I’m getting a late start, because it’s shower day. Julie just came, so I’m a spit-shined puddy tat, and I’ve taken my fair share of abuse from Killer Dawg. George is much more stable with his new ankle, and the pain I was feeling came from a crease that had formed in his lining. It was digging into Stumpy. Sarah removed the crease and Velcro’d the lining into place, so I don’t crease it again. Both George and Stumpy are pleased, I’m going to try to rest this weekend, as I have three days of medical appointments next week,
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:12 (average 5:02). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: CNBC interviewed Target’s CEO Brian Cornell on Wednesday and discussed the company’s liberal stance against discriminatory laws like North Carolina’s HB2. Target now is experiencing a massive backlash and boycott by an anti LGBTQ conservative organization called American Family Association. It’s reported that AFA has 1.2 million signatures on its petition — people pledging to not shop at Target stores because of the retail chain’s pro-LGBTQ position.
Brian Cornell is not only unabashed and unapologetic about his company’s support of transgender and pro-LGBTQ rights, he doubles down on the decision with no indication of changing his mind.
Major Kudos to Target. It’s a better place to shop than Wal-Fart.
From YouTube (Jeff Merkley Channel): Merkley: Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground
Once again, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Oregon lead the way. Keep it in the ground!
From NY Times: The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced on Friday that it had imposed sweeping controls on the distribution of its products to ensure that none are used in lethal injections, a step that closes off the last remaining open-market source of drugs used in executions.
More than 20 American and European drug companies have already adopted such restrictions, citing either moral or business reasons. Nonetheless, the decision from one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers is seen as a milestone.
“With Pfizer’s announcement, all F.D.A.-approved manufacturers of any potential execution drug have now blocked their sale for this purpose,” said Maya Foa, who tracks drug companies for Reprieve, a London-based human rights advocacy group. “Executing states must now go underground if they want to get hold of medicines for use in lethal injection.”
In other words, if states want to murder prisoners for breaking the law, they will not be able to do so without breaking the law themselves. Sadly, for red states, like Texas, Oklahoma, and other states dominated by the Pro-Death Party, breaking the law is part of their normal modus operandi for law enforcement.
Cartoon:
Originally posted in 2012. Far more urgent today.
18 Responses to “Open Thread – 5/14/2016”
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4:40 (5:02) I'd be afraid of getting stung.
DKos – I signed the petitioon of gratitude. I have kind of not shopped at Target because of accessibility and fatigue. It is now time for me to bite the bullet and see what I can get there instead of elsewhere. Maybe past time.
YouTube – Oh, good God, AMEN!.
NYTimes – I can't be too laudatory of Pfizer, since they are still working on a tax inversion. But this is grudgingly good news.
Cartoon – Sigh.
DK: I go to Target, and don't care about the bathrooms, I go when I have to. Male or female….doesn't bother me. The store in Austin, is wonderful. Clean, with friendly folks working there. What's a Walmart?? lol.
YouTube: I should send this to Greg Abbott, I doubt he'd watch, but it's important to view. Kudos to Senator Merkley for this, and Oregon for leading the way!
NYT: To me, this is good news and going in the right direction. Texas, of course, will work under the cloak of darkness. "Texas, too, is apparently hedging its bets. Last fall, shipments of sodium thiopental, ordered by Texas and Arizona from an unapproved source in India, were seized in airports by federal officials."
Cartoon: Peace to all.
Glad all is going well for you, and that Stumpy and George can work as a team now!!! Good news! Get some rest, take care, enjoy your evening, and take care…(not necessarily in that order, but…) Thanks, Tom!
Titanium forever!
I have signed the thanks to Target petition.. The AF Assoc. consists of bunch of rabidly delusonal theocratic jackasses, and I am pleased to shop at Target! The AFA does not represent this family!
Pfizer, and its pharma. associates are to be cheered for stopping the use of this stuff for murder. Texas, and Arizona are doing their pseudo-Christian "Death is good!" dance. Still, as Joanne points out, their inversion decision is a negative.
Merkly is good people.
