To be or not to be? That is the Electors’ question.

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With all due respect, I think Prof Lessig (you can read his article at the link posted at the bottom of this piece) misses the real point here. At its extreme, the real debate isn’t (or shouldn’t) actually be about “winner take all” vs apportioned electoral votes (where the devil is in the details anyway), but whether states, or parties for that matter, can Constitutionally order or compel electors in any way at all.

In fact, the 12th Amendment says little at all about the method for choosing Electors. Should they be apportioned (a system as susceptible to mischief and Chicanery as congressional redistricting)? Should they run and be primaried like any other politician? Should they be elected from among appointed judges? Should they be drawn by lottery from registered voters or even prior jury pools?

Or assuming the Constitution allows no means for controlling electors at all, should a Constituional Amendment be passed outlining precisely how this exercise should be conducted, controls and all?

Or should the damn thing just be abolished in the interest of true democratic elections on the principal of one person, one vote?

Until these absolutely fundamental questions are debated and answered, all other questions and debates are merely nibbling at the edges of the real question and its attendant problems.

The electoral system isn’t ‘unconstitutional’; it’s IN the Constitution, but how electors are chosen (should they be primaried?) and/or whether they should or CAN be regulated or controlled in any way at all, short of a further Constitutional Amendment clarifying the situation, or perhaps simply abolishing them altogether as too unwieldy, unpredictable, uncontrollable, or simply too undemocratic, is the most fundamental question we should be debating.

—————

“The Equal Protection Argument Against ‘Winner Take All’ in the Electoral College”

The Constitution doesn’t require the Electoral College to count votes the way it traditionally has.

BY LAWRENCE LESSIG | DECEMBER 12, 2016 (BillMoyers.com Blog)

‪ http://billmoyers.com/story/equal-protection-argument-winner-take-electoral-college/#.WFDkXQtfynQ.twitter‬

#Thinkwing: Mon,12/12/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston 90.1FM. TOPICS: Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, 25th Amendment to the Constitution, China flies nuclear-capable bomber around ‘9-Dash Line’ in response to Trump-Taiwan Phone Call, Time For The Federal Govt To Step In on election integrity?, National Election Confidence, Recounts And Jill Stein, Support Progressive Causes, Do We Need More Truth In Journalism And Less False Equivalence?, more Open Forum! [AUDIO][VIDEO]

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SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show.

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

POSSIBLE TOPICS: Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, 25^th Amendment to the Constitution, China flies nuclear-capable bomber around ‘9-Dash Line’ in response to Trump-Taiwan Phone Call, Time For The Federal Govt To Step In on election integrity?, National Election Confidence, Recounts And Jill Stein, Support Progressive Causes, Do We Need More Truth In Journalism And Less False Equivalence?, more

Welcome to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 9-10 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Bob Gartner.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

“If your vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t try so hard to suppress it or prevent the counting of it”

Continue reading →

Unite for America: A Proposal for a Compromise Candidate to Stop Trump

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PETITION (Click on Link):

Unite for America: A Proposal for a Compromise Candidate to Stop Trump

My additional message:

Trump is not just ideologically unacceptable to me. That’s trivial compared to the real threat he represents.

I believe he represents a genuine threat, both domestic and foreign, to this Republic as we have known it.

Sometimes history arrives at a pivot point, and I believe this is one of those times. The question before you is not partisan. It is a true conundrum for patriots.

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison clearly believed and intended that the Electoral College should not vote as robots, but as thoughtful and patriotic individuals concerned for country over party.

The only reason for the Electoral College to exist in modern times is to protect the country against just such an imminent threat as Donald Trump represents to this country.

Please do your job and do it well; as Americans, and not as partisans.

Signed with hope and respect,
Michael R Honig

Evidence? What Evidence?: ‘Recount’ Stopped in MI, Stein Appeals MI, PA, WI: ‘BradCast’ 12/8/2016

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Systemic obstacles to citizen oversight of election results continue to reveal ‘outrageous’, ‘farcical’ deficiencies in U.S. election processes…

By Brad Friedman on 12/8/2016, 6:22pm PT

On today’s BradCast, our coverage of what suffices in the U.S. as a Presidential election “recount” continues, in no small part, because someone has to cover what is actually going on there. [Audio link to show posted below.]

