Yes, You Can Cut the Cord on Cable AND Internet TV

Wonder if you can over the air analog channels? Well, those are very few and far between.
Wonder if you can get free digital channels where you are? You can see where there are channels, to the tenth of a mile from your location. This first tool definitely factors in the impact of elevation, as reception results will vary greatly as you move from plain to valley to spot nestled in mountains.

First, take a look at TV Station Locator Tool.
Enter in your full address or your zip code. This will tell you how close the stations are and whether a mere indoor antenna will do.

Another tool, not a precise is Antennas Direct. You can surmise from the name that this site is marketing antennas right on the site.
This site is handy for presenting the stations in your receiving range, in ranges below 35 miles, and between 35 and 49 miles, and 50 to 59 miles.

An interesting article on why an antenna should be part of cord-cutting strategy:

5 Reasons Why an Antenna Should Be a Part of Your Cord Cutting Setup.

The Next Ocasio-Cortezes & Other Takeaways From Tuesday's primaries

There were several winners and losers in Tuesday's primaries in Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Washington.

The progressive winners :
An Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-like shoe-in for the final election:

Rashida Tlaib (at left), winning Michigan's 13th congressional district Democratic primary in Detroit and some western suburbs. Tlaib is leading Brenda Jones by 33.2 percent to 29.2 percent. This race had later returns than other contests in Michigan, but the win looks assured with 96 percent of precincts reporting.
Tlaib was endorsed by the Justice Democrats and Our Revolution.

Andy Levin appears to be winning the 9th district contest, 52.2 percent to Ellen Lipton's 42.6 percent. Votes are not complete, with 84 percent of precincts reporting as of 4 am.
UPDATE:
Final returns show that Andy Levin won the primary with 52.5 percent.

In Kansas, Brent Welder appears likely to be the Democratic party nominee from the 3rd congressional district. Results were slow coming in. At last report (4 am) he was leading with 36.6 percent to Sharice Davids at second place with 35.1. However, as only 51 percent of the precincts were reporting, the race is fluid and different results could be reported by the end of Wednesday.

As in the Ocasio-Cortez vs. Joe Crowley match-up in New York, cash did not translate into victory; albeit, Welder was not outspent 10 to 1. The last report, July 18, in OpenSecrets.org had Tom Niermann  leading wit $723,192 raised to Welder's $677,990. Davids was third in receipts of $344,704 raised.

In Kansas' 4th congressional district (Topeka and environs) James Thompson (at left) enjoyed a landslide victory over Laura Lombard, 65.3 percent to 34.7 percent.  Welder and Thompson also had the endorsements of Justice Democrats and Our Revolution. Welder enjoyed the endorsement of Demand Universal Healthcare.

Also receiving endorsements by some of the above mentioned progressive organizations, David Benac, Steve Friday, Chris Smith and Fayrouz Saad did not win the 6th, 7th, 8th and 11th district primary contests.

UNFAIR REPORTING ALERT:
Much of the U.S. press is projecting Rashida Tlaib as a candidate who would be the first Muslim congresswoman. However, authors of these stories are not taking into consideration Ilhan Omar, also. The latter is a rising star in Minnesota politics. She has been endorsed by the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, by the Justice Democrats and by Our Revolution to succeed Keith Ellison in the state's 5th congressional district. Minnesota's primary is next week, August 14, however, that state allows early voting. 

Washington state:
Both Justice Democrat candidates were unsuccessful in their quests for designation as the Democratic nominees for congress.

Firenado (video) & grim new trends in Cal. wildfires

FIRENADO - the new weather phenomenon. California firestorms plus sudden spinning of air, carrying ground elements high in the air.

CBS News explained it:
"The ambient air temperature in the area was close to 110 degrees, "so that air is super fast rising into the atmosphere," Quinn said. 

"You need to think of this as the air being a solid, and if you're taking a chunk of that air, superheating it and rising into the air, it's leaving a void below it," he said.

As more and more air gets pulled in, it begins to rotate. The more air that gets pulled in, the faster the air swirls and the taller it gets.

"Firenados" also pick up burning embers, ash and flammable debris and extend hundreds or thousands of feet in the air. Those embers can then spread out, jumping fire lines and creating new fires away from the center." 

KTVB presented video capture from a police cruise dashcam.

Video of firenado from police dashcam

Remaining primaries in 2018 -- More Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez type victories?

Congratulations to the progressives winning this year, from Pennsylvania to Virginia to New York!

Reminder: the general election for the midterms is November 6, 2018.

Brand New Congress candidates --the site has endorsees for several of the states below.

Justice Democrats --primaries remain for their Florida, Hawaii and Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin endorsees.

Our Revolution --primaries remain for Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington.

