espousing their views, or do most Democrats simply not apply at FLG because they are discouraged from working there?
YOHE. No, there’s a difference between affiliation and the reality of things. Yes, KFC has become associated with the GOP. It has become as much a symbol of their party as the elephant, similar to how a painted tree has become a symbol for Democrats thanks to the ascension of Bob Ross. But I worked at the top for ten years, and we didn’t care if you were a Democrat because half the country is Democrats, and shutting out half a country is never good for business. Why ever would any company shy away from so many potential customers?
– Former CEO of FLG Inc.’s Smoky Mountain Bbq Steakhouse (2005-2015) David Yohe and a Reporter, Tumbleweed Magazine, 6/8/2015 interview
…In the early summer of 2015, Vice President Harley Brown began calling for the US to pull out of the World Court, also known as the UN International Court of Justice. Initially, the US refused to ratify its protocol, but still had a jurist on the bench, until President Jesse Jackson got the US into it thanks to the huge to Democrats controlling the US Senate 63-37 in 2005. In private discussions with his VP, Grammer seemed supportive of the notion that the UN should not influence the US’s handling of judicial affairs…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SAYS PRESIDENT SHOULD RESIGN
…Speaker of the Vietnam National Assembly and unofficial opposition leader Dang Thi Ngoc Dung of Saigon, b. 1978, is joining the voices calling for President Viet D. Dinh to step down amid corruption claims…
– Tuoi Tre News, United Vietnam newspaper, 6/10/2015
BEZOS’ BOLD PLANS FOR BOT HUB
…NASA Director Bezos has just taken us one step closer to building a robot hub on the moon by obtaining for the administration a $25million donation from South African ore mining billionaire Elon Musk. …Shuttleplanes and the I.S.S. will play vital roles in the launching of a lunar orbiter. …Once operational, the S.O.G.’s robots can potentially carry out long-term experiments on the moon, explore its poles and Dark Side, and even dig deeper than ever before in order to learn more about Earth’s sole natural satellite...
– popularscience.co.usa, 6/14/2015
“I know the Demowusses have got a new talking point lately, they’re complaining about how expensive military uniforms are: gloves, rifle mags, helmets, night vision on helmets, plates and plate carriers, rifle, scope, camo clothing, pouches, it all adds up in the end. But you know what? You pay for what you get – it’s either expensive gear to help our soldiers, or cheap gear to help an enemy’s soldiers. But to their credit, I have always supported the libertarian proposal to have it so that a state’s militia reports exclusively to that state’s governor, and that all of their material, supplies and equipment falls under state jurisdiction, away from the fingers of the feds, so they can’t charge taxes for them. That would certainly lower federal taxes.
But, then again, Democrats love taxes. Their motto is basically ‘Work hard, chumps – millions on welfare depend on it!’ Yeah, the Democrats complain about our tax policies, then come this close to violating the BBA and creating a constitutional crisis. They’re hella confused – a lot of ’em need Jesus. They need to reject stupidity and embrace the glory of God. Yeah, that’s why it’s so important to keep up good relations with the people of the Middle East. Jesus was born there. He wasn’t born elsewhere. He wasn’t born in some place like India or China or Poland. We definitely know for a fact that Jesus was not born in Poland because nobody has ever found three wise men or a virgin in Poland” [6]
– Vice President Harley Brown at a televised political fundraiser hosted by the Family Research Council, 6/19/2015
“You really messed things up this time, Harley,” the White House Chief of Staff shook her head with a tired look of disapproval. The administration’s staff had gone into overtime trying to minimize the fallout to Brown’s comments the previous day, calling up news stations to keep track of how fall the comments were spreading and cling on firefighter as two hearings ago..
“I was just trying to liven up the room. Ralph Reed is such a stick in the mud. And that Dobson fella looked like he was dead,” Harley defended himself, “It was just a joke!”
“To you, yes, but to others it struck a nerve. There are 38 million people in Poland and if Polish social media and all the Polish officials denouncing you ontech are any indication, you’ve just upset all of them.”
“Not to mention all the Christians in this country complaining that you were insulting and belittling Jesus,” Grammar slowly exhaled as he flexed his fingers around a stress ball, squeezing it at a quickening pace.
“What?” That’s ridiculous. Don’t they know me? I’m one of God’s biggest fans!”
