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"Cub Scouts kick out 11-year-old boy after he asked Colorado Republican 'hard' questions"

An 11-year-old Cub Scout in Colorado has been kicked out of his den after he asked a local Republican lawmaker about controversial remarks she made about black people in 2013.

The Denver Post reports that 11-year-old Cub Scout Ames Mayfield asked Colorado state Sen. Vicki Marble about a past statement in which she seemed to suggest that black Americans had poor health because they ate a lot of barbecued chicken.

"I was astonished that you blamed black people for poor health and poverty because of all the chicken and barbecue they eat," Ames said to Marble, who was visiting his den's meeting.

In 2013, Marble remarked that "when you look at life expectancy, there are problems in the black race. Sickle-cell anemia is something that comes up. Diabetes is something that's prevalent in the genetic makeup, and you just can't help it," and then added that, "I've got to say I've never had better barbecue and better chicken and ate better in my life than when you go down South and you, I mean, I love it."

Here's the link: https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/cub-scouts-kick-out-11-year-old-boy-after-he-asked-colorado-republican-hard-questions/

[low dose]

Now they need to test it's effects on computer programming and kung-fu

I doubt if any dose of alcohol would improve my computer programming skills.

However, "a low dose of alcohol" may slightly improve ones martial arts skills. If it works for one, it does so by slightly lowering inhibitions, and by providing a small energy boost.

On the other hand, one of the master level guys in my school used to always smoke a doobie before coming into class. Over many, many years, I only saw one occasion where the weed had a negative effect on his abilities. (And, those few of us that knew his "training regime" all agreed that that had to have been some super primo stuff.)

"Dutch Courage: Alcohol Improves Foreign Language Skills"

A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, conducted by researchers from the University of Liverpool, Maastricht University and King's College London, shows that bilingual speakers' ability to speak a second language is improved after they have consumed a low dose of alcohol.

Here's the link: http://neurosciencenews.com/alcohol-foreign-language-skills-7759/

So, my belief that my ability to speak French improves after a glass of pinot noir may actually be true!

Another Prophet Profiteer Not Accepted in His Own Country

"Disgraced evangelist Jim Bakker warns critics they will face God's wrath for making fun of him"

In video captured by Right Wing Watch, disgraced evangelist Jim Bakker raged at his critics saying, they will face the wrath of God for mocking his End Time warnings and making fun of him throughout his checkered career.

Not mentioning his time in the wilderness, after he spent time in prison after bilking his followers out of $158 million, Bakker boasted that he has made many predictions — including 9/11 — that have come true, and that he is not being treated like the prophet he is.

"When God says something to you, you don't always know the exact time it's going to happen," Bakker thundered. "[So] stop beating up the prophets because God says, 'Woe unto you when you beat up on the prophets.'"

Bakker then threatened damnation on those who have ridiculed him over the years.

Here's the link, all you Sinners: https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/disgraced-evangelist-jim-bakker-warns-critics-they-will-face-gods-wrath-for-making-fun-of-him/

So, I guess that means woe unto me. Again.

"Trump's Big Bet—That Republican Voters Like Him More Than Their Party or Congress"

Increasingly, Republicans in Congress—Sen. Bob Corker, publicly, and plenty of others, privately—are voicing worry about what happens when a man they view as a toddler-president is left unsupervised by his various taxpayer-funded nannies.

For all the speculation about President Trump's motives for what appear to be ill-informed or un-strategic moves there is a method to Trump's perceived madness—a relatively simple way to accurately predict what he'll do on any given topic, with regard to any given decision.

The key is understanding that Trump's desire to round up Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, douse them with gasoline, light them on fire, and broadcast the auto-da-fé live on cable news will always outweigh his other desires—including improving his own personal profile, achieving a stated policy outcome, or even making the people nearest and dearest to him happy.

Trump, commonly regarded by many as perhaps the apex of narcissism in a reality-TV-obsessed, take-six-selfies-a-day and compulsively-post-on–social-media culture, indeed loves positioning himself as the best, the biggest, the brightest, the boldest, and brashest.

