All posts by Kat Lee

Kat is a top writer and thought leader

Important New Books on WWII, fascism and threats to Democracy

October 12, 2020 Kat Lee

Now more than Ever Democracy needs an Informed Populace to Survive

After the recent alleged murder of a police officer by a “Boogaloo Boy, the indictments in a conspiracy plot to kidnap and murder the Governor of Michigan (Gretchen Whitmer) and with Trump “inciting the Proud Boys” during the Presidential debate saying, “Stand back and Stand By” (rather than condemning them and telling them to stand down), many of us are very wary of the possible dangers to Democracy swirling around the 2020 election.

These threats, although likely impotent, are still very real. So now would be the perfect time to consult history, and those who are experts on history, in order to know more about the potential dangers of fascism and wannabe dictators to democracy and the democratic rule of law.

Book burning is impossible Today but the Truth is still being Attacked from all sides

Just as Trump cries and whines daily about “fake news” a term originally coined to describe his penchant for constantly lying, Hitler wanted to banish history from the minds of his German subjects by exhorting them to set libraries ablaze in bonfires meant to banish all but his mandated “truth”. Those bonfires are, to this day, a symbol of absolute evil, no less so than concentration camps and mass murder.

Fortunately there are recent classic as well as new, important titles coming out at this critical time. While many in the masses might be easily fooled into admiring those that primp and preen and bluster like Mussolini once did, or attack a designated “other” group like Hitler (the Jews) and Trump (Mexican immigrants and other asylum seekers as well as the imaginary threat of ‘antifa’) anyone who has studied history, and in particular these books, will know that the path to freedom, justice and real democracy lies and the exact opposite direction. Always.

Origins of Totalitarianism

The Origins of Totalitarianism begins with the rise of anti-Semitism in central and western Europe in the 1800s and continues with an examination of European colonial imperialism from 1884 to the outbreak of World War I.

Arendt explores the institutions and operations of totalitarian movements, focusing on the two genuine forms of totalitarian government in our time–Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia–which she adroitly recognizes were two sides of the same coin, rather than opposing philosophies of Right and Left.

From this vantage point, she discusses the evolution of classes into masses, the role of propaganda in dealing with the nontotalitarian world, the use of terror, and the nature of isolation and loneliness as preconditions for total domination. Click here to see “Origins of Totalitarianism” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Rigged: America, Russia, and One Hundred Years of Covert Electoral Interference

Click here to see “Rigged”
and help independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Russia’s interference in 2016 marked only the latest chapter of a hidden and revelatory history. In Rigged, David Shimer tells the sweeping story of covert electoral interference past and present. He exposes decades of secret operations–by the KGB, the CIA, and Vladimir Putin’s Russia–to shape electoral outcomes, melding deep historical research with groundbreaking interviews with more than 130 key players, from leading officials in both the Trump and Obama administrations, to CIA and NSA directors, to a former KGB general.

What Americans should make of Russia’s attack in 2016 is still hotly debated, even after the Mueller report and years of media coverage. Shimer shows that Putin’s operation was, in fact, a continuation of an ongoing struggle, using familiar weapons radically enhanced by new technology. Throughout history and in 2016, both Russian and American operations achieved their greatest success by influencing the way voters think, rather than tampering with actual vote tallies. Click here to see “Rigged” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America

Click here to see “The Road to Unfreedom”
and help independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

With the end of the Cold War, the victory of liberal democracy seemed final. Observers declared the end of history, confident in a peaceful, globalized future. This faith was misplaced. Authoritarianism returned to Russia, as Putin found fascist ideas that could be used to justify rule by the wealthy. In the 2010s, it has spread from east to west, aided by Russian warfare in Ukraine and cyberwar in Europe and the United States.

Russia found allies among nationalists, oligarchs, and radicals everywhere, and its drive to dissolve Western institutions, states, and values found resonance within the West itself. The rise of populism, the British vote against the EU, and the election of Donald Trump were all Russian goals, but their achievement reveals the vulnerability of Western societies. Click here to see “The Road to Unfreedom” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Fascism: A Warning

Click here to see “Fascism”
and help independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

A Fascist, observes Madeleine Albright, “is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.”

The twentieth century was defined by the clash between democracy and Fascism, a struggle that created uncertainty about the survival of human freedom and left millions dead. Given the horrors of that experience, one might expect the world to reject the spiritual successors to Hitler and Mussolini should they arise in our era. In Fascism: A Warning, Madeleine Albright draws on her experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her distinguished career as a diplomat to question that assumption. Click here to see “Fascism” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America

Click here to see “Democracy in Chains”
and help independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

An explosive exposé of the right’s relentless campaign to eliminate unions, suppress voting, privatize public education, stop action on climate change, and alter the Constitution.

Behind today’s headlines of billionaires taking over our government is a secretive political establishment with long, deep, and troubling roots. The capitalist radical right has been working not simply to change who rules, but to fundamentally alter the rules of democratic governance.

But billionaires did not launch this movement; a white intellectual in the embattled Jim Crow South did. Democracy in Chains names its true architect–the Nobel Prize-winning political economist James McGill Buchanan–and dissects the operation he and his colleagues designed over six decades to alter every branch of government to disempower the majority. Click here to see “Democracy in Chains” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

How Democracies Die

Donald Trump’s presidency has raised a question that many of us never thought we’d be asking: Is our democracy in danger? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent more than twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America, and they believe the answer is yes. Democracy no longer ends with a bang–in a revolution or military coup–but with a whimper: the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms. The good news is that there are several exit ramps on the road to authoritarianism. The bad news is that, by electing Trump, we have already passed the first one.

Drawing on decades of research and a wide range of historical and global examples, from 1930s Europe to contemporary Hungary, Turkey, and Venezuela, to the American South during Jim Crow, Levitsky and Ziblatt show how democracies die–and how ours can be saved. Click here to see “How Democracies Die” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

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Apple, OS Software, Tech

iOS 14 Quick & Easy: how to set-up iPhone to do a screen-shot with a double-tap on back

Video October 9, 2020 Kat Lee

Use this powerful setting for Screen-shot Back-Tap or many other actions

As many of you out there have undoubtedly realized, iOS 14 is a huge and powerful upgrade with layers of new features and options. Some can be learned by just getting used to the “lay of the land” and intuitively adapting.

Others are “secret” or at least hidden to an extent, and require a road map to find. For this reason we have begun a YouTube series we call “iOS 14 Quick & Easy” to give you a quick, easy road map to learning and using all the best tips and tricks.