“Alright, that’s it!” President Grammar spoke up, slamming the ball against his desk as he rose from his chair to stand in front of Brown.
“Harley, oh, my dear Harley, you know I support people being themselves, but do you think you can try to not offend large swaths of the world population? I mean, for God’s sake, man! You are the Vice President of the United States, you’re not some semi-sentient simian from the sticks.”
Grammer’s Chief of State pressed her counterpart, VP Brown’s Chief of Staff “Viper” Kelly, to give the two politicians some room.
“I don’t filter, Kelsey,” answered Brown. “I don’t do fancying modern etiquette-type things like censoring myself.”
“This isn’t just about you, Harley! It’s about common courtesy, and about what one’s actions indicate about their own self-respect. And it reflects poorly not just one you, Harley Davidson Brown, but on this whole administration. Don’t you realize that you are causing so much damage sullying our reputation that party leaders are saying I should find a different running mate?”
To this, Harley was surprised, as he had apparently not heard of the recent discussions. “What?”
“Party leaders are saying that if I had to drop you from the ticket, replace you with someone just a religious but way less self-destructive, this White House’s approval ratings would skyrocket faster than the Milestone and Seeker!”
Harley thought for a moment before proclaiming firmly, “I won’t change who I am. And if I did decide to change, I don’t think I’d be able to.”
Grammar groaned, “You don’t have to change who you are. You just clean up your act. It’s not censorship, its common sense. You don’t swear at other people’s children, you don’t cry ‘fire’ in a fire-free place, and you don’t crack off-hand religion jokes about the Polish at a religious event. What next, you’re going to make fun of Jewish people at the Holocaust Museum in New York?!”
“No, no,” the Vice President crinkled his brow and shook his head; for the first time in his life, with the threat of being dropped from the 2016 making the situation very real for the VP, Harley felt a bit frightened of Kelsey Grammer.
“Just, please, Harley, just go out there and do your best to apologize. Fix this burnt bridge. And just…cut the crap already.” [1]
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
[pic: imgur.com/auVGHSh.png ]
– VP Harley Brown speaking to reporters outside Number One Observatory Circle, the official residence of the VP of the US, apologizing for past remarks while trying to keep the moment lighthearted, 6/21/2015
Helloooo, fellooow technetters! Hizzy McHugh coming at you with the word on the latest fast-food phases and crazes. And in this video, we’re lookin’ at the reasons behind the surprisingly intense connection that some NBA teams have with certain Pizza brands.
You ever notice that, ever since the late 1990s, the NBA has been increasingly sponsoring up with various pizza companies? There’s a reason for it, and it actually has to do with something we’ve covered in series many times before – a little thing called health science. But don’t click away, friends – as always, I’m bringing it to ya bit by bit and in a fun way.
See, back in 2004, as part of a series of articles covering the NBA in the post-pandemic era, Business Insider let out a little secret. According to the article, the bromance between the teams of the National Basketball Association and various Pizza brands – ranging from prominent names like Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, Boston’s, Domino’s Pizza, Figaro’s, Pizza Corner, Eatza Pizza, Sbarro, Marco’s Pizza, and Toppings Galore, to smaller chains like Pizza Haven, Pizza Shack and Papa Murphy’s – began during the 1994-1995 NBA season, when Malik Sealy of the Indiana Pacers got to craving some extra cheese pizza right before the start of the Conference Semifinals. Convincing the team to order a pizza before the game, the team performed better than expected, resulting in fellow teammate Reg Miller demanding they start a habit of eating pizza before every game that season. And as it turned out, that season was their best in over a decade, as they made it not only all the way to the Conference Finals, but they won the NBA Finals that season as well! This surprise success bolstered the rising rumor that pizza was the key to better player performance.
Ever since that season, more and more NBA teams have begun to swear by the combination of cheese, bread and sauce, claiming the slices boost player performances on the court. Some teams reportedly even have their staff order pizza and have them on stand-by for when they start losing a game, and some teams even compare their performances against the pizza brands they eat before each game. No joke! Or...is it? Because if pizza equals mad court skills, how come my pimple-covered adolescent self was terrible at Phys Ed no matter how many pepperonis I stuffed into my face?
