I’m writing for tomorrow, day 80. I am way late, and I’m tired because of the both heat, and an exceptionally busy day, that is, the holiday and the Monthly Report.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:31 (average 4:52). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Alternet: Penn. Gov. Corbett: Gays are like children. Neither should be able to marry.
When he isn’t busy defunding public schools, Pennsylvania’s oh-so-enlightened Republican governor Tom Corbett is fighting hard to keep same-sex couples from marrying in his state. To that end, he’s going after a low-level county clerk who had the audacity to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples, because he believes it is the right thing to do. In the lawsuit against the idealistic clerk, the state’s lawyers made the following ridiculously off-base and offensive argument: Gays can’t marry in Pennsylvania any more than children can. Exact wording:
"Had the clerk issued marriage licenses to 12-year-olds in violation of state law, would anyone seriously contend that each 12-year-old … is entitled to a hearing on the validity of his `license’?" the state wrote in its brief.
By the end of the week, Corbett seemed to recognize that comparing consenting adults to children was offensive and probably the wrong analogy to use. He courageously backed away from the statement, blamed his attorneys for the wording, and shirked all responsibility for it.
This is just one of of eight outrageous things Republicans have said in the last week alone. Click through for the other seven.
From Daily Kos: Yep, now that’s a sentence that fish-slaps you with every word. It also counts as a circle of hell. Of all the available people you could get to guest host your radio show, you pick Louie Gohmert? As what, a bar bet?
It turns out that the time was not wasted, though, as Louie Gohmert and Alen Keyes got right down to business discussing the worldwide conspiracy by manatee-loving elitists to depopulate the world via a sinister plan of energy efficiency and increased health care access.
The former presidential candidate said efforts to prevent “global warming, which has been proven to be wrong,” are part of a plan to “cut back the population of the world.” Keyes also made a reference to Bill Gates, who has been attacked by conspiracy theorists for explaining that vaccinations and increased healthcare access slow down population growth.
Keyes told Gohmert that elites are bent on “culling the population” and “actually believe that we’re a blight on the face of the planet, we human beings, and we should therefore be put on a path toward our own semi-extinction."
Does anyone have a spare straight jacket or two?
From Truthdig: All those anti-labor laws being passed by Republican-led legislatures around the country could be having an unforeseen consequence: increased labor strife.
Crain’s Detroit, a business publication in the heart of the modern American labor movement, reports that the breakdown of unions in Michigan—the state recently adopted right-to-work laws—has reduced the role of unions as vents for worker grievances. With the structure crumbling, workers are more likely to take to the streets with their protests, or to file complaints with federal regulators and courts.
So the laws aimed at curbing labor might in fact be creating a new generation of radical activists.
I would like few things more that a rebirth of activism in labor.
Cartoon:
23 Responses to “Open Thread–9/2/2013”
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Why do people keep voting for these Repuglicons? Tom Corbett sounds just awful – God protect that poor clerk who is being persecuted by his/her Governor – the beastly big bully!
Re Louie Gohmert and Alen Keyes – what have they been smoking? Or is it the Kool-aid again? Unbelievable lunacy!
Ignorance and apathy.
It's the InsaniTEA!
3:33 One too many sniff of the daisy. It may be the last flower of summer.
3:37 I'm one of the dead heads today.
3;35 The 4 of us are within 6 seconds of each other — not bad at all! Jerry, I rather like the "deadheads" as you call them because they are evidence of a life well lived with purpose. They scattered their seeds!
I would be in BIG trouble if I tried to scatter my seeds.
Wooo Hooo!!
Alternet ~ So far only Mormons allow children to marry (illegally). But same-sex marriage is legal in the USA as determined by the SCROTUS. PA, among many others, insist on fighting it. From Wikipedia: "On July 9, 2013, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor, the ACLU filed suit in federal District Court on behalf of 23 plaintiffs seeking to overturn Pennsylvania's 1996 statutory ban on same-sex marriage, Whitewood v. Corbett.[3] The trial was assigned to Judge John E. Jones III.[4] On July 11, Attorney General Kathleen Kane, a named defendant, said she would not defend the statute as she "endorse[d] equality and anti-discrimination laws" and the statute was "wholly unconstitutional".[5] On July 30, Governor Tom Corbett announced he would defend the statute.[6]" Some RepubliThugs are more persistent than others.
I read through the rest of Alternet and there are some more disgusting comments than Corbett's. They really need to get some brains or keep their mouths shut.
Daily Kos ~ It's all the Insani-Tea they drink. Straight jackets for one and all!
Truthdig ~ I hope you're right about giving birth to more labor activists. Are the RepubliCons only making more work for the lawyers and overloading the courts? And, are they hoping a Conservative judge gets the cases?
Cartoon ~ Hard to believe there were so few episodes and such a great following to this day.
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I'd rasther see their mouths open. It helps prevent a 2010 redux.