This installment shows the easy way to set your iPhone to initiate an action when you tap the back of the iPhone itself – either twice (double-tap) or three times (triple-tap).

There is actually a very long list of possible actions that can be triggered, but we chose screen-shot for this tutorial since it is really useful, fun and the steps would be the same for any action.

Infinite Flexibility is built-in to iOS14, you just need to choose your custom settings

The many other actions can be seen in the photo or just by scrolling to the “double-tap” menu as per the video and checking them out yourself.

Additionally there’s a shortcut section where ANY action that you set up as a shortcut can be accessed as a double-tap or triple-tap (meaning up to two actions dependent on 2 or 3 taps).

This illustrates the vast, basically limitless, ways that the new operating system and your phone can be customized and configured for fun, power and pure creative joy.

Check out other iOS 14 quick & easy tips:

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Books

Motivational books to build mental toughness and strength during…you know

October 8, 2020 Kat Lee

Books are a unique personal resource and powerful in solitude and reflection

It is one thing to promote health, wellness, exercise and self-care in a generalized way. But what about mental strength? Mental toughness? Mental well-being? These, particularly during difficult and challenging times, are in many ways the wellspring from which all other self-improvements follow.

Can you control your bad habits without mental discipline? Can you use a philosophical idea like stoicism to take a healthier approach to life itself, rather than just going on a fad diet to try to curb sloth and over-indulgence?

Pandemic Presents Unprecedented Challenges to Business and Prosperity

And in business and finance, don’t we all need help to discover ways to steel ourselves for the battle of the marketplace? Or, perhaps that is wrong-headed and outdated thinking, guaranteed to recreate failure over and over since it is really focus, the power of intention and a true understanding of abundance, that will ultimately win out?

It is hard to estimate the power of pure motivation and mental perspective and the role they play in achieving life goals and gaining even simple but incredibly significant improvements in our daily lives.

Theses books, described below by reviewers and authors, are some that have helped many people in tough situations to find ways to emerge unscathed, even triumphant. Perhaps you can join them and use a book to map out your own true path for the future.

We have provided additional information about our book picks from the publisher, as well as where to purchase if interested to help independent bookstores.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Click to See “Mindset”
and help Independent bookstores.
Also Available on Amazon.

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

People with a fixed mindset–those who believe that abilities are fixed–are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset–those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.

In this edition, Dweck offers new insights into her now famous and broadly embraced concept. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. She also expands the mindset concept beyond the individual, applying it to the cultures of groups and organizations. With the right mindset, you can motivate those you lead, teach, and love–to transform their lives and your own. Click to See “Mindset” and help Independent bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

Click to See “Daily Stoic”
and help independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Why have history’s greatest minds–from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today’s top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities–embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise.

The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you’ll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you’ll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well. Click to See “Daily Stoic” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

Click here to See
“13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do”
and help Independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Everyone knows that regular exercise and weight training lead to physical strength. But how do we strengthen ourselves mentally for the truly tough times? And what should we do when we face these challenges? Or as psychotherapist Amy Morin asks, what should we avoid when we encounter adversity? Through her years counseling others and her own experiences navigating personal loss, Morin realized it is often the habits we cannot break that are holding us back from true success and happiness. Indulging in self-pity, agonizing over things beyond our control, obsessing over past events, resenting the achievements of others, or expecting immediate positive results holds us back. This list of things mentally strong people don’t do resonated so much with readers that when it was picked up by Forbes.com it received ten million views.

Now, for the first time, Morin expands upon the thirteen things from her viral post and shares her tried-and-true practices for increasing mental strength. Morin writes with searing honesty, incorporating anecdotes from her work as a college psychology instructor and psychotherapist as well as personal stories about how she bolstered her own mental strength when tragedy threatened to consume her.

Increasing your mental strength can change your entire attitude. It takes practice and hard work, but with Morin’s specific tips, exercises, and troubleshooting advice, it is possible to not only fortify your mental muscle but also drastically improve the quality of your life. Click here to See “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Click here to See “Rising Strong”
and help Independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability–the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome–is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall.

It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened as a range of people–from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents–shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up.

She asked herself, What do these people with strong and loving relationships, leaders nurturing creativity, artists pushing innovation, and clergy walking with people through faith and mystery have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean in to discomfort. Click here to See “Rising Strong” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings

Click here to See “Master Your Emotion”
and help Independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Have you ever been so consumed by negative emotions you thought they’d never go away?

The solution to deal with negative emotions is to understand how your emotions work and apply specific techniques to ensure you manage them as effectively as possible.

Master Your Emotions is the ‘how-to’ manual your parents should have given you at birth. By reading it, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to deal with negative emotions so you can live a happier, more fulfilling life. With pragmatic exercises and personal examples, you’ll explore techniques that counteract draining spirals of negativity and provide immediate relief.
In Master Your Emotions, you’ll discover:

A simple yet powerful formula to reprogram your mind and transform negative feelings into productive attitudes
31 simple coping strategies to handle whatever life throws your way
A clear understanding of exactly how to make your emotions work for you
Powerful hacks to make emotions your strongest tool for personal growth
Access to a free downloadable workbook, and much, much more! Click here to See “Master Your Emotion” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

You Are a Badass (Deluxe Edition): How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

Click here to See ” You Are a Badass”
and help Independent bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Packed with humor, inspiration, and advice, You Are a Badass is the #1 New York Times bestselling self-help book that teaches you how to get better without getting busted.
In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up twenty-seven bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to:

Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want,
Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, and
Make some damn money already. The kind you’ve never made before.

By the end of You Are a Badass, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass. Click here to See ” You Are a Badass” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

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Cutting Edge, Tech

Elon Musk broadband milestone as SpaceX Starlink Public beta begins, nearly 800 Satellites Orbiting

October 8, 2020 Kat Lee

https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1313457056922230786/vid/1280x720/1WHxduMiuq1h5FXV.mp4?tag=13

728 Successfully deployed satellites is one step closer to global broadband coverage

From the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk launched his twelfth Starlink Mission on Tuesday morning. With this latest launch from the company, SpaceX is now just a few dozen satellites away from providing a significant portion of North America with broadband access.

SpaceX started the Starlink project in 2019 with the goal of creating a constellation of satellites that will eventually provide the entire world with broadband Internet. After this morning’s launch— which carried 60 satellites—there are a reported 728 total satellites in orbit, just under the 800 required to achieve the goal across a moderate section of America.

