I have a lot of volunteer paperwork to do today, and tomorrow is a grocery delivery day, so there’s cleaning to do in preparation for that.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:54 (average 4:07). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Yesterday, Denmark’s wind farms were able to produce 116% of the nation’s electricity needs.
By 3am on Friday, when electricity demand dropped, that figure had risen to 140%.
Major kudos to the Danes!
From TPM: The family of a black man who died after being placed in a white police officer’s chokehold reached a $5.9 million settlement with the city on Monday, days before the anniversary of his death.
Since part of the deal is that the city admitted no liability, I see this is blood money, paying off a family to duck responsibility for a crime against the entire city.
From Think Progress: The Oklahoma Republican Party is making the case [GOP delinked] against food stamps by comparing poor people to animals, reviving a stereotype that’s often deployed against Americans who rely on government benefits to feed their families.
In a Facebook post [GOP delinked] published Monday night, the Oklahoma GOP suggested that the millions of Americans receiving food stamps this year should not be enrolled in the program because “the animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves.”
If you have ever needed, or might ever need, temporary help, this is what the Republican Party thinks of YOU.
Cartoon:
20 Responses to “Open Thread–7/14/2015”
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Keeping yourself busy, aren't you, TomCat. Temperatures must have dropped low enough to do some housework, I gather. Not the nicest way to spend the day, but you probably enjoy it more than being kept completely immobile by a heat wave with lung problems to boot.
Daily Kos: "Yes, Kudos to you, Denmark", she said between clenched teeth. My little country, perhaps not as perfectly situated for it as Denmark perhaps, could have been very close behind Denmark in green energy production had we not ended up with a right-leaning government which prays to the gods of austerity and fossil fuels and has let the head start we had go to ruin completely. We now need a judge to tell the government to live up to its responsibilities, isn't it pathetic. But anyway: Kudos, Denmark. Send us your leftovers.
TPM: New York admits no liability in Garner's death, but pays his family $5.9 million in settlement with taxpayer's money. Yup, some high-class dodging of responsibility here.
Think Progress: The GOP got Congress and the gloves came off. Especially the Southern states have dropped any pretense of being anything else but racist and bigoted. When are the people in the South going to stand up for themselves and vote the GOP out of all Congresses? If not in the coming election, then it'll be never.
I think you're right about 2016 urgency.
Yay Denmark! Wish I could remember who said it was impossible for a country not to use nuclear and/or fossil fuel sources for electricty…
Such speed in settlement means it was clear-cut no other way to see it liability IMO
Has OK closed all their life guard stations at beaches and swimming pools and (if they have any) lighthouses to really let everyone sink or swim on their own?
Maybe OK will see the revolution first with how revolting they are towards anyone in a situation they fear might become their own…
3:41 (average 4:07) Oh, the World Cup. So last year.
DKos – Kudos to Denmarks indeed and my heartiest sympathy to the Netherlands – not just for not being number one, but for all the suffering that a right wing government brings, which is legion.
TPM – And no amount of money will bring Eric Garner back to his family. But it has to be better than starving with one less breadwinner. And kuos to rev. Al: "Sharpton said the settlement to the family was deserved but didn't resolve the larger questions around policing and minorities. He said a rally planned for Saturday calling for an expedited federal investigation into Garner's death would go on as planned. "We did not march and build a movement just to get money," he said."
Think Progress – This is, of course, not new. But is is no less irrational. And no Republican has come up with an answer to the question of where, exactly, do they think these animals should be foraging? I believe it was Paul Ryan who used the term "stray cats."
Cartoon – Hooray for France! Do you suppose they would lend us a few guillotines? (Self, bite your tongue.)
2:26 Interesting that the German flag should come up now, what with the Greek financial crisis. I dare say this has nothing to do with the 2014 FIFA championship.
I received the attached by e-mail which others may have too. http://germanexit.wesign.it/en I did not sign and I am not suggesting anyone should. But this is a clear indication that many Europeans have had enough of Frau Merkel and Germany's hypocrisy.
3:13 Funny. When I saw the flag that's the first thing I thought too. Great minds and all that.
Not edible. 🙁
A huge "Hats Off!" to NASA for their spectacular Pluto fly-by success!