Bingo!
Me too!
Indeed it is!
I do repost your posts and graphics, and I always make sure you get the credit. Congradulations on your 8o days!
Thanks William, I appreciate that.
"laws aimed at curbing labor might in fact be creating a new generation of radical activists." Just as cancelling a truly revolutionary TV series caused New Generations of Trekies & Trekkers to demand MORE – movies, spin-offs, Conventions..:) We all want to live long & prosper, but in a fairer, more Equal Future! As George Takei says "Oh Myyy!"
Amen Ariel!
Puzzle — 3;35 The 4 of us are within 6 seconds of each other — not bad at all! Jerry, I rather like the "deadheads" as you call them because they are evidence of a life well lived with purpose. They scattered their seeds!
Alternet — Liz Cheney — What happened to all those family values? Rafael Cruz — Ted Cruz is another nut that obviously doesn' fall far from the tree. So much for expecting Christian teachings from a so-called Christian preacher. Time to clear the temple, yet again! Tom Corbett and Joe Walsh — 2 foaming at the mouth, right wing idiots who couldn't put one coherent idea together between the 2 of them. Laura Ingraham — Somebody take this moron's mic away from her. It is stunts like that which inflame and incite! Radio hosts, Bradlee Dean and Jake McMillan, and Pat Roberson are so full of it. They lie when the truth doesn't support their offensive positions. And Pat, he's just plain senile!
Daily Kos — "Culling the population" might actually be a good idea if it started with people like Keyes and Goh-merde who makes Gomer Pyle look like Albert Einstein! The gene pool would certainly be stronger and the world's collective IQ would rise dramatically.
Truthdig — The labour movement needs to be revitalised, taken back from the 1% and corporations. Even in Canada, which some Americans see as being a socialist country (That truly is funny when I hear that!), the amalgamation of 2 unions into one under the banner Unifor, if the speech and passion of their new leader is on target, signals a renewal of unionisation which has been eroding for a number of years. Was Dias, the new President of the union, ever fired up.
Cartoon — NBC probably did the Star Trek franchise a big favour by cancelling the initial Star Trek. I watched it but my parents were not enamoured so golf or Marlin Perkin's Wild Kingdom were the order of the day. I see some of the episodes now and I cringe at what I call the "polyester look". But Star Trek set some standards and dealt with then current problems like racism in a new and constructive way. Of course, the original spawned a number of movies and additional related series which were successful.
If we stay that close, I'll need to add a room to the cat box!
Republicans, one and all!
Send then to investigate climate chgange on the Artic ice sheet.
Amen.
It was serious science fiction, instead of the usual space operas.
How did you do? 6:11
I agree with Lynn Squance,
I do too!
Alternet Is Corbett aware this is the 21st century?
Daily Kos Keyes really needs a straight jacket
Truthdig I hope they are right and a union resurgence is coming.
Cartoon, I was a devoted fan of the original series, and continued watching the spin offs and movies. They showed what tolerant societies were supposed to be, way back in the sixties.
No!
Yes!
Yes!!
Yes!!!
Personal — We were able to get more people up dancing on Saturday night at the care centre where my mother lives. Unfortunately, it was slow going until one resident named Mary (as in Mary quite contrary!) finally decided to return to her room. Then things stepped up and the real laughing started. Many of the residents don't like Mary and are quick to say so, even to her face. People with dementia eventually lose that ability at discretion and can be brutally honest. I think Mary was always a difficult person, and so I hear, her daughter is nasty too. And on a happier note, I was honoured by staff with a pin that says: I am committed to kindness at New Vista. When I showed my mother, she was so happy she was teary eyed. It was, as usual, quite an evening.
Kudos to a resident treasure!
SEQUESTRATION
Two different approaches—-Add Taxes to Increase Revenue and lower the Deficit
the Democratic approach.—Cut expenditures especially in the entitlement area plus Food Stamps-Meals on Wheels to cut spending and lower the deficit.
It takes both approaches to eliminate the deficit and lower that awful debt.
Raise taxes on the wealthy few versus cutting services to the huge masses.
Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Analytics said “the fiscal contraction will be the biggest since government drew down from World War II.” Close to one million workers, one third of the Federal work-force, will be furloughed for an average of 13 days through September.
Douglas Holtz-Eaken of CBO said “the Sequester is way better than raising taxes and way worse than fixing the mandatory spending programs and Republicans know that.” The administration continues to press Congress to replace the sequester with a balanced Deficit Reduction plan.
The administration increased the Deficit with it's Stimulus package and Payroll Tax Cut.
It is time to remove the Payroll Tax cuts and Bush Tax Cuts. Stop nit-picking cuts like Food Stamps and go after Defense and Medicare the big bucks.
Clarance, your solution might be valid, if your facts were not dead wrong. The deficit is half what it was when Obama took office.