I’m waiting for Wendy to arrive to de-stink the sweaty TomCat and to help with chores, including the dreaded task. If you played Fantasy Football in our league last year and have not told me whether you are still playing, please let me know.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:52 (average 4:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): A GOP Father’s Day
You know Bought Bitch Mitch and his goose-stepping criminal cronies will only make the bad things in the House Bill worse. RESIST!!
From Daily Kos: No experience? No problem! Donald Trump rewards loyalty above all else. Like a king doling out titles and land to loyalists, the U.S. is now Trump’s own personal fiefdom. He’s proved it once again by announcing he’s selected Lynne Patton for a key role at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
Patton was appointed Wednesday to head up the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region II, which includes New York and New Jersey, where she’ll oversee distribution of billions of taxpayer dollars.
What makes her qualified for a job overseeing billions of taxpayer dollars? She coordinated Eric Trump’s wedding, not to mention some ‘celebrity’ golf tournaments.
What’s even sadder is that she may be the most qualified of all of Trump’s appointees. RESIST!!
From NY Times: Many governments must be thinking along the same lines, but few have spelled it out so clearly. Germany did, when Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “The times in which we could rely fully on others — they are somewhat over.” Now Canada, a country tightly bound to its neighbor by history, alliance and the longest border in the world, has declared the need to recognize that the United States is relinquishing its role as the “indispensable nation.”
“The fact that our friend and ally has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership puts into sharper focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course,” Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, told her Parliament this month.
Ms. Freeland never mentioned Donald Trump. That wouldn’t be diplomatic. But every line of her speech before a silent House of Commons was clearly about a world order thrown into crisis as President Trump scoffs at trade agreements, hectors allies, rips up the landmark Paris climate accord and otherwise demonstrates disdain for anything that isn’t “America First.” Canada’s course, Ms. Freeland said, would be the opposite of Canada First; it would be “the renewal, indeed the strengthening, of the postwar multilateral order.”
Dear world. It is my fervent hope that we will defeat the Republican Reich and return to the community of civilized nations. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
17 Responses to “Open Thread – 6/18/2017”
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4:15 We could use some help from this guy. Don’t eat him.
Pat B, my heart goes out to you and everyone with sea service ties after the USS Fitzgerald’s “traumatic” collision. Peace.
I just signed a petition to keep Erdogan off American soil until he apologizes for beating up American civilians. But I can just imagine how Trump would phrase it (if at all) – “Hey, you can’t beat up Americans! That’s MY job!”
YT/MO – That’s why Bought Bitch Mitch is not even letting HIS OWN people see it before voting. They’ll have to vote on it blind. Because it’s so awful that not even Republicans would vote for it if thye knew what was in it.
DK – I’ve often joked that if you can efficiently plan a wedding, you can do anything, but this is beyond a joke. Lots of money in weddings, though. The Theatre Department head I worked for said that our best actress’s wedding was costing more than our entire fall production, and the show at least ran for five nights.
NY Times – But I have to be glad to hear them saying these things – it gives me hope that the whole world hasn’t gone nuts, just the whole country. Bleak hope, but hope nonetheless.
Cartoon – Yup.
MoveOn Channel: Is there nothing the GOP won’t corrupt in a bill? It really shows their true colors where children of others are concerned. They get the best healthcare for their own kids, of course as they have their own special coverage.
DK: I suppose Lynne Patton has better qualifications for this job as party and tournament organizer than her boss, our brain dead brain surgeon Carson has for his job as Secretary of the same department of Housing and Urban Development, I guess. How long will people accept that their country is run by completely incompetent, but ever so loyal orange-nosers?
NYT: Excellent speech by Canada’s Foreign Minister Christina Freeland. I do not know if she coined the phrase “indispensable nation”, but it was very clear what Canada meant by ‘the need to recognize that the United States is relinquishing its role as the “indispensable nation.” ‘ In other words, we can do well without the “leadership” of the likes of Drumpf, and we will now look elsewhere to form new bonds who other nations who want to look forward and create a more progressive alliance.