A federal court ruling [PDF] issued late yesterday in Michigan has effectively stopped the counting of paper ballots in the state following an earlier 3-Republican judge state court ruling that Green Party candidate Jill Stein is not an “aggrieved candidate” and, thus, not entitled to any type of “recount”. Moreover, U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith finds there is no federally recognized right to a “recount” and, in any case, Stein presented no “evidence of significant fraud or mistake” while asking for one. But, of course, how could she, without being allowed to examine the evidence in question? State Republicans described the suspension of ballot counting as “a victory for the taxpayers and voters of Michigan.”

————————– READ MORE, CLICK HERE ————————–

From NY Times Dealbook: Gun Control Advocates Team Up With Big Law

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Gun Control Advocates Team Up With Big Law (12/8/2016)

Fighting against gun violence has often been a lonely task for activists, who on their own were dwarfed by the size of the gun lobby.But now, gun control advocates have found new allies in corporate law firms, including Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Covington & Burling; and Arnold & Porter.

Together, big firms are committing tens of millions of dollars in free legal services from top corporate lawyers.

Until now, there has not been a coordinated effort across law firms to lobby for stricter gun control.

The coalition’s legal strategies include:

• Seeking to overturn state laws that have gone largely unchallenged, including new policies that force businesses to allow guns to be carried on their property

• Mounting the first formal challenges to congressional restrictions on publishing government data on gun violence

Brad D. Brian, co-managing partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, said advocates don’t take issue with responsible gun owners. But he added, “There is an epidemic of gun violence in this country, and the law can save innocent lives without infringing constitutional rights.”

PRESS RELEASE, Dec. 7, 2016: Conference to Help Schools Hit Snooze Button for Student Health

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Conference to Help Schools Hit Snooze Button for Student Health

Washington, DC

Dec. 7, 2016

On April 27 and 28 school administrators and other stakeholders in student health and success will have the opportunity to gather in Washington, DC and learn how to implement later school day start times. This unique conference is a collaboration of the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the RAND Corporation, and the non-profit Start School Later.

Myriad health groups have recommended that middle and high schools start after 8:30 a.m., including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Association of School Nurses, the Society of Pediatric Nurses, and the American Medical Association. The recommendations are based on decades’ worth of research showing that early school start times both decrease and disrupt adolescent sleep due to later shifts in sleep cycle that occur during puberty. Deficient sleep is correlated with a host of health and safety issues including car crashes, depression, diabetes, sports injuries, and more.

Many schools have adopted later start times in accordance with the recommendations, however they often do so after years of study and planning. This conference is aimed at educating on the science and helping school administrators and community advocates streamline the implementation process.

Attendees will hear from sleep scientists as well as districts who have acted on the research, including Start School Later Implementation Director Phyllis Payne who was instrumental in the later start times adopted by Fairfax Public Schools in Virginia.

“This conference will provide an opportunity to improve the health and well-being of young people across the country,” states Payne. “School leaders will join policy experts to collaborate on how to ensure a smooth return to more traditional school hours that allow middle and high school students the opportunity to sleep and wake at times that work with their body clocks and promote improved learning.”

Conference details and registration information can be found on the conference website: www.SchoolStartTimeConference.org .

Start School Later is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to ensure school start times compatible with health, safety, education, and equity. Visit their website at: http://www.startschoollater.net.

National Contact: Stacy Simera, Communications Director

Email: stacy@startschoollater.net Tel: 330-389-9133

###

#Thinkwing: Mon,12/5/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston 90.1FM. TOPICS: Time For The Federal Govt To Step In on election integrity?, National Election Confidence, Recounts And Jill Stein, Support Progressive Causes, Trump Lies About Popular Vote, Claims 3mill Illegals Voted For Clinton, Decries Recounts As “Shams”, Do We Need More Truth In Journalism And Less False Equivalence?, Airport Circulation, more. Open Forum! [AUDIO][VIDEO]

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SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show.