With the 728 alone, however, SpaceX has already hit a milestone. According to Musk in a Tweet, Starlink is now able to run a public beta test in the northern U.S. and parts of southern Canada.

Once these satellites reach their target position, we will be able to roll out a fairly wide public beta in northern US & hopefully southern Canada. Other countries to follow as soon as we receive regulatory approval.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 6, 2020

Eventual wide-adoption could break cable monopolies, increase decentralization and freedom

Starlink has been running private beta tests since July, allowing a handful of SpaceX employees and emergency service personnel to try out the system. Already, it has done some good in the world, as first responders in rural Washington state reportedly used Starlink to efficiently communicate during this summer’s wildfires.

Optimistically, people in rural parts of the world are the ones who stand to benefit the most from Starlink. Rather than settle for slow or outmoded forms of internet connection, Starlink will provide fast broadband to even the most remote regions. For this reason, SpaceX has applied to the Federal Communications Commission’s $16-billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to bridge the country’s digital divide.

In modern America—especially since COVID-19 has rendered so much remote and online—quality Internet access is nothing short of a necessity. Sadly, not all Americans have broadband, leaving troves of people without the proper tools for effective communication, information, and even education. Starlink could be the answer to this crisis of disconnection.

The project still has a ways to go, but the public beta could be a big step towards a brighter future. Already hundreds of thousands are interested in Starlink, and the public beta will better reflect its performance and utility on a broader scale.

https://youtu.be/6jKkJzoccVM

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Breaking News

Yet another White House aid: Stephen Miller tested covid-19 positive

Video October 6, 2020 Kat Lee

Top aid is the next on a growing list of those infected from Trump’s inner circle

Due to the outbreak of positive test result in many who work in the White House, Miller was already self-isolating, working remotely for the last five days. He was tested daily during that time and said that he had tested negative for the virus every day through Monday. His wife tested positive for COVID-19 in May. She just happens to be Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller.

As we reported in previous articles, this, it can be loosely surmised, is an ongoing extension of the numerous cases that appear to have an origin in the SCOTUS super-spreader event held at the White House Rose Garden. That event has been responsible for at least 14 known cases and has been dubbed the “Rose Garden Massacre”.

Others from the White House inner circle that have been previously announced as having tested positive include:

Melania Trump (First Lady)
Ronna McDaniel (Republican National Committee chairwoman)
Hope Hicks (White House communications aide)
Kellyanne Conway (Former White House counselor)
Bill Stepien (Trump campaign manager)
John Jenkins (University of Notre Dame president)
Chris Christie (Former New Jersey Gov.)
Nick Luna (Director of Oval Office operations)
Karoline Leavitt (White house assistant press secretary)
Chad Gilmartin (White House press office staffer)
Kayleigh McEnany (White House press secretary)

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)

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Breaking News, Politics

‘Schadenfreude’ is exploding in word and deed on the ultimate weekend of karma

October 4, 2020 Kat Lee

A word with no direct English translation trends as ‘joy at the misfortune of another’ follows Trump’s coronavirus infection

Twitter and social media have been ablaze with ‘schadenfreude’ since approximately 1am EDT on Friday when both POTUS & FLOTUS tweeted that they had contracted covid-19. Dictionary and google searches for the german term for this base human feeling is going off the charts.

While the initial reaction could be said to go far beyond “joy” into the level a bloodlust for this reviled figure to suffer, it is, at the same time an inevitable outcome as a reaction to his own crude, cruel and pro-violence tendencies. Not to mention the blame he is, for the most part rightly, receiving for the more than 200,000 deaths so far from the coronavirus pandemic.

While it is dangerous, and in many ways disappointing, to see the so-called left who are virulently opposed to Trump, failing the test of being above base human instincts. By the same token, many argue that the things that Trump has done, or often refused to do, such as implementing a serious nationwide plan to minimize the spread of covid-19, are far worse than mere schadenfreude or happydancing to his misfortunes.

Yet, with his staunch support and refusal to denounce the right-wing extremist hate group The Proud Boys only days ago at the Presidential debates, and his refusal to commit to accepting independently certified election results at that same venue, it is easy to understand why so many millions on social media would be proclaiming a lack of sympathy for his misfortunes.

https://www.tiktok.com/@ericcho16/video/6879809438048357638?_d=secCgsIARCbDRgBIAIoARI%2BCjxiN8DYgT%2Fj3xLZOaWATr%2FO%2FHXiT2GnQVsqdS1nGooCyIXBb4kX87Byw2CWn0DEgTlvsKW8tuoVPrRITvoaAA%3D%3D&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAzr7H1AMBe24rl5s6xcQNFnIetEMLI7O4eQ74Bpkot363yRUSbpHrOxJ05JHUnLH3&share_item_id=6879809438048357638&share_link_id=42E8C324-AD3F-4F3C-ABA1-952B275C6E8B&timestamp=1601830506&tt_from=sms&u_code=defc20g6ck04ji&user_id=6874070369479214085&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=sms&source=h5_m

While The Trump spreads digital disinformation the public wants to vent and protest, without restrictions

The venting of strong options on social media is a paradox of sorts, Twitter threatened to ban all accounts that tweet a wish or hope that Trump would lose his battle with the coronavirus and die. However, after a backlash from public figures, such as AOC and the so called “squad”, who have received almost constant death-threat tweets from Trumps supporters while Twitter did nothing, Twitter backed off and announced that they would shutter some accounts but take a look at the data and behavior on a case by case basis.

The other side of the paradox is that social media venting may be preferable to violence in the streets. Unless, of course, the constant tweeting of schadenfreude and worse actually does lead to increased physical actions from either the far right or left.

https://www.tiktok.com/@ericcho16/video/6879635233461865734?_d=secCgsIARCbDRgBIAIoARI%2BCjxjvdpjXJHQHB9g6H%2BywOgLYey1AbJztNwiH5%2FBoHDEBMkNCXPFwoXJiCAkD6skWovdoTFwL0nI5QxvUkMaAA%3D%3D&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAzr7H1AMBe24rl5s6xcQNFnIetEMLI7O4eQ74Bpkot363yRUSbpHrOxJ05JHUnLH3&share_item_id=6879635233461865734&share_link_id=DA895641-8AB2-4318-B94E-ABBDEC8B2676&timestamp=1601790039&tt_from=sms&u_code=defc20g6ck04ji&user_id=6874070369479214085&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=sms&source=h5_m

The contentious explosion of Social Media political free speech across all platforms

In some ways Tik-Tok is turning into a more entertaining version of twitter’s political war zone. With prepackaged music backgrounds available to spice up your post – including anti-Trump anthems such as ‘f$ck Donald Trump’ (2 versions) it’s easy to create meaningful yet highly entertaining protest posts and share them with over 1 billion members.

