"'Old Spice Means Quality,' Said the Captain to the Bo'sun"

"Look for the package with the ship that sails the ocean!"

• In the "an honest politician is one who stays bribed" department, wealthier donors to political campaigns want more clout.  Particularly, those giving money to presidential candidates want more fanservice say in the campaign.  (I got the link from Comrade Misfit, but it's been no secret since the Citizens United case.)

• Speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser, Obama said it's important to recognize that some parts of the country remain uncomfortable with same-sex marriage and that it will take time for them to catch up to the majority of Americans who support such unions.
  But while Americans hold dear the constitutional right to practice their religion free from government interference, he said that right can't be used to deny constitutional rights to others.
  "We affirm that we cherish our religious freedom and are profoundly respectful of religious traditions," Obama said during remarks that were interrupted by repeated applause and cheers. "But we also have to say clearly that our religious freedom doesn't grant us the freedom to deny our fellow Americans their constitutional rights."
  "And that even as we are respectful and accommodating genuine concerns and interests of religious institutions, we need to reject politicians who are supporting new forms of discrimination as a way to scare up votes. That's not how we move America forward," he added. That was an apparent reference to some of the Republican presidential candidates.

   I remember mumbling something about "conservatives" getting elected or appointed to county clerk/justice of the peace jobs and blocking or attempting to block marriage equality there, but maybe I was wearing my satirist hat that time. 
• In the interest of reminding people that there is another candidate:  Tavis Smiley interviews Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate.  (Video with transcript at Read the transcript link below the player.)
• The headline says it all.

  As Speaker of the House John Boehner was often the only grown-up in the room, compared to the rest of his caucus. Eugene Robinson compared John Boehner to “a hapless substitute teacher whose unruly class refuses to come to order.” Now, Boehner’s exit leaves his chaotic caucus entirely without adult supervision.

  Republic of T, right on the money.

In Memoriam round-up:

• Yogi Berra, catcher and aphorist (if you've ever heard or said "It ain't over till it's over," you can probably blame Mr. Berra)
• Frank E. Petersen, Jr., Marines' first black general
• Frank D. Gilroy, playwright (The Subject Was Roses)
• Daniel Thompson, bagel machine
• Judy Carne, actress
• Jack Larson, actor/playwright
• Martin Milner, actor
• Candida Royalle, erotic filmmaker
• Dean Jones, actor
• Paul Royle
• Wes Craven, horror filmmaker
• Jackie Collins, novelist
• Dickie Moore, child star and businessman
• Rev. Everett C. Parker, landmark media bias case
• ...and Adrian Frutiger, type designer

Sorry; got out of the habit last month.  Also, the Los Angeles Times limits one to 5--5--articles now.

Yahrzeit

Yahrzeit.

Tenth.

If You Had "Today" in the Pool, You/ve Won!

Mostly esteem and Marvel No-Prizes, though.

• Zandar on opposition to Black Lives Matter:

  And let's not forget that crime involving white Americans still encompasses the majority of violent crimes in the US, but anything and everything has to be done to paint BLM suppoerters are thugs, criminals, radicals and dangerous lunatics for daring to say "Hey, in 2015 America still has structural racism issues that are leading to the execution of black people at the hands of our government."
  
  The only reason any of us black folk exist is because we haven't been killed yet.

• The incident of the retired tennis player waiting for a car in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.  Response of the Commissioner.
• Reasons for and purpose of drug violence, Johann Hari, AlterNet.

• Those dead horses won’t just beat themselves, you know.

  Laura Resnick, comment at File 770.  (You may need to scroll down a bit.)
• More research is always needed.