I’m writing for tomorrow, day 17.I’m feeling quite tired, because I was up late last night and early this morning. In addition, another storm is setting off my COPD. Fantasy football players, the Jets – Bills service in worship of the Holy Ellipsoid Orb has been moved to Detroit and will be played on Monday.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:01 (average 5:17). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: In a sharp Republican rebuke to President Obama’s proposed actions on immigration, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused the President, on Thursday night, of “flagrantly treating immigrants like human beings, in clear defiance of the wishes of Congress.”
McConnell was brutal in his assessment of the President’s speech on immigration, blasting him for “eliminating the fear of deportation, which is the great engine of the American economy.”
“Fear is what keeps immigrants working so hard and so fast and so cheap,” McConnell said. “Remove the fear of deportation, and what will immigrants become? Lazy Americans.”
Dang Andy! Next he might treat them like white folks!! EEK!!
From NY Times: Former Senator Jim Webb of Virginia has announced a presidential exploratory committee, becoming the first candidate in either party to take such an overt step toward a White House bid. He called for economic justice and a restrained foreign policy, and vowed to “re-establish a transparent, functioning governmental system in our country.”
Previously I have called myself an ABH Democrat (anybody but Hillary). I stand corrected.
From Think Progress: About one in four American workers will have to go to work this year on a holiday, be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day. Given that no American worker gets the guarantee that they can take a paid holiday off, their options are limited. Employees at Kmart and Target even tell ThinkProgress that they aren’t allowed to ask for holidays off and face being fired if they don’t come in.
This may help you decide where not to and where to do your holiday shopping.
Cartoon:
12 Responses to “Open Thread–11/22/2014”
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3:18 I saw the light!
3:52 I was blinded by the light.
3:07 What a gaudy light! I saw the light but wish I hadn't!
New Yorker ~ Shucks! Now they are going to want to pay taxes too.
Think Progress ~ I know where I will do my shopping this year. I posted this on FB to spread the word earlier in the week.
Cartoon ~ A very sad day. We were all glued to the TV for the entire 4 days following this.
Time to go get ready to go to a Wedding. I go to too many funerals and not enough happy get togethers. I'm definitely excited about today.
5:51 average up a little. I thought about not doing it in protest of Komen, but then I did anyway.
New Yorker – It's straight reporting but satire too. It strips the mask off McConnell to show what he is really saying under all that political talk, but would not be caught dead saying straight out. Can you say "dog whistle"?
NY Times – I hear you. I've also been thinking no one has mentioned Sherrod Brown, Sheldon Whitehouse, or Al Franken. Or Jeff Merkley. I saw Joe Manchin in the DFA list and thought "Good grief" but since that I see he has co-sponsored a petition with Elizabeth Warren that no one else is touching yet.
Think Progress – I don't shop at any of those, some because I've been boycotting them for years, most because they don't have anything I can use. Aren't one or two of the closed stores iffy, in that while not open to the public, they will still have employees restocking/redecorating? Or did they put those into the naughty list?
Cartoon – Yes. Including George H W Bush. BTW CS Lewis and Aldous Huxley died the same day, but not murdered.
Off topic but it occurred to me. Saturday mornings my local station airs a program about film music (it's make in Portland, incidentally). In today's program he is "giving thanks" for some of his favorite scores, one of which is "Fantasia" from 1940. It includes a sequence about the creation of the earth, diluted science, but definitely science, not creationism. I was wondering if they tried to re-release it today whether it would even be allowed to be shown in some states.
Manchin ran anti Obama ads for Rahall in the Senate race in WVA. He is a dino.
Yes, I thought he wa a DINO. How come he's teaming up with Liz?
I heard the radio announcement while waiting for the light in a left turn lane headed to an orthodontist appointment (who said I didn't need his services–at least not yet).
Many of the good guy list are good for other reasons, too–like Patagonia was the first to apply in CA for B Corp. A family member once worked at Target and had similar things to say about holidays.
For those who don't know about Jim Webb, or need a refresher, Wiki includes the misogynist and refusal to cut the navy, etc. highlights of his history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb
He seems to believe taking the Democratic Party further right than Hilary is what is needed to win ignoring the blue state base that finds her too much of a war monger (his special area of expertise) and other too right elements (Wall Street)…I guess he's been using Fox to decide? I almost thought it was written by Andy–I guess he counts on short memories.
Andy nails it again. The actions are so mild and for such a short time it seems hard to find objectionable unless one feels compelled to do so with bigotry or similar negative emotional need to do so.
Glad the counter continues to increase.
Fantastic post by Andy!
Cartoon: I was in grade school in a town not that far from Dallas. Every day, for two weeks, I watched the same thing, over and over again. The shooting, then the lying in state at the capitol, and the funeral. The march and John Jr. saluting his Daddy’s coffin as it went by in the procession. Over and over and over. I was mad because there were no cartoons on Saturday… I was only in the first grade. But I knew the gravity of the happenings because I had just been to my Grandfather’s funeral a week or so before the shooting.
Puzzle — 3:07 What a gaudy light! I saw the light but wish I hadn't!
The New Yorker — "Lazy Americans" eh, McTurtle? You, Boehner and the rest of your Republicanus/Teabagger conspirators are the embodiment of "Lazy Americans"! After all, you do nothing yet still get paid and receive benefits. We're not talking minimum wage either! Putz!!!
NY Times — I did not recall Webb so of course I googled. From the Wikipedia article, he seems more a DINO than a true Democrat . . . one foot in the Democrat camp, the other in the Republican camp.
For someone that touted Ronald Reagan's support, he should have read his diaries. From Wikipedia:
"Previously I have called myself an ABH Democrat (anybody but Hillary). I stand corrected." . . . I agree. I somehow doubt he would ever make it to the Democratic presidential nomination, but the Republicanus/Teabagger? . . . just possibly as regarded in their 2012 field.
Think Progress — "Buyer Beware" . . . capitalist pigs at the trough at the expense of their employees! I am finished my Christmas shopping and did it at Costco and Chapters Book Store. Now to wrap it and mail it!
Cartoon — A sad, sad day, even here in Canada. I was in grade 6 when an announcement was made about JFK's assassination. I still remember I was wearing a medium blue jumper that my mother had made and a blue print blouse. I remember breaking down in tears right away and feeling that the world had come to an end, and being very, very scared for the future. Looking at the political situation in the US now, I think I was almost prophetic in my assessment of the future. Shall we rename Boehner or McTurtle "Lee Harvey Oswald"?
I hope your COPD is better today.
The New Yorker: Andy must know MItch personally, this is so true to what he would say.
NY Times: HOpe Jim Web gets over this, there are too many out there who WOULD vote for him.
Think Progress: Dang, I was planning to boycott all those stores that were open on Thanksgiving day, seems like every store that I can shop in locally is on the list. I was a state employee with guaranteed holidays, but i worked on Easter Sunday, twice, and on Christmas ever at least twelve times. I also worked New Years Eve and New years day twice. I worked those days because my office served the public and there was a need. I see no need for commercial stores to be open on holidays.
Cartoon: That was one of the saddest days of my life. Will we ever know the truth about his assassination?
Overslept Big Time!!