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

POSSIBLE TOPICS: Time For The Federal Govt To Step In on election integrity?, National Election Confidence, Recounts And Jill Stein, Support Progressive Causes, Trump Lies About Popular Vote, Claims 3mill Illegals Voted For Clinton, Decries Recounts As “Shams”, Do We Need More Truth In Journalism And Less False Equivalence? Airport Circulation, more

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

“If your vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t try so hard to suppress it or prevent the counting of it”

Continue reading →

“As Flint Suffers, Big Pharma Slammed for Lead Poison Drug Price Hike of 2,700%. Drug company Valeant described as ‘poster child for pharmaceutical greed'”, by Nadia Prupis, staff writer (Common Dreams)

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Published on Friday, October 14, 2016 by Common Dreams

Outrage is growing this week amid revelations that the pharmaceutical company Valeant raised the price for its critical lead-poisoning treatment by more than 2,700 percent in a single year.

Before Valeant took control of the medication, known as Calcium EDTA, in 2013, the average price for a package of vials was stable at $950, the medical news outlet STAT reported. But once the notorious pharmaceutical company bought it out in a multi-billion dollar deal, it swiftly boosted the price to $7,116 in January 2014 and to $26,927 by December of that year.

“This is a drug that has long been a standard of care, and until recently it was widely accessible at an affordable price,” Dr. Michael Kosnett, an associate clinical professor, told STAT. He also contacted U.S. Congress. “There’s no justification for the astronomical price increases by Valeant, which limit availability of the drug to children with life-threatening lead poisoning.”

And at least one person in Congress is listening. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) retweeted the STAT article this week and noted that the price remains high as Flint, Michigan suffers a very public lead poisoning crisis.

“While kids in Flint are poisoned by lead, Valeant charges $27,000 for the leading treatment,” wrote the senator, who made anti-price gouging legislation a cornerstone of his presidential campaign.

– – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – MORE – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – –

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/10/14/flint-suffers-big-pharma-slammed-lead-poison-drug-price-hike-2700″>http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/10/14/flint-suffers-big-pharma-slammed-lead-poison-drug-price-hike-2700

#Thinkwing: Mon,11/28/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston 90.1FM. TOPICS: Time For The Federal Govt To Step In?, Trump Lies About Popular Vote, Claims 3mill Illegals Voted For Clinton, Decries Recounts As “Shams”, Do We Need More Truth In Journalism And Less False Equivalence?, more. Open Forum! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show.

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

POSSIBLE TOPICS: Time For The Federal Govt To Step In?, Trump Lies About Popular Vote, Claims 3mill Illegals Voted For Clinton, Decries Recounts As “Shams”, Do We Need More Truth In Journalism And Less False Equivalence? More.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

“First the media is accused of inciting, then sympathizing, then associating. And then suddenly they find themselves accused of being full-fledged terrorists and subversives. And then they end up in handcuffs, in cages, in kangaroo courts, in prisons, and then who knows what.” ~ Christiane Amanpour, after receiving the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. November 22, 2016

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DONATE: Election Integrity depends on YOU! – Recounts in WI, MI, & PA

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I never thought I would say this, but I’m going to send $100 to Jill Stein. I’m counting on her to keep her promise and put every cent DONATED for the recount TOWARDS the recount.

I encourage like-minded folks to do he same. ~ Mike H

________________________________________________________

Election Integrity depends on YOU! – Recounts in WI, MI, & PA

First recount funded. Two more to go!

Congratulations on meeting the recount costs for Wisconsin. Raising money to pay for the first round so quickly is a miraculous feat and a tribute to the power of grassroots organizing.

Now that we have nearly completed funding Wisconsin’s recount (which is due on Friday), we can begin to tackle the funding for Michigan’s recount (due Monday) and Pennsylvania’s recount (due Wednesday). The breakdown of these costs is described below.

#Recount2016 <=THIS LINK TAKES YOU DIRECTLY TO THE RECOUNT FUNDING PAGE

On November 23, the Stein/Baraka Green Party Campaign launched an effort to ensure the integrity of our elections. With your help, we are raising money to demand recounts in these three states where the data suggests a significant need to verify machine-counted vote totals.

