I’m writing for tomorrow, day 131. Because I overslept I was up most of the night last night, so I slept late this morning and have behind all day. Research was tough, as we enter Labor Day weekend.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:20 (average 4:31). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Fantasy Football:
As the Broncos dined on Cowboy meat, preseason came to an end. Regular season starts next week as the Packers and Seachickens square on Thursday night. Players, if you have players from either of those teams, make sure your lineup is set by Thursday morning: if not, by Saturday night. Folks who wish to follow our league, Lefty Blog Friends, are welcome to do so. Click through. The TomCat Teabag Trashers are ready to rock!
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Across the United States on Wednesday, a heated national debate began on the extremely complex issue of children firing military weapons.
“Every now and then, the nation debates an issue that is so complicated and tricky it defies easy answers,” says pollster Davis Logsdon. “Letting small children fire automatic weapons is such an issue.”
Logsdon says that the thorny controversy is reminiscent of another ongoing national debate, about whether it is a good idea to load a car with dynamite and drive it into a tree.
“Many Americans think it’s a terrible idea, but others believe that with the correct supervision, it’s perfectly fine,” he says. “Who’s to say who’s right?”
Similar, he says, is the national debate about using a flamethrower indoors. “There has been a long and contentious national conversation about this,” he says. “It’s another tough one.”
I’m afraid Andy hit the bullseye with this one.
From Daily Kos: “The worst day of my political life was when President George W. Bush signed McCain-Feingold into law in the early part of his first Administration.” – Mitch McConnell
This is just one of seven disturbing Republican comment from Summit of Republicans who suck … never mind. Click through for the other six. As for Bought Bitch Mitch, may that soon become the second worst day of his life.
From Upworthy: By now, some of you are thinking, "Man, I’m so tired of hearing about Ferguson." I see it in my comments all the time. But rather than explain to you why I think that’s not the best thing to say, I’m gonna let Jon Stewart do it. He’s way more eloquent than me. And he smashes pretty much every argument you might have about why we need to keep talking in an eloquent manner.
What could I possibly add to that? Bingo!
Cartoon:
21 Responses to “Open Thread–8/30/2014”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Someone's going to have to help me understand the significance of West Point as the backdrop for the cartoon.
What Joanne daods below. The date was the date Arnold agreed to betray America. As much as Republicans pretend to be patriots, their role today is more akin to those who supported the right of British Banksters to exploit colonials.
5:19 My guess would be that somewhere upstream there's a dam, and it needs to go.
New Yorker – Facepalm. Double.
Daily Kos – "Important work." Well, that's one way to describe organized crime.
Upworthy – Oh, but there's no such thing as white privilege. Bill O'Reilly says so. Yes, I saw this, and you are right, there is nothing to add. Having said that, I'm going to add what Ben Stein said – "He was 6'3", 300 lbs, and according to what I read in the New York Times on marijuana. To call him 'unarmed' is calling Sonny Liston unarmed or Cassius Clay unarmed." http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/28/1325419/-Ben-Stein-has-to-be-one-of-the-dumbest-MFers-on-the-Planet?detail=email
I also want to quote one small thing from it – which was said to be funny – but is not really an exaggeration -"in their – I'm going to say, last couple of hours."
"Exhausting" is throwing roses at it.
Cartoon – Nameless – "In July 1780, he was offered, continued to pursue and was awarded command of West Point. Arnold's scheme to surrender the fort to the British was exposed when American forces captured British Major John André carrying papers that revealed the plot. Upon learning of André's capture, Arnold fled down the Hudson River to the British sloop-of-war Vulture, narrowly avoiding capture by the forces of George Washington, who had been alerted to the plot." from Wikipedia. Nowadays they don't think they have to flee the country, so I'm not sure how much of a precedent it really is.
Thanks! I should have just Googled it – getting laz(ier)y in my old age.
JD, I think it is a precedent because it is more about the betrayal of the people . . . not about fleeing the country. Both Arnold and the Republicanus/Teabaggers betrayed their nation for their own agrandisement.
!O'Lielly sucks … never mind!
