Day 89. Woe is me! The Holy Orb has gone dark and will shed no more light on the world until Autumn. :-( The Seachickens demonstrated, once again, why I have not become a fan. The game was theirs to win, but bwaaaack-buk-buk… They did the Seachicken Choke. Nevertheless, it was an excellent game. I have a pants-load of work to do.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:12 (average 4:48). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos (Hat-Tip Lynn Squance): Fox News has been proven repeatedly to be a purveyor of disinformation and outright lies presented as facts. Knowledgeable observers long ago ceased to take their reporting seriously. However, it’s one thing to be called out for shoddy journalism by experienced media analysts and news professionals. But when a high school class can demolish the highest rated cable "news" network with ease, the folks responsible should reconsider their career choices.
Last July O’Reilly sent his stalker/producer Jesse Watters to Bennington, Vermont in order to malign the residents of the city and the state as liberal, pot smoking, ski bums. It was a purely vicious exercise in childish insults that had no news value of any kind. But it is the sort of mean-spirited filler that Watters has made his specialty. Watters is also the founder and editor of Fox’s community website, Fox Nation, mangling the truth is the primary objective. [Note: don’t miss this epic and hilarious take down of Watters by Stephen Colbert]
The students at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington happened to be studying journalism when they came upon this piece. So they used it as a case study to conduct a "professional integrity audit" based on the ethics codes of the Society of Professional Journalists. What they discovered was that O’Reilly’s program violated the ethics codes so many times they lost count.
Kudos to these kids, but were they right to hold O’Lielly and Faux Noise to ethical standards for journalists? The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda are not journalists. They are Republican propagandists.
From NY Times: Alma Ramos, a soft-spoken prep cook at a Tex-Mex restaurant, was eager to sign up for health insurance through the new HealthCare.gov marketplace last year. But Ms. Ramos, a single mother of three, quickly hit a baffling hurdle.
Because of a wrinkle in the Affordable Care Act, Ms. Ramos made too little money to receive federal aid for buying private insurance — and too much to qualify for Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor. But she found a solution…
…All told, four million adults in nearly two dozen states fall into the gap, and Texas has the most, nearly one million.
Republicans blame Obama for this, as do even some Democrats, but such blaming is incorrect, not just unfair. The ACA required states expand Medicaid to remain eligible for Medicaid funds, because the federal government would pay for it. However, Republicans filed suit and the Fascist Five Injustices of SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD) sided with them. This left Republican governors free to inflict this harm on their own citizens, trying to make Obama look bad. The fault here lies entirely with the Republican Party.
From Washington Post: HOW FAR will Republicans in Congress take their reckless flirtation with undermining government this time?
Will they, as seems increasingly likely, fail to pass a bill that the president can sign ensuring adequate funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its 280,000 employees before the agency’s support expires Feb. 27? Are they ready to let funding lapse, secure in the knowledge that Border Patrol officers, Secret Service agents, airport security personnel and other so-called essential employees would still have to report to work — even though they would not be drawing paychecks?
A number of prominent Republican lawmakers clearly believe that denying funding to the nation’s premier organ of domestic security is no big deal, as long as the move expresses the GOP’s anger about President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
As Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) put it to Politico: Letting the department’s funding lapse would not be “the end of the world.”
The Republican Party care nothing for our nation’s security. Everything the do is intended to do one of two things. One is the transfer of wealth from the poor and middle classes to billionaires. The other is the establish a permanent, totalitarian, Republican Reich, in which elections exist for show only. In this case, every penny spent keeping America safe is a penny Republicans can’t give to a billionaire. Also, they hope that blaming Obama for their sedition will help them win the presidency.
Cartoon:
36 Responses to “Open Thread–2/2/2015”
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As a pediatrician, I am absolutely appalled at the ignorance of the anti-vaxxers that have come out of the woodwork during this measles outbreak – including a ducking fick cardiologist in Arizona who doesn't care if his 'PURE" children make children with leukemia and othes deathly ill.
My take home message:
Please, get your children vaccinated!
I agree, these people are insane, why would you risk bringing back all those diseases we had almost eradicated by not getting vaccinations for your kids.
