I’m writing for tomorrow, having fully enjoyed my day off yesterday, My paid helper-friend, after having missed several appointments came unexpectedly and did the heavier work that, otherwise, I would have had to do today. After just one day away, I feel out of touch with the political world, and I feel I have some catching up to do.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:19 (average 6:23). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: Here’s a visual that I hope gets more people to think about these three words: Redistribute. The. Wealth.
This picture really is worth a thousand words. Here are my three words: Amen! Amen!! Amen!!!
From Think Progress: On Thursday, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced plans to invest more of the nation’s $840 billion sovereign wealth fund in renewable energy in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions as the country struggles to meet its 2020 climate goals.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, built in large part on investment from the country’s oil and gas reserves, currently only invests a small fraction of money in green technology. The fund invests in listed equities, bonds and real estate, about 10 percent of which is made up of coal, oil and gas investments. The fund is also evaluating whether to exit these investments, as over the last 10 years nuclear weapons producers, companies in-breach of human rights, and tobacco companies have all been excluded.
Kudos to Norway. The US should redeploy welfare payments to oil, gas, and coal companies to investment in renewable green energy!
From Raw Story: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has thrown his support behind legislation that Republicans could use to force President Barack Obama to crack down on legal marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, the libertarian-leaning senator said he supported the Enforce the Law Act, which has been approved by the House. The legislation would allow Congress to sue the president for failing to faithfully execute laws.
Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot was happy to join his misanthropic father in pretending to favor legalization, but only as long as it was actually illegal. He’s just one more goose-stepping Republican hypocrite.
Cartoon:
This led to the US overthrow of democratic government in Iran and installation of a dictatorship under the Shah,
18 Responses to “Open Thread–3/15/2014”
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4:11 The houses remind me of San Francisco.
3:28 Come on over to house!
3:50 I went to the blue house by mistake.
Upworthy ~ Redistribute. The. Wealth. Amen! Amen! Amen!
Think Progress ~ We could redirect our Corporat Welfare to Renewable energy R & D except we have too many angry old white men who benefite too much the way things are now. It won't happen until they are in the unemployment line.
Raw Story ~ The Idiot changes horses in midstream too many times.
Cartoon ~ We all know how well that worked out.
Here is an interesting statistic from Green Eagle.
"The bonuses given to a pack of Wall Street vampires who contribute exactly nothing to our well-being except sucking it dry, added up last year to more than the entire amount paid to all full time minimum wage workers in the country."
That means we could have doubled the salary of ALL full time minimum wage workers with that money.
Hoirific!
6:08 Obviously there is no HOA where this is.
Upworthy – There are certainly people out there who desperately need to know and understand this. How to get that message out? And make it stick? I saw an article on a recent study showing that people who believe falsehoods actually have their false belief strengthened by evidence to the contrary. While that makes no sense, it certainly agrees with what we see happening, doesn't it? Does anyone have a better idea?
Think Progress – Boy, you ain't a-kidding. I am proud of the Senators who pulled an all-night session to discuss climate change – but that was last Monday, and while I know better than to expect anything to have happened yet, I would like to at least have heard some suggestions. I can't even blame the media. I get emails from all these people.
Raw Story – Apparently we do not grasp that States' Rights are only for angry old white Republicans. No one else is entitled.
Cartoon – Yes. That was the beginning. Sometimes I feel I am like Chicken Little trying to warn people that the sky is falling. Other times I know the sky has already fallen, and I am living in a post-democratic society.
Puzzle — 3:28 Come on over to my house!
Upworthy — Although these numbers are specifically American, the concept applies globally. In Canada, we have a wealth gap, that although not as great, needs to have redistribution. I pray that Canada does not follow the US into a wider gap, but with Harper at the helm, I fear for closing the gap. And in some African countries, the income gap is profound even though the income of the wealthy, by American standards, is modest by comparison.
The income and wealth gap between rich and poor is criminal. The saying "live simply so others can simply live" has great meaning for all of us.
Think Progress — "The US [and all other nations that have not already done so] should redeploy welfare payments to oil, gas, and coal companies to investment in renewable green energy!" I've been seeing a TV ad from Cenovus Energy (Cenovus is a Canadian oil company with oil sands operations in northern Alberta that use specialized methods like SAGD to drill and pump the oil to the surface.) that highlights all the everyday uses of oil — cars, airplanes, farm vehicles, ships and more etc — trying to convince people of their noble mission. And it is a slick ad that makes a watcher think that they can't do without oil. Of course what they don't show are the pipeline ruptures, the habitat destruction, the air and water pollution etc ad nauseam. Beware the deceivers!
Raw Story — This sounds more like another way to get at Mr Obama. Ranting Rand Paul: "If we can't take him out through healthcare and social programmes, we'll use the legalisation of marijuana to take him down."
Cartoon — So the Persian Parkiament nationalised oil, and the Shah became very cozy with the US. Some interesting reading in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Persian_Oil_Company . Is it any wonder that there is emnity between Iran and the US and the British. Iran suffered under the arrogance of imperialism and colonialism.
Taking a break from politics occasionally is good for you. My trip to Ms. last week relaxed me, non news week for me, but I spent it with my granddaughter, so that might be the real reason.
Upworthy: If wages had kept pace with CEO benfits, and middle class and poor had the same generous tax cuts as the wealthy, this disparity might not be so great.
Think Progress: Good for Norway. That will never happen here, though. Our leaders get too much money from oil, gas, and coal.
Raw Story: Another embarassing Rand Paul story! I cringe every time he opens his mouth!
Cartoon: And the US has been paying for their interference ever since.
Thank goodness you got out alive!!
Any visit with my granddaughter is worth it, no matter where it is.
🙂
Thanks everyone. Of course the cartoon was intended to remind, or teavh those too young to know, that most of our troubles in the wortls stem our own past actions.
ThinkProgress – very encouraging sound – but how much is 'more'? Norway has an enormous coastline and loads of tidal energy just going begging – and probably as much Weather as we do in the UK. However, they are still setting our Right Wing Governments a good example with their investments – one government out of so many!
Cartoon – the whole world is still suffering from the effects of that 'intervention' – and it will for hundreds of years to come – don't these arrogant idiots who decide to 'intervene' see further than next week and their own self interest? (Sorry, silly question!).
So glad you had a good day off TC!
Pat, I do what I can to find alternate clips to ones that cannot be viewed internationally. Sometimes, I can't. I'm sorry.
Puzzle – 5:37
I agree with this statement… 😆