Well I think I have turned the corner with this flu/cold. I have done more sleeping today which has put me behind, but that is better than feeling crappy. I may go to physiotherapy tomorrow but it will only be for traction, no exercise as such as I still feel weak. As I sit here, I can hear two of my cats snoring . . . damn it sounds like a freight train rattling through the house. Thanks to Nameless for doing yesterday's Open Thread, and to Judi and Joanne for their maiden voyages.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 2:54 (average 4:42). To do it, click here . How did you do?
Fantasy Football
Boy, did my balls (footballs, guys, footballs!) ever get deflated last week by TC's Teabag Trashers . . . 29.88 more points! Arrggghhhh!!!!! He must be feeling better!
TomCat ready for football action!
| Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | W-L-T | Pct | Stk | Waiver | For | Against |
| 1 | 5-2-0 | .714 | L1 | 10 | 666.38 | 520.24 | |
| 2+2 | 4-3-0 | .571 | W3 | 9 | 631.04 | 679.24 | |
| 3-1 | 4-3-0 | .571 | L3 | 8 | 675.92 | 615.10 | |
| 4+3 | 4-3-0 | .571 | W1 | 7 | 658.80 | 589.98 | |
| 5 | 4-3-0 | .571 | W2 | 6 | 607.18 | 557.70 | |
| 6-3 | 4-3-0 | .571 | L1 | 5 | 606.72 | 582.20 | |
| 7-1 | 4-3-0 | .571 | W1 | 4 | 630.06 | 547.58 | |
| 8+1 | 3-4-0 | .429 | W1 | 3 | 618.74 | 683.76 | |
| 9-1 | 2-5-0 | .286 | L1 | 2 | 613.82 | 710.78 | |
| 10 | 1-6-0 | .143 | L6 | 1 | 499.24 | 721.32 | |
* Rank change shown is from week 6 – 7
Short Takes
Washington Post — Congressional Republicans shooting themselves in the foot isn’t new. What’s tragic about the Benghazi hearings is that they displace the serious inquiries that we desperately need about the direction of our foreign policy.
The United States invaded Iraq more than a decade ago. The assault — with costs including nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers killed and more than $2 trillion and counting — destabilized the entire region. The Islamic State grew in the ruins. No viable government has been created, and U.S. troops are going back in.
With all the US action in the Middle East, the saber rattling in Ukraine, indeed the rhetoric around the Iran nuclear deal, what country is considered to be the greatest threat to world peace?
The real scandal is not the partisan witch hunt now known as Benghazi in the US Capitol. The real scandal that Republicans won't investigate because it would also mean investigating and admitting their own complicity, as well as Democrats doing the same, is the role of the US in international affairs . . . the role of the US as the seeming policeman to the world. Have a look at another article in Salon which notes
Nowhere is this more evident than in the American Right’s bewilderingly impassioned obsession with the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi — a fanatic fixation that verges on the unhinged.
Unhinged indeed, and totally misguided.
From the House needs a Speaker file . . .h/t Joanne Dixon
A little levity from Senator Cory Booker
The Speaker's name is Bose, well known, and I understand non-partisan!
Slate — h/t Nameless — During her shift at Portland, Oregon’s Purringtons Cat Lounge on Sunday, Mary Numair looked out the street-facing windows and saw a woman carrying a sign that read “Abortion Kills Children.” Numair had noticed a group of protesters about a block away, gathered outside one of Portland’s Planned Parenthood health care centers. “I thought [the woman] might be lost. I said, ‘Hey, you’re gonna feel real silly. The protest is down that way,’ ” Numair, 29, told me. “She said ‘No, I need to stand here.’ I said, ‘Fuck this shit,’ went back inside, and started making my sign.”
I hope you'll read the rest of this short article. Hats off to Mary Numair! Personally, I don't know why people are so hush hush about yeast infections, but then I have caught myself speaking of them in hushed tones. As I understand, yeast and thrush are the same infection — fungal candida — (only thrush is more common in men according to a male diabetic friend of mine), just in different parts of the body. As a diabetic, I get them when I take anti-biotics which is why I dose up on acidophilus when taking anti-biotics. Everyone's body has some candida but it is kept in check by the good bacteria within the body. Unfortunately, broad spectrim anti-biotics kill the good bacteria leading to yeast or thrush infections. Why should anyone be denied care for such a problem? Planned Parenthood rocks!
My Universe —
Dad . . . I want to tell you a secret!
22 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 28/10/2015”
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WP: It is evident that the Repugs are complete and total ID's when it comes to foreign policy, and the decisions that they make for the people. The videos speak for themselves, sadly. On the same line, my daughter, (who is also a Navy Veteran and works in aviation/engineering), called me last night to mention that her 'old' employer, Northrup Grumman won the $80 BILLion Stealth Bomber contact from the Pentagon. Here we go again! ugh!!
