Capitol Hill staffers keep a 'Creep List' of lawmakers to avoid (Is Al Franken on it?) - Hot Air Hot Air

Capitol Hill staffers keep a 'Creep List' of lawmakers to avoid (Is Al Franken on it?) - Hot Air Hot Air
"Given the allegations made today against Sen. Al Franken, you can’t help but wonder if the Senator has had any previous harassment claims made against him on Capitol Hill. 
But it seems the process set up for dealing with sexual harassment complaints is designed to be as discouraging and secretive as possible. 
Young staffers clearly aren’t relying on that process to improve the environment on the Hill, instead, CNN reports they maintain an unofficial “Creep List” of congressman to avoid:

SEE ALSO: Poll: 53% of Hillary voters now think sexual misconduct allegations against Bill are credible

Be extra careful of the male lawmakers who sleep in their offices — they can be trouble. Avoid finding yourself alone with a congressman or senator in elevators, late-night meetings or events where alcohol is flowing. And think twice before speaking out about sexual harassment from a boss — it could cost you your career.

...There is also the “creep list” — an informal roster passed along by word-of-mouth, consisting of the male members most notorious for inappropriate behavior, ranging from making sexually suggestive comments or gestures to seeking physical relations with younger employees and interns…

“Amongst ourselves, we know,” a former Senate staffer said of the lawmakers with the worst reputations. And sometimes, the sexual advances from members of Congress or senior aides are reciprocated in the hopes of advancing one’s career — what one political veteran bluntly referred to as a “sex trade on Capitol Hill.”

As Ed wrote last month, we don’t hear anything about sexual harassment on Capitol Hill thanks to a 1995 law which sets up an arcane process which requires accusers to undergo a month of counseling if they want to take someone to court. Victims of harassment or assault often don’t even know the process exists because there is no HR department in Congress to inform them..."

Read on!

AM Fruitcake

History for November 17

History for November 17 - On-This-Day.com
Bernard Law Montgomery (Britain) 1887, Rock Hudson 1925, Gordon Lightfoot 1938 - Singer 


Martin Scorsese 1942 - Director, Danny DeVito 1944 - Actor, Lorne Michaels 1944 - TV producer ("Saturday Night Live") 


1558 - Elizabeth I ascended the English throne upon the death of Queen Mary Tudor.


1796 - Catherine the Great of Russia died at the age of 67.


1869 - The Suez Canal opened in Egypt, linking the Mediterranean and the Red seas.


1903 - Russia's Social Democrats officially split into two groups - Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.


1913 - The steamship Louise became the first ship to travel through the Panama Canal.


1968 - NBC cut away from the final minutes of a New York Jets-Oakland Raiders game to begin a TV special, "Heidi," on schedule. The Raiders came from behind to beat the Jets 43-32.


1979 - Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the release of 13 female and black American hostages being held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.


1988 - Benazir Bhutto became the first woman leader of an Islamic country. She was elected in the first democratic elections in Pakistan in 11 years.

GOP Tax Plan Would Kill ObamaCare Individual Mandate, And That's Good News | Stock News & Stock Market Analysis - IBD

GOP Tax Plan Would Kill ObamaCare Individual Mandate, And That's Good News | Stock News & Stock Market Analysis - IBD:

"Will Republicans even be able to repeal the most egregious failure in ObamaCare? We're about to find out as the tax cut bill, which in the Senate will include repeal of ObamaCare's individual mandate tax, moves forward.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, eliminating the individual mandate will save more than $300 billion over the next decade, which is money Republicans can use to "pay for" other tax cuts. Critics argue this is just another attempt by the GOP to "gut" ObamaCare, which might be true if the mandate worked at all."

Army lifts ban on cutters, mentally ill and drug abusers to meet recruiting goals | Fox News

Army lifts ban on cutters, mentally ill and drug abusers to meet recruiting goals | Fox News:

"Facing low recruitment levels, the U.S. Army quietly lifted its ban on allowing people with a history of mental illness, self-mutilation and drug abuse to serve in the military – despite warnings from the industry about the risks involved.

