Another day, another dollar so to speak . . . or in my case, another 69.86 cents! Physio went well but having not slept well last night, I napped this afternoon. Tomorrow's outing is lunch with some lady friends. Then suddenly it is Friday again! Where does the time go?
Short Takes
Huffington Post — One Toronto all-girls school is hoping to educate the community on what gender transition entails.
Branksome Hall, a private school for girls near the city's downtown core, released their annual winter alumnae magazine The Read featuring two transgender men on the cover, former students Andy Sprung and Reed Wanless. Inside, they detail their unique gender transition stories.
Branksome is pioneering long overdue discussions about the LGBT community in an effort to be inclusive and understanding. Click through the school's paper, The Read, for articles about Andy Sprung and Reed Wanless on pages 12-17.
Politico — BARF BAG ALERT! — Sarah Palin addressed the “elephant in the room” at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally for Donald Trump on Wednesday, linking her son Track’s recent arrest on domestic violence charges to President Barack Obama’s neglect of veterans.
“I can talk personally about this. I guess it’s kind of the elephant in the room — because my own family, going through what we’re going through today with my son, a combat vet having served in a Stryker brigade fighting for you all, America, in the war zone. But my son, like so many others, they come back a bit different. They come back hardened,” Palin said.
More unintelligible drivel from Bull's Eye Barbie. She tries to lay her son's problems at the feet of Obama when she should be going after Baby Bush and his cadret that started the war in Iraq in the first place, and the Republican dominated Congress who consistently ignored veterans. Nobody can accuse Palin of telling the truth.
Politicususa — Senate Democrats challenged Republicans to vote on Donald Trump’s plan to ban all Muslims from the United States. Republicans refused, so Democrats blocked a GOP bill that would have killed the Syrian refugee program.
Reid explained why the Democrats blocked the bill:
Democrats stood ready to have a serious national security debate if Republicans would have allowed Democrats to hold votes on key national security issues including closing the terrorist gun loophole, funding for local and federal anti-terrorism efforts and voting down Trump’s proposal to impose a religious test on immigration to the United States. But Republicans would rather see their bill fail than take four simple amendment votes. Democrats will seek future opportunities to vote on these important issues.
As written, this Republican refugee bill cannot be signed into law. It is a step in the wrong direction – the direction of Donald Trump. I’m disappointed that the Republican leader broke his word in an attempt to bring up this failed legislation.
You would think that after the years dealing with McConnell, Harry Reid would know that the man has no honour . . . that he cannot be trusted. On the other hand, this shows just how fractured the Republican Party is!
My Universe —
10 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 20/01/2016”
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Huff Po: This is absolutely wonderful ! I hope other schools get on board with diversity.
Politico: While this is unfortunate for all veterans of ANY war, the GOP endorsed the war full throttle. Go talk to them, and put the blame where it really lies, Barbie!!
My Universe: Goodness, look at him! How cute!
Nice to read that you are going to enjoy time w/friends. I'm off here in a bit, preparation for Science Fair and volunteering. I enjoy my time w/the students, even tho' I'm retired. (Now it's fun!!)
Take care, and Thanks, Lynn.
I hope your knee is a bit better, Lynn. Yes, time does fly, doesn't it. Is that something we notice more when we get older perhaps, knowing the stack of days in the past is so much higher than the stack in the future? A lot depends on how busy you are, how much you feel you have left to do and how lonely you feel, I suppose.
HuPo: My first reaction to this article was: How contradictory, a private all-girls school (old-school) featuring two full-length articles about former students who successfully changed their gender to male (pretty daring). Man-to-woman sex changes occur far more often than the other way around, so featuring two such life stories at once is indeed pioneering and very understanding of the LGBT community. Neither of the two transgender men started their transition while in Branksome and it would have been very difficult for them to do so, I imagine. The school has now started a transgender working group to prepare for the future. As an all-girl school the necessity to study and set up protocols for transgender students is even more vital than co-ed schools, and may prove almost impossible despite their openness and willingness to start the discussion and give room to students in transition.
Politico: Thanks for the barf bag alert, Lynn. I've been weaned off videos in the last month and it wouldn't have been good for my stomach and my surroundings to get back on the horse again with one of Sarah Palin. I'm having trouble seeing and hearing her at the best of times, so I kept the contents of my stomach where they were by just reading the text; and that was bad enough. Besides barking up the wrong president for the troubles vets go through unaided on their return, it wouldn't occur to her that her terrible parenting skills are the most important factor in her son's problems. The police has been at her house not only for her son, I believe, and the problems with her kids are older than his combat experience. She's the parent in a dysfunctional family and she better acknowledge her part in that instead of seeking the limelight again and attacking Obama out of habit and convenience.
Politicususa: Of course Harry Reid knows that McConnel can't be trusted and his word means absolutely nothing to him, but he's a good enough politician not to let things come to a head. Or not, as it may be about time to show the American voters what cowardly and internally disagreeing Republican representatives they have chosen. By letting this opportunity slip, Trump has gotten himself an even bigger grip on the Senate than before and he can come out and say that the GOP is backing him on his anti-Muslim stance, this time without too much lying.
My Universe: And it is absolutely right! So cute.
You know those two pregnancies Bristol Palin has had …
BOTH out of wedlock …
AND by two different guys?
BOTH are clearly Pres. Obama's fault!
While I hope that Track gets the help he so clearly needs, whether it's PTSD or not, no one – and I mean NO ONE – plays the "Victim Card" as often as Rethuglicans do.
PS: Palin's getting quite a bit of pushback from Veteran's group telling her to cut the crap:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/veterans/vets-don-t-blame-obama-track-palin-s-behavior-n500716
One of those groups is Vote Vets, and here is a petition.
I gladly signed! I wish she would shut up and go home, and the media would ignore her.
HuffPo – Good for Branksome. Of course the trolls are out in the comments. But not all the comments are trolling, which is nice.
Politico – Perhaps (h/t NY Daily News) both Trump and Palin need T-shirts that say, "I'm with Stupid."
Politicususa – I'm sure Harry Reid knows all too well that McConnell cannot be trusted. But, even though he will not run again, it's not good for the party to stand up and say, "McConnell, the weasel, broke his word AGAIN." The way he said it is much more dignified, and we all know what he means.
Universe – My Archie, a Tuxie, did something like that once, but when I grabbed the camera, he got dignified in a hurry. He could be more UNdignified than any other cat I have ever known – but never for the camera!
It does seem to fly, doesn't it?
Kudos to Branksome!
I considered posting the video on this one, But opted not to. Bloody Bullseye Barbie, aka Drill Baby Dingbat, was unintelligible.
Dutbin had no right to equate Republicans with scalded cats. I ought to sue him for slander!
My kitty butt is much cuter than that one!!
"My kitty butt is much cuter …"
Don't know about the rest of the folks – but I, for one, will be glad to just take your word for it …
PUH-LEEZ!!!
😉
Hahahah!
Huffington Post: Good for that school! It is past time for transgenders to be treated with respect.
Politico: Any time Bulls eye Barbie speaks, we need a Barf Bag Alert!
Politicususa: I am sure Reid is well aware of McConnell's duplicity. Sometimes you have to pick your battles. This was one of those time.
My Universe: Adorable!