It’s a hot day here in the CatBox. The normal high is 62°. For the next week, we’ll be 20°+ over that and pushing 90°. I’m feeling a little better, but am staying down to be sure. Prayers for Wendy, please. Her niece’s memorial service was last night, and her father will pass any day. OGIM!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:46 (average 5:08). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (Last Week Tonight Channel): Lethal Injections: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
There are two categories of nations: nations that do not execute prisoners and barbaric nations. End state sponsored murder, especially by slow torture. RESIST!!
From YouTube (Jesse Dollemore Channel): TRUMP IS FREAKING OUT!!! Robert Mueller to Testify Before Congress on May 15th!
Amen. I bet Barrf is freaking out along with his Fuhrer! RESIST!!
From Washington Post: Up to 1 million plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction, with alarming implications for human survival, according to a United Nations report released Monday.
The report’s findings underscore the conclusions of previous scientific studies that say human activity is wreaking havoc on the wild kingdom, threatening the existence of living things ranging from giant whales to small flowers and insects that are almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
But the global report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services goes a step further than previous studies by linking the loss of species to humans and analyzing its effect on food and water security, farming and economies.
[Read the U.N. global report: Species extinction rate is accelerating]
According to the report, more plants and animals are threatened with extinction now than any other period in human history. Nature’s current rate of decline is unparalleled, it says, and the accelerating rate of extinctions “means grave impacts on people around the world are now likely.”
A catastrophe that could wipe out all life on earth is an ELE (extinction level event). The Republican Party is an ELE. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
15 Responses to “Open Thread – 5/6/2019”
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6:06 “Ferocactus”? Can’t mean iron, or it would have two r’s. Wild cactus? but aren’t they all?
Sheesh! “Day of the Dolphin” is now “Day of the Whale.”
Now that my attention has been drawn to Venezuela, I am seeing news about it a lot more. All distressing.
John – Jesus?! That’s an even stupider “reason” than “deterrent” … because “deterrent” means it’s supposed to deter OTHER people from committing capital crimes, not the person being executed. (Spoiler: it doesn’t.) Moving on, yes, I’ve been following news about lethal injections (which I’m sure is only the tip of the iceberg.) The history of trying to make executions “more humane” is a book in itself. Yeah, hanging and the guillotine were probably improvements over crucifixion and beheading with a sword or axe (which usually required multiple strokes). Actually, I’m not sure anyone has ever improved on the guillotine … which kind of validates Dr. Guillotin’s good intentions, but you know what they say about good intentions.
Jesse – Just 9 days (but who’s counting?)
WaPo – Republicans (and unfortunately some non-Republicans) are way too ignorant (which theoretically could be fixed) and stupid (which you can’t fix) to grasp that the loss of even ONE of those species COULD have a side effect of wiping out all human life, including theirs. And there’s not a satisfactory way to predict which one or ones will have the most effect – some, yes, like bees, but some, we have NO idea.
Cartoon – What’s the expression? Beautiful and damned?
fero is short for ferocious.
LWT: I feel sadness for the crime that took place, and also for having someone being executed because of the crime. I wholly agree, with John, and I am against the death penalty.
JDC: I’m sure the House Dems will make us proud by their questioning to Mr. Mueller. And…likewise, I’m sure that Mr. Mueller will comply and speak truthfully, to ‘clear the air’…so to speak. Gotta buy some popcorn too!
WP: Very foreboding, and so depressing to say the least. I mourn for our future, and the generations coming behind us.
Cartoon: Of course.
I’ll be thinking of WWWendy, and offer Comfort and Prayers to her. Glad to read that you are feeling better, that’s good news! Hope that you still stay under the radar, get your rest, and take good care. Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: “Bogus potus was more than happy to talk to Putin about Mueller. (for over an hr. by phone). But was too scared to talk to Mueller about Putin.” ~ Robert H. ~
2. “Republicans in Congress better start learning Russian, so they can get their directions first hand.”
~Charlie S. ~
For the record – John Oliver has created http://wikileaksorwhatever.com/
With banner and squeaky desert frog
John Oliver: This puts the United States in the category of barbaric nations. Sometimes I wonder if there has even been a time when the USA was truly civilized. We may have handed fascism its a*s in WWII, but that doesn’t mean we were civilized then – not when blacks had to drink at separate water fountains and women were still barred from most jobs.