Maybe it’s just typical sportsball superstition, like the claim that the curse from a goat kept the Cubs from winning the World Series until 1984, or the Curse of the Colonel Sanders Statue. But the placebo effect – as previously covered in this video here – is well known for giving competitors an edge time and again. So maybe this is all just in their heads? Because from a dietary standpoint, pizza just can’t be the optimal food choice for million-dollar basketball players, right? It just can’t be. Right?
Well, let’s find out. Let’s break it down, and if there is merit, let’s find out quickly, before everyone is eating pizza, which would make the playing field even again and make this entire video be pretty much moot and pointless.
First off, according to this source here, NBA players, due to muscle mass and energy exuded, most often consume roughly around 3,750 calories a day, practically and basically double the amount an average person consumes, so let’s work the math from there. According to financialwizard.co, the average plain cheese pizza has around 250 calories. According to Malik Sealy in a 2005 interview, and according to a 2010 report found here, the most popular pizza chains among NBA players are Pizza Hut (which offers up 240 calories in its 12-inch plain cheese medium pan pizza), Little Caesar’s (which has 148 calories per slice of plain cheese), Boston’s (with its 200 calories per plain cheese slice), and Domino’s Pizza, which is most popular among the Pacers. An entire 10-inch cheese pizza from Domino's has 1,140 calories if you opt for the standard hand-tossed pizza. If you get a thin crust pizza, calories drop down to 800 for the whole pizza. A regular slice of cheese pizza has 190 calories [7]. So consuming three whole pizza from Domino’s would make up 100% of a typical NBA player’s daily calorie intake – which is a hypothetical for these calculations on the screen here, I’m not saying their downing entire pies over in the NBA – but then again, I’m not in the NBA, so I can’t personally verify that.
Anyway, here’s a breakdown of what exactly they would need so much off-court pizza for – these athletes need protein to help their muscles recharge between games, and they need energy for bursts of movement on the court.
But, as you can see by the chart here, not all pizzas are created equal. It may be possible that consuming a pizza can improve game performance, but it depends on the pizza – more specifically, the ingredients, not so much the brand. What you need is the right bread, the right tomato, and the right cheese – and possibly even certain toppings can help, too.
Now, bread has carbohydrates, and the body’s main source of energy is carbs. White bread, though, is a high glycemic index food, meaning it raises blood glucose levels quickly because the body can break down their type of carbs very quickly, absorbing them into the bloodstream and giving you energy pretty much immediately. So bread equals energy, which may explain why the Boston Celtic’s Reggie Lewis said in a 2011 interview that he hates stuffed crust, telling the interviewer, ‘You need that extra bread for energy, don’t you hollow it out.’ You heard the man – Reggie Lewis has spoken! Anyway, my point is that if you want to get a quick burst of energy, eat bread high on the glycemic food chart, such as white bread and these types of bread on this chart here.
Meanwhile, low glycemic index food means the food takes longer to digest, so the energy you need to get from it shows up later than the energy from the bread – such as, say, later on in a basketball game.
Furthermore, the ingredients found in a plain cheese pizza contain enough protein to help you with muscle recovery and can help you to replenish the sodium, which athletes lose a lot of from all the sweating they do on the court. To sum it up, pizza has the carbs to give you energy on the court, protein content to help your muscles, and sodium make up for sodium lost from sweating.
Huh. So I guess there really is something to the partnerships between certain NBA teams and certain pizza chains. It’s not just the mutual financial profits that has led to the Chicago Bulls and Pizza Hut, the Milwaukee Bucks and Figaro’s, and the Boston Celtics and Boston’s Pizza pairing up.
But like these charts show, it depends on what kind of pizza it is. And the quest to determine the best pizza has seemingly become an obsession for some teams. It certainly explains why the entourage for the NJ Nets make sure they have a pizza buffet ahead of every game, and I mean they have a massive operation: a decked-out layout of pizzas – gluten free, vegan, whole wheat, you name it, they’ve got it – and they even offer players pizza-flavored pancakes, oatmeal, powershakes and even custom-made pizza burgers as well. But what fascinates me is the rumored topping bars – a multitude of toppings ranging from the typical to the obscure and highly unusual, almost as if they’re trying to figure out the exact right combination of toppings to maximize their slice.
