I’m feeling thoroughly tired out after watching the Cavalcade of Criminal Clowns on Faux Noise. Today will be hot, 85°, but it will be followed by several days in the 70°s. I can’t wait!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:40 (average 5:06). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Psychologists at the University of Minnesota have issued a research study recommending that people suffering from low self-esteem watch Thursday night’s nationally televised Republican debate.
The recommendation came after the psychologists spent weeks showing research subjects video clips of the debate’s potential participants and observed striking improvements in the subjects’ overall morale and sense of worth.
“We interviewed the volunteers before we exposed them to the Republican candidates and afterward,” said psychologist Davis Logsdon. “The spike in their self-esteem was off the charts.”
Of the candidates who most improved the research subjects’ sense of self, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush were found to be consistently helpful, but the most marked increase in self-esteem levels came after the subjects were exposed to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
According to the data, people who viewed Walker for approximately three minutes reported feeling better “right away” about their intelligence, knowledge, and prospects for obtaining high-status employment that they had previously considered well beyond their reach.
LOL Andy! Aren’t you overstating the clowns’ worth?
From Daily Kos: She has a way with words, she does. Sort of like presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) gets to the point without apology and holds nothing back. It was no different when she spoke on Monday before Congress – the day Republicans put up a vote (again) to defund Planned Parenthood. In her first sentence she asks the GOP if they fell on their heads and woke up in another century. (Oh, to be true.)
Go Liz! Friends, can you believe that Republicans are actually claiming that the Republican War on Women does not exist?!!?
From NY Times: Jon Stewart, From Parody to Politics
He will be so missed. I will have more on his exit when time permits.
Cartoon:
26 Responses to “Open Thread–8/7/2015”
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3:10 I have a happy German Shepherd waiting downstairs to go for her walk. If she has to wait much longer, she will no longer be happy. You do not want an unhappy German Shepherd!
3:04 No dogs in this house, but a certain little boy ran out the door when I came home this evening and took himself for a short walk until he heard the rattle of kibble in his bowl!
4:02 We had Belgian Shepherds on the farm when I was growing up. They were great cow dogs.
Did they give much milk?
The Sasquatch took away my lunch again!!
New Yorker: For low self-esteem people, I guess it is helpful when you see other people who are clearly less qualified and less intelligent than you are, placed in a position of prominence and power.
As long as they don't have power over you–like POTUS does with most all federal workers…
Good point!
Cartoon: if they take over, the shorts would not be permitted
I hope he succeeds in getting similar attention when he sees an issue like the 9/11 2st responders without the show.
I'm glad Warren isn't afraid to call it what it is and to fight to protect what progress we've made and to push for more.
That foursome seems to need money to grease their jaws to be able to mumble a sentence, even one lacking coherance.
Our chance of rain roday (15%) vanished before it was predicted to come…sigh
Good to hear you have some cool days ahead so you can recuperate fully from your GOP debate ordeal, TomCat. But be careful what you wish for, when another arctic winter sets in in a couple of months, you might start pining for those days of 85° 😉
The New Yorker: Sorry, this one made me chuckle for other reasons than Andy intended. If I heard correctly on the news, more than 24 million people tuned in to the debate on Faux News, so to me it seems that something has undermined the American bravado of: "We are the best, we are the greatest" with a lot of people, forcing them to pep up their self-esteem by watching a bunch of clowns who pretend they are the best and the greatest and feel better by comparison. Weird, because these clowns are the reason they've lost their self-esteem in the first place.
Daily Kos: Darn. Now if I could only see this video. I'm sure I'll agree with every word Elizabeth Warren has to say about defunding Planned Parenthood, especially those she doesn't mince. How dare they, trying to put PP in a bad light with a heavily edited and suggestive video and then trying to defund them completely for abortions which are only 3% of their workload. America must be the only country in which politicians can get away with such a scam. As I said, I can't see it, but I'm sure Elizabeth has thoroughly washed those hypocrytical Republican ears.
NY Times: I really left for Down Under too soon, now I won't be able to see his last shows or any tributes to Jon Stewart. Although Jon gets a lot of attention in the news here, it's not the same as seeing his own last show. I wish he would've waited another year, because who's going to reign in the GOP and Faux news now?
Cartoon: Excellent but terribly sad in it's truthfulness at the same time.
You know Lona, some of those 24 million might have been Democrats wanting to watch the Gong Show for purely entertainment reasons! Rather like watching the Keystone Kops!
Lynn, you are so very right! The entertainment value is astounding. The wheels of the clown bus will start to wobble and day now….
At least, when it's cold you can put on more layers. When it's hot, you just can't go out nekkid.
