On the Edge: 11/01/2025

Some Sunday Reads

People should be asking why Senator Cory Booker couldn't find a woman remotely close to his own age rather than one young enough to be his daughter.

He clearly has presidential ambitions and thinks he cannot be a viable candidate unless he is married. It is bullshit thinking, of course, but it is common. The problem is he was a real shit back when he was a city councilman and then mayor of Newark, New Jersey, when he supported school vouchers and charter schools, much to the detriment of teachers and public schools there. He was a disaster.

_____________________________

Considering the source of the "help," I doubt it improved his voice any.

____________________________

Some Friday Reads

Unless you want to risk destroying your body going into "skilled" trades, a college degree really is the best route to go.

The problem is the exorbitant cost.

__________________________

Kentucky residents are getting sick of the Orange Menace as well, which doesn't bode well for the sentiment for the rest of the country. That is, if you are Trump or rather, Steve Miller and Russell Vought, who really are in charge.

__________________________

Tattoos are nothing short of hideous. I don't know why anybody gets them. Now they may be linked to some health issues.

________________________

A Few Wednesday Reads

Obit: The man who invented Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots, popular back in the 1960s and thereafter, as died at the age of 99. Burt Meyer was also responsible for MouseTrap, another product that was heavily advertised in the 1960s.

Snip:

Born in 1926 as Burton Carpenter Meyer, he enlisted in the Navy and served for two years as an aircraft mechanic. After retiring from toy making, he moved to Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago, where he built small planes and could be seen deftly steering them aloft from a nearby private airfield well into his 80s.

In interviews, Meyer often drew parallels between aerospace engineering and toy design, saying both required ingenutity and teamwork.

“When you’re flying the airplane, use every resource that you have in there. That’s why we were able to turn out so many successful products,” Meyer said, crediting his success to the highly collaborative environment at Marvin Glass & Associates.

________

The administration is trying to screw over the homeless via HUD, but it is being sued by officials of some twenty states.

__________________

Some Monday Reads

Why is it so many of the women surrounding Trump look almost identical?

______________________

The "evangelicals" of the MAGA type have turn Christianity on its head and in fact aren't really Christians at all.

________________________

Equine obituary: 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches, 21, has died due to infirmities of old age although she really wasn't that old.

I remember watching that race in a Las Vegas motel room when my family and I went to the desert southwest. It was quite exciting for the daughter of A.P. Indy to win this race. She was the first filly in 102 years to win this classic race.

Snip:

Throughout her career, Pletcher said she was very uncomplicated and professional in training, but in the barn, the grooms needed to be on their toes.

"In the barn, she had a totally different personality. She was very territorial and very aggressive," he said. "She was not a sweet filly to be around. Ultra competitive."

Rags to Riches developed a hairline fracture in her right pastern after a runner-up finish in the 2007 Gazelle Stakes (G1). The hope had been to keep her in training for 2008, but she re-injured her pastern in the spring and had to be retired.

The race:

Obituary: Jimmy Cliff

Obituary: Early reggae performer and actor Jimmy Cliff, 81, has died. His family announced his death from pneumonia following a seizure.

He was featured in the 1972 cult film, The Harder They Come.

Snip:

Cliff's award-winning career as a musician spanned decades and included some of reggae's most memorable hits, including "Many Rivers to Cross." He was inducted in 2010 into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which described him as reggae’s "first champion."

"Jimmy Cliff was instrumental in spreading reggae beyond Jamaica," the Hall of Fame said on its site. "A self-proclaimed shepherd of reggae, Cliff has gone all over the globe to pass on the mellow, sun-drenched sound."

Some Sunday Reads

The Washington Post editorial board doesn't think it is a good idea to release the Epstein files.

I doubt owner Jeff Bezos is in those files, but maybe he and the board don't want to further antagonize Trump.

I personally think it is a dead end, the Epstein files. I don't think the abuse extended much beyond Epstein himself.

___________________________

On the 62nd anniversary of the assassination of JFK, his granddaughter, Tatiana Schlossberg, penned an article about how she is facing terminal cancer.

As if this family hasn't gone through enough.

_________________________

Reads for Friday

No surprise Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is calling it quits from Congress. The only question is what her future political plans are, if any.

___________________________

More stupidity from the Trump administration.

____________________________

A Few Things for Thursday

What an absolute crock of shit. More denigrating of women who are in a female-dominated profession.

In fact, more and more of what nurses do were once done by M.D.s.

_______________________________

This shouldn't surprise anybody since Trump loves to denigrate women.

________________________________

And the disgust doesn't even stop there.

_____________________________

A Few Reads for Wednesday

I would say Jeff Zucker is more responsible for the mess we are in than John Roberts. After all, Zucker and CNN CREATED Trump the candidate.

_________________________

Some Tuesday Reads

We will see if the Epstein files ever be released and undoctored.

_________________________

It all was humiliating for Trump, if he is capable of being humiliated:

Some Reads for Monday

In a world where there are Jeffrey Epsteins, the persistence of child marriage in the 21st century should be no surprise.

