Oh no! Not that!

Russia says spyware found in state computer networks | Reuters

"Russia's intelligence service said on Saturday that the computer networks of 20 organizations, including state agencies and defense companies, have been infected with spyware in what it described as a targeted and coordinated attack."

Meanwhile…

Clinton campaign also hacked in attacks on Democrats

"The U.S. Department of Justice national security division is investigating whether cyber attacks on Democratic political organizations threatened U.S. security, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday."

Wait. The Justice Department has a national security division? A little late to the party, aren’t we?

In case you're wondering what it's like in rural Western MA

The Recorder 

GREENFIELD — Drawing on their backgrounds in organic vegetable farming, art and music, a Charlemont couple has opened a new bar and music venue in downtown Greenfield featuring unique homemade drinks and infusions, well-known bands and a down-home vibe.

Vibe? Really?

Just what we always wanted

Norway mulls giving mountain peak to Finland

HELSINKI (AP) - Norway is considering moving a mountain - or at least its peak - to neighboring Finland…as the Finns celebrate 100 years of independence.

Read the full story

Do not try this at home (no kidding)

He's a skydiver working with a net _ but no parachute

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) - He's made 18,000 parachute jumps, helped train some of the world's  elite skydivers...

"I said, 'You won't believe these guys,'" the affable skydiver recalls with a robust laugh. "'They want me to jump out without a parachute.' She said, 'Oh, with a wingsuit.' I said, 'No, they want me to do it with nothing.' We both had a good laugh about that."

Read the full story

Meanwhile, in Ohio…

Thousands turn out for Trump speech - The Blade

"As Donald Trump’s plane arrived in suburban Toledo for an evening rally, people were still waiting — with a line two blocks long — to get into the Huntington Center to see him."

Imagine our disappointment

Chicago Bears Not Appreciating The League Wide Disrespect

The Inquisitr 

Big billionaire joins Bernie in backing Clinton

Michael Bloomberg Backs Clinton, Blasts Trump at DNC

U.S. News & World Report But it's one that seemed to pay off, as Bloomberg was uniquely qualified to speak to the independents and moderate Republicans turned off by GOP nominee Donald Trump but wary of crossing party lines to vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.…

Sorry, chump. 

1) Let's ban the word, "adorable"; 2) "Mess" is OK

He tried to walk 45 dogs on one leash. This is what happened.

Bob Morris "grabbed a rope and a bunch of carabiners" -- and tried to set a world record.… 

It was, Bob Morris says now, "an adorable mess."

https://goo.gl/FzfS42

WHERE HAVE THESE PEOPLE BEEN?

Is there a Russian master plan to install Trump in the White House? Some intelligence officials are skeptical.
The leak of emails, if the Kremlin is behind it, may be information warfare directed against the United States — not in favor of the GOP candidate.

"We're not used to thinking of the election system as a critical infrastructure," said one senior administration official. "But I could make the case that it ought to be considered that. We ought to start talking about that."

https://goo.gl/9LaSgH

Sorry for shouting there, but people have been complaining about the insecurity of voting machines for more than a decade now. And these guys are just starting to figure that out?

Let's get with the program here.

I'm never going to understand this feminism thing

The Washington Post: Obama makes case for optimism, calls Clinton most qualified candidate in history

https://goo.gl/AWb2CQ

Check the picture at the head of this story (above). Would Obama pose like that with a male candidate? I'm no Hillary Clinton fan, but that picture looks just plain demeaning to me.

And, most qualified candidate in history? Take that, John Adams. 

Not too big on the whole memory thing, Jeremy?

NYTimes: Donald Trump's Appeal to Russia Shocks Foreign Policy Experts

Nobody ever — and I think I can be confident about this — nobody ever stood up at a podium and said, 'Bring it on,'" said Jeremy Shapiro, a Brookings Institution scholar of foreign policy…

http://goo.gl/1Poz4b

Don't all shout at once

Think You're a Beer Nerd? Apply to be America's Official Beer Historian
Men's Journal

The ultimate gig for beer lovers is up for grabs. The Smithsonian just announced it's hiring a new scholar position for its American Brewing History Initiative. The job will focus on craft beer as part of the Smithsonian Food History project, an... This article originally appeared on www.mensjournal.com: Think You're a Beer Nerd? Apply to be America's Official Beer Historian Read the full story

Now, now, let's not be mean

Here are all the things Hillary Clinton has spent her 'entire adult life' working on - The Washington Post from Washington Post's Tweet

Sometimes she is vague, other times, quite specific. But if there is one thing Clinton has spent her entire adult life doing, it is telling us what she has spent her entire adult life doing. 

