TomCat

Open Thread – 3/21/2019

Posted by TomCat at 10:11 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 212019

It’s a temperate day, here at the CatBox. We didn’t finish our business yesterday, so I’ll go back Monday afternoon. It was a long day, and I’m very tired.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:40 (average 5:21). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Donald Trump Disregard For Congressional Oversight Untenable In America (25 min.)

Damn! Trump and the Republican Reich, that has enabled him almost without exception, could ruin a wet dream. If you thought Putin’s Plaything would produce documents or personnel, we need to talk about my bridge for sale. It spans the East River. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Bernie Sanders Channel): Amy’s Daughter Died Because She Couldn’t Prove She Had Insurance

Condolences to Amy and her family. This must not happen here. Bernie is right about this. We need universal health care, such as Medicare for all. RESIST!!

From NY Times: As the pilots of the doomed Boeing jets in Ethiopia and Indonesia fought to control their planes, they lacked two notable safety features in their cockpits.

One reason: Boeing charged extra for them.

For Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers, the practice of charging to upgrade a standard plane can be lucrative. Top airlines around the world must pay handsomely to have the jets they order fitted with customized add-ons.

Sometimes these optional features involve aesthetics or comfort, like premium seating, fancy lighting or extra bathrooms. But other features involve communication, navigation or safety systems, and are more fundamental to the plane’s operations.

Many airlines, especially low-cost carriers like Indonesia’s Lion Air, have opted not to buy them — and regulators don’t require them. [emphasis added]

In short, the people were killed by the greed of Boeing Republicans. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Personal Update – 3/20/2019

Posted by TomCat at 5:46 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 202019

Off to my appointment. No worries. This one is volunteer related.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:10 (average 5:00). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Take:

From The New Yorker: Capping an extraordinary year for the former television host, the Kremlin has named Donald J. Trump its Employee of the Month for December.

“No one has worked more tirelessly for the glory of the Fatherland than Donald Trump,” the Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an official statement. “He has set a high bar for all Kremlin employees, and for that, we salute him.”

To mark the honor, Trump’s name will be added to a plaque that hangs in the hallway outside the Kremlin’s H.R. office.

Back to straight news, Andy? RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Republican Reichcession

Posted by TomCat at 10:07 am Politics

Mar 192019

Did you vote for Trump? Did you waste your vote on a third party candidate? Did you stay home? If you answered ‘yes’, pull down your pants, bend over, grab your ankles and get ready to say BAAAA-A-A-A-A-A-A! A recession from the bowels of the Republican Reich, a Republican Reichcession, is on the way. Sadly, the rest of us get it too. And guess who was right?

I first suggested the U.S. economy was headed toward a recession more than a year ago, and now others are forecasting the same. I give a business downturn starting this year a two-thirds probability.

The recessionary indicators are numerous. Tighter monetary policy by the Federal Reserve that the central bank now worries it may have overdone. The near-inversion in the Treasury yield curve. The swoon in stocks at the end of last year. Weaker housing activity. Soft consumer spending. The tiny 20,000 increase in February payrolls, compared to the 223,000 monthly average gain last year. Then there are the effects of the deteriorating European economies and decelerating growth in China as well as President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war with that country…

Inserted from <Bloomberg>

This is who was right:

To save the US…

Vote Blue!

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 3/19/2019

Posted by TomCat at 10:07 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 192019

Yesterday’s dental appointment was most disappointing. The filling fell out of two teeth, because they had been decaying underneath them. With only three teeth in my mouth, none of which matched up, saving them would not be worth it, even if I could afford root canals. He had to dig out roots, so I’m hurting pretty bad, but the pain would be just as bad, were I doing something else. I took one of my Oxycodone to sleep last night, but doubt that I’ll need one tonight. One tooth left. Today is busy and unusual. I can’t be here for Store to Door tomorrow, so I ordered groceries from Safeway.com. They are delivering later this morning. WWWendy has to work late tomorrow night, so she’s coming tonight and Saturday this week. I have to leave for my appointment at 7:15 AM tomorrow, so my Personal Update will be late AM or early PM.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:24 (average 4:59). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Elizabeth Warren: Get rid of the Electoral College

I agree with Liz on every point except the need for a Constitutional Amendment. It would take many years, and Republicans can block it easily. We need to take over enough states to pass the National Popular Vote. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Robert Reich: Why Unions Matter to You

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. The Reich on the right, the Republican Reich, is wrong. The only union those Koch suckers support is the union between what’s left of your wealth and a billionaire. RESIST!!