No wonder Trump wants to ban the service. And the right wing have their own ‘hell on earth’ Parler to put up endless posts congratulating themselves on all the wonderful accomplishments of the wannabe fascists and super-spreaders.

And to add to the confusion, the potential that Trump will be inactive for a period of time has put the Tik Tok deadlines for a US merger in doubt. From casual observation Tik Tok becoming more political, once known as a site for amateur dance-offs and silly challenges, older and more like a short-clip educational and DIY destination.

Indeed by recent count 38% of US users are above 30 years of age, and with a set of advanced software tools to craft short clips, a maturation of the content appears to be happening at a very rapid pace.

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Accessories, Apple, Entertainment, Tech

Apple’s future product ‘AirTags’ are coming soon – potential reveal for November Silicon event

October 1, 2020 Kat Lee

Hints and Leaks are becoming commonplace – this time it’s the features that wow

AirTags have been in development for months now. However, Apple has kept most details on the elusive product under wraps. We expected to hear some specifics on the AirTags at the company’s September and October press events, but although those occasions offered lots of other exciting launches, they remained silent on the Tags.

Only now have two new Apple patents come out for AirTags, featuring illustrations and suggestions about how the devices might work and where they could be useful— The answers might be more expansive than we thought.

In essence, AirTags are exactly what we expected them to be: Apple products akin to a Tiles, which can be placed on any object and thus track it. Intuitively, their primary function is to help users find lost items such as keys, wallets, or phones by sending out a locational signal to Apple devices. Reportedly, these signals will be more precise than any GPS, directing people to within feet of the Tag.

The new patents, however, suggest that the AirTags’ tracking abilities could be useful beyond just recovering everyday items. They could, for example, be attached to emergency equipment like fire extinguishers or defibrillators, helping people find such crucial tools in unfamiliar environments. They could also be used to track people via Apple Watches or the wristbands featured in the patent illustrations. While tracking human beings raises major ethical questions, it could also save lives in the events of kidnappings or missing people.

Beyond such grave alternatives, the patents also suggest more leisurely uses for the AirTags. By attaching them to one’s body, they could serve as advanced gears in augmented reality gaming platforms, or play a role in the new Apple Fitness+ app by monitoring posture and other health matters.

Tags could also be placed in public areas to send signals directly to other Apple devices with useful information such as maps and guides. The patent offers the example of a business placing a Tag at its entrance, ensuring that everyone who enters receives a map of the building.

When Apple delays (as with the MagSafe surprise just announced) good things happen…

As of right now, rumor has it that the AirTags will launch in March 2021, but given their perpetual delays so far and the precarious state of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hard to say for sure when these devices will really become available. Nevertheless, the latest patents suggest that AirTags are going to be much more than mere Tile replicas. With that in mind, perhaps they will also be more worth the wait.

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Politics

Trump has a loyalty problem – in Lincoln Project ad

Video September 27, 2020 Kat Lee

The Lincoln Project released an anti-Trump ad, whispering throughout the clips to point out that many in Trump’s inner circle are secretly laughing, criticizing and mocking him.

It is no secret that The Lincoln Project has been very skillful at not only mocking Trump and pointing out his severe shortcomings, but at getting under his skin – making him squirm to see the way they portray him.

Not to be forgotten is the fact that The Lincoln Project was founded by Republicans, including Kellyanne Conway’s husband George Thomas Conway III who was even, at one time, On the shortlist of candidates considered by President Donald Trump for U.S. solicitor general. Since those days Kellyanne has resigned and George is taking a break from working with the anti-Trump super-pac that he founded.

“You’re losing” they whisper. “Not just the election Don, you’re losing everything. And everyone know it but you. Then lists off the weak results Trump has recently yielded: smaller crowds, lower polls, embarrassing rating. Suggesting no one really cares about him, secrets revealed.

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Politics

Trump gives no commitment to peaceful transfer of power -Lincoln Project ad

Video September 25, 2020 Kat Lee

Trump leaning more towards dictatorship than democracy

On Thursday, September 24, 2020 , the Senate passed a resolution to reaffirm its support for a peaceful transition of power. This comes in the wake of Trump refusing to commit to any kind of transition ( only a continuation) if he losses in the November election to Joe Biden.

The resolution was offered by Joe Manchin, who said this on the matter: “We’re in the most difficult times right now, and for the president to even address — to even address the subject of maybe not knowing if he would accept or not is beyond all our checks that that would ever happen in America.”

Trump sparked a major bipartisan backlash after he told a reporter he would have to “see what happens” and repeatedly declined to commit to accepting the results of election, of course, only accepting in the event of his victory.

With the election now under 40 days away, many in the Republican party spoke up against Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transition of power. At once, appearing to intend to clarify that there definitely would be a transfer of power, presumably in the event of a definitive Biden win, yet with most statements also dismissing the president’s comment as a hypothetical situation.

Although this resolution asserts the intent to remain “peaceful” during the transition it does nothing to address the obvious plan, already in place, for Trump and his administration to contest the election and the vote count.

His assertions of “voter fraud”, never proven or substantiated in any way, dating all the way back to the 2016 election (where he won the electoral college count but still disputed the popular vote totals that did not favor him) continue hourly via tweets and at his campaign rallies.

Clearly, unless there is an obvious landslide for Biden, and Trump encounters massive opposition from his own party against any kind of challenge of the vote totals, there is still a high probability of a disputed outcome, “peaceful” or otherwise.

The Lincoln project has a prolific output of fantastic ads focusing on election issues and events from a “liberal” perspective, despite it being an organization founded by conservative Republicans who happen to be “Never-Trumpers”.

For the record, the following GOP insiders, proven hypocrites all, have put, on the record, statements supporting a “peaceful” transition. If they deviate from these views in anyway they should be held accountable :

“The peaceful transfer of power is a fundamental tenet of our democracy. And I am confident that we will see it occur once again,” Collins said Thursday. “I don’t know what his thinking was, but we have always had a peaceful transition between administrations.”
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine

“People wonder about the peaceful transfer of power. I can assure you it will be peaceful. Now, we may have litigation about who won the election … and if Republicans lose we’ll accept the result.”
Lindsey Graham

“The president will accept the results of a free and fair election”…. “He will accept the will of the American people.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McNenany

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Politics

Donald Trump and Melania booed while visiting the Supreme Court for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Video September 24, 2020 Kat Lee

Trump to fill vacancy despite RBG’s ‘fervent’ wish

President Trump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump pay their respects as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at the U.S. Supreme Court. #SCOTUS Protesters chant: “Vote him out!” and “Honor her wish!

