The first day of autumn is here in the northern hemisphere with the promise of cooler days and nights, and maybe even some gentle rain to quench a savaged earth.
and for our friends in the southern hemisphere it is the beginning of spring . . . YIPPEE!!! The promise of warming days, new foliage and flowers!
Time to celebrate the autumn or spring equinoxes, depending on where you live!
This afternoon, I spent some time looking at Racel Maddow tapings as well as some other worthy videos on YouTube. That's when I came across the video of Bernie Sanders speaking at Liberty University. Here it is, approximately 53 minutes in length, speech and a Q&A. It is refreshing to see someone, especially a politician, that acknowledges that he can't be all things to all people.
What do you think about his stance on family values . . . moral values? I was suitably impressed.
Feel the Bern!
Today has been a rather mellow day, much of it spent on-line reading with a few home chores on the side. Of course I spent time playing with my "kids" which is always fun. But the best part, since I did not have to go out, I stayed in my pajamas. How snuggly is that?
Fantasy Football
| Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | W-L-T | Pct | Stk | Waiver | For | Against |
| 1+1 | 2-0-0 | 1.000 | W2 | 10 | 214.92 | 149.74 | |
| 2+2 | 2-0-0 | 1.000 | W2 | 9 | 191.48 | 167.76 | |
| 3+7 | 1-1-0 | .500 | W1 | 8 | 192.34 | 207.46 | |
| 4+5 | 1-1-0 | .500 | W1 | 7 | 172.00 | 164.46 | |
| 5 | 1-1-0 | .500 | L1 | 6 | 162.78 | 193.00 | |
| 6-5 | 1-1-0 | .500 | L1 | 5 | 222.84 | 238.24 | |
| 7-4 | 1-1-0 | .500 | L1 | 4 | 173.54 | 182.06 | |
| 8 | 1-1-0 | .500 | W1 | 3 | 156.90 | 151.44 | |
| 9-3 | 0-2-0 | .000 | L2 | 2 | 204.30 | 220.68 | |
| 10-3 | 0-2-0 | .000 | L2 | 1 | 157.82 | 174.08 | |
* Rank change shown is from week 1 – 2
At least the next time I talk to TC, I'll be able to give him the good news that he is in 3rd place!
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:13 (average 4:21). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Short Takes
The Nation — h/t JL — The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and National Voter Registration Act of 1993 enfranchised millions of new voters. After passage of the VRA, for example, the number of black registered voters in the South increased from 31 percent to 73 percent. Despite these landmark laws, 51 million Americans—1 in 4 eligible voters—are still not registered to vote. “Among eligible voters, some 30 percent of African Americans, 40 percent of Hispanics, 45 percent of Asian Americans, and 41 percent of young adults (age 18-24), were not registered to vote in the historic 2008 election,” according to Demos.
During the 2012 election, the United States ranked 31st of 34 developed countries in voter turnout. Yet 84 percent of registered voters cast ballots. The US doesn’t have a voter turnout problem; we have a voter registration problem. Our turnout is abysmal because so many eligible voters are not even registered to vote.
But why is the registration rate so low? As I understand, the registration process is controlled by the political parties. I remember reading about voter registrations ending up in dumpsters . . . registrations for people likely to vote Democratic, or voters that were registering as Democrats. The parties should not be involved in registrations. But that is only one part. I suspect that there are people that figure their vote does not count, so why go to the trouble. I also think the differences state to state in early voting, voting hours, long line-ups to vote etc all contribute to less than ideal participation rates. Until this function is taken over by a federal agency, I see no chance of reform. Look at the administration of Canada's federal election. It isn't perfect, but there isn't the corruption of the system as there is in the US.
Rachel Maddow — Rachel recently interviewed Bernie Sanders. Here is video of this 16 minute interview.
When I was doing some research, I came across this Rachel video "Punch in the face starts the day's 2016 news" and was very amused when she reported that among Republican voters in Vermont, Bernie leads the way tied with Trump and Jebya at 12% of the vote. I could not imbed the video but connect to it from the link. It is in the first 5 minutes and is quite amusing. To say that Bernie has a broad appeal is an understatement. Or is this an indication that Republicans, at least in Vermont, are not too swift?
Go Bernie! I don't even get to vote and I can "Feel the Bern". I know many Canadians would be happy with Bernie as Prime Minister, but our election is 3 weeks away . . . not enough time for Bernie to get in.
Huffington Post — "I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone pipeline as what I believe it is: a distraction from the important work we have to do to combat climate change, and, unfortunately from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward," Clinton said.
"Therefore, I oppose it," she said. "I don't think it's in the best interest of what we need to do to combat climate change."
Well finally! A clear statement of where Hillary stands on the Keystone XL and a statement about climate change. I rather liked her suggestion of a "plan for a North American approach to fighting climate change and clean energy" . Let's hope, God forbid, that Stephen Harper is not the Prime Minister after the 19/10/15 Canadian election. He did not work well with Obama when it came to the Keystone XL.