But which topping is the best one for their pizza? And which pizza chain is the right one for NBA players? Well that’s all coming up in the next video, so stay subscribed and I’ll see you next week, same time, same channel. This is Hizzy McHugh saying to you have a great day, check out my site if you haven’t already, and if there’s anything concerning the latest fast-food phases and crazes out there that you would like me to cover, please let me know. Bye-ya!
– transcript of video essay, “NBA Pizzas: Food Fact or Food Fantasy?,” uploaded to Ourvids.co.can on 6/24/2015 [8]
“…wage theft occurrences are increasing nationwide, according to an official report by an independent investigation…”
– CBS Evening News, 6/26/2015 broadcast
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] These italicized bits for from Wikipedia’s article on rent control
[2] Basically all of this was pulled from here: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/bionic-eye-sensitive-as-a-human-retina-may-give-sight-to-millions/
[3] Italicized passages are all from the 9/10/2019 gardenandgun.com article by Jessica Giles “Bob Ross Gets The Recognition He Deserves”
[4] Joke found on the “Harleyisms” page of his 2014 website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[5] Passages in italics were pulled from the “warning” page of his 2014 campaign website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[6] A variation of this joke was found on the “Harleyisms” page of his 2014 website, too: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[7] This part in italics was pulled from here: https://www.livestrong.com/article/302169-how-many-calories-are-in-a-10-inch-dominos-cheese-pizza/
[8] August 5, 2021 EDIT: Went back and added this write-up after being inspired by this OTL article: https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/presents18931717/the-nba-secret-addiction and by this video I recently came across (and lifted much of the transcript’s structure (and maybe, possibly, unintentionally, even a few lines, ngl) from for said write-up): youtube / cNVjXRFf5ag
And, finally, to @President Eternal’s previous queries:
Thank you for the compliments!
1/2) Serial Killer pop culture still has that same sense of morbid curiosity. There’s no real way to really change that, given that it goes back to primitive times, when studying how a fellow caveperson died helped us better understand how best to avoid that same fate. Morbid curiosity is a natural instinct that is part of our collective senses of self-preservation. With that in mind, though, while the genre is pretty much thematically the same, many of the people studied are not. The Zodiac Killer, whoever they were, got taken down at the start of things; John Wayne Gacy killed Jeffrey Dahmer in a kerfuffle that alerted the cops to his murders, making Dahmer a protagonist-like tragic character in most adaptations of Gacy’s murders; with Ted Bundy getting killed by a bomb meant for Lieutenant Governor Arthur Fletcher back in the 1960s, the most famous serial killers from the U.S. are Gacy, Ed Gein, Andrew “Koo-Koo Drew” Cunanan (who murdered 17 people in the late 1990s before finally being captured after contracting SARS from a victim in 2002), and Kristen Heather Strickland (a nurse who injected SARS-tainted blood into patients she disliked, from 2002 until her arrest in 2009). Thus, while specific slasher films many not exist here, the genre still does.
Aileen Wuornos – after her brother died of esophageal cancer, Wuornos traveled back to Michigan to receive the $10,000 from his life insurance; she spent the money paying off fines and buying luxuries such as a new car, which she then drove off a bridge while drunk, wrecking the car and killing her; as she was 20 years old, she was one of several cases cited in arguments for the drinking age in Michigan to be raised to 22, which occurred in the 1980s under Denton.
Richard Ramirez – I actually mentioned him in the notes/sources section of Chapter 50 (late 1983). Essentially, with his disturbed cousin Miguel dying in Vietnam during the 1967 Invasion of Hanoi, he was much less messed up ITTL, but still had issues from his abusive father. He joined the Army at age 18, was stationed in Libya during the war there. In early 1984, he and several other soldiers attacked a village and callously shot and killed several unarmed women and children. A subsequent combat action report did not specify this, and continued vagueness over the incident and the charges pressed against Ramirez in 1985 led to some media outlets investigating the incident. Journalists breaking the story were overshadowed by the Packwood Diaries revelations coming out on the same day. In late 1986, amid talks of Denton being impeached in 1987, a court-martial charged Ramirez and 12 other officers, with only Ramirez and 2 others being found guilty after the rest testified against them. Found guilty of premeditated murder, Ramirez was sentenced to life in prison, beginning in 1987. He was paroled in 1997, but, after roughly five years of working in Mexico for recreadrug cartels, and reportedly killing three prostitutes over the years, died from SARS complications in 2003.
