TGIF! I’m still running on a sleep deficit as humidity remains is 93%, having just dropped below 100% for the first time in three days, so I’m already fighting droopy eyelids. I hope you all have a peaceful, Republican-free weekend.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:15 (average 5:27). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Harry van Bommel, a left-wing member of the Dutch Parliament, had persuasive allies in convincing voters that they should reject a trade pact with Ukraine — his special “Ukrainian team,” a gleefully contrarian group of émigrés whose sympathies lay with Russia.
They attended public meetings, appeared on television and used social media to denounce Ukraine’s pro-Western government as a bloodthirsty kleptocracy, unworthy of Dutch support. As Mr. Van Bommel recalled, it “was very handy to show that not all Ukrainians were in favor.”
Handy but also misleading: The most active members of the Ukrainian team were actually from Russia, or from Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine, and parroted the Kremlin line.
The Dutch referendum, held last April, became a battering ram aimed at the European Union. With turnout low, Dutch voters rejected the trade agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, delighting Moscow, emboldening pro-Russia populists around Europe and leaving political elites aghast.
It looks like Trump is not the only traitor Russia manipulates. Lona, how could Bommel be considered "left wing" by the Times, when he acts like a damned Republican? RESIST!!
From YouTube (GQ Channel): Is The Trump White House High? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann
In Keith’s choice between high or what, I actually have to answer "what". I gave not done drugs for over 30 years, but was a stoner in my day. I never dis a drug that could make someone as stupid, as deplorable, or as evil as the Potomac Puppet and his Reich. RESIST!!
From Salon.com: President Donald Trump’s new secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, doesn’t seem to have a lot of pull in the White House.
Despite a contentious nomination hearing in which Tillerson was confirmed by a party-line vote, Tillerson’s influence is so minimal that senior state department officials need to ask foreign diplomats about President Trump’s impending foreign policy decisions, according to a report by The Guardian. Tillerson has also avoided press questions, such as during his meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. While this could simply be a residual habit from years running a secret multibillion dollar corporation, it could also be the result of Tillerson simply not being knowledgable about the Trump administration’s foreign policy plans.
Tillerson wasn’t consulted about Trump’s controversial Muslim travel ban and no one at the state department was consulted during the dinner when the president approved his disastrous raid in Yemen. Even more telling, Trump rejected Tillerson’s choice for deputy secretary of state, Elliott Abrams, very suddenly and without consulting Tillerson first. The State Department has also issued sweeping layoffs, indicating that the foreign policy-making apparatus is going to be concentrated around Trump’s inner circle rather than through various expert channels.
Tillerson is there to relate work with Russia to destroy the Arctic to get the oil for Putin (R-RU). Foreign policy is conducted via tweets by twits that grab twats. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
15 Responses to “Open Thread – 2/17/2017”
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KO: "Are these people high or what??" Such a tragedy of how these folks are being treated coming into the US! My heart breaks for them!! I'd be out a job, as I couldn't do that. RESIST!!!!
Salon: "Tillerson was forced to rent lodgings at a sanitarium roughly half an hour away from the other guests (For the Group of 20 in Bonn, Germany). This was widely viewed as symptomatic of the general disorganization and lack of policy focus within the Trump-Tillerson state department. Shame the rest of the administration, specifically, DT, couldn't visit there for awhile.
Cartoon: Yup!!
Fortunately, I am a planning a quiet weekend, going to a play tomorrow evening, and resting. Like you, I've been feeling quite tired lately. I wonder if it's spring fever? lol.
Enjoy your evening, Rest & relax, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
I think the tiredness is the stress of living under the current administration, never knowing what's going to happen next, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have it too. What play are you seeing?
What JD said!
4:09 Somehow "Car by Pizza" just doesn't have the same ring as "body by Fisher."
NYT – Bommel's techniques appear to be – how shoulod I say this- certainly not above reproach, nor below reproach really, but possibly right on it. But if that trade pact was anything like the TPP, maybe the result was acceptable – barring the embolding of bullies which appears to be a by-product.
YT/GQ – I think I must agree with you that it must be "or what." If a piece of IKEA furniture can be assembled by two people on LSD, clearly being high is overrated as a producer of incompetence.
Salon – You may well be right. Both the Orange Overlord and the Nazi Death Angel are micromanagers.
Cartoon – I suppose they COULD be right twice a day. Not through being stopped, necessarily, but through running backwards.
"Right twice a day."
Not so sure your self-professed "stoner days" are over.
Any documentation when Trumpkins has been
right twice a day…once a day…. EVER – please provide it!Per LA TImes, during yesterday's marathon presser, these words escaped his lips regarding DREAMers: "because you have these incredible kids." That was probably not sincere, but, on paper, it was certainly accurate.
I never said that. Republican Supply-side Jesus equates broken and right.