Good for you, Canada!
Cartoon: If they don’t vote Republican, sneak up on them and hit them over the head with a “Good-day-to-you” (free translation from Dutch)
The German language, I believe, calls it the same. At one time in English it was a “morning star” or a “misericordia” but now I usually see it called just a mace. Not to be confused with the chemical.
MO: Bought Mitch: Very, very troubling, and such a sneaky snake at that. Pathetic!!
DK: Nothing this administration does surprises me anymore. That’s kinda sad….but I guess anyone can get a job then, eh?? Not that I’m doing anything, but I can weed the backyard. Does that qualify me to be anything but that?? What a fiasco!!!
NYT: Kudos to Canada and also to Germany for recognizing how our country is now. Pray for us. TY!
Cartoon: Word.
*Joanne, Thank you for your concern, and sympathy. Sleeping sailors and found dead in their berthing areas. The crew kept the ship from sinking after the colliison. My heart dropped at the news. Heart wrenching, and the investigation continues.Equally sad, “Fair Winds and Following Seas” for those who lost their lives.
Hope that you get all your chores done. Enjoy your evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
Ditto JD’s condolences.
Puzzle — 3:52 Don’t think the Puddy Tat will be trying to eat this JD, not unless he wants a humungous case of indigestion and has a platinum dental plan.
YouTube — The Republicans are out to screw the average American when it comes to healthcare (and just about everything else!). The Trumpcare plan which passed the House is being gutted further by McTurtle and his cronies. But Drumpf has said that the plan is not good enough based on what he promised during the campaign. If the Congress passes a bill that is a total gutting of Obamacare and nowhere near as good, will Drumpf sign it into law?
Daily Kos — Drumpf’s entire cadre of advisors and cabinet members are all unqualified as is he. What is scary is that these people are the ones making the decisions. Republicans would say that Obama thought of himself as a king. I disagree, but I do see Drumpf acting like a twit king . . . an absolute monarch.
NY Times — As it looked more and more like Drumpf would be the next president, Canadians kept asking Trudeau how he was going to deal with the bombastic, hateful fool. Trudeau said he would work with Drumpf if he became the president. Ever the diplomat. That is what we kept hearing. Trudeau was quite tight-lipped. Well it seems that the tide has turned for at least Canada and Germany. I know that Canada is looking at other trading markets such as China, especially with softwood lumber. The reason why is clear . . . Drumpf. The chaos of the administration and the scandals have made the US an international laughing stock any more. Drumpf, IMO, has shown that American exceptionalism is dead, or at least in a deep coma.
Cartoon — No doubt!
Resist and Persist!!!
I still have the sinus problem although not as bad as yesterday. After church today, I had a nap which helped a bit. Maybe by tomorrow I will be rid of it. Hope you’re all fluffed and puffed, smelling as sweet as a spring rose. Say “hi” to Wendy for me.
I will say one thing about this new format, the comment area is larger and dynamic so that a person can see the entire comment within the limitations of the computer screen. No scrolling to check things!
Hope you feel better.
Feeling much better this morning, thanks. Inflamed sinuses are a bitch and can knock a person on their keister.
You sure don’t have to tell me that. I know MUCH too well. Glad you feel better.
Off topic. Saturday was 103, Sunday was 109. Both new high temps in Sonoma. Ugh & sigh…
Nothing like sweat trickling down and tickling… lol.
.
Too damn hot!
AMEN!!! 24 C (75 F) is too hot for me!
It reached 88° here.
Thanks all!
Somebody is having lots of fun with the new emojis!
You, me, or both?
DK: this is why I try to pay as little attention to the actions of the Empty Orange, he is just a clown, bouncing from wall to wall!
NYT: Well, maybe now the rest of the “Free” world will treat themselves better, and start showing us the way to sanity.