Danny Rolling – TTL’s equivalent to Ted Bundy, as he claims here that he killed for the fame that came from it; his murders (5, from late 1989 to early 1990) still inspire Kevin Williamson to pen the script for Scream, but that movie gets a different director and so not become popular enough to merit its own franchise, or even its own parody film. Instead, the Wayans Brothers TV show lasts for five complete seasons!
BTK – other than being called the BTR Killer (Bind, Torture, Rape, because “the Bind, Torture, Kill Killer” is sort of redundant, no?) he’s nearly same as OTL, sadly; he still kills, but is finally caught in 1990, having killed 8 people from 1974 to 1987.
I was actually planning on mentioning the Unabomber in the 2017 chapter! Here’s a bit of a spoiler: TTL’s equivalent to him is Joseph “Captain Chaos” Konopka. Born in 1976, Konopka was IOTL a hacker who committed various acts of arson and vandalism; here, after failing to get a job with the military upon graduating from high school in 1994 and dropping out of college in 1997, his actions were more extreme and chaotic, and he played a major role in California’s efforts to strip technet sites of anonymous users; Konopka was captured in 2001 after causing computers at a chemical factory to malfunction, almost leading to a major and potentially-deadly chemical spill.
Also: California’s controversial restrictive mental health laws have been either praised or criticized by writers in the slasher genre since their implementation in the late 1990s.
3) George R. R. Martin contracted SARS during the 2002 pandemic, leading to him developing complications that ultimately killed him in 2005. His demise is similar to that of Octavia E. Butler, an African-American Sci-Fi author, in that both died before completing their stories, but their respective stories were turned into TV shows anyway. ASOIAF, or IAF for short, ran on TON from 2007 to 2011, while Butler’s show, NBC’s Earthseed, based on her incomplete Parable trilogy, runs from 2014 to 2016 (three seasons, one each summer) and was modeled after the “miniseries” presentations of the 1990s, with each season covering the events of one book. Both Martin and Butler are equally famous ITTL.
Harry Potter – I’m not sure. The idea for the books likely still came into existence because the author born in 1964 (close enough to the POD that it likely would not have been butterflies away) and thus had a similar life and upbringing; thus, idea of a child not knowing they’re magic until being invited to a school for magic may still “fall into her head” at some point like it did in OTL’s 1990 – I really think you should contact, I want to say, @Joshua Ben Ari for further details, since he’s like the Harry Potter expert around these parts.
The Dresden Files were made into TV series starring Patrick Dempsey and co-starring Jared Padalecki and Laura Prepon, with writer Eric Kripke being a major contributor to the series (essentially picking up many elements from OTL’s Supernatural, which isn’t made here). The series began airing on NBC in 2009 and is still around in early 2021.
4) Avatar The Last Airbender was conceived in 2001 to people born in the mid-1970s, so it’s very possible it doesn’t come into existence; those two creators probably come up with something similar instead at the very least. Avatar the James Cameron film series is made, though, because Cameron wrote a treatment for it in 1994 that pulled from all the Sci-Fi books he read growing up; after directing Alta: Battle Angel (2004) technological advancements allowed him to finally make the movie, which came out in 2008; two sequels are scheduled for release in 2017 and 2018; due to the success of Dances with Wolves, though, TTL’s version of Avatar has a less similar plot focusing more on the Navy culture and on the technology of both worlds. I’ve never seen Ben 10, so I have no idea what happens with it here; odds are it either doesn’t exist or is much different than how it is in OTL given the time difference between this TL’s POD and when that show first came out. Elmer “Butch” Hartman worked for The Cartoon Network on shows like Dexter’s Laboratory and Mina And The Count, and ended up working closely with his friend Seth McFarlane on the TV show Larry & Steve before finally making his own cartoon series in 2003 (Fairly Oddparents) the show ran for ten seasons before ending unceremoniously in 2014 via cancellation, as other, newer TCN shows grew to be more popular. After this, he worked with McFarlane on some other projects before creating the fantasy/Sci-Fi/comedy animated series “Elf Detective” (2018-present (2021)). Billy & Mandy (2001-2003) was cancelled after two seasons because parents voiced complaints about their children watching a show featuring the Grim Reaper at a time when many were dying from SARS; an plague-themed episode made before the pandemic didn’t help, and the series was not picked up for another season in late 2002. Invader Zim developed differently, being semi-syndicated in that certain plot lines and developments carried over into each next episode while the main plot of each episode was usually self-contained; Warner Bros’ Nickelodeon almost cancelled the season at the start of season 2 (January 2002) over its grim imagery, and came even closer to being cancelled later that year due to a germaphobia episode that seems insensitive during the SARS pandemic, but the series creator relented to the executives and introduced more “hopeful” subplots for Dib in Season 3; the series finished after Season 4 with a made-for-TV movie because the creator believed the story had reached a “satisfying unnatural conclusion.” Steven Universe may be too far from the POD to have still been made given when the creators were born, but rest assured that some similar series likely came into existence during these alternate oughts/2010s. Do the shows Jackie Chan Adventures and W.I.T.C.H. still exist in some capacity? Eh, sure.