Jesse Dollemore: I can hardly wait. At least Barrf can’t redact anything that comes out of Mueller’s mouth!
WP: Hope and work for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Pleased (and relieved) that things are moving in the right direction health-wise.
I’ll keep Wendy in my thoughts & prayers.
LWTC: Ms. Hutchings is living a fairy tale, and there is NO evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent! The death penalty is simply, as stated, wrong! I think Freya has a good point about the U.S. perhaps never, yet, having become civilized!
Dollemore: All well put! I do not believe that TDump can prevent Muller from testifying. Well, he could do a pre-emptive nuclear attack on North Korea, that would hog some attention.
WaPo: See this, at C2: https://www.care2.com/news/member/565542931/4146752 It is called “More Evidence For That which Does Not Exist.” Deniers are either intentionally ignorant, or greedy, with no capacity to see beyond the tips of their noses…oh, duh? Republicans!
‘Toon: Wow, bigger than Mar-a-Lot-of sh*t!
Eek poor Wendy, Love & Light sent to her!
Glad you’re better TC!
Hugs xOx
4:16 Lovely flowers, surrounded by very sharp spikes; beauty for the eye only.
LWTC: I got to see this clip by mimicking being in America with VPN, and was glad to go to through the trouble. John Oliver, in his own ingenious and humorous way, really know how to make a case against the death penalty. Th whole discussion on which method of execution is the more humane is moot, serving no other purpose than to make pro-death-penalty people feel more comfortable with it, but, frankly, disgusting as executions are so clearly morally and humanely wrong.
JD:There are a lot of ‘ifs’ connected to the outcome of a testimony by Mueller. The administration will try anything to prevent him from being heard – including diversions such as Barrf ignoring his subpoena and not handing over the full report to Congress and while Mueller will never tell a lie, he will not come forth with any relevant information unless asked for. He certainly won’t come in with a box of new material like Cohen did. So the Democrats better have a clear goal in mind and prepare each question with their best lawyers to attain that goal. Better get a dentist in too, because it will be like pulling teeth; Muller isn’t one to hand out opinions, assumptions or guesses; only facts and only when asked the right question.
WP: Humans are not on the list of species threatened with extinction, but it’s finally dawning on some that nature’s decline is already impacting on humans too. Well, on some of us. At this rate, our species will be the last to go, with the 1%, safe in their bubbles the longest, to turn off the light.
Cartoon: Versailles was the place where the Sun-king could hide from the angry mob in Paris, which was starving while he and his courtiers could enjoy the opulence in ‘ignorance’. Sounds rather familiar, doesn’t it?
Wish WWWendy all the best in these difficult and sad times, TomCat.
“6:06 “Ferocactus”? Can’t mean iron, or it would have two r’s.”
For all those of us who took Chemistry 101:
LOL!
“Ferocious” does come from the same root as feral, BTW Another root with multiple related meanings.
I cheated. I looked it up.
LWT: I agree with Freya and Pat.
YT: tRump is doing everything that he can do to keep Mueller from testifying. I pray that the house can over ride his actions.
WP:Truly sad news.
Sorry to hear about Wendy’s family. Will have Wendy and her family in my thoughts and prayers..
Glad you are feeling better..
Thanks and hot tired hugs.
I’m sure WWWendy appreciates your kindness.
Puzzle — 5:40
John Oliver — The video is not available unfortunately. Having said that, I do not support state sponsored murder.
Dollemore — Freaking out is putting it mildly. Trump, a “human herpes blister”? — LMAO!!! The HHB likes to go on about the $35 million spent for the Russia investigation. What about the millions and millions spent by the Republicans on the numerous Benghazi investigations or the millions upon millions spent by Republicans to repeal the ACA? The HHB would likely say that was before him. He would just say that those happened before his time.
As an aside, AlterNet’s article: Constitutional scholars echo Pelosi’s prediction: Trump will not step down if he loses re-election in 2020 is quite revealing, especially if the Dems get their shit together and voters vote the HHB out of office.
As Dollemore says, the Dems need to bring their “A” game to the hearings and beyond.
WaPo — The only acceptable extinction is that of the Republican Party and their BS.
Cartoon — A beautiful palace but like so many things, a misplaced extravagance at the expense of the people.
Wendy, I am so sorry about the passing of your niece and your father’s imminent passing. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Sorry I am late but we had a power outage last night while I was working the post. I don’t know how long it was as I went to bed.