I’m thoroughly swamped with tasks to complete, and needed to sleep late, after yesterday. Pardon my brevity.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:35 (average 4:36). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Last Thursday (May 7) here at Daily Kos, I published the first public disclosure of a shocking collapse of the state’s voter registration system here in North Carolina under Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. Our analysis of State Board of Elections data revealed that, beginning on or about the time of McCrory’s inauguration in January 2013, new voter registrations originating via the state’s public assistance (welfare) offices had suddenly and inexplicably collapsed by 66%.
Federal law – specifically the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 – requires states to actively encourage and enable every patron of state offices, including public assistance and motor vehicles offices, to register to vote on the spot. The sudden meltdown in North Carolina’s effort to do so, and its continuing failure for more than two years, right up to today, has been responsible for the possible disenfranchisement of up to 40,000 poverty-level citizens (and still counting).
Republicans will do anything to keep minorities and poor people from voting.
From NY Times: It may take a while to learn exactly why an Amtrak train speeding out of Philadelphia Tuesday night suddenly derailed on a sharp curve. Whether the train was going too fast or the equipment failed or it was something else entirely, the horrifying accident left at least seven people dead and more than 200 injured on one of the busiest train routes in the country.
Yet, Wednesday morning, while the wreckage lay on the tracks, the Republican majority on the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut Amtrak’s budget by about $260 million. That would reduce Amtrak’s already inadequate appropriations from $1.4 billion to about $1.1 billion.
As a result of meager financing, railroad experts estimated last month that it would take a $21.1 billion just to repair and replace existing assets in the Northeast Corridor that have outlived their “design life” — tracks, ties, electric wires, communications networks, major bridges and tunnels. That does not include new stations, bullet trains or expanding the system. That’s only fixing what’s already in use.
Among the system’s greatest needs is updated safety equipment, including new systems such as positive train control that can slow a train automatically as it comes to a dangerous curve like the one in Philadelphia. The tracks, especially those along severe curves, also need to be adjusted and repaired so that trains can go at higher speeds.
Republicans claim that it’s wrong to blame them when we don’t know exactly what caused the accident. The head of the NTSB has verified that a positive train control system would have prevented this accident. Although required by law to do so, Amtrak is unable to implement positive control, because Republicans keep slashing Amtrak’s budget, So Republicans can provide more welfare to billionaires and corporate criminals. Republicans consider dead Americans a small price to pay for 0.1% welfare.
From Alternet: Jon Stewart took aim at the easy pickings of Republican presidential candidates on Tuesday night.
He nailed Upchuck Huck, Bagger Ben, The Cruzin’ Canadian, and Rabid Rubio, and Strike three. He also got Hillary, but he had far less ammo to work with, because she tells the truth more often than not.
Cartoon:
25 Responses to “Open Thread–5/14/2015”
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Jeb Bush has Flip Flopped again, and now says he would NOT have invaded Iraq.
Some of you are familiar w/ the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets popular w/ Christians. Well, Jeb wears a WW"W"D one – What Would "Dubya" Do. But if you think this self-inflicted quagmire Jeb created for himself has dampened the enthusiasm of his supporters, you would be wrong! And here's proof positive:
https://www.facebook.com/ConservativeClownCar/photos/a.450276615008069.91117.450243058344758/681622401873488/
Love it!
3:25 I beat The Cat, but I think the ladies are going to be tougher.
3:27 . . . but I really pushed things and the hand is really sore now because of the movement with the IV shunt. I switched the buttons on my mouse as JD suggested and it took me 7:37 using my left hand. Doing that is a real brain exercise as your fingers operate differently. But also your perceptions of space and movement are totally different. Want to exercise your brain, change your mouse settings.
I'm off to the emergency for IV therapy. I may make it back in time to finish, I may not.
3:16 Of course, there's no food here!
Monster Mashed!
4:23 average (still) 4:36. Well, that was a challenge. One that could easily break a kitten's tooth, too.
Daily Kos – Yup. That's why it's called McCrorystan. I am so sorry for them. I once owned a home there, when I was stationed there in the Marines (so much for "transients" notpaying property taxes, eh?) The Rev Dr Barber is a true blessing to the state. I hope that those who are smart enough to realize it help to protect him.
NY Times – the train was speeding, it was going about a hundred, but whether that was enough to cause the accident is not determined. I am old enough to have fond memories of train travel, so I am quite sentimental about Amtrak, even though unlikely to ever be able to afford a trip. When they cut Amtrak's budget, it feels like they are targeting family to me.