How you know it's not your world anymore

The Most Popular Video Game the Year You Were Born from Esquire's Tweet

Not too good at building walls, these D's

Bernie Sanders loyalists protest Hillary Clinton nomination - NY Daily News

In the streets outside, Sanders supporters who had spent the day protesting began facing off with police. They started scaling 8-foot walls that blocked off the secure zone around the arena parking lot.

http://goo.gl/F3UdNz

Which world would that be, exactly?

Cockroach milk is the superfood the world's been waiting for | New York Post
http://goo.gl/wkl62G

That Snowden, what scoffer

Snowden Scoffs at Accusations of Russian Hand in US Democrats' Scandal / Sputnik International

In an all-too familiar tactic shared by the US political right and left alike, the Democratic Party has blamed the WikiLeaks release of internal emails on Russia.*

http://bit.ly/2a7adWr

The word, Kremlin, seems so old-school, doesn't it? Now we say something more modern, sleek…like Vlad. So the question is, is Vlad trying to get Trump elected president or does he just really dislike Debbie Wasserman Schultz? Well…probably not (why bother?) and sure (doesn't everybody?). This thing is turning out to be more fun than a sweaty convention, though, so here, direct from World Headquarters, is our work avoidance hack scorecard.

• Did the Russians hack the DNC? Of course
• Was Vlad involved? Way more likely than not.
• Is Wikileaks a Russian state security agency front? Lackey would be a better word.
• Is Vlad worried about Hillary? You're joking, right?
• Does Vlad love the Donald? Only in a passing, peck-on-the cheek sort of way. His true passion is a longer game.
• Did those Russkies sneak misleading info into their trove of DNC emails? Why on earth would they need to?
• Is the FBI going to figure all this out? The FBI is a Communist Clinton tool.
• Is Snowden a Russian state security front? Gimme a break.

*[Translation from the Russian: The D's can play Red Scare too.]

Ain't gonna fool those Vermonters

Brattleboro Police Urge Caution on Internet

BRATTLEBORO >> Residents are asked to use common sense but consult with officials if news they read cannot be verified ...

Read the full story

Hillary ascends. Seriously.

History _ and hostility _ as Clinton ascends to nomination

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A glass ceiling is shattering at the Democratic National Convention as Hillary Clinton ascends to the pre...

Read the full story

Cue Bach. 

And still don't

The Vegan Carrot Hot Dog Recipe You Never Knew You Needed
The Huffington Post - US

Hot dogs are a quintessential summer food ― and pretty much irresistible when spiral cut ― but they aren't very inclusive. What are the vegans, seagans and vegetarians suppose to eat at your summer shindig if you're grilling dogs? ... Read the full story

Can you spell "fat chance"?

He's baaack

For him the bell tolls: Hemingway wins Florida Hemingway lookalike contest | Books | The Guardian

Dave Hemingway was named the winner of the "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest on Saturday in Key West, Florida. The winner said he was not related to the late author.

https://goo.gl/sVV65d

OK, there's that

Trump winning Utah converts, but he has a long way to go | The Salt Lake Tribune

"Utahns are going to come through because the level of distaste for Hillary is so deep."

http://goo.gl/Zjt7z7

Gotta love the Coney Island pictures

How New Yorkers beat the heat: Summer in the Big Apple through the years
http://goo.gl/M5fc9I

Trend alert (or not)

Dogs are overrated: Scientists say a pet wallaby could be your best friend - The Washington Post from Washington Post's Tweet

Stripped of its !

