Writing for tomorrow, day 96, I’m still pretty pooped, but hope to get some rest today.
Poll Note:
I realized I made a major wording error on out poll. To fix it, I had to restart the poll, so if you already voted, please vote again.
Update:
For the first time, Critter sends greetings to Critter from the outside. He’s a bit overwhelmed, of course, but doing great.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:23 (average 5:06). To do it, click here! How did you do?
Fantasy Football Report:
Here’s the latest in our fantasy football league, after an exciting, but frustrating week. Damn Seachickens!!
Scores:
I bet Patty is Monster Mash twerking right now!! 😉
Standings:
Oh how the mighty have fallen!
Short Takes:
From Robert Reich: One of the most deceptive ideas continuously sounded by the Right (and its fathomless think tanks and media outlets) is that the “free market” is natural and inevitable, existing outside and beyond government. So whatever inequality or insecurity it generates is beyond our control. And whatever ways we might seek to reduce inequality or insecurity — to make the economy work for us — are unwarranted constraints on the market’s freedom, and will inevitably go wrong.
By this view, if some people aren’t paid enough to live on, the market has determined they aren’t worth enough. If others rake in billions, they must be worth it. If millions of Americans remain unemployed or their paychecks are shrinking or they work two or three part-time jobs with no idea what they’ll earn next month or next week, that’s too bad; it’s just the outcome of the market.
According to this logic, government shouldn’t intrude through minimum wages, high taxes on top earners, public spending to get people back to work, regulations on business, or anything else, because the “free market” knows best.
In reality, the “free market” is a bunch of rules about (1) what can be owned and traded (the genome? slaves? nuclear materials? babies? votes?); (2) on what terms (equal access to the internet? the right to organize unions? corporate monopolies? the length of patent protections? ); (3) under what conditions (poisonous drugs? unsafe foods? deceptive Ponzi schemes? uninsured derivatives? dangerous workplaces?) (4) what’s private and what’s public (police? roads? clean air and clean water? healthcare? good schools? parks and playgrounds?); (5) how to pay for what (taxes, user fees, individual pricing?). And so on.
These rules don’t exist in nature; they are human creations. Governments don’t “intrude” on free markets; governments organize and maintain them. Markets aren’t “free” of rules; the rules define them.
Republican rules cause the 1% to get the benefits, and the 99% to pay the costs.
From Blue Oregon: Straight Talk: Oregon republican party chairman Art Robinson
Art Robinson was on KGW’s Straight Talk over the weekend, and I think Laurel Porter is probably still recovering from the post-interview laughing fit she had when it was over because…wow.\\
BARF BAG ALERT!: 24 minutes (or less) of this insane Teabagger is guaranteed to stimulate a projectile visceral response.
From McClatchy DC: Friends say Aaron Alexis [the Navy Yard Shooter] regularly meditated at a local Buddhist temple, was unfailingly courteous and never showed signs of the violence that is now his legacy.
But police reports paint a darker picture of the Fort Worth man, including an anger-fueled "blackout" and shooting in Seattle in 2004 and, more recently, a firearms incident at a Fort Worth apartment, after which a neighbor told police that she was "terrified" of him.
If this guy were white, he’d have been exactly the sort that the Republican Party wants to be able to buy guns without a background check.
Cartoon:
23 Responses to “Open Thread–9/18/2013”
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The Robert Reich article is (as always) very good; thanks TC. I think the 'free market is inevitable' idea continues the sort of lazy assumptions that people make that 'bad things happen to bad people – good things happen to good people' – which makes me wonder if they ever have insurance policies on things and how they justify having those…. I think the 'free market' that the Repuglicons go on about is basically monied anarchy – and I don't like anarchy one little bit! We need regulations (annoying though they often are) to safeguard people from anarchists, fascists, thieves and lunatics – most of whom seem to be on the Right these days!
By monied anarchy, you mean anarchy for the 1% only. I fully agree, and very well said! I will likely steal that descriptor!!
4:13 Dazzled by the daisy's beauty!
3:45 Someone had already picked the flower by the time I got there.
3:18 That would be me Jerry!
There go the flowere to fredshen mu kitty box!
How did you do? 6:05
The free market shoud be re-named…! Fixed market for the 1%.
You've had better days.
Very well said!
Well, within 7 seconds of average for the first time!