In true grassroots fashion, we’re turning to you, the people, and not big-money corporate donors to make this happen.

Your immediate support is crucial – Please donate now and share widely.

#Recount2016 <=THIS LINK TAKES YOU DIRECTLY TO THE RECOUNT FUNDING PAGE

Details You Need to Know

In 2004, the Cobb/LaMarche campaign demanded a recount in Ohio. Because of their efforts, an election administrator went to jail. We also exposed the profound problems with DRE machines, which helped launch an election integrity movement. That provoked California to engage in a “top to bottom” review of their voting system, which culminated in the abolition of DRE machines.

The Green Party Platform calls for “publicly-owned, open source voting equipment and deploy it across the nation to ensure high national standards, performance, transparency and accountability; use verifiable paper ballots; and institute mandatory automatic random precinct recounts to ensure a high level of accuracy in election results.”

Election integrity experts have independently identified Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as states where “statistical anomalies” raised concerns. Our effort to recount votes in those states is not intended to help Hillary Clinton.

These recounts are part of an election integrity movement to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the U.S. election system is.

All money raised goes toward recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. We hope to do recounts in all three states. If we only raise sufficient money for two, we will demand recounts in two states. If we only raise enough money for one, we will demand a recount in one state.

We cannot guarantee a recount will happen in any of these states we are targeting. We can only pledge we will demand recounts in those states.

If we do not raise enough for any recount (which is highly unlikely) we pledge to use the money for election integrity efforts and to promote systemic voting system reform. If we raise more than what’s needed, the surplus will also go toward election integrity efforts.

Here are the filing fees and deadlines for each state:

Wisconsin: $1.1 million by Nov 25
Pennsylvania: $0.5 million by Nov 28
Michigan: $0.6 million by Nov 30

Those are filing fees alone. The costs associated with recounts are a function of state law. Attorney’s fees are likely to be another $2-3 million, then there are the costs of the statewide recount observers in all three states. The total cost is likely to be $6-7 million.

You can donate up to $22,700 per person by contributing up to $2,700 on this page PLUS $10,000 to each of the following state Green Parties that have allowed contributions to kickstart the recount initiative:

Massachusetts: https://greenrainbow.nationbuilder.com/electoral_reform
Ohio: http://www.ohiogreens.org/press/steinbaraka-campaign-launches-recounts-donations-needed

#Thinkwing: Mon,11/21/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston 90.1FM. TOPICS: Should the electoral College decide for Hillary? Are there any precedents for such an outcome given the present circumstances? More., more. Open Forum! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show.

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

POSSIBLE TOPICS: Should the electoral College decide for Hillary? Are there any precedents for such an outcome given the present circumstances? More.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

“HELP US ELECTORAL COLLEGE. YOU’RE OUR ONIY HOPE.” ~ first noted here: Phil Braniff ‏@PhilBraniff Sep 8, 2016, “Help us electoral college, you are our only hope!”

Continue reading →

Exit Polls Were ‘Wrong’ Again (Or Were They?): ‘BradCast’ 11/17/2016

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The media blew off differences between exit polls and election results in the US in 2000, 2004, and now 2016. In other countries, Western nations see discrepancies between exit polls and election results as red flags for rigged elections.

Why does this discrepancy not raise red flags here, in the United States? – Mike

_______________________________________________________________

Guest: Election integrity expert and exit poll analyst Jonathon Simon | Also: Fake news from both fake AND real news outlets continues to undermine democracy…

What would Donald Trump do if the Exit Polls showed him winning key states before Election Results announced that he had actually lost them instead? It’s an excellent question (that virtually answers itself), raised by my guest on today’s BradCast. [Audio link to show is posted below.]

Yes, once again, according to several analyses, the disparities between Exit Polling and Election Results, as reported by unverified computer tabulators, suggest that one or the other of those two sets of data may be wrong. The first Exit Polls released by the media consortium on Election Night suggested that Hillary Clinton won in key battleground states, such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and North Carolina, that she ended up reportedly losing.