My Universe — Amen!
Today is not only the first full day of Pope Francis – a pope who has taken a stand on so many issues that drives the republicans crazy, so God Bless this pope – on American soil, but there are other significant moments.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur – or Day of Atonement – is the highest holy day of the Jewish year. It began at sundown yesterday and is marked by fasting for 25 hours.
Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) is the day of repentance, the most holy day on the Jewish calendar. Described as a Shabbat shabbaton (Shabbat of solemn rest) in the Torah, Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, prayer, and reflection. Yom Kippur is the culmination of a period of time during the month of Elul in which Jews are required to take stock of their lives, to ask forgiveness from friends and family, and to take steps toward self-improvement for the year to come.
Since it’s a day of reflection and repentance, it is not appropriate to wish someone a “Happy Yom Kippur”. The most common greeting is "G'mar Chatima Tovah" – which literally means “A good final sealing”, or idiomatically, “May you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for Good”
You may also wish them a “Tzom kal” – an “easy fast” which began last night at sundown.
To learn more, here’s a pretty comprehensive reference:
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/yom_kippur.html
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha, the [Islam] Festival of Sacrifice, is observed on from the evening of Sept. 23 to Sept. 24, 2015 in North America. One of two feast festivals celebrated by Muslims, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of the Islamic calendar’s last month, Dhu al-Hijjah.
Eid al-Adha falls within the annual pilgrimage to Mecca known as the hajj. Determining the exact date of Eid al-Adha is a point of contention and some wait for an official announcement from the authorities in Mecca.
The actual date varies depending on your location around the world, because it’s based on the sighting of the moon. To learn more:
http://www.when-is.com/eid-al-adha-2015.asp
Autumnal Equinox
And today is a day that we can ALL celebrate – the First Day of Fall! It began at 4:21 AM (ET) – so start warming up your rakes.
(It’s also my neighbor’s Birthday – but you don’t have to do anything special for that one. But I’m planning on popping a few balloons to celebrate.)
The four of us who have been working both in front of and behind the scenes (Lynn [aka “Squatch”], JLA, Joanne D, and myself, SoINeedAName) share your desire for as much information on TC as possible. But we respect his privacy, and recognize the hospital has an ethical and legal obligation by HIPAA to also protect his privacy. So our information flow will be much more limited than I’m sure we all might like – but also recognize the paramount importance of TC’s privacy.
Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to speak to TC’s nurse – a different one from last week. I again identified myself as a physician in order to help with communication, but was hampered by my profound hearing deficit (although this time we didn’t have to resort to the “Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc.” alphabet to spell out words.) She was very bubbly and quite chatty.
There is some very good news that she was able to share! Last time I told you that TC’s renal function, that had been so severely compromised it required medical intervention, was improving as evidenced by lab parameters.
But today I'm glad to tell you that not only have his renal functions continued to improve – but they have gotten so much better that it's no longer needed. YIPPEE!!
He’s now urinating on his own and the Renal Service that was caring for him is so confident that he has turned the corner that they have actually signed off from seeing him – and it's always great news when fewer doctors need to come to see you!
He’s also being weaned off his sedation to the point that he’s now able to communicate to some degree with the medical staff to questions and commands.
So there’s some very good news, indeed.
However, for all of you in the health care professions, as well as anyone who has been critically ill themselves or had a family member who needed ICU care, know – there will always be bumps on the road to recovery. Some of them may be anticipated, and some unanticipated. It’s just the nature of the beast.
But for today, we can all celebrate a very good and encouraging update on TC!
It goes without saying that TC is still in need of our thoughts, prayers or whatever spiritual mode you use to send good vibes to him.
Lynn has graciously offered to serve as the point person to relay cards you would like to send to him. This is from her earlier post:
A reminder for those wishing to send cards to TC, please address them as follows:
"TomCat"
c/o Lynn Squance,
436 Lehman Place,
Port Moody, BC
Canada
V3H 3Z6
For US residents: Please note: International Postage required!
http://www.stamps.com/usps/postage-rate-increase/
For other International residents: please check locally for stamp rates
For Canadian residents: please use “oversize” letter rates if applicable (applies to many but not all cards):
https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/farLetter?execution=e5s1
Today turned out not to be as busy as I thought. My ESL student is sick so cancelled our class. That gave me a chance for a short Lona cat nap after physio before finishing this post. The nap didn't last long as there were fire trucks and ambulances in the street below my window. I am blessed with the local hospital across the street to the east, and the main fire hall across the street to the west. No matter their proximity, the truck engines and sirens were wailing away keeping me from a nap. At least I managed a good sleep last night.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:28 (average 6:17). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Daily Kos — … Stewart also offered a "warning" to the first responders as they prepared to trek the halls of Congress. "Today, on [Capitol] Hill, you will be exposed to possibly toxic levels of bulls**t and arrogance," …
Now isn't that the truth! As Jon said (paraphrase) to a gathered group of first responders, when the need was there, you jumped in right away to do what you were trained to do. Why should you have to push to get the benefits needed as a result of your heroism? Jon is so spot on, and we know where the problem lies . . . with Republicans!