From The Daily Beast: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to starve the Christchurch mosque attacker of the infamy he sought by refusing to ever say his name aloud. Appearing in parliament for the first time since Friday’s shootings, which left 50 dead, Ardern opened with the Arabic greeting “as-salaam Alaikum.” She went on to say: “He sought many things from his act of terror but one was notoriety, that is why you will never hear me mention his name… He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless. And to others, I implore you: Speak the names of those who were lost rather than the name of the man who took them. He may have sought notoriety but we, in New Zealand, will give nothing—not even his name.”

I agree. Refer to him using a title instead; call him “the Republican”. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Personal Update – 3/18/2019

Posted by TomCat at 6:54 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 182019

I’m headed out to the dentist. ARGH! 🙁

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:22 (average 6:03). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

RESIST!!

Personal Update – 3/17/2019

Posted by TomCat at 8:48 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 172019

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy is coming, and we have many chores to complete. This is my only article today. Monday and Wednesday will also be one article days, with no links messages on Care2.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:05 (average 4:37). To do it, click here. How did you do?

A Special Day:

Short Take:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Trump Admin Tracked Individual Migrant Girls’ Pregnancies

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone inserted a 20 lb. Saguaro cactus up Scott Lloyd’s butt and made him carry it for nine months? RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Bill Maher from 3/15

Posted by TomCat at 9:58 am Politics

Mar 162019

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

Monologue: Price of Admission

I think the media have concentrated on covering the celebrities to avoid covering the 0.1% scions.

Andrew Gillum

I bet a dollar that Bill could develop a medical need. I hope Gillum runs for the US House in 2020.

New Rule: Get In the Bubble

I disagree. The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, is trying to grow their audience and make the Democrats Trump fears most look bad. Both are bad for America. Let’s fight Republicans tooth and nail elsewhere.

I don’t always agree with him, but I surely like him!

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 3/16/2019

Posted by TomCat at 9:58 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 162019

It’s a comparatively warm day here in the CatBox as we enter a week of above average temps here. Please expect no more than Personal Updates with no links messages on Care2 tomorrow and Monday. Tomorrow is a very busy TomCat de-stink day with WWWendy. Monday is dentist day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:36 (average 5:10). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Huffington Post: Australian Senator Fraser Anning blames Muslims for the shootings at two mosques in New Zealand that left at least 49 dead in their places of worship.

0316Anning The politician drew immediate criticism after he released a statement on Friday declaring that the shooter ― an avowed white supremacist ― was motivated not by bigotry but by the “increasing Muslim presence” in Australia and New Zealand.

“Whilst this kind of violent vigilantism can never be justified, what it highlights is the growing fear within our community, both in Australia and New Zealand, of the increasing Muslim presence,” he wrote. “Let us be clear, while Muslims may have been the victims today, usually they are the perpetrators.”

This bigoted and dangerous point of view is one that Anning has been peddling for some time. In August, he called for a “final solution” to the Muslim “immigration problem,” evoking a reference to the Nazis’ “final solution” terminology used to target Jews during the Holocaust.

This proves that excrement need not be American to be Republican. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): FACADE OF PLASTIC PIETY

Amazing, Don! The problem is not from Christianity. It’s from Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christianity, the opposite of authentic Christianity. RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: In an interview with Breitbart, Donald Trump had a not-at-all-subtle message for his opponents. “I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump,” he claimed. “I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough—until they go to a certain point and then it would be very bad, very bad.”

Trump doesn’t make it clear who “they” are, or exactly what would have to happen before his collection of soldiers, officers, and bikers would be released to make things “very bad.” Not that details are required. Trump is making it clear he thinks he has the muscle on his side to get his way by brute force, no democracy required.

Brute force was the way of the extreme right even before the Republican Party became the Republican Reich by putting the extreme right in charge. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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PHP is a programming language used to build websites. We have it at all through our hosting partner, BlueHost. In order to update it, we have to go through Bluehost. During his life, TomCat was the only one who had access to our account there. I (JD) am now the only one. I have been to BlueHost and investigated updating our PHP to 8.3 or even to 8.1. I found instructions to do so - in fact, I found two conflicting sets of instructions. I went through one set of the steps and got the message that Our site could not handle 8.3, but that it had successfully updated to 8.1. I then went back here to see what it looked like. But I couldn't get in - either as an administrator or as a reader. It was just gone. I had to reach BlueHost by phone. It was determined that Politics Plus is in fact not compatible with any version of PHP newer than the one we have. BlueHost therefore uninstalled it for me, and the site came back to normal. Of course, like everyone else, I care about security. But I also am aware that TomCat elected to use different providers for several of the services that BlueHost provides, for instance backups. We are backed up daily - but not by BlueHost. However, out PHP is through Bluehost. I feel that if they are not worried about the older version, I am not going to worry about it. I believe that our security here is all or mostly through WordFence, whom I trust.