Jul 172013
 

Yesterday the temperature at my desk reached 102°, and today is forecast several degrees hotter. 🙁

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:59 (average 4:42).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Remember the Chambers Brothers? Lead singer Lester Chambers, 73, was attacked by a crazed woman while dedicating "People Get Ready" to Trayvon Martin at The Hayward Russell City Blues Festival in Hayward, California. Chambers was taken to an area hospital.

 

Republicans predicted there would be violence over the decision. Violence is easier to predict for the violent ones, the Republicans.  The video does not show the attack.  It’s just the song.

From Truthdig: Tell me it’s a sick joke: Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, the guy who tops the list of those responsible for sabotaging the world’s economy, is lobbying to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. But no, it makes perfect sense, since Summers has long succeeded spectacularly by failing. 

Why should his miserable record in the Clinton and Obama administrations hold him back from future disastrous adventures at our expense? With Ben Bernanke set to step down in January, and Obama still in deep denial over the pain and damage his former top economic adviser Summers brought to tens of millions of Americans, this darling of Wall Street has yet another shot to savage the economy.

Summers was one of the key players during the Clinton years in creating the mortgage derivative bubble that ended up costing tens of millions of Americans their homes and life savings. This is the genius who, as Clinton’s Treasury secretary, supported the banking lobby’s successful effort to make the sale of unregulated bundles of mortgage securities and the phony insurance swaps that backed them perfectly legal and totally unmonitored. Those are the toxic bundles that the Federal Reserve is still unloading from the banks at a cost of trillions of dollars.

The three blind mice, Bernanke, Geithner and Summers, were Obama’s three worst appointees. So I can sum up my feelings about putting Summers in charge of the Federal Reserve in a single word:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

From Think Progress: Not often is the general public able to witness the birth of a conspiracy theory in real-time. But deep in the conservative conscience, the immigration-reform-will-lead-to-massive-voter-fraud hypothesis took a big leap forward today, gestating from a peculiar idea espoused by one Tea Party group to a seemingly-credible theory advanced by an influential congresswoman.

The notion was first conceived in May when a Tea Party group organized to advance voter suppression laws, True The Vote, emailed supporters to warn that if immigration reform passes, it could result in “millions of fraudulent voters.” “If this bill passes,” founder Catherine Englebrecht warned, “millions of newly legalized immigrants could overwhelm local and state election offices.”

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) took the idea one step further on the radio Monday, arguing on Wallbuilders Live that once immigration reform passes, President Obama will simply wave a magic wand and “grant wholesale voting rights way ahead of whatever the bill says.”

What can I say? Batshit crazy to the very end!

Cartoon:

17Cartoon

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  18 Responses to “Open Thread–7/17/2013”

  1. 4:09 I was too busy ooohing and aaahing over the beauty of the bouquet to boost my speed and beat that TomCat.

  2. Daily Kos ~ I hope this isn't just the first of a string of violence. You woud think they would be sitting back with "shit-eating" grins on their faces because of the verdict, not attacking 73 year old men. Great tune, by the way!

    Truth Dig ~ DITTO!

    Think Progress ~ I knew we hadn't heard the last from her. The bats are still filling her belfry.

    Cartoon ~ Yes! Giive it back!

     

     

  3. That cartoon is one of the very best, in a series of really good cartoons – but it is so funny!  I had never thought of Florida as being one of the 'Southern' states – but I see that I was wrong!.

    As for Bats**t Bachmann – does she think she is in a novel or perhaps a Harry Potter film?  They are all quite quite mad (demented).

    I didn't know about Summers – oh heck – the lunatics are in charge of the Asylum!

     

  4. Any idea when you'll learn about the outcome of your new apartment application?

  5. Daily Kos: Glad that Lester is doing fine. The woman who attacked him should go to prison for assault, period. Enjoyed listening to the song as it brought back a few memories.

     

    Truthdig: Summers is the worst of The three blind mice, Bernanke, Geithner and Summers. Summers should never have been appointed and should be in prison for his role in abotaging the world’s economy.

     

    Think Progress: Best to ignore Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) as she will be soon become a nutty has-been once she steps down. Unless, of course, if you like her nutty rants so you get to laugh at her expense. Please don't equate Bachmann as a character in the Harry Potter series unless you see her as one of the "evil" ones.

     

    Cartoon: Spain would like Florida once they kick out the people who speak English only and keep those who speak Spanish. Spain will lie in wait for bushy & cheney to visit and arrest them for war crimes once they step into the State of Florida.

    • I agree.  Me too.  I loved it back when.

      I agree.

      How else could one see her?

      You must be having a wet dream. 😉

  6. "Republicans predicted there would be violence over the decision." Of course they didn't explain that the violence would come from Their Base – the bigotted idiots who see this "vindication" as a blank check to be filled in with other people's blood!:(

  7. Daily Kos — Personally, I have never heard of the Chambers Brothers but I certainly like what I heard on the video.  Here is a link to a video of what happened.  http://www.policymic.com/articles/55051/lester-chambers-attack-singing-legend-attacked-over-trayvon-dedication/723801

    The dedication of a song to a murder victim is no reason to assault another.  I hope they throw the book at the attacker, Dinalynn Andrews-Potter.  She looks like she could have done some real damage had she been given the chance.  Some are saying not to make the murder of Trayvon Martin into a case of racism.  But based on what I have seen, based on an incident with my maternal grandfather many years ago, there is no way that this would not bring out racism.

    "Republicans predicted there would be violence over the decision. "  I'll just bet that the violence they predicted wouldn't come from them.

    Truthdig — So, I am assuming that who ever is appointed to the Federal Reserve has to go through the confirmation process in the Senate.  Although in Alex Wagner's segment on NOW, she mentioned 2 appointees to the NLRB as being exempt from the confirmation deal, I don't recall who those included in the arrangement are other than Cordray.  But, since Bernanke hasn't stepped down yet, I am assuming that Republicanus/Teabaggers will as usual, welch on the handshake agreement and filibuster anyone if it isn't Summer.  Mr Obama needs a real lesson on appointments.  The US, indeed the world, cannot afford a Summer in the Federal Reserve.

    Think Progress — Just when you thought things were going to at least stabilise a bit now that Guano Girl is retiring from Congress, sheopens her mouth again.  This is one rabid bat that needs to be done away with, legally.

    Florida — I agree, give it back!  Oh can't you just hear the likes of the rabid Tea Partiers having a hissy fit over that one.  After all, Spain is a Spanish speaking country (I know, pretty obvious, but you know what I mean.)

    • GThanks for that link, Lynn.  She looked health enough to do damage.  I hope she does time over it.

      You assume correctly, but he'll have the support of Republicvans and enpough corporate Democrats to be confirmed, if appointed.  The two NLRB members are Obama's recess appointments.

      Her departure will be a welcome sight.

      LOL!  Love it!

  8. The video does not show the attack.  It’s just the song.

    I love this song but it dates me….

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