Jan 172016
 

Today is another high holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  Congrats to the Patriots and the Cardinals who the Orb blessed yesterday.  The later game was a nail biter, but I have to say, as a disinterested party, that the Cardinals had extraordinary assistance from the Zebras on more than one occasion.  Today I suspect that the Panthers will dine on Fricassee of Seachicken.  My Broncos can beet the Steelers, if the right Broncos show up and stay for all 60 minutes.  I don’t have to tell you my plans for the day.

Jig Zoned Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:43 (average 6:03).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: A fact checker who has vetted all of the 2016 Republican Presidential debates was hospitalized for exhaustion during the sixth G.O.P. forum in Charleston on Thursday evening.

Martin Slessky, a former journalist who works for HonestyWatch, a Minnesota-based fact-checking organization, was resting comfortably after suffering what his doctors called a “total physical and mental collapse” during Thursday’s debate.

Harland Dorrinson, the executive director of HonestyWatch, said he first became concerned about Slessky’s health when the fact checker started having heart palpitations and shortness of breath every time Texas senator Ted Cruz spoke.

“I turned to Martin and said, ‘Are you all right? Are you going to be able to make it through this?’ ” Dorrinson said. “And he said, ‘I’ll be fine. Ben Carson is starting to talk now, that’ll be soothing.’ ”

But moments later, when New Jersey governor Chris Christie falsely claimed that he never supported the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Slessky experienced acute dizziness and blurry vision, and was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Andy, I’m amazed his job didn’t kill him.

From Daily Kos: Charles Carter and Vincent Smith were right-wing extremists planning a "Paul Revere 2016 Final March to Restore America" [Republican Ammosexuals Delinked] — a cross-country caravan to “remove the corrupt leadership that has taken over our beloved country and ousted her God and constitution.“

On Monday, police in Grayson County, Texas reported one person was dead as the result of a gunshot wound to the head. Although they didn’t name the victim or the suspect, Raw Story​ notes that right-wingers on Facebook were quick to identify the victim as Charles Carter and the shooter as Vincent Smith: [Republicans delinked]

Posthumous Barf Bag Alert!!

 

Throw the book at the Republican murderer. I shall not mourn the victim.

From NY Times: The United States and European nations lifted oil and financial sanctions on Iran and released roughly $100 billion of its assets after international inspectors concluded that the country had followed through on promises to dismantle large sections of its nuclear program.

So far diplomacy has worked, and Iran has taken steps that Republicans predicted would never happen. Nevertheless, Republicans are still beating the drums of war.

Cartoon:

0117Cartoon

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  19 Responses to “Open Thread–1/17/2016”

  1. New Yorker: The reporter should have received 'hazardous duty pay', anyone reporting that close up about Repugs is sure to get repercussions!  LOL, Andy!

    DK: Not starting off real well, is it?

    NYT: Excellent beginnings, a step in the positive direction. ID's would want war, imo.

    Watched the game last night, and even though I prayed mightily, my team lost in OT. Good luck w/your team, I hope they win vs. the Steelers. Hope that your day goes well, take good care, and Thanks, Tom.

    • I tend to favor the western teams, so I was rooting against you.  Nebertheless, the Packers would have won, were it not for several blatently bad calls by the officials.

  2. Well, the Ellipsoid Orb is blessing the Panthers so far. 24-0 for a Panther team that is making the seachickens look like a middle school team!

    Andy was so RIGHT-ON! I bet that the fact checkers were raising blisters on their fingers trying to run down the lies that was being spewed on the RepukkklicanTs debate! 

    Daily Kos- that is close to my hometown! And it sounds just about right! It doesn't surprise me a bit! That's why I moved out of there! 

    Score update- 31-0 for the Panthers!!!! Great game!

    Ike was a fortune teller and didn't ever know it! Too bad he is right!!

  3. 5:40 (5:43 – the faster players are waking up – too bad I'm not one)  Model, eh?  It does remind me of a joke.

    New Yorker – See, TC, medical care in America isn't half bad – if you can get it!  Good think his boss was on the ball.