Just a day after Trump declared that he was planning a coup d’etat unless he wins the election on November 3rd, 2020, he arrives at the Supreme Court where Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose.

He has also announced his intention to ignore her dying wish that she not be replaced until after the inauguration in January 2021 and will attempt to force his chosen replacement before the election.

He has declared that he needs a court majority favoring him so that he can use the court to overturn election results which he has already declared to be “rigged“.

“I think this [the election] will end up in the Supreme Court, and I think it’s very important that we have nine justices,” Trump said, defending his decision to seek the appointment of a new Supreme Court justice in the short time before the Nov. 3 election.

“I think it’s better if you go before the election, because I think this scam that the Democrats are pulling — it’s a scam — the scam will be before the United States Supreme Court”
Donald Trump

Clearly he assumes that he will lose and has a plan in place to first declare the election a “scam” (since it must be a scam if he loses) and to try to interfere in every way possible, then contest the results and try and use a “packed” court to force him into the office against the will of the people.

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Politics

Trump says “I will never speak to you again” if loses in new Joe Biden ad

Video September 23, 2020 Kat Lee

Biden Ad approves Trump’s remarks

Trump was heard saying to his supporters at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina that he will never speak to them again if he loses to Biden. Trump tends to have an odd habit of saying things very much aloud that make it incredibly easy to create Anti-Trump ads using his sound-bites against him. And very entertaining, indeed, the ads typically are.

Often and repeatedly he will jump on Twitter to criticize any and all of his many adversaries. It is refreshing and welcome that Joe Biden can use Trump’s exact words to his benefit this time around. On Saturday, September 19, 2020, Biden took to social media to release and officially “approve” of Trump’s message. The mere 10 second ad of the president’s remarks immediately went viral with now more than 15 million views on the Twitter and Instagram platform .

The video was commented on by the popular anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project with the words “oh hell yea.” The Lincoln Project, so named since they are comprised of Republicans that are opposed to Trump and the way he has destroyed the GOP, has been prolific in creating a constant barrage of ads, many of which we have featured and reviewed.

In the very short video clip, Trump appears to playfully talk about the possibility of losing to Biden (in the mind of a narcissist, the thought of losing would never even be considered). Yet if taken literally, many would relish not ever having to publicly hear or see Donald Trump again…..

“If I lose to him,” he declares, “I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I will never speak to you again. You’ll never see me again.”

To get deeper into the sludge that is the GOP gang backing Trump this year check out this ad by the Lincoln Project:

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Politics

A tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the impending clash to fill her seat

September 21, 2020 Kat Lee

The impressive legacy of RBG

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died of pancreatic cancer in her Washington, D.C. home on Friday, September 18th. She was eighty-seven years old and led a most extraordinary life. Growing up middle class in New York City, she strove for excellence from an early age, making it to Cornell University and later Harvard and Columbia Law School. She did all of this during a period where very few women pursued (and even fewer achieved) careers in law.

To make matters even more compelling, she married Martin G. Ginsburg shortly after graduating from Cornell and was already raising her first child while working on her Law Degree. Nevertheless, she tied for top of her class at Columbia and despite all the sexist odds, she eventually landed her first job as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court of Southern New York.

Ginsburg taught at Rutgers Law School for several years in the 1960s before taking a position at Columbia Law in 1972, where she became the first-ever tenured female professor. This would not be the last barrier for Justice Ginsburg to break through.

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She channeled much of her intellect towards combatting systemic sexism in America’s legal fabric, co-founding the Women’s Rights Law Reporter journal as well as the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1971, she wrote the brief for Reed v. Reed, which extended the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause to women, and come 1980, President Jimmy Carter nominated her for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Here, she gained a reputation for making fair and level decisions alongside both conservative and liberal colleagues.

Nevertheless, R.B.G. was the furthest thing from a pushover, and she continued to fiercely champion women’s rights and gender equality throughout her career. She carried this zealous intensity into her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, which President Bill Clinton nominated her for in 1993 following Justice Byron White’s retirement.

The second woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg drew frequent parallels to Justice Thurgood Marshall in the public’s eye—many saying that she achieved for women’s rights what Marshall did for racial equity. In her twenty-seven years on the Court, she fought tirelessly for gender equality, most notably authoring U.S. v. Virginia, 518, which ended the Virginia Military Institute’s male-exclusive admissions policy, and dissenting Ledbetter v. Goodyear, which combatted pay discrimination based on sex. She also advocated for fathers and mothers—as well as husbands and wives—being seen as equally valuable family members in the eyes of the Constitution.

During the Obama Administration, as Justice Ginsburg entered her eighties, many encouraged her to retire so the Democratic president could nominate someone new before the next term. Combatting the odds yet again, she refused to step down.

The Divisive Future Of America’s Supreme Court

Now, in the wake of Ginsburg’s’ passing, America must look forward as politicians try to decide whether or not President Trump should be able to fill her vacant seat before November’s election. Many Democrats are saying that the seat should remain empty until the next term, rationalizing that the Supreme Court Justice is a lifelong position and a President should not be able to nominate someone if they themselves are going to be voted out in just a few weeks.

On the other hand, most Republicans want Trump to fill the seat immediately, citing that he has the Constitutional Right to do so and seeing the vacancy as an opportunity to regain a Republican majority in the Court. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) has already vowed to hold a vote on whoever Trump nominates.

The situation is somewhat the inverse of what happened in 2016, when Republican Justice Antonin Scalia passed away just months before President Obama left office. That time, Republicans filibustered to make sure Obama could not fill Scalia’s seat before the next election. They ultimately achieved this, as the seat remained empty when Trump took office, allowing him to appoint Justice Neil Gorsuch in April 2017.

Now, however, the stakes are even higher, for Gorsuch succeeding Scalia was simply one Republican replacing another. If a Republican nominee takes over Ginsburg’s Democratic seat, then it will create a Republican majority Supreme Court. In the present age where Republicans already have majority control of the Senate and Donald Trump sits in the White House, the Democrat-majority Court is the party’s last line of stability in the system of checks-and-balances.