The new rules green-light recruits who have bipolar disorder, depression and issues with cutting – a process in which a person takes a knife or razor to his or her own skin – along with those who bite, hit or bruise themselves intentionally."

The way we were-----Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight (1976) Uncut Video

Boob-tube-----The Dating Game TV Bloopers 1970s

Grocery Chain Recalls Nuts Because Packages Didn't Warn That They Contain — Nuts! | Daily Wire

Grocery Chain Recalls Nuts Because Packages Didn't Warn That They Contain — Nuts! | Daily Wire:
"Alert: This is not The Onion.
The Aldi grocery chain has recalled a brand of nuts from its shelves because the packages don't include a warning that among the contents are — nuts.
Nuts, right?
The worldwide chain this week recalled its Clancy’s Barbecue Flavour Coated Peanuts, which also contains cashews. because they contain cashew nuts — which did not warn customers about on the label.
The U.K's Foods Standards Agency said that the omission puts people at a “possible health risk."
The bags of nuts were only available across three regions in the U.K. — Neston, Darlington and Goldthorpe.
The agency-issued “allergy alert” said: “Aldi is recalling its Clancy’s Barbecue Flavour Coated Peanuts because they contain cashew nuts, which are undeclared on the label.
This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to nuts."...
Read on!

Man Killed In Year’s 600th Homicide Among 5 Shot Tuesday In Chicago « CBS Chicago

Man Killed In Year’s 600th Homicide Among 5 Shot Tuesday In Chicago « CBS Chicago
"CHICAGO (CBS) — A man killed Tuesday — marking the city’s 600th homicide this year — was among five people shot in a 7-hour span of gun violence on the South and West sides.
Three men were shot, one of them fatally, when someone opened fire from a light-colored vehicle shortly after 4 p.m. in the 500 block of South Lockwood in the West Side Austin neighborhood.
A 25-year-old man was was shot multiple times in the head and pronounced dead at the scene less than an hour later, Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
His name has not been released, pending notification of his family.
A 32-year-old man was shot in the groin and buttocks, and a 28-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the head.
Both of their conditions were stabilized at Stroger Hospital.
The fatality marked Chicago’s 600th homicide of 2017, including shootings, assaults and other types of incidents, according to data maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The city ended last year with 781 homicides and hit the 600 mark on Oct. 17, 2016..."
Read on!

Venezuela just defaulted, moving deeper into crisis - Nov. 14, 2017

Venezuela just defaulted, moving deeper into crisis - Nov. 14, 2017:

"Venezuela, a nation spiraling into a humanitarian crisis, has missed a debt payment. It could soon face grim consequences.
The South American country defaulted on its debt, according to a statement issued Monday night by S&P Global Ratings. The agency said the 30-day grace period had expired for a payment that was due in October.
A debt default risks setting off a dangerous series of events that could exacerbate Venezuela's food and medical shortages."

Student op-ed: OK to vandalize fraternities because patriarchy, white supremacy, and inequality - The College Fix

Student op-ed: OK to vandalize fraternities because patriarchy, white supremacy, and inequality - The College Fix:
"...In an op-ed in the student paper The Flat Hat, Mohan er, argues that the spray-painting of the words “rapist” and “rape” on campus frat houses “was a much-needed action against terrible and powerful institutions.”

She then claims that erasing the graffiti could amount to censorship … and “possibly the silencing of survivors.”

Incredibly, satire this is not:

Within universities, fraternities are a microcosm of the patriarchal, classist and white supremacist structures that exist in society. It is important to recognize that instances of sexual violence are never isolated.

Rather, they are the manifestations of a culture with an ingrained imbalance of power that normalizes the violation of autonomy of one by another. And therefore, while sexual assault statistics should be enough to convince you that fraternities should be dismantled, I think it is a good idea to look at what lies at the essence of fraternities to see why they embody the culture of authoritarianism and inequality..."

Read on! 