When I was a kid, I had all my shots, and all my boosters. I did not suffer except for the tears shed over the poke. But that was a time when there wasn't the travel etc from all over the world like there is today. But it was also a time when our own environmental conditions contributed to such things as polio. There weren't great problems with vaccines.
With the current measles outbreak, how loud will the parents scream and be willing to sue anybody and everybody when their unvaccinated child ends up dying from measles (God forbid!)?
This all just boggles the mind. I think we need a vaccine for adults against stupidity, especially the ones who listen to politicians for medical advice (think Bachmann).
Amen! Today's thirs short take covers that subject too.
This ends our PSA. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming …
I'm old enough to have been around when legendary Ohio State football coach, Woody "Three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust" Hayes said: "Only three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad."
With the strong running game of Seattle, it just boggles the mind …
And in celebrating Groundhog Day, here's a fun map that looked at 30 years of Punxsutawney Phil's predictions, and plotted them out for accuracy by city/region:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/31/40-years-of-groundhog-forecasts-mapped/
Believe it or not, I'm old enough to have played on a single-wing offense.
3:41 average 4:48. Now, just because that human looks tine doesn't mean she is food. And we know there are no snakes. There might be seabirds, though none are visible.
DKos – OK, granted, O'Reilly and Faux Noise are not journalists. Still, they play journalists on TV. So, lacking disclaimers in every segment of every show, yes, I think it should at least be publicized that they do not meet ethical standards, whether they are actually being held to them or not.
NY Times – Very sad – but I'm glad she could find a little something! As little as a year ago she might not have been able. And I hope she does not lose it to Republican swaggering.
WaPo – So not only do they not care about the Latino vote, they do not care about the votes of thise who are paid to oppress Latinos? My goodness.
Cartoon – Yes, how come in ;iterature and legnd it's always Snow Queens, when in reality it's the old, white, male Republicans who are actually the frigid ones? Projection! Unfair!
Asking if it was proper to call out Faux Noise over ethical standards for journalism was a satyircal objection. 🙂
I do know, I just couldn't resist referring to "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV."
The way the game ended just reinforces my somewhat serious belief that professional football is fixed. I think (sort of) that the owners had already decided who should win. Seattle showed they were be best team, and then had to choke at the end (thanks coach!) so that the other team could win.
Jerry, I have no proof, but I just don't buy it.
3:23 TomCat ran past me on my way to the lighthouse. Isn't it just like a cat to always want to be first.
3:01 Ain't that the truth says this little pussy cat!
3:19 Jerry and I were left at the bottom of the hill again.
No human for lunch for me! 🙁
Oh, jeez! That game was a travesty! They really screwed the pooch on this one! Why on EARTH would they pass on the what 3-4 yard line? They had made so many yards on the ground and then PASS? On 2nd and goal? They had 3 chances to punch it in! And the interception was pass interference, looked like! Maybe not. But, Jiminy Christmas! Just to where the flattened football’s wouldn’t be an issue any more! Arg!
Neither team deserved to win. And now it is Orb-less times for another 6-7 months! Grrrooooaaannn!
Vivian, you should join our fantasy football league.
This was on Amy Goodman's 'Democracy Now! program this AM. A surprise considering that she does not
have sports in her program. There are issues larger the the game itself.
Democracy Now!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2015
Dave Zirin on NFL Season’s Lowlights: Domestic Abuse, Concussions and Seahawks’ Super Bowl Screw-Up
http://www.democracynow.org/2015/2/2/dave_zirin_on_the_super_bowl
Sacrilidge! He besmirched the Holy Orb!! 😉
Daily Kos:
Excellent video. Well worth watching and listening.
Faux Noise is, for many of us here in C2 and in PP know well enough, that
they are not journalists nor are they practicing journalism. Faux Noise is a true and a rank propaganda machine advancing a partisan political agenda a la Koch Bros Party and Rupert Murdoch's extreme conservatism.
Thanks for the heads up, Lynn.
NY Times:
Another Republican Texass deliberate abuse of power in denying health cares for their own state citizens.
Washington Post:
The Republicans attached provisions to the Homeland Security should be stricken out of this bill. Let us hope that the people involved, all 280,000 of them, do not walk off their jobs because they are not being paid.
"Are they ready to let funding lapse, secure in the knowledge that Border Patrol officers, Secret Service agents, airport security personnel and other so-called essential employees would still have to report to work — even though they would not be drawing paychecks?"