Daily Kos:
After these revelations, it’s all the more important that we pass the Democracy for All amendment, which would let Congress place sensible regulations on campaign spending. The Senate votes on September 8.
Contact your senator today.
Email your senator and tell them to vote for S.J. Res. 19 – the Democracy for All constitutional amendment!
On September 8, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to take a cloture vote on S.J. Res. 19, the Democracy for All constitutional amendment to allow reasonable limits on campaign spending and restore the voices of American voters.
TEXT:
I am writing to urge you to vote for S.J. Res. 19 and against any filibusters that will block a debate on the bill. If you have already co-sponsored the bill, thank you for your leadership.
Ever since the Supreme Court decided Citizens United, hundreds of millions of dollars from special interests have flooded our elections. Much of the money has come from secret sources, too. All of this money is drowning out the voices of your constituents. We need to restore the voices of We, the People in our democracy. This constitutional amendment is the first step.
Please vote for S.J. Res. 19 when you return from August recess.
PETITION: https://secure2.convio.net/comcau/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=251
Jim, I signed and shared this.
Thanks Jim, I signed in solidarity.
I can see our very own "Republican" Prime Minister trying to get more big money into our politics.
Thanks Jim. I support this with the caveat that it serves only to put Republicans on record. It will not get a vote in the House, let alone the supermajority needed to send it to the states. The only way to change it is to remove Republicans from power everywhere.
The New Yorker: Andy's satire makes more sense to me that the thought of taking an eight year old child out to fire an uzi. I feel sorry for the child, she will have this to live with the rest of her life. I think her parents should be prosecuted for child abuse, and the shooting range charged with man slaughter.
I am not sure of the child's age, but I heard a talking head on CNN today say that 8 is the legal age.
I fully agree.
Sorry, I hit send comment too soon.
Daily Kos: Mich is very happy with the Kochs and citizens united, that is why he is still in office. I hope he is about to have the very worst day of his live in November when Alison defeats him.
Upworthy" Jon says it all. I am white, so I will never be subjected to the discrimination a person of color has. No matter how far we have come, we still have too far to go in race relations. This tragedy in Ferguson has brought it back to our attention, and now is the time for all to act, to try to make things better for all of us.
Cartoon: Yep, training ground for Republicans and Tea Partyians.
Nobody want's sto suffer that kind of discrimination.
3:13 A bridge over troubled water . . . like almost no water!
Beat me!
3:03 Mashed!
Puzzle — 3:13 A bridge over troubled water . . . like almost no water!
The New Yorker — The bit about using a flamethrower indoors garnered little chuckles from me as I remember standing in my kitchen with marshmallows on a meat skewer and lighting them on fire — I like charred and gooey marshmallows. I have also seen a friend use a small propane torch to do the same. But chuckles aside, this should not even be a discussion, national or otherwise. The national fixation over the 2nd amendment is ridiculous in my mind. Too many guns, too many deaths and near tragedies. But more than that, this discussion is starting to infect Canada. Fortunately we do not have the right to bear arms as an out moded sense of self defense.
Daily Kos — "“The exposure to this group and to this network and the opportunity to meet so many of you — that really started my trajectory." – Joni Ernst"
Hopefully, that trajectory is straight into the political sewer for Ernst and all other Republicanus/Teabaggers. The new Carpetbaggers will kill the US.
Upworthy — Amen Jon!
Cartoon — Indeed! Arnold betrayed the citizens of the American colonies to the British, as Republicanus/Teabaggers betray the American people to the wealthy and corporations. Time for a new revolution? . . . ideally bloodless!
Amen to all I've done it with a coat hanger and a cigarette lighter.
Thanks for this TC, especially the New Yorker segment. This bit really resonated with me "Similar, he says, is the national debate about using a flamethrower indoors. “There has been a long and contentious national conversation about this,” he says. “It’s another tough one.”"
Re Edie's comment – can it REALLY be legal in some (or even all) states for a child of eight to be allowed to fire a sub-machine gun?! How are any of you left alive?!!
Upworthy – yes, Jon Stewart is absolutely correct – again!
Some states, but not all. It may be legal, but only ASmmosexuals are that stupid!