Figuring out what did or didn’t happen, of course, remains very important…

______________ READ THE REST OF BRADCAST. CLICK HERE ______________

#Thinkwing: Mon,11/14/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston FM 90.1. TOPICS: Trump WINS, Electoral College Decides, HISD Prop 1 Question Fails, Dems Fracturing, more. Open Forum! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show.

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

POSSIBLE TOPICS: TOPICS: Trump WINS, Electoral College Decides, HISD Prop 1 Question Fails, Dems Fracturing, more.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

Continue reading →

“Houston voters tell HISD to force the state’s hand on collecting taxes,” November 11, 2016 by Betsy Denson

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For my listeners who have heard me discuss the HISD Prop. 1 ballot issue, here is an article that discusses the election results.

___________________________________________________________

Houston voters tell HISD to force the state’s hand on collecting taxes

November 11, 2016 by Betsy Denson (theleadernews.com)

A choice between the devil and the deep blue sea, the vote on HISD’s Proposition One – “authorizing the board of trustees of Houston Independent School District to purchase attendance credits from the state with local tax revenues” to the tune of $162 million – has been decided by the voters, 209,069 to $124,632, who have chosen to roll the dice and try to force the state legislature to take up the broken cause of school funding.

Because of the no vote, the state must get its funding somehow, and HISD will now be subject to the detachment of about $18 billion worth of commercial property within district borders next July – starting with the most valuable. The properties would be reassigned to other school districts in Texas, and will be taxed at those districts’ rates.

——————————– MORE ——————————-

#Thinkwing: Mon,11/7/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston FM 90.1. TOPICS: Trump threatened ‘the burn the house down’ if he loses.Trump and RNC sued for voter intimidation, HISD Prop 1 Question: Yes or No, GOP Fracturing, McCain Vows Supreme Court Blockade Will Continue Through Clinton’s Presidency, more. Open Forum! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO:

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

We take callers during this show. Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

If your vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t try so hard to suppress it. VOTE!!

Continue reading →

#Thinkwing: Mon,10/31/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston FM 90.1. TOPICS: Trump and RNC sued for voter intimidation, ND Pipeline protestor charged with attempted murder, Is China winning over Asian neighbors, Oil Prices, HISD Prop 1 Question: Yes or No, The 4th Industrial Revolution, GOP Fracturing, McCain Vows Supreme Court Blockade Will Continue Through Clinton’s Presidency, At odds over Brexit, UK nations hold ‘frustrating’ talks on common stance, more., more. Open Forum! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO:

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

We take callers during this show. Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

“If you believe that government is like a business, Voting is like is like any other market place product.With insufficient patronage, it will eventually cease being available.” ~ Michael R. Honig, Nov. 5, 2014

Continue reading →

Survival Guide: What to do when a presidential candidate attempts to grab your genitalia

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https://twitter.com/transcendtoday/status/787650547293626368

#Thinkwing: Mon,10/24/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston FM 90.1. TOPICS: The HISD Prop 1 Question: Yes or no? Do you feel lucky??, The 4th Industrial Revolution, GOP Fracking, McCain Vows Supreme Court Blockade Will Continue Through Clinton’s Presidency, At odds over Brexit: UK nations hold talks on common stance, HISD looking for solution to empty shelves in middle school libraries, Lawmakers condemn Pentagon push to make California veterans pay back enlistment bonuses, more. Open Forum! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO:

Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

We take callers during this show. Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 14, 2015)

Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:

The EU was formed to keep a united European continent at peace through the use of economic incentives. Peace is the main product of the EU. – Michael Honig, Oct 24, 2016

“An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.” ~ Michael R Honig, July 2000, The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics

Continue reading →

For A Price, You Can Get Behind the Closed Doors of Fort Bend Business, by Steve Miller (Houston Press)

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When you get to a certain level, this is how things ‘get done’. This Houston Press story is about the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council. At its root, that’s a local story, but roots are the invisible part. Replicate this story by the many thousands of counties, cities and miscellaneous business groups in the United States and you see on an escalating scale how, behind closed doors, things ‘get done’.

