SAR #15226

We have abandoned the good life for the goods life.

Corner, Painted Into A: The Fed, partly to justify years of QE and partly to convince the public that things are getting better, has been blathering about the good times, high employment and increasing wages requiring an increase in interest rates. Never mind that most if not all of this is disingenuous at best, now that deflation is becoming obvious they have no tools left to stimulate the economy. And raising rates now is quite likely to set off a global sell-off of overpriced assets. Y'know, tides ebb...

Observed: This is the silly season, it goes on for quite some time. Enjoy it. Even The Donald's backers mostly know better and will, mostly and much later on, switch to someone viewed as electable. Or at least capable of second place.

Privilege: White Americans, mostly overweight and bearded, can prance around openly carrying high-powered assault weapons “to protect property rights”, while blacks risk constantly risk arrest if they try to point out the disparity in civil rights.

Viewpoints: The Pentagon and the German Defense Ministry say that ISIS has used mustard gas against Kurds in Iraq. The Kurds – who were there and have first hand data - say it was the Turks.

They Stole It Fair And Square: Nevada cops stopped a motor home for going too slow, searched the vehicle and impounded $167,000 in cash. No arrest. No conviction. Not even a ticket. But the cops, backed by the feds, are appealing a judge's order that they give the man back his money.

Red Card: Mike the wannabe Huckabee says that God will bless American once Planned Parenthood is “completely destroyed.” With Christian love, of course.

Ethics Quiz: We routinely, year after year, consume more resources than the earth can continue to supply. Currently we are using up 1.6 planets a year. It's called overshoot. How much should we be using? How can we get to a balance? Note: No credit given if your answer does not include a rapid and drastic reduction of human population. 
 
See, Hear, Say & Know No Evil: The IOC says that teams competing in the sewage-laden sites for 2016 Olympic water sports cannot test the water for viruses. 
 
Motivation: Fifteen states are trying to block the new EPA rules on carbon emissions, claiming that the Clean Air Act was never intended to be used to create clean air. 
 
Porn O'Graph: The sum also rises.