Well, Sunday afternoon and early evening was spent with my mother at her care home. After I fed her, we sat listening to music . . . Elton John and the Bee Gees. Then a small part of hell broke loose and I was on the run. Although I am a visitor, I am often another pair of eyes and know many of the residents by name. After breaking up a hitting match between two women, I was able to get one into bed and turn the lights out. Then firetrucks and ambulances arrived for something else entirely By the time I arrived home, I was bushed. So here I sit starting the next Open Thread, this one. And Monday was so busy that I won't get this published til just after 10 pm.
NOTE: The hyperlinks work however please right click on them and open in new tab.
Puzzle — Cat Boreon my time 2:55 (4:40) Click Here How did you do?
Short Takes
Huffington Post — The primary objective of Stephen Harper's absurdly-named Fair Elections Act is to prevent hundreds of thousands of Canadians from voting for the NDP, Liberals, Greens, etc.
The Conservatives are, in effect, "cheating" the electoral process again, just as blatantly as in the past. They know that a large number of people — students, marginalized people and First Nations — will have a hard time voting because of the changes. And they know those people would not likely vote Conservative.
Even though the Conservatives are trailing in the polls, it's much too soon to say they will lose the election. Harper's gang of strategists and pollsters have masterminded their way to victory three times, overcoming tough odds each time.
But efforts to help people to register to vote are not as strong as they could be. There needs to be close co-operation among groups to make sure that as many people as possible — particularly people in some 70 ridings where the Conservatives are vulnerable — have the identification they need to vote.
This is taken from the Huffington Post Canaduan edition. Do you notice any similarities to the US system? It would seem that conservatives would deny people the right to vote aka fix the election, or at least tilt the windmill in their direction, no matter what country.
Economic Policy Institute — h/t JL — Between 2000 and the second quarter of 2015, the share of income generated by corporations that went to workers’ wages (instead of going to capital incomes like profits) declined from 82.3 percent to 75.5 percent, as the figure shows. This 6.8 percentage-point decline in labor’s share of corporate income might not seem like a lot, but if labor’s share had not fallen this much, employees in the corporate sector would have $535 billion more in their paychecks today. If this amount was spread over the entire labor force (not just corporate sector employees) this would translate into a $3,770 raise for each worker.
So many corporations have an insatiable appetite for higher and higher profits. As they make more, they fail to recognise who helped get them there . . . their employees. American productivity has been high but corporations are cutting their own throats by growing the inequality gap. That's a pair of die that I would not want to roll.
Alternet — Some people believe that Kentucky—or even all of America—should be subject to biblical law rather than constitutional law. They believe public servants like celebrity clerk Kim Davis owe their highest allegiance to the Bible, which means they shouldn’t be forced to give out unbiblical marriage licenses—like to gay couples. The issue is contested by a host of liberals, secularists, Satanists and moderate Christians. But assuming that Bible believers and religious freedom advocates carry the day, public servants will need to know their Good Book. The following 15-item quiz can be used to screen applicants for county clerk positions or as a guide for those already on the job.
If Kentucky issues only biblical marriage licenses, to which of the following couples should a county clerk grant a license?
1. A man with a consenting woman, but without her father’s permission. No. Numbers 30:1-16 teaches that a single woman’s father has final authority over legal contracts she may enter.
A little bit of humour . . . well I thought so. Read the remaining 16 situations. And this article does not even touch on Davis' marriage record!
Huffington Post — A “humbled” Malcolm Turnbull will be sworn in on Tuesday as Australia’s 29th Prime Minister and has promised a “thoroughly Liberal” and consultative government "committed to freedom, the individual and the market".
The former Communications Minister stunned the nation late on Monday by ousting Tony Abbott in a Liberal party room ballot, 54 to 44, with one informal vote.
At just two years in the job, Abbott becomes the shortest serving Prime Minister since Harold Holt, while Turnbull will be Australia’s sixth Prime Minister in eight years, dating back to John Howard.
In one of TC's surveys, I remarked that with the number of Republican presidential wannabes, I expected some really cut throat action. It seems that Abbott's own party turned on him and he is no longer Prime Minister. I don't think it is so much the policies that will change, but rather the approach to governing. In many regards, Abbott and Harper are alike . . . a belief in their own omnipotence.
My Universe — A bear putting on his happy by dancing the Macarena!
16 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 14/09/2015”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Alternet: All religions are flawed as are men.
Thanks Lynn – sorry, away with kidney stones.
I saw on the news that Turnbull had succeeded in Australia – which I hope may be better for the environment and all living things – but Turnbull seems far cleverer and far more canny than Abbott (who was a plain dictator and who would have lost his party the next election with his domineering ways). It worries me that Turnbull may (despite the damage Abbott has done to everything) rehabilitate his party enough to win at the next election – 'greenwash', if you like. I strongly suspect that any feeling of being 'humbled' is just for show, and strictly temporary. (After typing this I have been talking to an Australian friend and she feels just the same).
Lynn, I do hope and pray that Harper loses the next election, as you say, all the Right Wingers the world over seem to feel it is fine to bend (and even break) electoral rules so that the playing field is tipped in their direction and they win regardless.
The EPI data is very scary – income inequality is getting more and more like before various upheavals in history – not anything I would like to live through.
Is there any news of TC? (Apologies if I missed something).
Pat, I hope you get some relief for those kidney stones. I know they can be extremely painful. If you'll pardon my warped sense of humour but, it gives new meaning to getting stoned! y thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love the bear!