But at the end of the day, Trump's shown again and again that he cares little about being generally unpopular, even among parts of his base. Trump cares deeply though, about how popular he is viewed relative to his competitors.

Here's the link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-big-betthat-republican-voters-like-him-more-than-their-party-or-congress

I found this opinion piece to be an interesting take on Trump's personality.

somewhat discredited.

http://stringgeek.blogspot.com.au/2017/10/viking-age-tablet-weaving-kufic-or-not.html

I was unaware of the controversy when I posted the 'discovery.'

Also, it appears that Uppsala University is not standing behind their researcher, as they are posting a list of articles that refute the 'discovery' on their own website.   

Here's the link: https://mp.uu.se/en/web/info/vart-uu/aktuellt/om-uu-i-media

So, we've now reached the point where one must research the scientific researchers themselves, before one can trust scientific 'discoveries' to possibly be true.

Researchers Find Name of Allah Woven into Ancient Viking Burial Fabrics

Allah's name has been found embroidered into ancient Viking burial clothes, a discovery researchers in Sweden have described as "staggering".

The silk patterns were originally thought to be ordinary Viking Age decoration but a re-examination by archaeologist Annika Larsson of Uppsala University revealed they were a geometric Kufic script.

They were found on woven bands as well as items of clothing, in two separate grave sites, suggesting that Viking funeral customs had been influenced by Islam.

Here's the link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/allah-viking-burial-fabrics-clothes-name-woven-found-islam-uppsala-sweden-funeral-customs-a7996166.html

I doubt the neo-nazis of the world are very happy about this.

Du hexen Hase!

Is that related to a Pennsylvania Dutch expression?

'Indeed, a visit to the Sistine Chapel is a solemn affair with minders shushing the crowds and photos prohibited. It is impossible to see detail of Michelangelo's greatest works without binoculars. The Vatican Museums do offer intimate small group and after hours tours of the Sistine Chapel after the museums close, but the tickets are expensive and the atmosphere is solemn.'

'The new show, which will last about an hour, will be polar opposite, essentially immersing the audience into the chapel with close up views and loud music. Balich says the experience "will cost around the same as a movie ticket," and "will bring the Sistine Chapel to life" with 4K flyover imagery, live performances similar to Cirque du Soleil classy acrobatics and full immersion music that was composed specifically for this project by Sting. Sistine Chapel masterpieces have been replicated through laser technology, and the recreated details indistinguishable with the naked eye will be revealed up close.'

Here's the link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-sistine-chapel-goes-full-cirque-du-soleil

This one may be hard to top, Discordians.

Golfer-In-Chief: Trump Has Now Spent 27% Of His Presidency On A Golf Course

As the NBC News tracker calculates, Trump's latest visit to his club in Virginia marks the 72nd day of his presidency he is spending on a golf course and the 92nd time day he is visiting one of his own properties. In total, Trump has been in office for 267 days.

According to some quick, back-of-the-napkin math, that means that Trump has spent 27 percent of his presidency golfing and more than a third at one of his ritzy properties.

Here's the link: http://www.politicususa.com/2017/10/14/golfer-in-chief-trump-spent-27-presidency-golf.html

Given that it's Trump, I'm trying to decide if this is a good thing, or a bad thing.

A good thing. The optimal outcome is for him to eventually start blowing off the job more-or-less entirely, so that we end up with neither Trump nor Pence in charge

That was also the consensus on a political forum I frequent.

'Dead serious' Pennsylvania GOP mayoral candidate determined to enact 'narco bunnies' plan to sniff out drugs

While many police departments employ K-9 units that are used to sniff out explosives and drugs, one Republican mayoral candidate wants to see bunnies do the work.

Here's the link: https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/dead-serious-pennsylvania-gop-mayoral-candidate-determined-to-enact-narco-bunnies-plan-to-sniff-out-drugs/

First my carrots, and now this!

And, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this guy wins the election.