Writing early for Day 22, it’s a comfortable 82° at my desk, but if the sun hits the enclosed breezeway, that will change in short order. I still need more sleep to get back to full speed.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:50 (average 5:19). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From ABC: The Oregon state legislature unanimously approved a plan to provide free tuition to students while they attend community college and public university. In return, they’ll pay back the state with a percentage of their incomes after graduation.
Called "Pay it Forward, Pay it Back," the plan passed unanimously in Oregon’s Senate on Monday and in the House the previous week. The state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission will next develop a pilot program and in 2015 lawmakers will decide whether to implement the program.
The bill was approved on the same day that interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford loans doubled to 6.8 percent after Congress failed to pass legislation preventing the automatic rate hike.
As usual, Oregon leads the way, but I would prefer an option to pay it back with service This is the kind of blue state creativity needed to survive Republican congressional sedition.
From NY Times: State officials across the South are aggressively moving ahead with new laws requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls after the Supreme Court decision striking down a portion of the Voting Rights Act.
The Republicans who control state legislatures throughout the region say such laws are needed to prevent voter fraud. But such fraud is extremely rare, and Democrats are concerned that the proposed changes will make it harder for many poor voters and members of minorities — who tend to vote Democratic — to cast their ballots in states that once discriminated against black voters with poll taxes and literacy tests.
The Supreme Court ruling last month freed a number of states with a history of discrimination, mostly in the South, of the requirement to get advance federal permission in order to make changes to their election laws.
As predicted the Republican War on Voting, while Black, Brown, Asian, elderly, disabled, a union worker, and/or a student is in full offensive.
From Media Matters: Limbaugh: "If Anyone Had A Crime Committed Against Them," It Was Zimmerman
From what I have seen of the trial, the racist stalker is in such big trouble, as lie after lie has been exposed, that Limbarf, the voice of the Republican Party, is already building an excuse for a fake scandal, should justice actually be done.
Cartoon:
Here, Republicans want to outlaw Spanish.
27 Responses to “Open Thread–7/7/2013”
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Rush Limbaugh is just an ass.He makes me puke.
Hiya Fred! I can see why!
Oh dear – I was feeling a bit better – then I read about Rush Limbaugh – argh! I can't believe he is still employed.
Very good news about Oregon and the 'Pay it Forward, Pay it Back' scheme for students – brilliant! I hope it succeeds overwhelmingly!
We need to keep boycotting his sponsors, Pat.
Thanks!
Limbaugh should get a clue but, not holding my breath. Zimmerman is a cop wannabe who can't follow simple instructions…
Excellent summary.
3:26 Who will crush me or stomp on me today?
3:56 Not me! I was too busy enjoying the intricate fern leaves and moss! Too beautiful to stomp!
4:02 I missed the fern and crashed into the brick wall.
Second, but Mashed!
ABC ~ Sounds like a good plan to me.
NY Times ~ Jim Crow is alive an living in the USA because of SCROTUS.
Media Matters ~ What a joker!
Cartoon ~ There are many more things they would LOVE to outlaw.
Thanks!
Amen!
That insults jokers.
Amen again!
I thought the second degree murder charge was an overreach from the get-go. I believe some states allow juries to impose a lesser charge (manslaughter) than that charged – but I don't know if Florida is one of them.
Welcome back! Have been missing your charm and wit!
Thanks for your kind words.
And WRT my "wit" – at least you're HALF right. 😉
I second Lynn.
If my memory serves, second segree in FL applies if the racist vigilante knew, or should have known, that his actions could result in the death or injury tgo another, so I think it applies.
Unfortunately, that's not the case for second degree murder charge in Florida:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bennett-l-gershman/george-zimmerman-charges_b_3529636.html
Thanks, Nameless. Culpablew Negligence should be in the bag. However, sopmeone who makes racist comments to police, and then stalks the victim, right after police have told him not to, strikes me as a depraved mind.
