It’s a chilly morning, here in the CatBox with a warm evening forecast. I slept well, but still feel tired. OGIM!
Puzzle Master:
Today’s took me 3:41 (average 5:05). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Huffington Post: Attorney General William Barr threatened to bail on a scheduled Thursday hearing of the House Judiciary Committee to review special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report if the panel moves forward with its proposed questioning format, two senior Democratic committee aides confirmed to HuffPost.
The Justice Department allegedly took issue with the panel’s plan to allow committee counsels for each political party to ask Barr follow-up questions for 30 minutes each following the traditional round of questioning by its members.
Barrf has it bass ackwards. Congress, not Barrf, determines the rules for Congressional committees. RESIST!!
From Alternet: With the release of the Mueller report, it is quite clear that Donald Trump has obstructed justice and lied to the American people, and, while there are no definitive links between Russia and his campaign, it is pretty clear that Russia helped him and his campaign, and that the Republican Party does not care.
The pursuit of power at any cost has consumed the Republican Party. It seems as if power is all it cares about. It does not care if you receive medical care, it does not care if you receive an education (it would prefer you don’t). What it does care about is making sure that taxes on the rich and on large corporations stay low, not because it believes the wealth will trickle down, but because it will allow its benefactors to increase the wealth they already have. Which is why Donald Trump will likely not face justice until he is out of office. Mitch McConnell would never let a Republican President be convicted by the Senate, even if there was no doubt about his guilt.
Mitch McConnell is the real cancer on our country. He has done more than anyone to make the U.S. Senate the most nonfunctioning governmental body we have seen in our history. This has been evident since 2010, when he uttered the words, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” He then went on to obstruct everything that President Obama tried to do, including judicial appointments—capped off with preventing Merrick Garland from receiving even so much as a hearing toward his confirmation to a seat on the Supreme Court.
Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten is just a figurehead. When he’s gone the Republicans, who are even more evil will smile sweetly and say, “Who, us? Oh No! It was all Trump!” RESIST!!
From Vox: 1) What is Ramadan actually about?
Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year for Muslims — the Prophet Mohammed reportedly said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained.”
Muslims believe it was during this month that God revealed the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s sacred text, to Mohammed, on a night known as “The Night of Power” (or Laylat al-Qadr in Arabic).
During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset. It is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline — of deep contemplation of one’s relationship with God, extra prayer, increased charity and generosity, and intense study of the Quran.
But if that makes it sound super serious and boring, it’s really not. It’s a time of celebration and joy, to be spent with loved ones. At the end of Ramadan there’s a big three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. It’s kind of like the Muslim version of Christmas, in the sense that it’s a religious holiday where everyone comes together for big meals with family and friends, exchanges presents, and generally has a lovely time.
Despite the hardship of fasting for a whole month, most Muslims (myself included) actually look forward to Ramadan and are a little sad when it’s over. There’s just something really special about knowing that tens of millions of your fellow Muslims around the world are experiencing the same hunger pangs, dry mouth, and dizzy spells that you are, and that we’re all in it together.
This is the first of nine questions about Ramadan. Click through for the other eight. I particularly liked #9. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
9 Responses to “Open Thread – 4/29/2019”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
HP: He sounds like a petulant child, rather than stating the facts correctly to the committee on the date he committed to. I’m glad to see that he’s happy to go to jail, if he doesn’t. Good grief !! How much dirt is dt putting in his head?
AN: The title says it all, doesn’t it? MM has to go, he’s a burr to our government and politics. What a tool.
Vox: Interesting, and most informative article. Thanks for posting this. (passing on too.)
Cartoon: Yep, pretty much!
Even when I nap, I feel tired waking up, lol. Hope that you have a good rest of your day, take good care, and Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: dt- “What am I signing now, Radar?” Nothing, you need to know, or worry about, Sir.” dt- “Okiedokie! ~ James G. ~
5:31 Salad?
HuffPo – I would ask who he thinks he is, if I didn’t already know. Somewhere around the house I have some postcards that have a Victorian wedding illustration and the caption “My husband and I have religious differences. He believes he’s God, and I don’t.” Mrs. Barr needs one of those.
AlterNet – Ah, another article reprinted from Daily Kos. there’s a lot of that these days. Here’s the DK link if anyone like me prefers DK comments to AlterNet comments as a rule. Incidentally, DK doesn’t seem to mind, “provided only that they don’t distort it.”
Vox – Ramadan starts this year (maybe) on my wedding anniversary. Great minds – I had already selected some backgrounds to make new graphics for it and Eid and a couple of others. Reading through, it struck me as charming that cell phones are now honorary minarets. Also, I certainly agree with you on #9. Some things don’t change between different cultures.
Cartoon – Sadly true.
There is no question that the full, unedited, uncensored Mueller Report needs to be made available to everybody who wants to read it. Keep signing those petitions and contacting the correct officials!
HP: Barr is not being a petulant child, though he certainly looks like it. No, he is following script. When was the last time Dumpy allowed a member of his admin. to appear before congress and act responsibly?
Alternet: History will not be kind to the Bought Bitch, deservedly so!
Vox: Interesting.
‘Toon: Indeed sad!
3:33 Watch out! Underneath those pretty flowers lurk some nasty prickles.
HP: I agree with Mitch; Barrf is just following orders. He’s been told not to cooperate just as he’s been told to make out the Mueller report exonerating Drumpf. It’s clear why Drumpf wanted Barrf in this position: he’s arrogant enough to pull it off as “taking issue” and telling Congress how to run their Committees.
Alternet: It was already clear under Obama: Mitch McConnell is the biggest threat to democracy, capable and willing to do ANYTHING to keep himself and the GOP in power, even if it meant taking the flak for his stooge Drumpf. Democrats had their chance voting him out in 2016 but didn’t, in 2020 they MUST, for all our sakes.
Vox: I’m always interested in cultural aspects, but have already been brought up to speed on Ramadan years ago by Muslim friends and colleagues who kept to it
Cartoon:That’s only for those without a concealed-carry licence.
Puddy Tat does not have to worry about the prickles. That is your plant, not his.
HP: Must be like Mich and Lona states: that he’s following his master’s orders. He should be told that if he doesn’t he will be slap with fines and subpoenas.
AN: Despicable to read about mItch the bI*ch. How do these useless creeps keep their jobs?? Never mind, I know the answer…it because of the jacka*s leader we have too. If their not out of there soon, I honestly pray they will be out voted in 2020.
Vox: Ramadan sounds interesting. Never knew that they fast for 30 days. That’s an awfully long time. Pray they keep safe when they do. Must be lots of fun when it ends with the 3 day of celebrating.
Puzzle — 4:32 Well at least I beat the average for a change!
Huff Post — Obviously, Barrf has not heard of Contempt of Congress and the penalties for same. It seems that the king maker thinks he too is immune from the requirements of the law, just like his would be king. What a freaking putz!
AlterNet — A wise saying comes to mind which applies the Dark Lord and all Republicans: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I had that dream (nightmare?) again where I verbally flipped the bird at Trump very publicly. He was outraged and said I was impudent but the Secret Service were laughing. I reminded Trump that respect was earned and he had not earned one iota of respect.
Vox — I knew about most of this having learned from my Muslim friends. But #9 is priceless and true.
And terrorists are not confined to Muslims!
Cartoon — Sounds about right. As I recall, during the last election some tried to enter polling stations with guns/rifles at the ready.
Thanks and fire eyes hugs to all.