I came across something pretty neat that I decided to do a post about it at DemocraticUnderground. (I used to be fairly active at DailyKos, but now just read; and I can count on one hand the posts I've done at DU).
Someone noticed that Disney's Pluto silhouette is actually right there on the planet Pluto:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/122840301
Cool enough that it made me smile from ear-to-ear!
Cute Overload (http://www.cuteoverload.com) has over 50 "Rules of Cuteness." One of them is (not exact verbiage) anything that has "dwarf" in its name is cute. evidently this also applies to planets. (Incidentally, in the same or a similar picture, I saw a heart, which of course is cute too.)
There are quite a few that see that area as a heart. You have to scroll down a bit to see the first one – but it's a GIF that's pretty nice. And the second one is "I Heart Pluto"
http://mashable.com/2015/07/14/new-horizons-pluto-image-close-pass/
https://img0.etsystatic.com/065/1/6893934/il_570xN.801854120_d06g.jpg
It would really newsworthy if the image were of a cat!!
Puzzle — 2:26 Interesting that the German flag should come up now, what with the Greek financial crisis. I dare say this has nothing to do with the 2014 FIFA championship.
I received the attached by e-mail which others may have too. http://germanexit.wesign.it/en I did not sign and I am not suggesting anyone should. But this is a clear indication that many Europeans have had enough of Frau Merkel and Germany's hypocrisy.
Daily Kos — Now isn't that a breath of fresh air!
I can just hear the world fossil fuel industry having a Shakespearean moment: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!" ("Hamlet." Act I, Scene 4), and meaning it quite literally!
Kudos Demark! Denmark 1 Fossil Fuel Industry Ø
TPM — Settlements are fine, but where are the proceedures to ensure that this type of situation does not happen again? Where is the accountability of the officer that had a meltdown all over Eric Garner?
Money does not solve all problems, does not right all wrongs!
Think Progress — The Oklahoma Republicanus/Teabaggerum are despicable, and I hope they will pay dearly at the polls for their blatant ignorance.
Reagan's statement is laudable if, and only if, people leave welfare and SNAP because they no longer need the help. But the Republicanus/Teabaggerum does everything possible to see that the average American does not succeed. Everything they do is geared to serve and enrich the 1% and corporations.
Cartoon — Isn't interesting that some people have not learned the lessons of history! 226 years after the start of the French Revolution, we see the seeds of a new American Revolution. This from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
Let's hope that any new American revolution is bloodless.
The sad irony of the Oklahoma Rethuglicans comparing Food Stamp recipients to animals is how quickly they have forgotten their own past. Were it not for FDR directing government aid (now labeled with derision as "handouts" by hard-hearted GOPers) back in Oklahoma's "Dust Bowl" days, a lot more of them wouldn't have made it.
But true to form, you can count on Rethuglicans to quickly shift to "We Got Ours – Screw You!" mode without batting an eye.
And they will be first with hands out, icvf disaster strikes there,
That does not sound like you are taking it easy, remember to get some rest.
Daily Kos: Great for them! I wish we could afford to buy solar panels, they are working well for some people I know, they heat and air condition their home year round and actually sell electricity to the local power company.
TPM: Of course, it is blood money. But, maybe the city will put more effort into training their police force if it costs them.
Think Progress: That one just burns me. I shared it on Facebook with a stinging comment. I worked in the Food Stamp program at its beginnning. It has been the difference between having enough to eat or going to bed hungry. Ninety percent of the people on Food Stamps are elders, children, and people who are working for poverty wages. The Republicans are sure interested in children not born yet but don't give a damn about those who are all ready here.
What's rest?
I honestly don't know.
Daily Kos – well done Denmark – would all our nations would so invest in renewable power!
(Sorry, feeling awful again today).
Daily Kos ~ When I posted this on FB I got quite the "tongue-lashing" from an electric company employee (former classmate). He ranted about how our population is so much greater, etc. He never mentioned how we are more wasteful or that we occupy a much greater area than Denmark.
TPM ~ I thought of it as blood money too. NYPD should admit wrongdoing on their part.
Think Progress ~ The TeapublicanTs are doing of wonderful job of demonizing the poor. The sheeple are following with nary a Baaa.
Cartoon ~ Viva La France!
Hugs to all!