Slate: Kudos to Mary for speaking her mind, and breaking up the protest. I like her style too! PP is a lifesaver for many women.
My Universe: Love this! This is priceless!
I don't know how in years past, that I worked every single day at my old school. I worked volunteer at my local intermediate yesterday, and I was exhausted when I came home. The students were fantastic though, and that's what matters with our younger generation. I have more days scheduled too. Glad to read that you've over the worst of your flu/cold. Y'all have a good day, and you, Nameless, Joanne, and JL take care. Thanks!
"$80 BILLion Stealth Bomber"
How much good could that same money do for domestic low income housing? . . . or nutritious food for low income citizens? . . . or for refugee resettlement? . . . or, well you get my drift.
I've seen that cat w/ the green "football helmet" dozens of times, and still get a kick out of it.
But I've always wondered what fruit/vegetable they used to make it. So today I Googled it, and it says it was a lime!
I find that incredible! Just to get something to stay put on their heads is amazing, but a LIME! I can't come near my critter with ANY kind of citrus fruit. (But he fights me over the fresh-from-the-tree peaches in the summer! And the vet said it's OK if eats some of the peach.)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickvug/495881
I've seen it so many times over the past few years, and I love it. I needed a new football themed one after using the one you sent earlier.
So good to hear you're over the worst of your flu and are feeling a bit better, Lynn. Keep continuing to look after yourself well and use as many of my catnaps as you like, they're sure to make you heal and feel better in a jiffy.
Washington Post: America still considers itself the policeman of the world and if we have a good look at the American police in general, that may be true in the eye of the world. Just consider the many parallels between the American PDs and world policeman America: brutality, violence and killings, racism (racial profiling) and bigotry, corruption etc. In both cases Congress denies there's anything wrong and refuse to allow independent investigations. American politicians seem to be blind to both internal problems and the problems with role America is trying to continue to play in the world, and this stubborn lack of self-reflection and refusal to even consider the possibility of making mistakes and doing things wrong let alone admitting to them and learning from them is why most other countries now see America as a threat to world peace.
But not to worry, Russia is now using the instability in the Middle East to regain some of its status as a world power and threat to world peace and doesn't lear from past mistakes, in Afghanistan for example) either, so in a short time the rest of the world is back to fearing both again.
From the House needs a speaker file: I'm sorry, I lack background to understand this. While on that subject: is it true that Paul Ryan is going to be elected as Speaker tomorrow and that the same Paul Ryan has appointed a corporate lobbyist as chief-of-staff?
Slate: Love this woman and her counter-protest! I hope she will continue to do this and that more people join her to show Planned Parenthood they're not alone in this. That, in fact, a very loud, bullying minority wants to shut them down for all the wrong reasons. I bet that many women in the group protesting the abortions performed by Planned Parenthood have had a yeast infection at some time in their lives as most women do. These Talibangelists may think they're as pure as the driven snow, but as Lynn has already stated, literally nobody is candida free.
My Universe: Big cats, small cats… all so adorable.
From the House needs a speaker file — Lona, that is a bose stereo speaker that Sen Booker (D-NJ) is holding up. It would be infinitely more effective than any Republican!
Bose Speakers
Does that help?
4:13 (average up to 5:01) A tipi sitting in front of a Medieval (or Medieval revival) castle is clearly cultural appropriation – but by whom?
Football – I'm with you, Nameless, the picture is hard to explain. Only to me it's not the citrus, it's the fact that it is specifically a lime. They aren't very big, yet that "helmet" appears to fit with room to spare. How tiny is that cat? (Cute, though.)
WaPo – I'm kind of surprised the Post even printed vanden Heuvel. She writes for The Nation, and does have a head on her shoulders. A lot of the problem, of course, is that the Rethuglicons have a good thing going in keeping people scared. My Congressman is a horrible example. I got an email from him this morning vilifying the President for the NDAA veto. If you have a big enough barf bag and enough strength you can watch his House floor speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRv48ByjOkM National Security? It is way past the point where our overspending on military is actually undermining our security instead of strengthen it. If I could draw, I would do a cartoon of Lamborn holding a gun or six in front of a home surrounded by barbed wire but in total disrepair, with starving wife and kids, all dressed in tatters, but with him babbling about how security is the most important thing.
Speaker – It does look too small to be a stereo speaker – mine are a lot bigger, but also a lot older and a lot cheaper. Bose has the reputation of being the best there is.
Slate – Good for her! I don't know about a wooden labia, though; sounds awfully stiff anf heavy. Maybe she should try papier maché.