_________________________

Some Sunday Reads

LOL!!!!! Nowadays, young women in high school are far less likely to want to get married than young men of the same age, and are far less likely to want it than 30 years ago. No wonder. Women are slowly finding out that marriage provides nothing for them.

No wonder men and politicians are getting hysterical over the declining birthrates and marriage rates, but there really isn't a damned thing they can do about it. The train left the station DECADES ago.

The shitty 1950s ain't coming back--ever.

_______________________

Obit: Singer-songwriter Todd Snider, 59, died of pneumonia the other day. However, it is just bizarre what happened to him in recent weeks.

He was born in Portland, Oregon.

Snip:

Earlier this month, the musician was arrested in Salt Lake City and booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threat of violence and trespassing. He was released hours later and taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries.

Hours after his release, the “Alright Guy” singer revealed that he had been the “victim of a violent assault out of his hotel” while announcing the cancellation of his Lonesome and Then Some Tour on social media.

...

On Nov. 14, Snider’s friends and family shared that he had been diagnosed with walking pneumonia after he “began having trouble breathing” upon his return from the hospital.

____________________

Some sad news about Jesse Jackson, Sr., as he is now on life support.

______________________

Some Saturday Reads

Of course Michelle Obama is correct. It isn't so much this country isn't "ready" but rather huge chunks of especially MEN do not want a woman president. It is all this bullshit about "hormones" and "weakness." This despite the mountains of evidence women can and do lead countries.

_________________________

Double Rainbow

I took this picture last night:

Some Thursday Reads

Too bad the target wasn't Kristi Noem or some other dog hater.

_________________

Animal obit: 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold, 31, who denied fellow Old Friends resident Silver Charm the Triple Crown that year, was euthanized today because of the infirmities of old age.

Silver Charm, also 31, has a paddock that was next to Touch Gold's.

Snip:

“Saying farewell to Touch Gold is really hard for everyone at Old Friends. This tough old racehorse has been a special part of our life for many years. It was clear that he loved his life at Old Friends and enjoyed all the attention he received. Touch Gold was one of the best in a great era for our sport. We will miss him every day,” said John Nicholson, President and CEO of Old Friends.

1997 Belmont Stakes:

_________________________

Wednesday Miscellaneous

Obituary: I want to note before I forget the death of Oscar-nominated actress Sally Kirkland, who died in a hospice at the age of 84. She died on Veterans Day.

Snip:

Kirkland was born in New York City in 1941. Her mother, also named Sally Kirkland, was a fashion editor at Vogue and LIFE magazines. Kirkland started as a model before pursuing acting. She studied at the Actors Studio and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1961.

She began working Off Broadway soon after, and her work often included nudity throughout the ‘60s. PEOPLE wrote of this era in 1988, “In those early days Kirkland was to nakedness what Walt Disney was to animation, establishing contemporary standards for nudity that made her the subject of numerous debates on morality in the arts.”

___________________

After finally being sworn in as a member of Congress, Arizona's Adelita Grijalva let that corrupt bastard Mike Johnson have it.

_______________________________

Some Tuesday Whatever

Now that the federal shutdown is over--for now, of course--does this mean the Epstein files will be released?

______________________________

I would be surprised if Trump lives long enough to serve out THIS term. I doubt there would ever be a third term no matter what. He is immortal, after all.

___________________________

Christian "reconstructionist" Doug Wilson had his ass handed to him in Idaho regarding his backing of various candidates for public office.

________________________

Some Saturday Reads

Dick Cheney, Wyoming mindset to the end, never cared what anybody ever thought, and he got a lot of criticism from both the left and the right.

______________________

Dipshit Donald tries to starve people to death because of, I don't know, his desire to loot every penny from the US Treasury.

_______________________

Cartoon of the Day:

_______________________

Marjorie Taylor Greene sounds more and more like Bernie Sanders, but it is likely a political calculation for her future in politics. She congratulated outgoing representative and former house speaker Nancy Pelosi on her career in politics since Pelosi is retiring.

_______________________

Obituary: Noted scientist James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, died on Thursday at the age of 97:

Over his long and storied career, Watson arguably did more than any other scientist to transform a once-obscure biological molecule, DNA, into the icon of science and society that it is today.

He did a lot for science, but he was a complete ass when it came to minorities and women. Typical dipshit of the era in that regard.

__________________________

Friday Whatever

True:

Nap-oleon pic.twitter.com/EG5OWNrPXA
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 7, 2025

_________________________________

SNAP benefits for November came through today regardless of the Orange Dipshit trying to whine to the USSC about stopping them.

_____________________________

Some Thursday Reads

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi is retiring from Congress after this term. She is 85 years old.

_______________________

Though Trump isn't going anywhere before January 2029 except in a pine box, those Epstein files may pose a real threat to his squatting in the White House.

_______________________

It would be a hoot if Trump had to go to jail for defying a judge's order on SNAP benefits.

He is appealing something he had no right to withhold.