Puzzle — 3:56 Not me! I was too busy enjoying the intricate fern leaves and moss! Too beautiful to stomp!
ABC — As you saw TC, Oregon leads the way. It would be interesting to know just what the per centage of income is for repayment and is there any time line? If a student is stuck in a minimum wage job where any per centage would be onerous, or can't find employment, what then? Your suggestion of paying it back with service is a good idea. This is one idea floated with welfare rolls too. It has the benefit of paying back while purportedly helping with self esteem, developing networks, and possibly other job opportunities. Perhaps they will pass an amendment for that.
NY Times — "…such laws are needed to prevent voter fraud. " Bull shit! Laws are needed to prevent election fraud but obviously the Supreme Court Republicanus of the US doesn't see it that way. That the states are going full speed ahead with legislation is, as far as I am concerned, predictable and unconstitutional. Obviously SCROTUS does not agree. There will a people's revolution at some point, but what it will look like is another matter.
Media Matters — Limbarf talks about race not being an issue until the media etc (of course he is a member of that group) brought it in, even using the fact that the sheriff didn't press charges until a stink was made. Of course it would never be heard from his racist lips that perhaps the sheriff was racist in the first place by not pressing charges. I have not been watching the trial particularly but it is in the news here. I don't know why we have so much US news but some of my American friends what Canadian TV news if they can to get a more balanced perspective. It was noted that there have been more and more cracks, no, fissures, in Zimmerman's story and that it is starting to look more like a fairy tale.
Cartoon — Oui, bilingue! I am an anglophone originally from Québec and I support the official languages act. What I find disappointing is the lack of English in Québec. Québec Bill 101 of 1977 made French the official language of Québec. And I have no problem with that. But the way the law is written, if anyone has to go to court, all proceedings will be in French, whether that person understands French or not. There have been a number of amendments, one even dictating the size of characters on a sign — French first and must be much larger than English, even in all English neighbourhoods. Yet in other parts of Canada, French in the courts is mandated if the defendant is French speaking. All federal offices must offer services in both French and English. Here is a link to Bill 101 in Wikipedia which just gives an overview.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_of_the_French_Language
BTW, I was fluent in French after taking French in high school and conversational French at the University of Victoria in Victoria, BC. I have lost that fluency but am still able to read and translate some technical documents in banking. As happened in 1978, if I went to France for a month (not on an American plan as we say), I would return home much more fluent and would forget some English..
Vous voulez oublier plus anglais que je sais
Hmmmm? I don't parlez voozie! 😉
Non, non monsieur. Je veux me souvenir completement les deux langues.
The Monster got us! 🙁
Thanks. I see service as a great way tio get medical professionals, teachers, etc. to poorly served communities.
Voter fraud accounts for less than one ten thousanth of obe percent.
Exactly the point I am making.
Thanks for fleshng it out. Republicans want to do with English what Quebec did with French. I used to be semi-fluent in Spanish, but less now from lack of practice. But I can still cuss and get directions to the bathroom.
Cussing is a whole different ball of wax. I can cuss in English of course, French, Italian (including some hand gestures) and Cantonese Chinese. Cussing is often some of the first words you learn in another language as an adult.
I can cuss in English, Spanish and some Italian, but when it comes to cussing in French, I don't know merde!
Good for Oregon! College tuition is fast becoming too much of a burden for anyone who is not wealthy. State colleges are all doubling their tuition fees every year. I wish all states would fall in line with this plan.
The Republicans are hoping to exclude all but white Republicans from voting. Seems the party should have all ready imploded.
I didn't watch the video, Rush makes me sick at my stomach. I am not at all surprised at his reaction, though. He has lost so many sponsors I don't see how he can stay on the air.
I hope you get some cool weather soon, TC.
Thanks, but I would still prefer service as payment.
That sums it up.
We need to drive away the rest of his sponsors.
I don't see it soon. 🙁