Given that Election Day is nearly a month away, Ginsburg’s death could be a deciding factor in some voter’s minds. A vacant seat on the Court could compel right-leaning constituents to vote for Trump just for the sake of getting a Republican Justice. Likewise, the process draws attention away from other aspects marring the 2020 Trump campaign— i.e. his lack on initiative when it comes to COVID-19, his denial of climate science amidst California’s inferno, and his dismissive attitude towards present racial tensions in America.

On the Democrats’ side, perhaps the loss of Ginsburg will encourage more people to get out and vote now that more is at stake. If Joe Biden gets to nominate the next Justice, then the Courts will surely keep their Democratic majority, preventing the three branches of government from becoming a conservative hegemony.

Despite her small physical stature, the five-foot tall Ruth Bader Ginsburg left enormous shoes to fill on the U.S. Supreme Court. Regardless of her successor’s political affiliation, it is hard to imagine anyone accomplishing more for this country than the notorious R.B.G. However, we can still hope that her actions, bravery, and tenacity will inspire an entire new generation of politicians and constituents willing to stand up for what is progressive and what is right.

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Books, Politics

Books to read right now about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

September 20, 2020 Kat Lee

Remembering the legal lion and champion of women

A historical, legal, cultural figure and feminist icon has left us. Friday, September 18, 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 due to complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas.

Ginsberg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August, 10, 1993, becoming the second female justice of four to be confirmed to the court. Ruth spent a considerable part of her legal career devoted to advocating for the advancement of gender equality and women’s rights.

With her many accomplishments in her life, her legacy and life’s work includes many book by and about her work and her life. Below we’ve curated and chosen our top six recommendations to learn more about and appreciate the life of the late Justice. We have provided additional information about our book picks from the publisher, as well as where to purchase if interested to help independent bookstores. To see even more books on RGB click here.

Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law

Click to See “Conversations with RBG”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also Available on Amazon.

This remarkable book presents a unique portrait of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, drawing on more than twenty years of conversations with Jeffrey Rosen, starting in the 1990s and continuing through the Trump era. Rosen, a veteran legal journalist, scholar, and president of the National Constitution Center, shares with us the justice’s observations on a variety of topics, and her intellect, compassion, sense of humor, and humanity shine through. The affection they have for each other as friends is apparent in their banter and in their shared love for the Constitution–and for opera.

In Conversations with RBG, Justice Ginsburg discusses the future of Roe v. Wade, her favorite dissents, the cases she would most like to see overruled, the #MeToo movement, how to be a good listener, how to lead a productive and compassionate life, and of course the future of the Supreme Court itself. These frank exchanges illuminate the steely determination, self-mastery, and wit that have inspired Americans of all ages to embrace the woman known to all as “Notorious RBG.”

Whatever the topic, Justice Ginsburg always has something interesting–and often surprising–to say. And while few of us will ever have the opportunity to chat with her face-to-face, Jeffrey Rosen brings us by her side as never before. Conversations with RBG is a deeply felt portrait of an American hero. Click to See “Conversations with RBG” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Click Here to See “Notorious RBG”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also Available on Amazon.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg never asked for fame–she has only tried to make the world a little better and a little freer.

But nearly a half-century into her career, something funny happened to the octogenarian: she won the internet. Across America, people who weren’t even born when Ginsburg first made her name as a feminist pioneer are tattooing themselves with her face, setting her famously searing dissents to music, and making viral videos in tribute.

Notorious RBG, inspired by the Tumblr that amused the Justice herself and brought to you by its founder and an award-winning feminist journalist, is more than just a love letter. It draws on intimate access to Ginsburg’s family members, close friends, colleagues, and clerks, as well an interview with the Justice herself. An original hybrid of reported narrative, annotated dissents, rare archival photos and documents, and illustrations, the book tells a never-before-told story of an unusual and transformative woman who transcends generational divides. As the country struggles with the unfinished business of gender equality and civil rights, Ginsburg stands as a testament to how far we can come with a little chutzpah. Click Here to See “Notorious RBG” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark

Click Here to See “I Dissent”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also Available on Amazon.

Get to know celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—in the first picture book about her life—as she proves that disagreeing does not make you disagreeable!

Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what’s right for people everywhere.

This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice’s story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.Click Here to See “I Dissent” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life

In this large, comprehensive, revelatory biography, Jane De Hart explores the central experiences that crucially shaped Ginsburg’s passion for justice, her advocacy for gender equality, her meticulous jurisprudence: her desire to make We the People more united and our union more perfect. At the heart of her story and abiding beliefs–her Jewish background. Tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to “repair the world,” with its profound meaning for a young girl who grew up during the Holocaust and World War II. We see the influence of her mother, Celia Amster Bader, whose intellect inspired her daughter’s feminism, insisting that Ruth become independent, as she witnessed her mother coping with terminal cervical cancer (Celia died the day before Ruth, at seventeen, graduated from high school).

From Ruth’s days as a baton twirler at Brooklyn’s James Madison High School, to Cornell University, Harvard and Columbia Law Schools (first in her class), to being a law professor at Rutgers University (one of the few women in the field and fighting pay discrimination), hiding her second pregnancy so as not to risk losing her job; founding the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, writing the brief for the first case that persuaded the Supreme Court to strike down a sex-discriminatory state law, then at Columbia (the law school’s first tenured female professor); becoming the director of the women’s rights project of the ACLU, persuading the Supreme Court in a series of decisions to ban laws that denied women full citizenship status with men. Click Here to See ” Ruth Bader Ginsburg – A Life” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World

Click Here to See “Sisters in Law”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also Available on Amazon.

The author of the celebrated Victory tells the fascinating story of the intertwined lives of Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first and second women to serve as Supreme Court justices.

The relationship between Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg—Republican and Democrat, Christian and Jew, western rancher’s daughter and Brooklyn girl—transcends party, religion, region, and culture. Strengthened by each other’s presence, these groundbreaking judges, the first and second to serve on the highest court in the land, have transformed the Constitution and America itself, making it a more equal place for all women.

Linda Hirshman’s dual biography includes revealing stories of how these trailblazers fought for their own recognition in a male-dominated profession—battles that would ultimately benefit every American woman. She also makes clear how these two justices have shaped the legal framework of modern feminism, including employment discrimination, abortion, affirmative action, sexual harassment, and many other issues crucial to women’s lives. Click Here to See “Sisters in Law” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

The Way Women Are: Transformative Opinions and Dissents by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Click Here to See “The Way Women Are”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also Available on Amazon.