5) The heavily pro-Christian/family values Presidency of Jeremiah Denton (the culmination of the Religious Right and the Satanic Panic of the 1970s) led to a major cultural backlash in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Not only did it contribute/indirectly lead to the progressive Carol Bellamy being elected President and to the rise of Riot Grrl, as covered in previous chapters, it also led to the OTL 1990s obsession with witches being cranked up to 11, and a few years earlier to boot. Teen Witch began the cultural phenomenon’s mainstream presence, followed by Disney’s Hocus Pocus in 1993, and reboots of the 1960s characters Casper and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the latter of whom was portrayed by future First Lady Melissa Joan Hart. Practical Magic was a TV series ITTL, lasting from 1998 to 2001, while The Craft became a cult classic in 1996. Joining this wave of “feminist” works was Buffy The Vampire Slayer and WBTB’s answer to question of how to cash in on all this, Charmed (a cult classic lasting from 1998 to 2002). But as SARS dominated the news and a new millennium came underway, witches declined in popular culture prominence. But like how some were nostalgic for the sci-fi pop culture of the 1980s during the 2010s, the people of the 2020s are most likely going to be nostalgic for the 1990s…
In November 1997, Kevin Sorbo suffered a fatal brain aneurysm, leading to Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ending with an inconclusive final episode in 1998; most of the writers and actors from that series moved over its spinoff, Xena: Warrior Princess, and that show ended up running from 1995 to 2006.
The Walking Dead comic books weren’t made because nobody was in the mood for mass deaths after the SARS global pandemic of 2002-2005, not even Robert Kirkman, who instead focused more on his comic book Tech Jacket, which was turned into a TV show that lasted from 2005 to 2007; however, the small goth-like and steampunk-like subcultures that grew out of people wearing masks did lead to many zombie-themed and plague-themed films and TV shows, (including a 2018-2020 alternate history TV show about the Spanish flu mutating into a zombie virus in 1918), just none as huge and as long-running as OTL’s The Walking Dead TV series. Seinfeld ran from 1989 to 2005, with the final six seasons being considered the worst; Jay Scott Greenspan (who goes by the stage name “Jason Alexander” IOTL) left the show halfway through its run to work on other projects while Wayne Knight’s character got his own spinoff (2005-2008).
The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 to 1964 like in OTL, with Serling attempting to make a similar show years later that would have been called Night Gallery, but due to finding the writing subpar he cancelled the project to instead write episodes on various TV shows as a guest writer, including for a few episodes of the fifth and final season Star Trek: The Original Series, kindling a friendship between Serling and Roddenberry that lasted for the rest of the former’s life. Even with the Sanders Administration’s Scranton Report on smoking in 1967, Serling failed in his repeat efforts to quit the habit, and he passed away in 1977, age 51, just as talks were beginning for a renewed Twilight Zone series. The first TZ revival series aired from 1979 to 1981, but failed to capture the charm of the original. A second revival was made in the late 1990s and was more successful, lasting from 1997 to 2001, and included more adaptations of famous Sci-Fi/Pulp Fiction stories such as Lone Star Planet and The Nine Billion Names of God, both of which had already been parodied on Futurama. A third revival aired for one season from 2012 to 2013.
6) I have no idea. Not a clue. I have never seen any of those shows. Given that Japan’s economy does not collapse here until about a decade later than IOTL, I imagine some are affected by that difference in timelines. Maybe @ajm8888 has some ideas?
Thanks for the inquiries and thanks again for the compliments! I really appreciate them!