TomCat

Memorial Day 2019

 Posted by at 9:24 am  Holiday, Politics
May 272019
 

Memorial Day 

This is almost identical to last the last three years’ Memorial Day articles.  I did not see how I could express my position more clearly. You may ask why I, as one who opposes war almost by definition, would want to celebrate the day in which we honor those military service people, who have given their lives in service to America.  From my earliest days as an antiwar activist opposing the war in Vietnam, I have believed that it is as important to honor the warriors, as it is to oppose the wars. They took an oath to obey and honored it.  They had nothing to do with the decisions.  I have no doubt that, if those who died in our Revolutionary War, for example, can look at today’s Republican wars for hate and greed, they are shedding tears over the senseless waste of life, but honoring their comrades as they fall. Now, unlike Veterans day, Memorial Day is not intended as celebration of those who served and survived.  Nevertheless, to all veterans who read this, thank you for your service.  I thank God that you are not among those whom we honor today. Finally, if you are in the service now,  I consider your lives far too precious to spend defending Trump’s personal profit or Russia’s national interest.  I urge you to take care to preserve your lives and those of your comrades. 

RESIST!!

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May 272019
 

I overslept, so I must have needed the sleep.  I still feel pretty tired as we worked very hard yesterday, so I’ll be brief.  C2NN is still in thrall to the Care2 Glitch Monster.  I’m using the “Ad to Any” plugin to upload articles to C2NN, but I don’t know if they’re getting through.  Memorial Hugs.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:31 (average 4:49).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Reach to impeach? The battle between Pelosi vs. Trump

 

As long as this fight continues, Pelosi’s win count will increase, and Trump’s will be zero. Nevertheless, Pelosi needs to recognize that Democrats can walk and chew gum at the same time. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Protest Music): Jefferson Airplane -White Rabbit-

 

Ah! The memories! RESIST!!

From Alternet: China is not “stealing” American jobs.

President Trump loves to blame China for the job losses that have devastated American workers under globalization. But the truth is that Trump is blaming the wrong party. Trump’s reckless trade war against China is misguided and amounts to a colossal charade that will not solve the actual problem.

Yes, it is true that numerous American manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas to China, thereby leaving American workers jobless and suffering. But China did not steal these jobs…

…So if China is not at fault, then who is to blame for the devastation caused to American workers?

The answer is plain to see, and it lies within our own shores. The fault belongs squarely with corporate America.

It was corporate America that made these decisions. Corporate America decided to close their American plants and open new plants in China. Corporate America decided to lay off multitudes of American workers and ruin entire American communities.

The best example of this travesty is Wal-fart, who have given countless US manufacturers a choice between relocating manufacturing overseas and bankruptcy. Boycott the job exporters!  RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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May 262019
 

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox, as I wait for WWWendy to arrive.  I may be unable to publish this to Care2.  The Care2 Glitch Monster has taken over the site.  It took 20 minutes to get to my message box, and it won’t let me into C2NN at all.  This is today’s only article.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:41 (average 5:12).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: …Enter GOP rep Mike Hill.

Based on his Twitter and Facebook posts, he is one particularly nasty individual. He refered to Muslims on Twitter as the “demonic Muslim horde” and, on Facebook, posted a question on how his female Republican primary opponent could make decisions in office because she did not bear children. 

It’s this man who filed the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill this session, which forbids an abortion after detection of a fetal heartbeat, which usually happens at the six-week mark in the middle of the first trimester—long before a woman would know she’s even pregnant.  It’s based on complete junk science as the director of gynecology at UC San Francisco explains, it’s “a group of cells with electrical activity. That’s what the heartbeat is at that stage of gestation … We are in no way talking about any kind of cardiovascular system.”

The goal is, as always, to legalize a forced pregnancy. 

However, the bill at least originally included exceptions for rape, incest, domestic violence, human trafficking or if the woman’s life is in danger.

That is until God apparently got involved and called Mike up.

As plain as day, God spoke to me. He said that wasn’t my bill, talking about the heartbeat detection bill that I filed. He said that wasn’t my bill. I knew immediately what he was talking about.

He said you remove those exceptions and you file it again.

And I said, yes Lord, I will. It’s coming back. It’s coming back. We are going to file that bill without any exceptions just like what we saw passed in Alabama.

Funny that God didn’t mention anything to Mike about protecting our children from his party’s refusal to do anything about our state’s infamous gun violence.  After all, Florida now has more mass shootings of any other state, including the two largest in US history with Pulse and Parkland.

Republican Supply-side Jesus (the exact opposite of the real Jesus) teaches that the right to life begins at conception and ends at birth. RESIST!!

From TPM: President Donald Trump on Saturday night downplayed North Korea’s missile testing as “some small weapons,” and also claimed that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un called 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden a “low IQ individual.”