Alternet – Must – beat – head – against – wall.
Cartoon – You covered it all.
Joanne, the speed caised the accident. It could not have done so, if PTC were in place.
I agree with TC on the speed
After more reading I agree also.
I've had an epiphany today: Getting older (like our ages and older) is not for sissies!
I had tha epiphany a few years ago.
Daily Kos: This is totally abominable! The repuglikkkants will do anything to stop people from voting for the Democrats! There is no excuse for this!!!
NY Times: It figures that the .01% has to have another boost to their already bulging pocketbooks to keep from having to pay for any infrastructure repairs! It will take one their own getting killed in one of these road or train tragedies before they turn loose of the money to fix the highways and train byways!!! And then they will blame it on President Obama!
Jon Stewart: He has skewered the third strike!!!! Jeb Bush has flip-flipped on every thing he has said so far! And to say that he would still go into Iraq with the things we know now shows how much he can think on his feet! Bwahahahaha! Pitiful!
Daily Kos: North Carolina is getting as bad as Texas at disenfranchising.
NY Times: Apparently Congress does not care how many get killed due to lack of adequate safeguards, they only wano to protect their biggest donors.
Alternet: Jon nailed them all. I think Hillary is very pragmatic and knows she has to campaign against many of the things Bill enacted. The world has changed amazingly since he was Prez, even though it has not been that long. She is politically savvy.
Good observation on Hillary–I remember thinking she had better skills for much of the job compared to him at the time Edie.
I read somewhere very recently that Bill inherited NAFTA from George H W as a done deal, and was actually able to alleviate a couple of egregious provisions, but couldn't make it into a silk purse. I don't know how true that is. If I find it again I'll do some checking and report back.
I forgot the cartoon! Wouldn't it be wonderful if Israel and Palestine were at peace!
TY TC – another bad head day – galloping through I couldn't see that anyone had seen this (if I'm wrong, profuse apologies)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/13/1384343/-Laura-Ingraham-shouts-it-from-the-rooftops-DailyKos-was-so-so-so-right?detail=email
– Laura Ingraham inveighing about the STUPID decisions that got us all into Iraq (seriously!) and saying how stupid Jeb Bush is to say even knowing what we know today he would still go into Iraq!!! I had to listen to it to believe it, but it is true!
That's what we have been sying.
Puzzle — 3:27 . . . but I really pushed things and the hand is really sore now because of the movement with the IV shunt. I switched the buttons on my mouse as JD suggested and it took me 7:37 using my left hand. Doing that is a real brain exercise as your fingers operate differently. But also your perceptions of space and movement are totally different. Want to exercise your brain, change your mouse settings.
Daily Kos — McCrorystan, another bastion of nefarious GOP activity. I found myself wondering why Rev Dr Barber would not go straight to the DOJ for an investigation. Admittedly, he doesn't have hard evidence which the information requests might or would provide, but I expect the state will just do what all GOP states do , , , lie and delay. Sick! . . . truly sick!
The NY Times — The news here was that the train was going twice the limit at the time of the crash. That is very preliminary because there could additional causes. But this is another example of failing infrastructure that could have been avoided but for the obstructionist Republicanus/Teabaggerum.
Alternet — Jon has such a way with lampooning these GOP morons! I must say, I didn't see anything about Rabid Rubio in the Canadian version though. Maybe he knows to include Cruz because he was a Canadian, while Rubio is a Cuban American and the president is trying to open up US – Cuban relations so is more diplomatic.
Cartoon — The day that Israel makes true peace with Palestine, it will be born again! First Netanyahu and his band of thugs have to be tried at The Hague for crimes against humanity before peace will ever come.
Speaking of "exercising your brain" – I'm curious if you, or anyone else, has played Lumosity, Elevate, FitBrain, Neuro Training or BrainHQ on their smartphones yet? (Some of them can also be played online.)
I've only began using them this past week, they're fun! I have no idea if they actually help w/ anything – but they're the right price … FREE! But boy, do they eat up the data usage and battery.
I know a number of people who regularly play Luminosity and recommend it to their parents
I sure hope you get better soon!!
Hugs! Buried!! TGIF!!!
Amtrak doesn't run to private Pullman cars for billionaires so it doesn't get funding–they believe it is OK to underfund safety of other residents and visitors.
Sad that peacemaking skills are so undervalued in this world.
At best, the NC data indicate the governor failed in his constitutional responsibilities and at worst it may support actively undermining the constitution.