EPI's research supports why the SEC should've acted sooner than this on the CEO pay element of existing legislation to help fix the economy.
Some of my emails suggest groups expect Turnbull to support positions he's taken in the past (e.g., same gender marriage) others that he's indicated he's going to support all of Abbott's policies (I pray not).
Alternet list makes me remember the saying "Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it."
Kudos to you, Lynn, for putting up a new Squatch Open thread even though you seem to have enough on your plate yourself. Thanks to your helpers too.
Huffington Post: You are spot on, Lynn. Conservatives will do everything in their power to keep people who are otherwise inclined from voting. We can see it happen everywhere where the voting systems allows itself to be manipulated. I won't bore anyone with the Dutch voting system again, but I'm still very happy with it because of its marginal room for manipulation, but also the conservatives haven't sunk so low yet to even try it. Geert Wilders is getting there, though.
Economic Policy Institute: The trouble with percentages is that the larger the numbers underlying a difference the smaller the difference in percents. So the CEO's will want to report their income going to worker's wages as a percentage only, because then it doesn't look so bad. When the 6.8 percentage-point decline in labor’s share of corporate income is expressed in the average amount of dollars their workers miss out on, the numbers suddenly appear as shocking as they truly are.
Alternet: Great article that in a humorous way exposes the hypocrisy of the Talibangelists. Thanks for my smile, Lynn.
Huffington Post: This coup was in the making in August, when we were in Australia, and my husband and I actually made a small wager on the who (Turnbull or Bishop) and when (now or closer to the election). There was a similar moment about a year ago when both Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop were attacking Abbott from all sides, but at the last moment Turnbull let go and "swore allegiance" to Tony again, as did Bishop. At that time, Julie Bishop was more popular than Malcolm Turnbull, if I remember correctly. It was obvious that both of them were undermining him again, although Tony Abbott did a terrific job on digging his own grave with refusing a conscience vote on LGBT marriage for his own cabinet and calling for a referendum on it after the elections while all polls showed that the majority of Aussies are all for it (up to 70%). So I won the wager with Turnbull and now, because this shrewd man must have learned from Labour's fight for leadership just a year before the elections, which cost them their victory.
You are right, Lynn, there won't be a political change, but on minor points. Turnbull sits on the left of a very conservative Conservative party, and probably will allow LGBT marriage to go to the vote and securing some votes they had on that account, but that will be all. Let's hope the Aussies see through this coup and vote with their brains this time.
My Universe: Love the dancing bear who is doing it to please himself and not his circus trainer.
Can't you just hear the macarena playing in your head when you see this picture?
4:28 (4:40) Nice kitty – pretty kitty – please don't kill me today.
HuffPo I – When your philosophy is "The end justifies the means," you cheat early and often. And openly. Do these peope also have control of voting machines, as American (USA) Republicans do? Yes, registration and voting becomes literally a lifeline. Good luck to all those who are working hard and may their numbers grow.
EPI – Americans know that CEO pay is bloated, but most who learn for the first time exactly how bloated are generally shocked. Most estimaes are in the rangs of a quarter of the actuality. Notice I said pay and not wages. Wages are compensation for actual work done. That doesn't apply to CEOs in general.
Alternet – Beautiful. Do you think any Republicans will get that it is sarcasm? Me neither.
HuffPo II – Where did I read that Turnbull will not change Abbott's policies?
Universe – There used to be a joke that two prisoners were preparing for execution and were asked if they had any last requests. One asked to hear the Macarena one last time. The other said "Kill me first." This bear, however, knows how to handle it.
3:27 Someone took a bite out of Kitty's ear.
HuffPo ~ He is trying to eliminate the same type of voter fraud we have here. Absolutely none!
EPI ~ Sorry your country copied Ronni Ray-gun's economic policies. They don't work no matter where it is.
Alternet ~ What is the punishment for wearing polyester?
HuffPo ~ I'm sure turnbull will be a welcome change after 2 years of Abbott.
Love the dancing bear!
I think the one was from a political party group–I saw it repeated this morning in one related to an election in tomorrow–in Canning I think
Conservatives, those who are most likely to trot out the well worn, overworn?, line about supporting individual choice ubber alles, are the first, no, I think the only ones, to work hard, assiduosly hard, to deny individuals their right to vote!
One would think that the Canadian populace would be fighting Harper's efforts to squelch the vote loudly and vigorously!
Mitch, there are lots of us that are fighting against the un-Fair Elections Act that Harper and his harlots foisted upon us. The Council of Canadians is one group fighting the good fight.
Every time I click on a link, my comments disappear.
Huffington Post: This sounds exactly like what the Republicans are doing here.
Economic Policy Institute: The worst part of this is that our goverment is aiding the corporations who treat their employees so badly. Many of them pay NO income taxes. We are subsidizing Wal Mart employees with government benefits because their wages are so low that they qualify.
Alternet: I doubt that very many right wing Christians would want to live by the laws in Leviticus.
Cute bear.
Sounds like you had a very hectic Sunday.
This one stuck–and I saw it on a couple different PP cross-posts to Care2 Edie. Still praying for your cousin, too.
Edie, see the notice at the top of the page "NOTE: The hyperlinks work however please right click on them and open in new tab."
That's why. But I figured out how to stop that so you should be good to go today.
Kudos! You just keep learning more each day and making it better and better!
Thanks everybody!