_________________________

This sums up the Orange Idiot:

[image or embed]
— Estel Cooper (@estel62.bsky.social) November 6, 2025 at 5:14 PM

Wednesday Reads

The MAGA GOP got the shit kicked out of them last night, and people like House speaker Mike Johnson try to gaslight the rest of us that few people went out to vote, so it doesn't mean anything. Of course it does. It was widespread repudiation of Trump and his policies. Democrats ran the table from coast to coast.

I hope the repudiation will continue through 2026 and beyond.

________________________

It sucks to be Donald Trump even more now than before yesterday's election:

___________________________

Obituary: Former VP Dick Cheney

This morning I woke up to the news that former vice president Dick Cheney, 84, had died. He had a history of heart problems throughout his adult life, so it is surprising he lived as long as he did. He had been a US representative from Wyoming and then was chief of staff under President Gerald Ford. He moved up the career ladder by taking a job with George Bush I as Secretary of Defense. The biggest feather in his cap, however, was he became vice president under George Bush II. Since the president had some shortcomings and wasn't all that serious, Cheney was actually the president in charge of everything. Cheney was known for his "war on terror" ideas, and many people hated him for it. I didn't agree with his politics, but I didn't hate him. I save contempt for the real assholes of the world like Steven Miller, Russell Vought, Peter Thiel, and, I don't want to forget, that smarmy piece of shit Mike Johnson.

His wife, Lynne, to whom he was married for 61 years, was also prominent in the GOP and what was then called "conservative" circles. They had two daughters, one, Liz, served in Congress herself and was a lightning rod for the insane Agent Orange in the White House since she couldn't tolerate his violations of the law and of the Constitution. Eventually the Cheney family got sick of the MAGA nitwits in general and Trump in particular. In return, Trump, ever the vengeful type, targeted Liz in particular.

I saw the Cheneys twice in person, both in 2004, when they campaigned for the Bush-Cheney ticket being re-elected. The Cheneys appeared at Sparks High School on the night before the election. I think it was almost the last stop for them in the campaign. I took that picture of him. I don't remember what he said that made him have the look on his face that he did, but it was one of several pictures I took. Some time before that, he and Lynne made an appearance at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, and I got to shake hands with both of them. Neither Cheney was tall, and I doubt Lynne was even five feet in shoes. She is very tiny.

Cause of death revealed

Snip about his heart problems:

Cheney survived five heart attacks during his lifetime, suffering the first one during his first congressional campaign at 37. As a congressional member, he suffered two additional heart attacks. The fourth occurred following the presidential election in 2000 as a battle ensued over who was the winning candidate.Cheney had a cardiac defibrillator implanted as vice president.

In February 2010, he had a fifth heart attack after leaving office. Five months later, he was outfitted with a device that helped pump blood and compensate for increasing heart congestion. He underwent a heart transplant in March 2012 and a quadruple bypass surgery in 1988.

Monday Night at the Obituary Page

A couple of deaths to note tonight:

Diane Ladd, well-known actress and also was the mother of actress Laura Dern, has died at the age of 89. She would have turned 90 later this month.

She was once married to actor Bruce Dern.

Snip:

Bruce, the first of Ladd's three husbands, met Ladd early in their respective careers when they both appeared in a production of Orpheus Descending in New York City. In addition to Laura, they shared daughter Diane, who died in a swimming pool accident at 18 months.

“It was awful,'' Bruce told PEOPLE in 1990. ''It was very, very tough. I don't think Diane and I had a chance after that.”

Two months after welcoming Laura in 1967, the actors separated.

________________

Grateful Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux, 78, died yesterday, November 2, at a Nashville hospice. She had spent some time battling cancer.

Snip:

The Alabama-born talent sang with the revolutionary band alongside her first husband, Keith Godchaux, from 1972 to 1979. Both went on to perform with founder Jerry Garcia's Jerry Garcia Band from 1976 to 1978, while Garcia performed with the couple as a member of the Keith and Donna Band. She also sang backing vocals on tracks by Elvis Presley, Percy Sledge, Cher and Neil Diamond.

The Godchauxs would eventually part with the band altogether due to artistic differences. The husband and wife went on to form the short-lived Heart of Gold Band, based on a line from the Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias." Following Keith Godchaux's death in a car accident in 1980 and Garcia's death in 1995 from a heart attack, Godchaux-MacKay appeared at several single-show reunions and tributes with surviving band members.

______________________

Some Reads for Sunday

LOL about "population decline" all over the world.

________________________

I would be shocked if the MRI actually showed something between the ears.

__________________________

More and more video is coming out about that outrageous "Gatsby" party at the Mar-a-Lago Friday night:

Breeders' Cup Classic Results

It was still a good race although Sovereignty had been scratched earlier this week. Japan's Forever Young won today's race.

Sierra Leone was second and Fierceness was third.

The video (BC Championships//NBC Sports YouTube):

Forever Young has Secretariat on both sides of his pedigree. He is also a descendant of Sunday Silence. It was a big mistake for that horse to have ever been sent to Japan in the first place.