Cartoon:
Sadly, this may very well be true – A Republican Permanent Winter. Yikes!
I don't know what they will do, but I wouldn't put any sedicious act past them.
Daily Kos: I love this, and have nothing but praise for these kids. I am sharing this on Facebook for my many red friends who adore Fox news. My brother in law won't see it because he unfriended me the last time I shared an anti Fox news article. brrrr. Thanks to Lynn for the tip.
NY Times: This is sooo wrong! Thanks to the Republicans and Scotus, too many people are still being deprived of health care. All states should be required to expand Medicaid. Texas, I am speechless, cannot believe the people in Texas all agree with this absurdity. I am so glad Kentucky did well in this area. We really needed our governor to step up, and he did. Unfortunately, this is his last year. Two term limits for gov in this state.
Washington Post. I read the whole article. Apparently, the Republicans do not care what they do to our country, so long as they "get the best of Obama". Those who sat at home and did not vote are largely to blame for this debacle. If more had voted we would probably not have a Republican controlled Congress. I agree, TC, their main interest is protecting their millionaire friends. President Obama announced an incentive bill for Appalachia today to help the coal miners who are out of work. INstead of praising it and helping it go through, McConnell gave his nasty speech about Obama's "war on coal" again. and how he is going to stop the EPA. We all ready have arsenic in our drinking water and air from irresponsible coal mining practices, but we don't need the EPA according to McTurtle.
Cartoon: So true, we are headed for very harsh winter until we can get some of them out of office.
The Holy Orb: I watched some of the game, with much explaining by hubby. The brawl at the end of it took away any enjoyment I might have had.
See Parry's comment below. The ACA did require all states to ecxpand Medicaid.
Puzzle — 3:01 Ain't that the truth says this little pussy cat!
Daily Kos — I particularly like the end of the video when the student says they learned what NOT to do, and in essence, challenges Faux Noise to learn something from the class.
NY Times — IMO, the ACA should never have allowed the states to opt out of Medicaid expansion. The sinkhole of not qualifying for subsidies and not qualifying for Medicaid is ridiculous, and truly sad. It hurts the people that truly need it. But then, that's Republicanus/Teabaggers . . . they don't give a rat's ass for anyone other than their rich puppet masters.
Washington Post — It seems to me that the Republicanus/Teabaggers, acting like they presently are, are guilty of sedition. They truly are home grown terrorists and are likely responsible for more American deaths than ISIL.
Cartoon — Not just a permanent winter, a permanent -40 C winter (that's the same as -40 F). That is called a living hell!
See Patty's comment below.
TY TC – God bless the students of Bennington Vermont, that was brilliant!
Washington Post – are the Repugs trying to make supporters for the Democrats by stopping people's wages? Most odd. Perhaps they are just flexing their muscles so they can pretend to be the good guys when they restore pay to their favorites.
I think the latter is correct.
So glad we agree!
Bangladesh and Rwanda now have Universal health care(along with the civilized countries of Western Europe.!!
Americans too dumb to have raised hell and VOTED!. Texas, neh. (dumb is understated.!!)
All the best TC.(from my cats to yours also)
The punishment for dumb is Republican Reich rule. I hope they learn.
I don't have any cats. I AM the cat. 🙂
Daily Kos ~ I posted this on FB in reuttal to one of my cousins who was defending FAUX. He had no reply. Duh! These students were brilliant calling them out on journalistic ethics.
NY Times ~ I blame the Injustices of SCROTUS who held the majority opinion and allowed those Rethugs to opt out. Those people have to work more and longer hours now and they are accused of being lazy. Makes me sick! I guess it's a good thing I have Medicare.
Washington Post ~ Are they secretly hoping for another attack on American soil that they can blame on President Obama?If it happens it will be on their heads. I believe they are more interested in "gamesmanship" than governance.
Caroon ~ YIKES!
Amen across the board!
I follow Andy Borowitz on FB and he posts little snippets all day long. Here is his latest. I laughed out loud.
"In my day, if we wanted to protect ourselves from measles we used bread bags." — Prominent Republican Senator
Dang! she didn't use pig nuts? 😈
Makes me proud to have born in Vermont as a Green Mountain Boy. 😆