I used a comparable – well, as comparable as I could get – on my home puzzle program, which I use in what they call "mystery mode" where you can't see the finished picture, but the pieces snap together much better (of course one can set that too, but I am comfortable with a much faster snap than JigZone) and my totally unscientific result was that the difference in snap slows me down by 13%. Which is why I do not generally post results!
WTG, Joanne!
I use Jig Zone, simply because it's a common platform we all can use.
Just a note on today's Google Doodle of Foucault's Pendulum:
The world's largest Foucault Pendulum happens to be at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.
Thanks Nameless! I usewd to libe 3 blocks from that and have actually pushed that thing, but never realizrd it is the worls'd largest.
Tell Critter to hang in there. It will get better.
I shall, but in his mind, it's super great right now!
I'm hesitant to watch the Art Robinson thing on either a full or empty stomach. On the other hand and bright side, the Oregon GOP electing Art to chairman is a definite sign they've simply given up. The only Republicans left in the Republican party are the total nutcases.
As I trust you know, here progressives have taken control of the Democratic Party to a large extent, through grass roots activism. Baggers have done the same thing in the Republican Party, except that their activism is Astro-turfed, and it's nationwide, not just here in Oregon.
Update — After 46 years, overwhelmed is likely a bit understated. But, with mentors and support like you TC, and his own hard work, Critter will do well. Tell him I'm pulling for him all the way! As to the petition, I signed that already on 09/09/13. As you said TC, "When we have Banksters stealing $billions and walking free, it's just plain wrong for a man to be doing life for stealing $37. " And add to the banksters, politicians, vulture capitalists, and assorted corporate morons!
Fantasy Football — Well the mighty may have fallen, but I have nowhere to go but up!
Puzzle — 3:18 That would be me Jerry!
Robert Reich — Robert Reich is so spot on!
Beyond government? That's rich since the rules that allow the "free market" to survive are made by politicians, or it could be said, the lack of rules are promoted by politicians whoring for the vulture capitalists, corporatists and plutocrats.
2014 is coming and that is a place to start because the current Washington makeup sure won't help.
Blue Oregon — So Robinson has been a scientist all his life. He said he has been a teacher all his life. I assume he's been male all his life too. He also appears to be not terribly bright. I wonder if that is for "all his life"?
McClatchy DC — Aaron Alexis, yet one more reason for reasonable firearms regulation!
Cartoon — I can only reiterate what I said in 17/09/13's Open Thread.
Hmmm . . . seems that Emma Lazarus' sonnet that is done in bronze at the Statue of Liberty needs a caveat if the racist pundits and citizens are to be satisfied.
. . . but only if they are blonde, blue eyed and fair skinned!
Ms Davuluri is American born, and from what I can see, represents what America professes to value. Congratulations to Nina Davuluri, and a pox on all the houses who have twisted the meaning of "American values" to a state of FUBAR!
Thank you, Amen, amen and amen!
You stole the flower I was going to use to freshen my kitty box!! 😉
You sure have that right!
Yes.
Amen!
Bingo!
Agree!!
The free market is mainly for the 1%. When the minimum wage was raised to $3.35 per hour a businessman came into the office where I worked and told me this was not sustainable, that if he had to pay that he would close his business. Of course he did not. He made too much money from it, just didn't want to share any of it. I will never buy another Papa John's pizza because of the way the owner has bemoaned the AFA. The rich stay rich because they hang on to every dime they have. The people who work for them are non entities who deserve whatever they choose to pay.
Didn't watch the videoabout Art Robinson, heeded your warning, too late at night to barf.
I signed the petition.
I agree, but on Papa Johns, some franchizees may be the opposite of the corporate owner.
LOL!
Thanks!
Well, yesterday went reasonably well despite me almost ending up in the US because I took a wrong turn courtesy of a lot of infrastructure work. Even though I left more than enough time to get to the ferry for Victoria, my little "detour" meant that I missed my ferry, so made everyone late for lunch. It was good to see my aunt who at 90, is as sharp as a tack! Afterwards, my brother, SIL and I had to wait for the ferry home as there were overloads. Eventually we had a very nice dinner and I finally got home after midnight. I was so tired that I slept straight through to noon today which I hardly ever do. My brother flew out early this morning so now things should start settling down again. I'm baackkkk!
Glad to have you back. I know you will miss your brother, though.
I trust you will miss him, and am both glad you had time with your family, and always glad you're here.