Yahoo's Sale to Verizon Ends an Era for a Web Pioneer - The New York Times
http://goo.gl/YwjIft

When you're hot, you're hot

I could be going to the grocery store or the laundry but I think I won't. I still have plenty of Spam and clean socks. Maybe I'll make some iced tea.

I never make ice because who needs it? You can just put stuff in the refrigerator and it gets cold by itself.

This house is in a shady spot which is bad for cell reception but good for the occasional cool breeze. Maybe I'll just take a nap.

Debbie done

Wasserman Schultz resignation leaves some Sanders supporters wanting more
The Washington Post

(Craig Ruttle/AP) By David Weigel | July 24 at 11:08 PM PHILADELPHIA – On Josh Fox's 44th birthday, Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued her unceremonious, slow-motion resignation from the Democratic National Committee. It was his second-best present. The first: a rally of hundreds of climate change activists and Bernie Sanders supporters, gathered at a park miles from the Democratic National Convention in the city's Germantown neighborhood. "This is amazing," Fox said, waving his hand at the crowd.…

It's actually sort of an insult," said Schappell's husband, Ryan, also 33. "But it doesn't make a difference to us. When Bernie endorsed Hillary, that was it – we re-registered with the Green Party."

Read the full story

Shared from Apple News

Why we heart NY

Escaped turtles send cops on slow-speed chase in subway | New York Post
http://goo.gl/fECp4X

A substantial distinction

How Putin Weaponized Wikileaks to Influence the Election of an American President - Defense One from Patrick Tucker's Tweet

Evidence suggests that a Russian intelligence group was the source of the most recent Wikileaks intel dump, which was aimed to influence the U.S. election.

The evidence is pretty compelling that it was indeed Russian government sponsored hackers who stole emails and other information from the Democratic National Committee servers, and the timing of those documents' release does strongly suggest an attempt to influence the US election.

But nobody seriously suggests the documents are anything but genuine. What they say about the operations of the committee is plain enough and confirms what many who paid close attention to the Democratic primaries knew a long time ago: They were rigged against Bernie Sanders from the start. 

Now, Clinton has made it clear she feels safe in ignoring the Sanders wing of the party, believing its members have nowhere else to go. The remaining question is how long they, like so many battered spouses, will keep coming back for more.

Too late

Wasserman Schultz steps down as DNC chair - POLITICO from POLITICO's Tweet

"Even though she said she's quitting at the end of the convention, if she speaks, she's going to be booed," said Morgan, a longtime Clinton supporter. "The Sanders people have a right to be angry because these emails convey their worst suspicions — that Wasserman Schultz is to Democratic dirty tricks what Richard Nixon was for Republican dirty tricks."

Hot time in Philadelphia

Thorusands hit Philadelphia's steamy streets to protest DNC - The Blade

They held anti-fracking and anti-pipeline signs, some with illustrations like a train surrounded by a fireball and the words "No Exploding Trains." Others held "Bernie or Bust" signs.

http://goo.gl/IXmFuW

Brave new world!

Police asked this 3D printing lab to recreate a dead man's fingers to unlock his phone | Fusion from Techmeme's Tweet

Ever been fingerprinted? Will then, this means to you.

That's it! The Russians!

Hacked emails overshadow Democratic National Convention

WASHINGTON (AP) - Hacked emails threatened to overshadow the Democratic Party's upcoming celebration in Philadelphia...

Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, tried to shift blame away from DNC officials to "Russian state actors" who, he said, may have hacked into DNC computers "for the purpose of helping Donald Trump," the Republican presidential nominee.

Read the full story

How could we have forgot the Russians?

This is just embarrassing. 

Taking lessons from The FBI

Olympic Officials Sanction Russian Athletes, but Stop Short of Complete Ban - The New York Times
http://goo.gl/cVI9VV

Not exactly the catchiest slogan I've ever heard

Democrats, Looking Past Obama, Are a Party Without a Cause - The New York Times

Who's against infrastructure?" Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia said.

http://goo.gl/TV9QqR

And for the record, back in the days of Old White Men we called this infrastructure thing public works. Roads, bridges, water and sanitation systems – all these things were public works. Now it's just infrastructure with naming rights.