Here Comes the Impeachment

WAPO Democrats consider bribery, obstruction for impeachment articles against Trump

I am starting the censure idea seems like a better idea, but neither side seems to like it.
Politco Republicans ignore an impeachment escape hatch

CNBC 'Democrats have gone nuts, they're crazy': Trump lashes out over censure speculation

LA Times Censure Better Option

And of course Hypocrite Trump is back at it again, the man who refused to testify for the Mueller investigation and the Impeachment investigation saying the he wants people who were not involved in this summer's questionable activities with regard to Ukraine to testify.

FOX Trump threatens to have Schiff, Bidens, Pelosi testify in Senate trial as he dares House to impeach

And of course he is trying to convince people that "Ukraine announcing an investigation of the Bidens" was for the good of all Americans...  Really!!!  Who are these suckers who still believe him?  :-)

Politico Trump: I was asking Zelensky to help America, not me

How To Be Happier

"How To Win Friends & Influence People" by Dale Carnegie does an excellent job of explaining how to be happier. His view is simply to get out of your head and start thinking about other people. I recommend reading the book, it is excellent. It took me years to finally read this book because I thought "INFLUENCE" meant "MANIPULATE". Thankfully I finally read it and learned that it does not in this case.

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

• Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
• Give honest and sincere appreciation.
• Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Six ways to make people like you

• Become genuinely interested in other people.
• Smile.
• Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
• Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
• Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Win people to your way of thinking

• The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
• Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
• If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
• Begin in a friendly way.
• Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
• Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
• Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
• Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
• Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
• Appeal to the nobler motives.
• Dramatize your ideas.
• Throw down a challenge.

Be a Leader: Change People's Attitude & Behavior w/o Offending/ Arousing Resentment

• Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
• Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
• Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
• Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
• Let the other person save face.
• Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
• Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
• Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
• Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

G2A Happiness Tree

Okay... Preacher John is hear again to explain a simple way to be happier...

STOP FOCUSING ON THESE THINGS

This weekend I spent some time with a person who can not let go of a 30+ year old argument.  Instead of focusing on all the great things in their life they insist on bring up the same old tired issue.

And of course it causes a lot of stress during the holidays because who out there likes spending time with people who are often...

• Criticizing - Nobody can ever do anything right for this person. 
• Complaining - Nothing is ever good enough for this person.
• Comparing - This person compares people or possessions with envy, jealousy or put-downs.
• Competing - For sense of worth within relationship, families, work teams and cultures. This person thinks they are better, smarter or richer than everyone else.
• Contending - This person tries to make other people look like losers, so he or she can look like a winner. Everything is a competition.
• Cynicism - contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives; an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; skepticism
• Control - having a need to dictate other people's behavior; having the need to dictate how something is managed or done; finds it difficult to let others behave / do things as they wish.

The good news is that I have learned to love this person in spite of their flaws, and how to maintain boundaries for my health. (usually they hold... :-)) However I think they would be much happier if they would think more often of the wonderful things in life. (family, health, stability, etc)  Instead of focusing on the things can not control. 

Oh well, thankfully I have learned that I can only control myself...  I can nudge and coach others, but ultimately they need to make the decisions and take the actions. :-)  Here is to being thankful during the holiday season and all year round. G2A Principles  As the tree shows, for most of us Americans life is really good. Unfortunately many folks insist on staring at the bottom of the tree. :-(

Thanksgiving Talk Prep

VOX Most people are bad at arguing. 
These 2 techniques will make you better.

I think this piece is worth a read, and it aligns with my forth coming DEMs / GOPers discussion.

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Humans Give Up on Clean Power?

From Laurie:

Off topic link about climate change from K. Drum. I am sure my view that more R and D is needed has been influenced by K. Drum posts.

The World Is Giving Up On Climate Change

Bringing this topic up again is a waste of time as no one here is persuadable, but the other topics also go nowhere and this one is more important. 

and From me...

NPR Green House gases continue to rise...

Tax Returns Stay Hidden. For Now

VOX The Supreme Court lets Trump keep his tax returns secret — for now

American Progress Case for Congress

Youtube Montage of Trump's Tax Return Promises

He promised over and over to release them, and he has not...
Now he is fighting against releasing them again...
What is he fighting so hard to keep hidden?

Picture with Corpse. No problem.

NYT Trump / Esper Demand Resignation of Navy Secretary

As I have said before, this action by Trump makes me dislike him even more than the Ukraine actions. The idea that he thinks it is okay for a field commander of the US Military to pose his team in front of a dead human as if it was a prize lion...

Next is he going to say it is okay if Gallagher takes the dead man home, has him stuffed / mounted and placed over his fireplace? :-(

Here is some more background regarding this disturbed individual...

Not to mention that Trump totally undermined the US Military Justice system for some possible votes.

Hypocrisy at Its Finest

Reuters Trump wants Senate trial, expects Joe Biden to testify: White House

So let's see...