3:55 (average 5:06) Thinking about smoked tongue? I guess Jerry put it off the menu.
New Yorker – I guess I'm not suffering from low self esteem, because they don't make me feel better about my prospects – since they they don't throw any money at me, and that's where prospects come from. I am already confident in my intelligence and knowledge, and it scares the Bejeebus out of me to think of being ruled by THAT.
DKos – Had seen it, and agree, she is the top. Would that all Dems would be so passionate, and back up their passion as well with FACTS. And, yes, I can believe that the Repoblicans are claiming any fantasy they put their minds [if that's the word] to.)
NYTimes – I don't even have cable so only saw him when someone posted him – and I will miss him.
New Subject – Did anyone else see this? "Next week, the American Correctional Association (ACA) will hold its annual conference in Indianapolis, where thousands of government corrections officials, including wardens, jail administrators, and sheriffs, will attend workshops and connect with their peers from across the country. Workshops include best practices for successful reentry programs for released inmates and working in corrections across generations.
"But many workshops and events will feature a who’s who of private corrections companies, including Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), GEO Group, Aramark, Corizon, and Telmate.
"Those companies should be familiar—many have been prominent in reports we’ve released over the past few years detailing the suffering of inmates in private hands, like thousands of medical malpractice claims and maggots in prison food.
"Our new report can be downloaded at: http://www.inthepublicinterest.org/buying-access-how-corporations-influence-decision-makers-at-corrections-conferences-trainings-and-meetings "
Cartoon – I agree with JL on the shorts. I know for a fact we will not have anyone who knows how to build arches like that. Do you think they'll even leave them up? Or will they tear them down before people can get ideas?
This actualy goes with yesterday's lead article, but it is so late I am re-posting my post here:
Schumer is A LOT more dangerous than even Replublicans on this. From DFA: "While the political world was focused on the GOP "clown car" presidential debate last night, Sen. Schumer made a surprise announcement that he is planning to vote against the diplomatic agreement President Obama and five other powerful nations have reached with Iran — and he may use his clout to try to persuade other Democrats to follow his lead."
I have no petition – DFA with MoveOn and other partners are making a database of congressional town halls to be held countrywide while Congress is on recess, and encouraging people to turn up at then and express support for the deal. The link is here: https://60daystostopawar.com/events/ and if you know of an event not on the schedule, it's possible to add it. The name of the site is, of course, 60 Days to Stop a War – but it also points out that only 41 of the 60 remain.
I agree about Schumer…I hope this one keeps him from a Congressional leadership position.
Me too! He is a disgrace as a Democrat. Could it be that as a member of Reform Judaism, he hangs his hat with Butcher Ben and Israel when it comes to Iran? Just saying that blood is thicker than water!
I suspect most Orthodox and Conservative Jews don't think that Reform Jews are "really" Jews. Maybe Warmonger Chuck is over-compensating.
Schumer has two problem areas – Banksters and Israel's Extreme right wing government. I don't see how we can replace him, but he needs to be excluded from leadership.
Arches, if any, will be built by slave labor–perhaps the immigrants Jeb is counting on to fund his plans and create the economic growth of 4%.
Bookmarked.
I hope your weather stays comfortable. We are only supposed to be in the 80's tomorrow with low humidity. I hope to pull some weeds out of my flower beds!
The New Yorker: Love Andy. Surely anyone with a speck of intelligence would feel better about themselves after listening to these clowns.
Daily Kos: I am glad Senator Warren is there to tell them every day that they DO have a war on women. She is the greatest.
NY Times: Jon Stewart will be missed. I doubt anyone can replace him, but I hope someone steps up to keep reminding us how ignorant most of us are.
Cartoon: Prophetic!
Puzzle — 3:04 No dogs in this house, but a certain little boy ran out the door when I came home this evening and took himself for a short walk until he heard the rattle of kibble in his bowl!
The New Yorker — "LOL Andy! Aren’t you overstating the clowns’ worth?" — I rather think they're doing a public service, probably for the first time in their pathetic lives.
Daily Kos — "…can you believe that Republicans are actually claiming that the Republican War on Women does not exist?!!?" — Yup! They live in their own little bubble machine where up is down and right is wrong!! It is past time to show the Republicanus/Teabaggerum the exit from Congress. Liz was GREAT!
NY Times — Without a doubt, Jon will be missed!
Cartoon — The end of the American Empire brought to you by the Republicanus/Teabaggerum.
Thanks all. Hugs!
Yes, Elizabeth can really speak the truth! I was yelling "YES" while I watched the speech….she's a real asset in Congress! I really do respect her, and she's right where she belongs!
Jon is going to be missed so much!!!!