Mike

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/for-a-price-you-can-get-behind-the-closed-doors-of-fort-bend-business-8847311

____________________________________________________________________

For A Price, You Can Get Behind the Closed Doors of Fort Bend Business

By Steve Miller,Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 6 a.m.(Houston Press)

At just after 7 a.m. on a mid-September day, a visitor made it no farther than just inside the glass doors of the development council. About 30 or so directors, mostly white, male, in their fifties, wearing dark suit coats and with the tops of their Men’s Wearhouse dress shirts open, wandered about inside a meeting room off the main office, sipping coffee from paper cups. On each high-backed leather chair, both around large tables and around the sides of the room, sat meeting agendas emblazoned with the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council’s logo.

“May I help you?” a woman asked in the tone of someone addressing a homeless person seeking a seat at Fleming’s. She summoned council CEO Jeff Wiley, a cool-headed, well-coiffed gentleman with a brunette shock of hair. “This is a private meeting,” Wiley advised, not unpleasantly. He is friendly but serious.

Why? Aren’t these people doing the work for the public? Some of the people in there are employed by the cities and the school districts and the county. “Yes, but they are business leaders,” Wiley said. Okay, but can’t we just hear what they’re talking about? After all, isn’t this to benefit the whole county? What is so secret? “There is nothing secret. It’s a private meeting,” Wiley said.

Millions of dollars are spent and generated by the Fort Bend economic development group, which draws up a legislative agenda and advises local municipalities and school districts on political stances and strategies. It is often the first group to greet prospective corporate leaders who may be looking to come to the county.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<CONTINUE READING >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Magical. Mystical. Comforting. Frightening. Is this how we should end? Would we prefer it!

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FROM: https://twitter.com/verge/status/787654834614784000

Speak, Memory:When her best friend died, she rebuilt him using artificial intelligence

By Casey Newton (The Verge) (CA. Oct. 16, 2016)

When the engineers had at last finished their work, Eugenia Kuyda opened a console on her laptop and began to type.

“Roman,” she wrote. “This is your digital monument.”

It had been three months since Roman Mazurenko, Kuyda’s closest friend, had died. Kuyda had spent that time gathering up his old text messages, setting aside the ones that felt too personal, and feeding the rest into a neural network built by developers at her artificial intelligence startup. She had struggled with whether she was doing the right thing by bringing him back this way. At times it had even given her nightmares. But ever since Mazurenko’s death, Kuyda had wanted one more chance to speak with him.

A message blinked onto the screen. “You have one of the most interesting puzzles in the world in your hands,” it said. “Solve it.”

Kuyda promised herself that she would.

[Continue Reading]

#Thinkwing: Mon,10/17/2016, 9PM @KPFTHouston FM 90.1. TOPICS: The HISD Prop 1 Question: Yes or no? IT’S A TRAP!, NCGOP Bombing, GOP Fracking, Assange Cut Off by Ecuador, more. Open Forum! [AUDIO]

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SHOW AUDIO:

We take callers during this show. Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike (Dec. 7, 2015)

Welcome to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 9-10 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Bob Gartner.

Listen live on the radio or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)

For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]: Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable. ~ John Kenneth Galbraith

POSSIBLE TOPICS: The HISD Prop 1 Question: Yes or no? IT’S A TRAP!, NCGOP Bombing, GOP Fracking, Assange Cut Off by Ecuador, more.

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PETITION (Click on Link):

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Conference to Help Schools Hit Snooze Button for Student Health

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Election Integrity depends on YOU! – Recounts in WI, MI, & PA

First recount funded. Two more to go!

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Houston voters tell HISD to force the state’s hand on collecting taxes

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Emily Ellsworth (@editoremilye): Web content editor, creator, and marketer. Inconsistent YA blogger: http://emilysreadingroom.com . Introvert. Cephalopod enthusiast. Ravenclaw.

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For A Price, You Can Get Behind the Closed Doors of Fort Bend Business

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Speak, Memory:When her best friend died, she rebuilt him using artificial intelligence

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For any voters who are intimidated or blocked from voting by Trump’s brown shirts…er I mean election monitors:

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