• Trump refuses to testify in his own defense. 
• Trump refuses to let his personnel testify in his defense.
• Trump blames the House for not having first hand testimony.
• Trump wants witnesses at his trial to testify about things that happen years ago and have nothing to do with the accusations against him.
• And I certain that the Trump True Believers are thinking this makes sense
• My usual question, if it was Obama doing this. Would they feel the same way

I must say that Trump is a master of distraction and manipulation.  And his followers seem to be willing participants. "Don't look behind the curtain...  Watch what I am pointing at."

“President Trump wants to have a trial in the Senate because it’s clearly the only chamber where he can expect fairness and receive due process under the Constitution,” spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

“We would expect to finally hear from witnesses who actually witnessed, and possibly participated in corruption - like Adam Schiff, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and the so-called Whistleblower, to name a few,” Gidley said, referring to House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Schiff, who is leading an impeachment inquiry into Trump.

It is kind of like a burglar caught in the act of robbing the house calling the homeowners as witnesses to prove that they legally purchased everything in the house.  Like it has any bearing on if he is guilty or not.

Sondland Just Followed Orders

Fox News Sondland Coverage

NYT We Followed President's Orders

I still think our genius transparent President who orchestrated the activities and made the wonderful call should testify publicly under oath.  Why wouldn't he?  He does work for the American people... Right?

Has he not heard said that "the truth will set you free"? :-)

Why is the GOP treating our public servant with such kid gloves?

Climate Change Continuum

So where do you fit on my newest creation?  Jerry and I were arguing Climate Change again and I said that I like the work of Judith Curry.  She is an expert who has the blog Climate Etc.  My belief is that she believes:

• the use of fossil fuels is warming the climate
• that the science is still immature, especially the forecasting
• other factors may be more significant in the future
• people need low cost energy
• clean energy & cheap energy must be balanced
• people should be preparing for extreme whether events either way
• alarmists abound and are confusing people

So I know that Jerry is a Denier and most of the other commenters are Believers or CAGW'ers... But I was not sure where that leaves folks like Judith and myself.  So I created a new continuum for your comments and critiques !!! :-)   (click it to zoom)

No Need for Courts / Discipline

Apparently King Trump knows better than the military courts. I assume he is just doing it to distract from his bigger problems.

FOX Trump grants clemency to 2 Army officers accused of war crimes, restores rank to Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher

"Lorance was six years into serving a 19-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth for ordering his soldiers to open fire and kill three men in Afghanistan. Lorence’s supporters say he killed Taliban fighters. Nine members of his unit testified against him, saying the men were innocent."

"Gallagher, a 15-year SEAL whose case garnered national attention, was found not guilty of murdering an ISIS fighter in Iraq in 2017 but was convicted in July of a lesser charge of posing for a photo with the dead ISIS prisoner's corpse."

Then there is the question if he will start pardoning the members of his personal swamp?  It is amazing how many of his friends and partners have been found guilty. 

Politico Roger Stone was found guilty. Now all eyes turn to Trump. The president will face pressure to pardon Stone after the GOP operative was found guilty of charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller.

And likely that he may join them in prison if his tax records are released... No wonder he is scared.

Second Memo Released

The Hill READ: Memo of Trump's first call with Zelensky

Who the FRICK CARES...  I want to hear the actual recording of the call in question...

I don't want some incomplete memo if there is a recording.

I mean how bad is it if Trump is not willing to let us listen to it ?
What Law and Order person would not be demanding the recording?
The GOP apparently is no longer the party of Law and Order. :-(

And We Are Off...

NYT Impeachment Hearings Open With Revelation on Trump’s Ukraine Pressure

The Hill Trump campaign dismisses Taylor, Kent testimony as 'third-hand opinions'

WE Democrat met with laughter after suggesting Trump testify before impeachment committee

CNN GOP's defense of Trump, Democrats' rebuttal and more from the impeachment inquiry

FOX Impeachment hearing testimony details Trump pursuit of Ukraine ‘investigations,’ as GOP decries ‘hearsay’

I liked this summary from CNN: 6 reasons to impeach Trump and 4 reasons not to impeach Trump. CNN's Marshall Cohen wrote an extremely detailed examination of the arguments, which I've tried to distill as much as possible.

Reasons to impeach Trump

1. Trump solicited election meddling from Ukraine
2. There was a quid pro quo for a White House invite
3. There was a quid pro quo for US military aid
4. Trump's directives to his lawyer Rudy Giuliani undercut US policy
5. Trump improperly removed US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch
6. The Trump administration obstructed the inquiry

Reasons not to impeach Trump

1. The process of the inquiry was fatally flawed
2. Presidents have vast foreign policy powers
3. Limited insight into Trump's state of mind
4. Ukraine got the military assistance after all

How America Ends?

From Laurie

Here is a very loosely related looong story that I found interesting (even though I haven't finished it as it is soooo long)  Atlantic: How America Ends

SCOTUS Hears DACA

NYT How the Trump Administration Eroded Its Own Legal Case on DACA

FOX DACA lands before Supreme Court: Showdown over Trump bid to end ‘Dreamer’ program

It will be interesting to see how SCOTUS rules.  It is too bad that Trump did not take the "Wall Money for Dreamers" deal when it was on the table.