If I were Joe, I’d be thrilled. LOL! RESIST!!

From Crooks and Liars: In a perverse sort of way, you’ve got to admire the chutzpah of these con artists. Despite getting millions in tax breaks, flouting all kinds of labor laws, and never once turning a profit, the company behind this testament to fleecing the rubes are now suing their insurance carriers for refusing to cover…wait for it….an act of God.

And yes, those are dinosaurs on their stupid Ark.

Source: Louisville Courier-Journal

The owner of the life-size replica of Noah’s Ark in Northern Kentucky has sued its insurers for refusing to cover, of all things … rain damage.

Ark Encounter, which unveiled the 510-foot-long model in 2016, says that heavy rains in 2017 and 2018 caused a landslide on its access road, and its five insurance carriers refused to cover nearly $1 million in damages.

In a 77-page lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Ark Encounter asks for compensatory and punitive damages.

The ark damaged by a flood?!!? FOMCROTFPIMPLMAO!! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Worst 5 from Smellyanne

 Posted by at 9:44 am  Politics
May 252019
 

Smellyanne Conway has long been one of Twitter Twit’s favorite Republican goose-steppers.  Why?  No matter how extreme, offensive, incompetent, or just plain stupid it is, she will parrot any statement in sycophantic obedience to her Fuhrer.  Here’s one of five examples of Smellyanne’s worst.

0525Smellyanne

President Donald Trump isn’t the only Republican who has been railing against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week. Trump’s adviser, Kellyanne Conway, lashed out at the House speaker, telling Fox News that Pelosi “treats everybody like they’re her staff. She treats me like I’m either her maid or her driver or her pilot or her makeup artist driver, and I’m not.” The 52-year-old New Jersey native went on to denounce Pelosi as anti-woman, insisting, “She’s not very pro-woman. She’s pro-some women, a few women.”

Conway’s characterization of Pelosi as a tyrannical anti-feminist who throws her weight around and could care less what anyone else says or thinks is laughable in light of how diplomatic Pelosi has been not only with Republicans, but also, with fellow Democrats she disagrees with. Pelosi’s even-handed approach as House speaker has been one of give and take, not “my way or the highway.” For example, Pelosi clearly wasn’t happy about Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s “impeach the motherfucker” comment, but Pelosi said that while she “wouldn’t use that language” herself, she was “not in the censorship business.” Pelosi couldn’t oversee such a broad group of Democrats in the House if she didn’t have a give-and-take approach.

But then, Conway’s audaciousness is part of what makes her such a brazen, tireless cheerleader for Trump. Conway, much like Trump himself, is thoroughly irreverent and totally unapologetic about it.

Here are some of the most over-the-top things Conway has said or done along the way.

1. Conway popularized the term ‘alternative facts’

During debates, Conway can make a person’s head spin—which is exactly the point. She wants to frustrate and overwhelm her opponent. On January 22, 2017, NBC’s Chuck Todd aggressively questioned Conway about White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer exaggerating the number of people in attendance at Trump’s inauguration—and she asserted that Spicer was simply stating “alternative facts.” Todd responded that “alternative facts are not facts. They’re falsehoods.” But thanks to Conway, the Orwellian term “alternative facts” became the butt of jokes in political conversations…

Inserted from <Raw Story>

I shared the first of five.  Click through for the other four.

With even incompetent Republican rats deserting the sinking ship, Smellyanne may be the next SecDef or worse.

RESIST!!

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May 252019
 

It’s a busy day here in the old tiny CatBox, preparing for the new shiny CatBox.  Please expect no more than a Personal Update tomorrow, with no links messages on Care2.  It’s a WWWendy day, and we’ll be swamped.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:44 (average 5:58).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Beast: [L]ong before becoming president, Donald Trump called for the jailing of his adversaries. Aided by Attorney General William Barr, he may now actually be training the full force of federal law enforcement against his enemies, real or perceived. Unlike Richard Nixon, who acted in secret, Trump is corrupting the justice system openly and publicly.

The seriousness of such a presidential abuse of power, and its potential for undermining the constitutional order, could well surpass any of the crimes detailed in the Mueller Report. Indeed, the Congress long ago recognized that such misconduct can merit impeachment.

I have nothing to add, except for this. I could not agree more. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Manipulated videos of Speaker Nancy Pelosi that made it seem as if she were stumbling over and slurring her words continued to spread across social media on Friday, fueled by President Trump’s feud with the Democratic leader.

One of the videos, which showed Ms. Pelosi speaking at a conference this week, appeared to be slowed down to make her speech sound continually garbled.

The video has been viewed millions of times on Facebook and was amplified by the president’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, who shared the video Thursday night on Twitter.

Facebook’s Mark Fuckerberg was asked to remove the bogus Republican video. Of course, he refused. With Facebook, the only way to win is not to play. Unplug!! RESIST!!