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime defying notions about “the way women are” and, in the process, has become a cultural icon as well as a profoundly influential jurist. This collection of some of her most significant opinions and dissents illuminates the intellect, humor, and toughness that have made “the Notorious R.B.G.” a hero to many.

Included are Justice Ginsburg’s majority opinions in United States v. Virginia (1996), and Sessions v. Morales-Santana (2017); her concurrence in Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt (2016); a selection from the Court’s 2018-2019 term; and some of the justice’s most famous dissents, such as those in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire (2007), Gonzales v. Carhart (2007), and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014). Also included are an introduction and explanatory notes that help make these writings accessible to a nonlegal audience. Click Here to See “The Way Women Are” and help Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

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Breaking News, LA Local

4.8 Earthquake rocks Los Angeles 1 mile from San Gabriel

Video September 18, 2020 Kat Lee

A large rolling earthquake centered 1 mile from San Gabriel, CA. at 11:38 PM, was felt all the way to Mexico. The epicenter was in a highly populated area approximately 11 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

Aftershocks are possible and this is a breaking story that will be updated as it develops.

#Earthquake (#sismo) possibly felt 2 min ago in #California #United States. Felt it? See https://t.co/wPtMW5ND1t pic.twitter.com/llE2Bebge5
— EMSC (@LastQuake) September 19, 2020

In our newsroom, near LAX, the walls swayed and it was as if we were on a ship. Also Felt in many locations around the city.

https://twitter.com/6BillionPeople/status/1307207853610999808?s=20

Breaking: A magnitude 4.6 earthquake centered in Rosemead shook Southern California Friday night. https://t.co/tNjdSeTMIl
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 19, 2020

JUST IN: Preliminary 4.6-magnitude earthquake strikes near El Monte, California, USGS reports. pic.twitter.com/tdjJR4ayzZ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 19, 2020

Trump Touting “Herd Mentality” as his Plan to Combat the Coronavirus

Video September 18, 2020 Kat Lee

Lincoln Project ad once again uses his own words to expose the criminal incompetence

A serious ad on a serious subject. Using clips from recent interviews it becomes shockingly clear that the “plan” that is Trump’s actual one, and has been all along, is to rely on a “herd mentality” (a freudian slip of murderous proportions) to kill off the weak and, eventually, leave those with biological resistance alive.

Known, by the real world, as “herd immunity” the idea is a much debated topic among medical and scientific researchers. Unknown as a solution one thing is known: many more than the 200k already dead will have to die before this mythical immunity will save those left alive.

After a tragicomical series of nonsense excuses and lame attempts at outlining a plan to combat the virus, Trump finally announces, with his odd and bizarre habit of admitting to crimes he is likely to be accused of, that his plan all along was to just let people die until the virus, eventually, fades away on its own.

Would you like to volunteer your family? Your parents or children? How about you yourself? Trump doesn’t care. He has a medical staff and the Secret Service protecting him 24/7. But they can’t protect him from your vote for Biden. That’s the real message here.

https://youtu.be/1tOdak9BbuA

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Politics

The economy is experiencing the ‘Trump Depression’- new ad by MeidasTouch

Video September 16, 2020 Kat Lee

The one time that Trump told the truth

Trump’s lies are legion. By one count he has lied 273,693,849 times since 2016. This is well known. The anti-Trump group of brothers known as The MeidasTouch (who are similar to The Lincoln Project but not Republican) has uncovered a rarity: Trump actually telling the truth.

In a world where millions suddenly find themselves unemployed, desperate, even searching for ways to make ends meet – it would be nice to get some help from the Federal Government. Fix the problems so people can fend for themselves again. Unfortunately it will require a new administration for that to happen.

When basic human needs are not being met, as the video implies, its time for a Democrat to take control. Therefore: Vote Biden-Harris is the true message from Trump. When he tells the truth that is.

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Apple, Apple Services, OS Software, Tech

AppleNews App in iOS14 and iPadOS14 New Audio Features

September 13, 2020 Kat Lee

Apple News Plus Audio features may remove “boring” from the aggregator

Among the many announcements anticipated for the September 15, 2020 Apple Watch and iPad virtual event: “Time Flies” there will surely be a lot of new iOS and iPad OS features revealed. Some are already available for testing in the iOS and iPad OS beta versions.

Once such already known feature are the expanded capabilities and features for audio in the Apple News App. Particularly interesting are the free stories daily – and the ability to sample narrated content. By using the new audio tab (that looks like a pair of beats headphones) any available audio features are curated for you, even if you don’t subscribe to Apple News +.

“Apple News Today”, which is a kind of teaser in a sense, is free to all users and will initially feature a “daily top stories” roundup of sorts which will be narrated and available in the audio tab.

“Audio Stories” is a more extensive collection of narrated content. These are automatically available for all Apple News + Subscribers. At $9.99 per month this is a welcome expansion of the existing perks.

Somewhat like a “netflix for news” a collection of featured stories will be added each week.

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The juicy bits are in the software interface

The software features of the audio library are possibly the most interesting part. A “mini-App” similar to the familiar Music app controls the usual parameters. Additionally, there’s a great feature where you can seamlessly jump from listening to the audio version of a story and then pick up reading, or vice versa. Sometimes reading can be faster or maybe you want your ears free.

The best software feature of all though is the ability to sync the audio playlist and resume wherever you’ve left off (as per Netflix also etc) including….in your car with Apple Car Play. That has to be the most useful – being able to be reading on the train to your parked car and then switch seamlessly to audio mode as you begin the drive to your final destination…

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Climate Solutions

September is National Preparedness Month – How to Prepare with Disaster Strikes

Video September 6, 2020 Kat Lee

Remember: Being Prepared is the crucial first step

We all know that a disaster can strike at any time and any where in the world. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Southern California in July 2019. This year, 2020, has already brought upon many disasters already, Hurricane Laura, the Beirut explosion, the ongoing wildfires in Northern California, monsoon flooding, not to mention the global Coronavirus pandemic.

September is National Preparedness Month which began in 2004 and sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is the month that Americans are encouraged to make preparation in the even of an emergency, whether for your home, business, schools or your community. Check out the official site for detailed information, we have broken it down to easy steps to help you prepare for an emergency/disaster.

It's National Preparedness Month! We are kicking off this month by talking about the importance of making a plan before a disaster happens. #DisastersWontWait!

Follow along with us this month as we share resources to help you prepare for disasters: https://t.co/fgR6fOv3Ww pic.twitter.com/G3s0vrRiqM
— Readygov (@Readygov) September 1, 2020

Be Ready – Step 1: Make a Plan

The most important part of preparing if a disaster strikes is to have a plan. Having a plan involved answering the following type of questions.