Puzzle — 3:07 Everything is all abuzz here!
Daily Kos — We don't have Target in Canada anymore — very short-lived retail experience that bombed in spectacular fashion — but I applaud a retailer who takes a good moral stand against bigotry and discrimination. Kudos Target.
YouTube — With the recent conflagration in Fort McMurray, there was real concern that the fire might engulf some of the tarsands production. Fortunately that did not happen. Keep it in the ground and that won't happen. Kudos to Merkley's focus on this.
NY Times — "Some states have used straw buyers or tried to import drugs from abroad that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, only to see them seized by federal agents." — Interesting how some states feel that the law does not apply to them. Must be Republican states!
"Since Utah chooses to have a death penalty, “we have to have a means of carrying it out,” said State Representative Paul Ray as he argued last year for authorization of the firing squad." — Perhaps such states should repeal their capital punishment laws instead of spending money to break the law.
Cartoon — Israel, get your shit together! Celebrate peace with Palestine!
Hope it didn't sting your toes!
Nope! Bees and I have always gotten along really well!
It seems you got the mouse working.
Yo – Israel …
You want peace?
Get rid of Bibi!
Amen!
Glad Stumpy and George are getting along better! That makes for a happy Puddy-Tat!
So pleased with Target! Now they got some, uh, cajones!
I wish Merkley was my Senator! We could really use him here! Especially the "Keep it in the Ground"!!!
Sad to say that I live in OK and I am ecstatic that Pfizer has taken this monumental step to stop the Death Penalty!!! One time Big Pharma did something right!
All spiffy and spotless is our TomKitty!!! PEACE and HUGS!
I hope you do get some rest, that is a vital part of healing. Glad Stumpy and George are getting along.
Daily Kos: Kudos to Target and Brian Cornell. I shared several memes on Facebook regarding this and have been lambasted by a few, and one offered to pray for me for being so misguided about transgenders. I do not understand why They don't understand the importance of this for the transgenders and why they continue to believe they will all be child molesters if they use the bathroom of their current sex. The continued uproar of the conservatives over everyone else's sexuality is a great way to keep people from realizing what is happening with our government.
Youtube: I like Merkley.
NY Times: This is something to celebrate! Glad the Pfizer and other drug companies have taken this acton. Perhaps this is another step to ending capital punishment. I hope so.
Cartoon: I wish they would.
Glad George got the help he needed.
Cornell, Merkley and Pfitzter all deserve kudos.
I hope Killer Dawg isn't sharpening its teeth on George's bright new ankle, TomCat. It seems to be just about as high as it can reach…;-) I'm glad you're planning on taking some rest with three days of medical appointments coming up. Take care and take as many catnaps as you like, there's more where these came from.
DK: I'm glad that Target doesn't waver in the face of such adverse petitions and stands for what it believes in. Sadly it still has to cater to the fear mongering that going to the bathroom at Target's would be unsafe, because of all these men lurking to prey on women in their family bathrooms(?) What I find more troublesome however, is that apparently 1.2 million people have signed the petition to boycott Target for their pro-LGBTQ position. If I were Brian Cornell I would be more concerned which of his competitors was lurking behind this petition.
YouTube: Pleas send Jeff Merkley over to us. The people of our Northern provinces where The government and Royal Dutch Shell have been extracting natural gas for over 60 years and who are now experiencing damaging earthquakes continuously in a (natural) earthquake-free zone, could really use his help, as can the future generations all over the world, future generations of every possible species on this planet. Kudos to Jeff Merkley.
NYT: While I certainly applaud Pfitzer for this particular decision, I don't think it'll make most of the (Red) states change their policy on the death penalty very soon. The won't go underground or illegal, they simply will bring back Old Sparky or the execution squad or even hanging to be able to hang on to their right to murder.
Cartoon: No sign of it.
I've told Julie about your Killer Dawg comments, and her butt may fall off.
LOL Be careful she doesn't drop it on Killer Dawg!
Then I'd be the one LMAO!!
I signed. "Thank you for signing the petition."
Thanks all!! Hugs!!