Universe – "That's fine, son, just whisper in Daddy's ear." (If you don't know the joke of which that is the punch line, you should probably be grateful.)
JD, Katrina vanden Heuvel is editor and publisher of the Nation magazine and writes a weekly column for The Post.
3:21 My tipi tipped over.
3:08 I think we both got Big-footed out of the tipi.
What can I say guys but mwahaha! 😀
Fantasy Football ~ We we both deflated last weekend. I managed to hang on to first place and I don't know how. TC must be feeling much better to trounce you so badly.
Washington Post ~ The GOP is dysfunctional and will never admit its shortcomings. Here's another article by William Daley ( Pres. Obama's former Cheif of Staff) in the WP with a theory about their dysfunction and how it got started. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gops-dysfunction-all-started-with-sarah-palin/2015/10/25/bdd34892-7442-11e5-8248-98e0f5a2e830_story.html
Thanks for the levity Joanne. Please, Sen. Booker, don't break a Bose!
Slate ~ Kudos to Mary Numair and her persistent yeast infections. People just don't realize all the good accomplished by Planned Parenthhood. Thanks for sharing the link, Nameless.
Universe ~ It's the Lion King!
Keep getting better. Great job!! Go Trashers!!!
Thank you! I've been having a love affair with my pillow. Just finished a nap.
Looks like you're getting your puddy tat hiney kicked by Vivian! . . . but then your games are all Sunday, and one Monday game.
My answer re. threat to world peace.America under the Repugs(god help us all!. ) and surely everyone knows that W" kept America Safe!.According to JEB!.ON Which planet ,may I ask has JEB! been living. ? I guess. "fairy tale" land.
Three cheers for Mary Numair! I think I will try that when I see some of the holier-than-thou protesters that act like none of them have ever had any kind of infection that needed medication that they couldn't get over-the-counter!!!! It wasn't so long ago when those medications for yeast infections required a prescription EVERY time you had one!!!
The speaker of the house should be a Bose! At least, they have a long history of WORKING all the time!!! And they are the best there is, last I checked out stereo systems!!
Fanstasy Football has been a trying game for me. I have won a couple of games. But most of the time I get beat. That "lime" on that "cat's" head is very suspect. One is either very large, or in the other case, a very young cat. I just can't believe that's a lime on a cat's head. No self-respecting cat would let anyone put a fruit of any kind on its head like that!!! LOL!!!
Glad that you are finally feeling a little better!!! I got a flu shot the other day and it was about as bad as having the flu, I think!!! I couldn't lay on that arm for 4 days because of the shot! Seriously, tho, you need to get a flu shot when you get well enough to withstand it!! If you got that bad from a cold, the flu would be much, much worse!!!! Take care, my northern friend!
Vivian, as I said "The Speaker's name is Bose, well known, and I understand non-partisan!" but I should add your words "a long history of WORKING all the time". I wonder if Jameson's stock is going to take a tumble now that Boehner is no longer Speaker?
Glad you're improving.
Love the kitty even if the helmet was made from a lime Smurfball.
Just read where there's consensus that the Syrian war has climate change as at least a contributing cause and that if things don't change, that'll be the norm with the Middle East temperatures hitting an unlivable point for humans.
Love that Booker.
Heard SSD and Medicare premiums will remain as now in the bipartisan budget bill.
Sweet Universe today.
Heard the same thing about the Middle East . . . almost uninhabitable!
Glad you are feeling better!
Washington Post: I totally agree with this article. We cannot continue to "police" the world, there is no point in it because it cannot be done. The process of trying has bankrupted our country. Democrats and Republicans alike are guilty in this. They all owe the arms manufacturers in one way or another. I am especially disappointed that Obama has allowed this to increase under his administration.
Salon: The Republicans have kept up the Benghazi investigations solely to discredit Hillary Clinton. If it were an honest investigation, they would also be investigating all the embassy attacks under Dubya.
Slate: Bravo to Numair for her bravery in quashing this protest. Yes, the anti-abortion people think they have won the day because the nuts in Washington are catering to them to get their votes. The false video has been debunked and its authors should be prosecuted.
My Universe: Love this one.
My sister got a letter from her teacher's union this week telling her that the cost of Medicare was increasing from $104 per month to $159 per month and to call her Senator. She spent two days trying to call McConnells office, and never got through. The Repugs are going to kill Medicare before they do away with Social Security.
McTurtle probably had his staff put the receivers off the hook or something so that no one could get through . . . not that he cares about anyone else other than his rich benefactors.
Thanks everyone!
As you can see, TC is doing some postings . . . he is posting under "On the Edge" and has some short takes today. Don't expect one every day as he has surgery on Monday, but he'll be back. As the song goes . . . "The cat came back the very next day!".