What is my shelter plan?
What is my evacuation route?
How will my Family communicate?
Do I have my emergency preparedness kit ready?

Step 2: Build A Kit and Supplies

To assemble your kit store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

Water (one gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation)
Food (at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food)
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
Flashlight
First aid kit
Extra batteries
Whistle (to signal for help)
Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
Manual can opener (for food)
Local maps
Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

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Politics

The Trump vs. Powell-Jobs Twitter War has officially begun

September 6, 2020 Kat Lee

The President attacks widow of tech icon Steve Jobs

On Sunday morning, September 6, 2020, Donald Trump went to his Twitter to call out Apple co-founder Steve Job’s widow, Laurene Powell Jobs who has financial backing to the Atlantic magazine. On Thursday, The Atlantic published a story that reported Trump called American who had died in war both “losers” and “suckers”.

The initial tweet stated: “Steve Jobs would not be happy that his wife is wasting money he left her on a failing Radical Left Magazine that is run by a con man (Goldberg) and spews FAKE NEWS & HATE. Call her, write her, let her know how you feel!!!”

Check out tweet below:

Steve Jobs would not be happy that his wife is wasting money he left her on a failing Radical Left Magazine that is run by a con man (Goldberg) and spews FAKE NEWS & HATE. Call her, write her, let her know how you feel!!! https://t.co/wwuoP85bQE
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2020

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D.I.Y., Lifestyle

Earthquake Preparation for the ‘Big’ One – not if but when

September 5, 2020 Kat Lee

Living on an earthquake fault line has all Southern California residents thinking about the next big one…

Living in Southern California we all know that earthquakes can happen at anytime. As a matter of fact, small shocks happen all day, everyday. Every year California experiences around 10,000 tremors, most of them small. Perhaps around 100 per year are above 3.0 and fifteen to twenty are above 4.0.

It is also important to understand how the size and strength of quakes are measured. The richter scale, once used to measure the strength of earthquakes, has now mostly been superseded by the Moment Magnitude scale (M_w), which measures an earthquake of M_w  7.0 at 1000 times as much energy as one of 5.0 and about 32 times that of 6.0.

Now That We Have Your Attention: Some Earthquake Preparedness Advice

Many simple things can help to reduce any possible damage to your home or, more importantly, harm to yourself and your loved ones.

Just as you wouldn’t want a bookshelf to accidentally fall on your baby, in an earthquake, furniture and especially appliances can be dangerous to anyone in the house.

Prepare for an earthquake in advance by using “baby-straps” that can be purchased at any hardware outlet, and use them to secure shelves, televisions and appliances like microwaves. People can be injured or even killed by these heavy objects in a severe quake.

What to do immediately after a quake:

To panic or to rush is always dangerous. You can’t outrun an earthquake. If you are in public, such as at a movie theater, concert or sporting event, get down onto the floor and protect your head and upper body.

If in a large building, drop and cover, under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows and elevators.

When you are already outdoors, or if you can easily reach an open area, if it is safe to get there, stay away from anything that could cause harm – power-lines, billboards, buildings, even cars and trucks.

If near the ocean and the quake has a large enough magnitude to cause significant damage on land, a tsunami is a real possibility. Get to high ground, further inland, 2 miles or more. Driving is unlikely to be feasible, so hike to a spot more than 100 feet above sea level.

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Books, Politics

Melania Trump used Private Emails for Gov Biz according to New Book by former Advisor

September 3, 2020 Kat Lee

from the Ever expanding Trump Hypocrisy File…

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff has a new tell-all memoir that was just released Tuesday, September 1st titled: “Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with The First Lady”. Her book chronicles her time spent with Mrs. Trump, including all that events that led up to her termination at the White House and eventual falling out between the two. The publication of her book immediately sparked controversy after Winston spoke out that Melania used her personal email account to correspond with her while acting as her aide and for other White House related business matters.

Click to See “Melania and Me”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also Available on Amazon.

Although the First Lady’s email usage is not described in detail within her book, in an interview with The Washington Post, Stephanie made the decision to go public. Her reasoning in leaking the information about Mrs. Trump’s personal email use and recorded conversations between the two, she said, is in response to the White House continuous attacks on the integrity and truthfulness of her book.

In the interview, she divulged that the First Lady regularly used personal email account from the domain MelaniaTrump.com, also an email account from a private Trump Organization and even iMessages when in communication with Wolkoff. She told reporter, “Melania and I both didn’t use White House emails”. The personal email accounts sent by Mrs. Trump allegedly contained discussions about contracts, government hiring, strategic partnerships for ‘Be Best Initiative’, detailed scheduling information and more.

We are all sick of “her damn emails” (Hillarys, that is)

This is not the first time that members of the Trump administration have used private email accounts for government business. Last year both Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner were both investigated on this matter by the House Oversight Committee.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump went after Hillary Clinton for using her own personal email while she was Secretary of State, accusing her of deleting thousands of emails from her server. Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer for George Bush said “ It’s total hypocrisy.” and went on to say “They got elected acting as if Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail for using the wrong email.”

“They got elected acting as if Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail for using the wrong email.”
Richard Painter, former ethics lawyer for Pres. Bush 43

Although the first lady is not officially a government employee, if Mrs. Trump conducted any type of government related business or discussed classified information, any and all correspondence should have been through the official White House email accounts. The use of personal emails for White House related business may raise some legal questions and also begs the question whether the Presidential Records Act was violated by Melania.

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Politics

Trump’s Cocaine Convention – Don Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle and more Screaming in Lincoln Project Ad

Video August 25, 2020 Kat Lee

Hilarious Negativity and Scare Tactics in non-stop Coke filled tirade from “upbeat” RNC

The new ad from Never-Trump conservative Super PAC the Lincoln Project released today, is based completely on footage from the first night of the Republican National Convention. The juxtaposition of the ridiculous scare tactics and nonsense threats of what could happen if Trump is not re-elected would be funny is not so sad. The overblown screaming and the smug self satisfied exaggerated nonsense begs the obvious question: who supplied the blow?

The ad splices together a long list of speakers at the convention, from Don Jr. to Charlie Kirk to Kimberly Guilfoyle to Tim Scott, each of them attempting to paint the most gruesome picture imaginable of the horrible state of America in some imaginary post Trump future. Naturally, this is nearly believable, as long as one is referring not to what would happen if Joe Biden were to become president, but the actual current reality today in Trump’s America.

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