I have some wonderful news. Over the years, I’ve written nine letters to the Oregon Parole Board testifying that Steve, one of my guys in prison, should be released. Here, on more than one occasion, I have expressed frustration that Steve, the person among my guys, who most deserved a chance at freedom, had been rejected once again. Yesterday, Steve walked free. I wanted be there, but my volunteer co-workers and I agreed that repeatedly loading and unloading me in my chair in icy conditions was too hazardous and time consuming. Sandi sent me some pics, one of which I shall share after getting permission from Steve to do so. Having Steve released is the high point of my volunteer career. I actually had to open my window again.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:13 (average 4:58). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (Oregonian Channel): Oregon lawmakers pass gun control bill aimed at domestic abusers
More than one of my guys in prison, for whom I do volunteer work, had fights with their partners, and having domestic violence histories and no impulse control, shot and killed them. Two have told me they wished someone had taken away their guns before they did. Kudos to the Oregon Legislature. Oregon leads the way. RESIST!!
From YouTube (RWW Channel): RWW News: Center For Security Policy’s CPAC Panel Discusses How To Get Muslims To Leave The U.S.
A prime topic at CPUKE is Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christian hatred. RESIST!!
From NY Times: Sheldon G. Adelson, one of the most hawkish supporters of Israel among American Jews, has offered to help fund the construction of a new American Embassy in Jerusalem, according to the State Department, which on Friday said it was reviewing whether it could legally accept the donation.
The total price tag to build the new embassy to replace the current one in Tel Aviv is estimated at around $500 million, according to one former State Department official. While private donors have previously paid for renovations to American ambassadors’ overseas residences, Mr. Adelson’s contribution would be likely to far surpass those gifts — and could further strain American diplomacy in the Middle East.
Before the embassy is built, the Trump administration plans to open a temporary one in Jerusalem. On Friday, it said that it was accelerating the projected opening in time to mark the 70th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel on May 14.
Adelson gas already assured Trump’s support for Butcher Bibi with $200 million spent on his campaign. Now he wants to rush a fascist one-state non-solution, before the either the US or the Trump Reich implodes, one of which will happen. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
11 Responses to “Open Thread – 2/24/2018”
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4:22 Maybe Squatch can save him.
Oh, TC, what glorious news! It brings tears of joy to my eyes.
Oregon – Domestic and animal abusers (who often overlap) are good places to start. The numbers are clear. Congratulations to Oregon. I hope it can be effectively enforced east of the Cascades.
Speaking of domestic abusers …
RWW – Every one of us needs to take this personally. All over America, hospitals are staffing with immigrants and people of color who are willing (or are stuck) to work for inadequate wages and bevertheless give the jobs all they have. If we ever succeed in kicking out Muslims (many of whom, incidentally, have roots here back to the American Revolution and prior) and non-citizen immigrants, that will be the end of even minimal health care for anyone except the very wealthy.
NY Times – No words. Well, OK, I probably do have some words, but not ones I would like to use here.
Cartoon – The only winner in that case was the Court itself – and a good thing that was.
Thank you for that truly brilliant Randy Rainbow video, Joanne.
Ditto Lona!
congratulations to you and Steve
Amen!
oops…my bad.
RWW: How hateful can one get?? CPUKE is right!!
NYT: Not good at all. UGH!!
Wonderful and great news about your guy!! I wish him well in his endeavors too. Enjoy your evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
*Joanne, Thanks for my RR, isn’t he fantastic?? He’s wonderful !
Our country is currently so —-ed up, I would not be surprised to see it implode. Rise up, everybody, resist, persist, insist! Register to vote, if you aren’t registered – and make sure all of your progressive kith and kin are registered if they are old enough. Most importantly, get your butts to the polls and cast an informed vote! This may be the last chance we have to turn the USA around peacefully.
You and Steve: Wonderful! Kudos!!
Oregonian: Stopping the “Boyfriend” loophole in Oregon is something to be proud about!
YT/RWW: I am currently reading “What the Kur’an Meant, And why It Matters,” by Garry Wills, and finding as suspected, that much of the anti-Muslim rhetoric from the right has been based on lies, going back at least to William F. Buckley; lies propagated by people who, apparently, never read a bit of the book they passed themselves off as experts upon. Thomas Jefferson, yes, that Jefferson, was even accused of being a Muslim, because he referred to Muslims, among others, when he spoke of religious freedom! Stirring up fear and hatred, has long been a tactic of religious abuse! We are creating the very enemies we envision, as we speak! We are giving ISIS, created by G.W.Bush and D.Cheney, still more recruiting power!
NYT: And how much more recruiting power are we about to give ISIS, when we act on this stupid impulse?? The GOPIGS never tire of acting for the short term, and never learn how much damage they create in the long term!! And then they blame everybody else, as in claiming that Pres. Obama created ISIS, for example!
Congratulations to both Steve and you, TomCat
I can understand that you’re over the moon now all your hard work has finally paid off and you got to see Steve walk free…well, not literally, but close enough. Steve can now take back his place in society for which you’ve prepared him. The ?on your work there, TomCat.
OC: So good to see that there still are states where common sense prevails. Kudos to Oregon for ignoring Republicans, the NRA and the Drumpf administration and continuing on a course of progressive legislation.
RWW: What a perfect example of the warped mind of Republicans this was: Because the Somalian immigrants are mostly Muslims, they are by definition fake immigrants whose only purpose is to invade America and demand that they can practice their religion – I won’t even go into all the other Fake News accusations such as practising sharia law – and that is unacceptable for white pseudo-Christian Ohioans, so how do you get rid of them? After the equally warped and fake answer: Make them want to leave again by taking the Sharia away from them, it really works, I had enough for the day and killed the video. I had other business to attend to.
NYT: Adelson may be trying to keep Netanyahu in power by doing him a favour before Netanyahu’s little empire comes crumbling down too. Netayahu has a solid case on corruption against him, brought on by the Israeli police which recommended that Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted over allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The courts have ruled against a petition to keep it out of the limelight and some of his aids are abandoning him (Netanyahu Peril Grows, as Trusted Aide Agrees to Testify and Israelis are taking to the street, demanding his resignation:
‘Bibi go home!’ Israelis demand Netanyahu resignation over looming corruption charges
Nice to see all those peas in that same corruption-pod go down one by one. I think that at this point Netanyahu wouldn’t be very pleased if the Drumpf administration were to accept Adelson’s huge “donation”, it would rub off badly on him too, if only in the media.
Puzzle — 3:57 Sorry little bird . . . I could not save you, but if you fly exceedingly fast, you can escape Puddy Tat’s gaping maw!
The Oregonian — Now, if the Congress could only grow some cojones and follow suit!
RWW —
NY Times — Adelson’s donation (sic bribe) to Drumpf’s campaign is now due and payable. Another quid pro quo for Drumpf! And for this one, Drumpf is willing to destabilise the Middle East even more than he already has done. Disgusting!!!
My 23 cm (9 in) of snow was shoveled yesterday by my neighbour Rick, Silvano’s son. I was going to do it myself in the afternoon but he beat me to it. I have 2 dozen cookies for him when I see him later today. It has definitely warmed up . . . there is only about 15 cm on my roof now.
Kudos to Steve who has worked so hard to earn parole, and to you who has supported him. I’d be over the moon too!
Thanks all. Hugs. I know Steve will appreciate the good wishes.
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