New guidelines classify nearly half of U.S. adults as having high blood pressure - LA Times

New guidelines classify nearly half of U.S. adults as having high blood pressure - LA Times:
"New medical guidelines lower the threshold for high blood pressure, adding 30 million Americans to those who have the condition.
That means now nearly half of U.S. adults have it.
High blood pressure has long meant a top reading of at least 140 or a bottom one of 90.
The new top reading is 130 and bottom reading 80, major heart groups announced Monday.
The change results in an additional 14% of U.S. adults with high blood pressure, but doctors say only 2% of these newly added people need medication..."
Read on!

Lunch video----Tucker vs. Rutgers protester: Who should be allowed into US?

Noon-toon

Poll: 77% of Democrats with 4-Year Degrees Think Sex Not Determined at Birth

Poll: 77% of Democrats with 4-Year Degrees Think Sex Not Determined at Birth:

"Three out of four college-educated Democrats seem to believe that a man can be a woman if he just says so, regardless of his biology, genetics, and genitalia, according to a skewed survey conducted by the Pew Research Center."

Walmart Shopper Who Broke His Hip Reaching for a Watermelon Awarded $7.5MILLION in Lawsuit | Tribunist

Walmart Shopper Who Broke His Hip Reaching for a Watermelon Awarded $7.5MILLION in Lawsuit | Tribunist:
"Henry Walker was just 59-years-old when he suffered a broken hip and foot after a produce related incident in a Walmart.
He sued the retail giant and won.
The jury has awarded him a $7.5million verdict to compensate him for the damages Walker sustained when he reached for a watermelon.
“The decision to reward $2.5million in compensatory damages and $5million in punitive damages was reached by a jury comprised of seven African-Americans and five whites,” The Daily Mail notes.
How does reaching for a watermelon end in court?
Walker claims his foot became trapped beneath the pallet that was holding the over-sized carton of melons.
When he reached in for one of the fruits at a Phenix City, Alabama Walmart on June 25, 2015, he couldn’t extricate himself from the crate.
The weight of the melon and the stuck foot ended in catastrophe..."

Declining population? Polish government says “breed like rabbits!” « Refugee Resettlement Watch

Declining population? Polish government says “breed like rabbits!” « Refugee Resettlement Watch
"We all know that Europe is in trouble because Europeans are not having enough children to replace themselves and most countries have opted for the migrant solution by welcoming the more fecund Africans and Middle Easterners to live in their countries expecting those younger ‘workers’ to care for the European old folks! (They really believe that!).

The Poles have taken another tack and needless to say, the PC police are hopping mad!

A still from the Polish health ministry video encouraging people to ‘breed like rabbits’. Photograph: Youtube

From The Guardian:

The Polish government is encouraging citizens to go forth and multiply – like rabbits.

The health ministry of Poland, which has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, has put out a short video praising rabbits for producing a lot of offspring.

The link to the youtube video embedded didn’t open, but you can search for the Polish language public service announcement and get the gist, even if you don’t speak Polish!..."

#1 This day 1970-----I Think I Love You - Partridge Family

Finley: I wanted a gun, but got lesson instead

Finley: I wanted a gun, but got lesson instead:
"On the same day of the Texas church massacre, I stopped by a local sporting goods shop intent on purchasing a new shotgun.
...After the salesperson hit the send button, I noticed I had misspelled my last name.
So I had to start over.
And over.
And over.
And over.
Five times I tried to fill out the form correctly, and each time I noticed a mistake and had to start again from the beginning.
Nothing makes me lose my mind quicker than technology.
I was fuming. Muttering under my breath.
Stomping my foot.
Grimacing.
And yes, cussing.
The salesperson tried to help, but, as tends to happen when I blow my top, I curtly cut him off.
On the final failure, I threw up my hands and stormed away, declaring, “I don’t want the &%$@ gun this badly.”
I walked around the store until I calmed down and returned to the gun counter. 
With some help, I managed to get the form right, and waited for the salesperson to take my credit card and deliver the shotgun.
Instead, he came back with the store manager, who eyed me with a worried look and asked why I had pitched such a fit earlier.
I tried to explain my computer frustration, but she wasn’t moved.
“We don’t feel comfortable selling you a gun,” she informed me. 
“You were in such an agitated state, we just don’t want to take a chance.”...
Read on!

You ought to know!