Writing for tomorrow, day 63, I did get some sleep on my day of rest, despite the temperature at my desk reaching 99°. It is cooler outside today, but it’s still 88° inside. Tomorrow will be hot again.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:51 (average 6:03). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Despite polls that show broad public support for allowing same-sex couples to marry, New Jersey, to its great shame, has refused to follow the example set by other states in the Northeast — Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont — in granting marriage equality.
A civil rights suit to be heard on Thursday in a New Jersey state court could finally change that. Brought on behalf of six couples and Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s largest gay rights group, the case squarely addresses an urgent legal question for New Jersey that grows out of the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in June that ended the unjust denial of federal marriage benefits for married same-sex couples under the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
I used to believe that marriage was more of a religious thing, and that civil unions for gay couples was a workable compromise, but I was wrong. As far as I know, in no state, not even Oregon, do civil unions confer all the rights and privileges enjoyed by married couples. Therefore this is not something states have the right to decide. It’s a basic human right.
From MSNBC: Alarming failures plague the US Nuclear arsenal
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Since January 1997, except for one 19 months period, the Secretary of Defense has been a Republican. The Democrat, Leon Panera, did not dismantle the Pentagon bureaucracy set in place by Republican administrations, especially that of GW ChickenHawk. However, the only time Minot passed was under Panetta. Rachel’s point is well taken, but as long as we have even one nuke, it needs to be managed by a higher standard of supervision than that of the party that brought us 9/11.
From Alternet: Remember all those deficit hawks who screamed that the federal deficit is spiraling out of control and must be stopped with spending cuts that have a funny way of hurting the pocketbooks of the most vulnerable Americans? Their excuse for ripping us off has been literally disappearing, but a new Google survey shows that not only do the vast majority Americans not know it — half of the public actually believes that the deficit is growing.
Here are the facts: The U.S. budget deficit has been shrinking at a rapid rate over the last few months. The deficit peaked at 10.2 percent of GDP in 2009, but over the past four quarters, it has shrunk to a mere 4.2 percent of GDP. What’s more, the Congressional Budget Office predicts that the deficit will fall to 2.1 percent of GDP in 2015.
Why such a disconnect? Unfortunately, disgraceful propaganda has left the public misinformed and confused.
Do I have to tell you the source of that disgraceful propaganda?
Cartoon:
14 Responses to “Open Thread–8/16/2013”
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4:35 Whatever was in those ampules slowed me down today.
4:08 Maybe they must contain a special TomCat juice.
3:49 No Jerry, kick-a-poo joy juice! But I'll share!
Dang! Bigfooted by a toe!
Puzzle — 3:49 No Jerry, kick-a-poo joy juice! But I'll share!
NY Times — To me, marriage is marriage — the union of two people! In the eyes of the couple, if they are church goers, then they will want a marriage in a church or chapel, but they must still have the marriage license which is a secular document. If someone does not have a religious affiliation, for example atheists, in order to be joined, they must still have the marriage license which is a secular document. And of course there are always those that have no religious affiliation but think a church wedding is traditional so go that route. They too must still have the marriage license which is a secular document.
The common thread here — a marriage license which is a secular document.
This is my Canadian view, and here we don't draw a difference between being married in a "church" or in a civil ceremony by a marriage commissioner.
I sure hope that the couples win their New Jersey suit. With so many problems in the US, marriage equality should not be one of them. Pitter patter, let's get at 'er!
MSNBC — "Handling nuclear weapons is not something you can keep failing at. … When the nuclear weapons handlers are failing consistently, something really needs to change."
Well that is an understatement!. I thought that the US was supposed to be getting rid of nuclear weapons?
Since that 2007 flight with 6 nuclear missiles each capable of producing an effect 10 times larger than Hiroshima from Minot, ND to Loisianna was during the Bush régime, I wonder what the Baby Bush administration would have done had the unthinkable happened? Instead of blaming it on stupidity, I am sure they would have yelled very loudly "Al Quaeda terrorists"!
Alternet — It is the "in box effect". Get the same information, no matter fact or fiction, over and over again from multiple sources, and people believe it. In the case of a growing national deficit, it is all fiction! And this unholy turd of propaganda is brought to you by the Republicanus/Teabaggers and those that they have have managed to buy.
If you want good information, stick with people like Paul Krugman and Robert Reich who both can explain things in layman's terms.
I think people tend to believe this doom and gloom stuff as espoused by the Republicanus/Teabaggers because they make it sound complicated. They are counting on people feeling over whelmed by the information and "trusting" the very people who are telling them, discreetly of course, that they are not smart enough to understand. "We'll do the thinking for you." say the GOP propagandists.
Cartoon — Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum! Plutocratic scum! Their picture is going on my dart board! Did I mention that I am a damn good shot when it comes to having pictures of such low life to aim at?
Dang! Bigfooted by a toe!
I agree, even if it took me longer to get there.
You're right. That's exactly how the Republican echo chanber works.
Aim true ❗
TC –
Thought you said that you hoped to learn how your application for a new domicile would turn out by 8/17/13 …
GOOD LUCK!!!
At the earliest. Because it is a rubber stamo from a bureaucrat returning from vacation, and the today is a Saturday, I figure she will spend Monday making coffee, Tuesday telling coworkers about her vacation, and Wednesday straightening her desk, I'll be lucky if my prospectibe landlord knows ny Thursday.
You better hope she doesn't read this blog. 😉
GULP!!
Marriage equality, women's health, immigration reform, are all Republicans bully pulpits, to keep their base happy.
I would like to see all nuclear weapons dismantled, everywhere.
If something is repeated often enough, it will be believed. That is the Republicans main weapon against the "liberal, left wing" now, trying to convince everyone that the democrats will destroy the country with the deficit. It is also their excuse to keep destroying any program that does not increase the wealth for their contributors.
The blood lust of the Republican base is never satisfied.
Ditto, but the stuff of dreams.
Exactly!
How did you do? 6:29
Koch Brothers' are Scum as is Faux not news.
Thast's just a bit over average..
Amen!