There have been 311 days in 2018. On Thursday, a man by the name of Ian David Long opened fire on patrons at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, marking the 307th mass shooting this year. Thoughts and prayers are powerless when we have nearly just as many shooting attacks as there have been calendar days in a year. We’ve reached a point in history where walking into a public place is considered to be an act of resistance against gun violence and those who wish to disrupt society’s fragile framework.
“There was a community there. He was a part of that community. The whole bar is line dancing. People do choreographed dances for hours, cowboy boots and hats in the middle of the suburbs of Thousand Oaks.”
–A friend of Ian Long
While I am well aware that the community of Thousand Oaks is hurting right now, I can almost guarantee that no resident is interested in thoughts and prayers shared on social media. This country needs to take serious action in terms of access to quality mental health care, as well as strict legislation intended to regulate the attainment of firearms. If every person deserves to own a gun, let’s at least make sure we’re giving weapons to people healthy enough to use them.
“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
–Albus Dumbledore
It’s A Stream World, After All
Yes, the wonderful world of Disney (DIS) announced on Thursday that media conglomerate and creator of childlike wonder will release Disney +(DIS), a streaming service, meant to compete with companies like Netflix (NFLX) and Hulu in the direct-to-consumer, Internet-delivered video market, according to NBC.
Reports indicate the service will show content from Disney’s accumulated brands including Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic, and ESPN. Mickey Mouse and Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger are also waiting in anticipation for government approval of their $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox (FOX), giving Disney (DIS) a 60% stake in Hulu, the streaming company owned by Fox (FOX), AT&T (TBB), and Comcast (CCV).
“We think there’s many opportunity to increase investment in Hulu, notably on the programming side with this acquisition comes comes not only some great [intellectual property] but some excellent talent particularly on the TV side.”
–Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer, Disney
Burning The Midnight Crude Oil
Remember when President Trump ordered the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline in Montana? If your answer is no, let me briefly explain it all for you. The 1,179-mile pipeline will stretch from the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta, through Montana and South Dakota, ending in Texas. Back in 2015, President Barack Obama rejected the Keystone XL project because of the potential harm it would cause to the water supply and other natural resources for people living in Montana and South Dakota. You may remember the #waterislife protests that took place when President Trump overturned Obama’s decision shortly after taking office.
Well, a federal judge just decided to put a big ol’ pause on construction due to the fact that the U.S. government failed to complete a full environmental impact analysis of the TransCanada project (TRP), according to CNBC. US District Court Judge Brian Morris, in his ruling =, said that the State Department’s most recent impact report “fell short of a ‘hard look”’ at the environmental complications of the project, as well as the negative effect it may have on Native American land resources.
“The Trump administration tried to force this dirty pipeline project on the American people, but they can;’t ignore the threats it would pose to our clean water, our climate, and our communities.”
–Judge Brian Morris, US District Court