    DKos – Comedy can turn to tragedy very fast when the basis for both is stupidity.

    NYTimes – This is such good news, it's no wonder Republicans are screaming and predicting doom and gloom and throwing insults around.

    Cartoon – And some of us (then) younger people did listen – but our enthusiasm and convistions didn't last.  Now we are paying for that, in our own blood and that of our children and grandchildren.

  4. Love that AB and the real problem may be the Americans who are not upset about their lying.

    Murderous zeal is horrifying in all its manifestations.

    Note that the Iranian requirements mean they are at least a decade away from any nuclear weapons capacity.

    Ike had the choice of which party to run for President in…does anyone recall why he chose the GOP?

    • The GOP was an entirely different party then, so were the Democrats.  This was the period the Dems were using their southern strategy, thankfully, they evolved. 

  5. New Yorker: I expect one would need one of those huge Crane computers in order to keep up with the BS dripping from the foamy mouths of the GOPigs!  Poor guy.  will Andy visit him in the hospital?

    DK: Dinner is being prepared, so I wiil not look at the video until later, do not want to spoil my appetite. 

    NY Times: The GOPig pundits, and candidates, will be telling the country how awful this release is, and will be, and will be crying their crocodile tears for the future of their beloved Israel, NOT!  They will certainly not be recognizing that they predicted that Iran would not comply.

    Ike and the MIC- It is sad that he brought Nixon to any prominence, but he was sooooooo right on this one!

     

  6. 3:59  Did I find the fastest groove?

  7. Pres. Obama's list of stunning accomplishments against torrential headwinds keeps growing.  And his Foreign Policy landmarks in diplomacy are right at the top.

    As Sir Winston Churchill famously observed:

    To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.

    http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/winstonchu141781.html

  8. It's a half-hour before the Dem Debate starts, and I just want to be on the record that I'll be shocked – SHOCKED, I tell you – if Andrea (nee Mitchell) Greenspan doesn't ask Hillary about BENNNGGGHHHAZZZI in some way, shape or form.

    Hell, she may even be able to work in her favorite "drip, drip,drip" mantra.

    (I LOATHE Andrea Greenspan … and her husband, too!)

  9. Puzzle — 3:06  Vroom!  Vroom!

    The New Yorker — Fact checking any Republican, but especially those POTUS aspirants, is the job of a committee, not a single person.  Andy is reporting again.

    Daily Kos — Seems that Texas police involved have called the shooting "self defense" and as of yet there has been no arrest.  Shame.  Could have had 2 for the price of one.  The prosecution of Smith for murder could yet happen, but I won't hold my breath.

    NY Times — The US has instituted new sanctions against Iran over the missile tests in October and November 2015.  This from the Times:

    The new sanctions are aimed mostly at individuals and some small companies accused of shipping crucial technologies to Iran, including carbon fiber and missile parts that can survive re-entry forces. Because the sanctions are focused on those individuals and firms, most Iranians will never feel them, and the amounts are comparatively tiny.

    Cartoon — And his warning has even more import today, post Citizens United.

  10. The New Yorker:  I am surprised that 99% of the people who listen to Cruz don't have this same reaction.  I left 1% open because I am sure he has some relatives who believe him.

    Daily Kos:  So someone did not take the advice he gives in the video.  There are too many people like him today and too much hatred.  I wish we had something to unite us.

    NY Times:  Diplomacy does not make any money for their campaign contributors, war does.

    Cartoon:  Ike was so right.  The only thing I can't forgive him for is giving us Nixon.

     

  11. Glad you enjoyed your games yesterday, TomCat. Personally I don't see the attraction of the game, otherwise your enthusiasm would be very contagious, I'm sure.

    The comments I made on yesterday's blog were eaten when I sent them from thr airport, such are the hassles of traveling. Getting our Dutch life organize today has taken me a little longer than I suspected, so I haven't time to read all and comment. Besides that, most of me has made the transition, but some less vital body parts like my brain still have to kick in. Not the best moment to make comments.

  12. Thanks all!  You are sure right aboyt Nixon!!

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