Here's where and when primaries are remaining:

July 17: Alabama (run-off) (no BNC or JD endorsees)

July 24: Georgia (run-off) -Justice Democrat Lisa Ring (1st District - Savannah and elsewhere in eastern Georgia) is going directly to the final election as the nominee. Stacey Abrams, likewise, is the Democratic nominee for governor.

August 2 (a Thursday): Tennessee Danielle Mitchell, a Brand New Congress-endorsee for the 3rd Congressional District, is uncontested for the Democratic nomination. --Marc Whitmire, is BNC-endorsed but is a candidate running independent of party line for the 2nd Congressional District. Both of these seats are longshots in Republican strongholds.

August 7: Kansas; Michigan; Missouri; Washington

August 11 (a Saturday): Hawaii --Kaniela Ing (endorsed by the Justice Democrats)

August 14: Connecticut (no BNC or JD endorsees);
Minnesota --Ilhan Omar (endorsed by the Justice Democrats and Our Revolution)
South Dakota (no BNC or JD endorsees); Vermont (no BNC or JD endorsees);
Wisconsin --Randy Bryce, Justice Democrat-endorsed, seeking to take the seat of retiring Paul Ryan.

August 21: Alaska (no BNC or JD endorsees) Dmitri Shein is endorsed by Our Revolution, Wyoming (no BNC or JD endorsees).

August 28: Arizona (regular primary); Florida (regular primary); Oklahoma (run-off; no BNC or JD endorsees).

Where the Justice Democrats in Arizona are:
Mary Matiella (2nd District, SE part of state), Raul Grijalva (3rd District--SW part of state), an incumbent.
Deedra Abboud is running for the U.S. Senate nomination.

Where the Justice Democrat endorsees in Florida are (*also endorsed by the Brand New Congress):
Chardo Richardson*, primarying first termer Stephanie Murphy in the 7th District (northern Orlando metro area, including much of downtown Orlando - Murphy has not really been opposing Donald Trump) He is  is endorsed by Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats; Sanjay Patel, if the nominee,would be challenging Republican incumbent Republican Bill Posey in the 8th District (the Space Coast -Posey has supported the Trump agenda in Congress 90% of the time) Paatel is endorsed by the Justice Democrats,
Pam Keith, if the nominee, would be challenging incumbent Republican Brian Mast in the 18th District (Treasure Coast: Ft. Pierce to Palm Beach -Mast has supported Trump 93% of the time --The Tampa Bay Times called Mast's seat "Potentially Vulnerable"); Michael Hepburn*, in the 27th District (southern Miami metro area -The Republican is retiring) -- that contest is in a highly crowded Democratic field. The Tampa Bay Times called the seat "Highly Vulnerable".
Hepburn is endorsed by Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats.
September 4: Massachusetts --Ayanna Presley

September 6 (a Thursday): Delaware --running for U.S. Senate: Kerri Harris

September 11: New Hampshire

September 12 (a Wednesday): Rhode Island

September 13 (a Thursday): New York (state offices)

Justice Democrats who have already won (*endorsed by Brand New Congress)

Nebraska: Kara Eastman, for U.S. House, District 2
New York: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez*, for U.S. House, District 14
Pennsylvania: Jess King, for U.S. House, District 11, uncontested
Texas: Lorie Burch, for U.S. House, District 3
Vanessa Adia*, for U.S. House, District 12, uncontested
Adrienne Bell*, for U.S. House, District 14
Lindsey Fagan*, for U.S. House, District 26

The Real Reason Why Trump's in Full Meltdown Over Bannon's Comments

President Donald Trump is in full meltdown mode over former aide and strategist Steve Bannon's comments:

Bannon's exposed how Donald Trump called his daughter Ivanka "as dumb as a brick"!

Ivanka Trump is 'as dumb as a brick' according to Steve Bannon, new book claims

The comments were detailed in a new book, 'Fire and Fury: Inside theTrump White House', by Michael Wolff

Meanwhile, Trump is playing a risky game of getting his personal lawyers to issue cease and desist orders to Bannon, demanding a retraction and full appology, as reported by CNBC.

Ironically, the book was written with the cooperation of the Trump 

White House. 

Of course, Sarah Huckabee Sanders went at lengths today in her press briefing to rationalize Trump's positions on the book. And Trump gave a curious appearance by video in the conference. 

Incidentally, the book officially goes to commercial release tomorrow --according to cable news reports, in text, e-book and audiobook formats. According to the Los Angeles Times, Wolff's 'Fire and Fury' gets its formal release next Tuesday, January 9.

Read this long excerpt from Wolff's 'Fire and Fury' book, in New York Magazine today.

 * * * 
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who yesterday emphatically declared that IT'S 'JUST A FACT' THAT TRUMP HAS BIGGER NUCLEAR BUTTON THAN KIM JONG UN.