cliffside
cliffside's JournalFederal court scraps New Jersey's controversial 'county line' ballot design
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/29/politics/new-jersey-ballot-county-line/index.html"Voting rights advocates scored a major victory Friday in New Jersey when a federal judge struck down the use of a controversial primary ballot design that favored party-backed candidates.
The decision is potentially a grave blow to the state’s powerful political machines, which have for decades used the so-called county line to prop up their endorsed candidates. The system is currently used in 19 of the Garden State’s 21 counties.
The preliminary injunction granted by US District Judge Zahid Quraishi is almost certain to be appealed, but, for now, it means that New Jersey voters will use office block ballots – the standard across most of the country – during the June primary. The lawsuit was brought by Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for the seat of scandal-tarred incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez, and two other South Jersey-based House candidates, who argued that the current system is unconstitutional.
Quraishi’s order includes specific language barring county elections officials from organizing their ballots “by column or row” and replacing it with a “randomized ballot order system … which affords each candidate for the same office an equal chance at obtaining the first ballot position...”
Where does DWAC open and then close tomorrow ...
it closed down almost 14% on Friday, should be interesting. Does the emperor have any clothes?
https://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=DWAC
The Century of the Self - Part 1: "Happiness Machines"
I'm pretty sure I learned of this documentary almost 20 years ago on DU. We are living in a world of marketing, consumerism and distraction, there are four parts.
"The story of the relationship between Sigmund Freud and his American nephew, Edward Bernays. Bernays invented the public relations profession in the 1920s and was the first person to take Freud's ideas to manipulate the masses. He showed American corporations how they could make people want things they didn't need by systematically linking mass-produced goods to their unconscious desires.
Bernays was one of the main architects of the modern techniques of mass-consumer persuasion, using every trick in the book, from celebrity endorsement and outrageous PR stunts, to eroticising the motorcar.
His most notorious coup was breaking the taboo on women smoking by persuading them that cigarettes were a symbol of independence and freedom. But Bernays was convinced that this was more than just a way of selling consumer goods. It was a new political idea of how to control the masses. By satisfying the inner irrational desires that his uncle had identified, people could be made happy and thus docile.
It was the start of the all-consuming self which has come to dominate today's world.
Originally broadcast on 29th April 2002.
"You've come along way baby" some might remember the slogan for cigarettes ...
I just stated watching Shirley on Netflix and thought ...The women and all the marginalized people have come a long way since the 60's.
I know this was ad slogan to entice women to smoke a particular brand of cigarette, but the people are winning... bit by bit. Back in the 60's I had an uncle and "his friend" which were accepted in our family, with some whispers I later learned, nothing was out front back then.
In so many ways and on so many fronts we have come a long way. It might be women's rights, racial equality, religious equality, sexual equality, we have made progress. It is good to remind ourselves and those around us that progress is being made. It might be a slow pace and we should thank those who pushed the limits.
Tonight is Debate Night in New Jersey
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/tonight-is-debate-night-in-new-jersey/"The first New Jersey Senate debate between Democrats Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy will take place on tonight at 8 PM.
The 90-minute debate is sponsored by the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, and the Rebovich Institute of New Jersey Politics at Rider University and will be streamed on the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, Facebook Live, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube...
... The incumbent, Bob Menendez, had been invited to participate in the debate if he announced his candidacy by February 11. He did not respond.
Two other candidates, Patricia Campos-Medina and Lawrence Hamm, did not qualify for the debate. Neither had raised enough money or won at least 10% at last week’s Monmouth County Democratic convention."
Just gave my last heart out to someone who has been here for 14+ years ...
and does not post frequently, need to buy more hearts 
This has always been my favorite time of the year at DU, I think I already have quadruplets, more than I can handle.
So spread some love if you can 
Thank You, Thank You for the beautiful hearts!!! :) :)
Did the US help to overthrow the democratically leader of Iran in 1953? Was there a coup?
Or were the records that were finally unsealed from the National Archives several decades later wrong? Mosaddegh waited to run until he thought the time was right in the country from my past reading.
Was there a coup in 1953 for the the British and US interests?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Mosaddegh
I ask this because on another thread this item was disputed.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218633960#post31
Women were empowered before religious groups took over after the coup in Iran, just as they were in Iraq. They went to university, contributed to science, but then were silenced.
We are now witnessing religion being inserted into our country/politics and the role of women being challenged, not to mention other groups.
Are we going backwards, what goes around comes go around?
Was there a coup in 1953 for the the British and US interests?
Any suggestions with help for tenants after Ian ...
I have a rental property on Fort Myers Beach which is no longer livable. As he/they are not citizens there is no help from FEMA, everything they had has been destroyed, they left with their clothes and a few other things. They were original tenants when the property was bought ten years ago. They worked on the beach and bicycled to work. They need jobs and are staying with a friend temporarily off the beach. I'm not sure of their work/immigration status, I just know they have been great tenants and I would like to help. Even though their place was a ground floor unit they stayed during Ian, only survived because they broke into an upstairs unit in the same building which the tenants had evacuated.
Appreciate any suggestions, they are looking for work and a more permanent location. Thank you in advance.
Every day of our lives is a crap shoot, many are now finding that out ...
unfortunately it takes a pandemic for people to see the flaws in our system. I've been 'trained' over the last decade to pay attention to the simple things after my husband had two stem cell transplants for AML. We learned to pay attention to sponges and toothbrushes, hand towels, hand shakes etc. This is hardly anything that is not known, stay safe and always look out for those who are more vulnerable.
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Member since: Thu Dec 1, 2016, 01:24 AMNumber of posts: 168