I too am exhausted and ill TC, and so sorry to hear that you and others also feel like that – maybe its the time of year, maybe it is modern politics the world over – the story of the assassination of the N Korean politician was quite incredible and so very worrying in so very, very many ways. Perhaps we should spare a thought (or even better a prayer) for the Australian stand-up and tv presenter Adam Hills, who in his series The Last Leg has taken on many a bully and thug – and for the last couple of years he has been especially (and vividly vocally) critical of both Putin and Trump… Should he be worried? I sincerely and devoutly hope not – but the most volatile world leaders all seem to have astoundingly thin skins, the like of which has never been seen before – they used to have emotional hides like rhino. Thanks everyone for the tips re Trigeminal Neuralgia, especially Lona – sadly I can't go to the dentist – there are no NHS dentists here and haven't been for over 25 years, so that is the last time I was able to have a checkup (there is an emergency dentist system if you are in howling agony, which I used when I had an abscess there and had to have a tooth removed – and yes I do think that Lona is correct – either that infection or a similar one are ongoing – blood tests have shown high anti-inflammatories and high white blood counts for years, and my ferritin has been sky high for years too.). I felt my best remaining solution would be to concentrate on feeding the nerves in my body to fight the trigeminal neuralgia – and because of 30 years continuous colitis I can't absorb foods properly I have put Epsom Salt solution on my skin, and zinc solution, MSM solution, potassium solution as well etc – if you ever try this have some oils or creams handy, these things dry out the skin otherwise and can make it quite sore. Over several days this seems to have helped reduce the inflammation in my nerves – thank the Lord – though I would happily learn if anyone has any natural suggestions* for reducing chronic inflammation in the body – it might even help my pins and needley legs and help me walk which would be wonderful! *over the counter herbs or supplements or even foods that I might be able to try Onwards and upwards! (But first for a lie down with another headache – but not TN thank goodness!). Blessings on you all my friends!
Hope you feel better.
Sounds to me like you ARE in howling agony. Can it hurt to try the Dental ER again?
Puzzle — 2:57 No take out for Puddy Tats!
NY Times — I think Bommel deserves an "or what".
YouTube — I agree with "or what", and the "or what" is a mix of abject stupidity and criminality, with a chaser of avarice.
Salon.com — "…foreign policy-making apparatus is going to be concentrated around Trump’s inner circle rather than through various expert channels." — I think they'll be able to rename the Drumpf administration "Psychos 'R Us". Keeping the decisions within a tight knit group with no relateable experience is a disaster in the making. It is a crimnal enterprise IMO.
Cartoon — As I just said "Psychos 'R Us"
I hear you on the humidity — 93% but ours seems more tolerable than yours. Have a relaxing weekend with some quality sleep.
Resist
and
Persist!!!
In the wet and cold times of the year – which is often – we're told to put the AC in our car on to prevent the front window from misting up in when we start the car. I wonder if you could use your AC the same way to take the moisture from the air without cooling down your apartment, TomCat? Probably a stupid idea as you have a loose unit and need to open your window to let the air out.
NYT: It's the first time I heard about this, TomCat, so I had to do some research. First of all I need to remind everyone that we have our elections on March 15, and that to my disgust Drumpfian tactics have become pandemic and the Dutch are certainly not above using them, so the timing is a little suspect. Second, we had a referendum on the Ukraine in April last year, long before there were any signs that Russia was interfering in American elections, let alone in any European elections much further down the line. Harry van Bommel's Socialist Party, one of the left Dutch parties, was against the trade agreement, because at that time the EU made overtures to this very unstable and corrupt nation with vague promises of becoming part of the EU in time and they opposed that, believing Ukraine to be better of as a buffer between Russia and the EU. And before anyone has the knee jerk -reaction to associate a Dutch Socialist Party with Russia, forget that, we're talking Bernie Sanders' Socialism here. The party however still maintains that a new cold war needs to be avoided, something that at this time may not be very prudent given the current possibility of Russian interference in European elections.
Van Bommel has refuted in Trouw today that the three women he worked with before the referendum were Russian, but were all three born in Ukraine, with tw of them of ethnic Russian decent. A few days ago our right wing had opened attack on him on several websites, as part of the Drumpfian way of undermining an opponent in the election, I believe, accusing him of lying about the agreement. It looks like the NYT picked up on this.
While I don't agree with Van Bommel at all on his Ukraine viewpoints and find the SP's continuation of its stand simply foolish in the current political climate and what is known about the Russian interference, I think your quick conclusion that 'It looks like Trump is not the only traitor [my emphasis] Russia manipulates.' and '[Van Bommel] acts like a damned Republican' are, how shall I put it…a little off mark.
Keith Olbermann: If "high" stands for deluded and disconnected from reality Keith may have a point, and it doesn't really matter how any of these Drumpfians got there. Genetic predisposition, birth defects, substance abuse, accidents, psychological and/or physical trauma, pollution…the result is the same: they all cut the umbilical cord with reality and went to live in Drumpf land.
Salon: I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Tillerson wasn't consulted either on the -literally – fantastic peace deal Drumpf is going to broker between the Israeli and the Palestinians, uhm… Kushner is going to make, or wasn't there when Trudeau visited. Tillerson is just a front for "I can do it all and run my own business at the same time" Drumpf and he's not appointed by the Drumpf gang but by and for Putin. By allowing Tillerson to be made Secretary of State Drumpf has killed two birds with one stone: he repaid Tillerson for his (financial?) support during his campaign and he's made Putin happy because Putin can now make direct deals on Arctic oil and gas at the highest level. Sweet, isn't it?
Cartoon: You think the WH clockwork synchronizes with reality then -and only then – those two times a year, TomCat?
RESIST
&
PERSIST!
Thanks Lona. It appears that the story got twisted by the time I got it.
No worries, TomCat. Politics are so twisted everywhere that it is hard to know whom to believe. I think even the NYT is looking so hard for Russian interference/influence that their view is a bit narrow at the moment. And to be absolutely honest, I think Harry van Bommel may have been a bit naive himself at the time and may have let himself be manipulated by these Ukrainian women. They have Ukrainian passports, but he didn't have them checked then and still doesn't really know if Russia is behind them.
I think you're eight about the Times' motives.