From Alternet: Democrats in Congress are eager to have Special Counsel Robert Mueller testify publicly. But Mueller is dragging his feet — and making a big mistake.

New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chair of the House Judiciary Committee, gave his most extensive comments on the negotiations around Mueller’s pending testimony thus far Thursday night on Rachel Maddow’s show.

He said the Mueller is reluctant testify in public because he “doesn’t want to participate in anything that he might regard as a political spectacle.” Instead, Mueller would like to testify to the committee publicly. “He envisions himself, correctly, as a man of great rectitude and apolitical,” Nadler said.

My first reaction to this was simple: Tough. When Mueller was running the investigation, it was up to him to decide how public he wanted to be. Now that it’s over, if Democrats in Congress want to call him for a hearing that they use to further political talking points, that’s their choice. Mueller doesn’t get to be the ultimate arbiter of what is and isn’t political. And he’s not a flower that will wilt with too much exposure.

I agree with the author. I suspect Mueller does not want to state the reason he did not charge Trump with obstruction in public. Did Barrf tell Mueller that he would quash any charges against his Fuhrer? I have no proof, but do have a hunch. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

(because the verdict was overturned on a technicality) (Yes I know a chimp is an ape, not a monkey)

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Punish Assange Right

 Posted by at 10:19 am  Politics
May 242019
 

During the 2016 campaign, Julian Assange worked hand-in-glove with Russia to install Putin’s Pet Pervert, Donald Trump, in the White House.  The Republican Reich are showing their gratitude by trying to punish Assange.  The way they are doing it could not be more devious.  They are using the left’s justified anger against Assange to use him as a vehicle to destroy the Fourth Estate.

0524trump-wikileaks

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was charged Thursday with violating the Espionage Act by seeking out classified information, an escalation of the Trump administration’s pursuit of leakers that could have major First Amendment repercussions for news organizations.

An 18-count federal indictment alleges that Assange worked with a former Army intelligence analyst to obtain and disseminate secret documents — actions similar to reporting work at many traditional news organizations. The U.S. government, though, sought to distinguish the anti-secrecy advocate from a reporter.

“Julian Assange is no journalist,” said John Demers, the assistant attorney general for national security. He said Assange had engaged in “explicit solicitation of classified information.”

Press freedom advocates said the distinction being drawn by prosecutors offers little protection for journalists. Noted media lawyer Floyd Abrams said that Assange may be a “singularly unattractive defendant in a lot of ways” but added that the indictment “does raise deeply threatening First Amendment issues for journalists who cover national defense, intelligence activities, and alike.”

Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement that the indictment was “a dire threat to journalists.”… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Both Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow covered this story.  Here’s Chris:

 

Here’s Rachel:

 

Julian Assange is a total bastard for what he did to this nation.  For that, no punishment is severe enough. However, unless we fight to defend his rights now, the Republican Reich will use it against us all by destroying freedom of the press.

RESIST!!

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May 242019
 

I’m buried in paperwork regarding my move.  I’m in a rush.  Stray safe!  TGIF!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:21 (average 4:45). To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Theresa May announces resignation as UK Prime Minister

 

I thought it would come to this. Brexit has bitten the Bridiots’ asses. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: The House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, took advantage of Donald Trump’s storming out of an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday to hide the nuclear codes, Pelosi has confirmed.

Moments after Trump threw a tantrum and abruptly left his own office, the quick-thinking Pelosi turned to Senator Charles Schumer, who was also present for the meeting, and said, “Chuck, we’ve got to find those nuclear codes and hide them.”

Pelosi and Schumer ransacked the Oval Office for the codes until Pelosi finally located them in a desk drawer under a pile of empty Quarter Pounder containers from McDonald’s.

Dang Andy! If it were only true! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Daily Kos Channel): Rep. Katie Porter calls BS on Ben Carson’s excuse for not knowing his job

 

And another Republican earned a PhD in Bullshitology. (PhD = Piled higher and deeper). RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Republicans still refuse to believe it.

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Samantha Bee from 5/22

 Posted by at 9:48 am  Politics
May 232019
 

It’s that time of week again, and here are three excellent video clips from Sam’s show last night.  Enjoy!

Democrats on Fox

 

While I understand the desire by some candidates to try to reach the Sheeple, who watch the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise. However, anything that lends credibility to Faux Noise is a slap in the face of honest journalism. Kudos to Liz and Kamala for superior integrity.

Journalism’s Corporate Sponsors

 

Anytime Republican billionaires and corporate criminals invade a market, they transform it into a sewer.

Candidate Sweep

 

I love the humor. However, there are a bunch with no chance, who could challenge Republican incumbents in the Senate. That would better serve the American people.

It’s great to feel well enough to enjoy Sam. 🙂

RESIST!!

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