CBC — "Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top of the field. With that in mind, I will suspend my campaign immediately," Walker said at a press conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
"I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the current front-runner," Walker continued. "This is fundamentally important to the future of the party and more importantly to the future of our country."
Read the rest of the story through the link.
Well, the darling of the Koch set has pulled the plug on his 2016 presidential aspirations. I wonder how the Kochs are taking it? A while back, I distinctly had the impression that the relationship between Walker, the Fartfuhrer of Fitzwalkerstan, and the Kochs had significantly cooled.
Here from the Huffington Post is a series of tweets from Liz Mair, a former aide to the Fartfuhrer describing why he couldn't win the White House in 2016.
Alternet — … The drug, called Daraprim, was acquired in August by Turing Pharmaceuticals, a start-up run by a former hedge fund manager. Turing immediately raised the price to $750 a tablet from $13.50, bringing the annual cost of treatment for some patients to hundreds of thousands of dollars. … Shkreli claims that the higher cost for the drug is necessary for his new company to develop better treatments for toxoplasmosis, a claim which doctors quoted in the Times article call hollow as the side effects for Daraprim are manageable and there is no "clamoring" for a substitute. Interestingly, Shkreli's is the same type of claim pharmaceutical companies made in response to efforts to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.
Read the rest. I find it inexcusable for such price increases. Ultimately, it hurts everyone and will lead to greater loss of life.
My Universe — h/t JL — Ah, the humble toilet paper roll that every cat parent understands! My little Annie has shredded one or two, but her favourite is the famous paper towel roll. She renders them useless . . . totally useless!
Willie Velásquez:
"Su voto es su voz"
"Your vote is your voice"
Daily Kos h/t JL — Republican presidential candidates have been making racist remarks about Latinos in the U.S., and they aren't falling on deaf ears. Those same candidates choosing to skip July's National Council of La Raza conference in Kansas City—which was attended by Democrats Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O'Malley—didn't go unnoticed. Acting as if Latinos don't matter in U.S. elections is not only bad politics, it is the height of political stupidity.Latinos listen.
Read the rest of the article at Daily Kos
Everybody needs to listen and then vote. The various Latino communities are listening and working hard to get people registered. What are you doing?
On 19 October 2015, Canada is having a federal election and many, many of us are hoping to kick Stephen Harper to the curb with his Conservative Party Harlots as I call them. Harper is using the US Republican play book making a mockery of our democracy. I have people say to me "My vote won't make a difference so I'm not likely to vote. We'll see."
Voting is a DUTY, a responsibility we MUST embrace if we are to have a government that is worthy of us! If you don't vote because you couldn't be bothered, then don't complain about the government you get.
To quote Arielle at Care2, "Afraid one of these nuts [Republican presidential candidates] will be elected?"
There is a remedy . . . either register or update your registration, and then
VOTE!!!
Regardless whether you vote with electronic voting machines or mail in ballots like Oregon, you need to be REGISTERED!
National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, 22 September 2015.
With many US jurisdictions having November elections with registration deadlines in advance of the election, it is imperative to register or update your registration if you have moved. If you have questions about your registration, please contact the League of Women Voters .
Once you are registered, make sure that you
I’m channeling my best Rep. Joe Wilson (R-Dumbfukistan) to borrow his “YOU LIE!” scream – only this time it’s True.
We all recall the grisly rant of Carly Fiorina’s (R – Failed CEOs) last Wednesday during the GOP debate. She, along with the rest of the misogynist republicans, are clearly out to destroy Planned Parenthood – even if it takes outright lies. So just for a reference record, I want to archive a few Links to document that what Fiorina claims she saw and heard on a video does NOT exist:
“No video has surfaced showing the scene Fiorina describes taking place inside a Planned Parenthood facility.”
“… the scene Fiorina “dares” others to watch is not present in any of the Planned Parenthood videos.”
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/09/factchecking-the-cnn-republican-debate/
There is nothing in the videos made by CMP, either in the edited or full-length versions, that has anything approaching images of legs kicking or hearts beating.*
“That video relies solely on the interview and does not include footage to support her claims.”
http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/09/wrongometer-cnn-gop-debate-000246
“But the things Fiorina describes — the legs kicking, the intact "fully formed fetus," the heart beating, the remarks about having to "harvest its brain" — are pure fiction.”
http://www.vox.com/2015/9/16/9342165/carly-fiorina-planned-parenthood
“What she says happens in the Planned Parenthood video simply does not exist and she’s pandering to the extremist element of the Republican Party.”
http://reverbpress.com/politics/fiorina-uses-planned-parenthood-hoax-video-shock-value/
“… that what she chose to say in that moment is false.”
https://www.yahoo.com/health/fact-checking-carly-fiorinas-debate-statements-on-183132587.html
Take home message to Fiorina:
Given your history, if you REALLY want to destroy Planned Parenthood, you should become its CEO.
