TomCat

Open Thread – 6/20/2017

Posted by TomCat at 12:49 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jun 202017

Yesterday we set another heat record for the date, 88° with extreme humidity. Now we have two days in the mid 70°s, before the next heat wave including mid 90°s this weekend. The building’s hallways and bathrooms are still so hot, that after my last trip to Republicate, my hair was sweat soaked and I had to dry it. Except for the heat, I’m feeling pretty well. Having gone from extreme Republicitis to extreme Republicosis, I returned to mild Republicitis. Now I have mild Republicosis. I guess this is what it takes to return to normal. I just put in tomorrow’s grocery order, and Thursday is my first outing. I have the preliminary appointment before my cataract surgery. Have a Republican-free day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:17 (average 5:27). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): Trump Appears to Be Self-Destructing | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

The Republican Party is desperate to hold the Fuhrer together, until they finish their task of giving the rest of YOUR money to billionaires, destroying YOUR freedom, and establishing their permanent, totalitarian Republican Reich. RESIST!!

From The Last Word: Jon Ossoff responds to Trump’s attacks

On the eve of the Georgia 6th District special election, Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff joins Lawrence O’Donnell to react to President Donald Trump’s attacks on him and explains why he is trying to talk about health care as much as possible during the campaign.

Jon is an example of a Democrat, who has tailored a progressive agenda to the needs of his own constituents. RESIST!!

From NY Times: If liberals voted at the same rate as conservatives, Hillary Clinton would be president. Even with Donald Trump’s working-class appeal, Clinton could have swept Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

If liberals voted at the same rate as conservatives, Democrats would control the Senate. Clinton or Barack Obama could then have filled the recent Supreme Court vacancy, and that justice would hold the tiebreaking vote on campaign finance, labor unions and other issues.

If liberals voted at the same rate as conservatives, the country would be doing more to address the two defining issues of our time — climate change and stagnant middle-class living standards. Instead, Trump is making both worse.

RESIST!! And…

VOTE BLUE!!

Cartoon:

0620Cartoon

Republicans Use Scalise Shooting for Propaganda

Posted by TomCat at 1:22 pm Politics

Jun 192017

Amid all the hoopla about bipartisan comity in the aftermath of the shooting by a deranged regressive that pretended to support Bernie Sanders, I predicted two things. First I thought it would last for days at most. Second, I knew it would be Republicans that would abandon it. I’m sad, but not surprised, to tell you that I was right on both counts.

The race for Georgia’s 6th district is at a fever pitch now. After a long special election campaign, tomorrow is finally election day. Will voters flip the 6th district and send Democrat Jon Ossoff to Congress? Polls are tight and every single vote will count. As the race comes down to the wire, Republicans are hitting a new, nearly unthinkable low. They are using the shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise and three others at a Virginia baseball field to try and sway voters. And they aren’t shy about it, here is Brad Carver, GOP chairman in Georgia’s 11th congressional district, talking to the Washington Post:

“I’ll tell you what: I think the shooting is going to win this election for us,” Carver said Saturday after a get-out-the-vote rally for Handel in Chamblee. “Because moderates and independents in this district are tired of left-wing extremism.”

They even went so far as to use footage of Congressman Scalise being taken off the baseball field in a stretcher, featured in an ad called “Stop The Violent Left.” See the utterly repulsive ad below.

From <Daily Kos>

Triple Barf Bag Alert!!

This shooting is the only one committed by a so-called leftist in many months, while almost every week a Republican commits a hate crime, and every day, Republican politicians and pundits encourage others to commit violent acts, such as the time when Bloody Bullseye Barbie, pictured above endorsing Karen Handel, targeted Gaby Giffords by placing a Bullseye on her campaign headquarters.

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 6/19/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:21 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

Jun 192017

It’s a crazy day. We have 87° and muggy forecast, which would tie the record for this date, so my AC is fighting to keep up with the sun on the wall. I’m afraid it has ruined the lovely shower Wendy gave me yesterday. My replacement credit card came this morning, and I updated my most critical vendors, but there are many more to update. I hope you had a fantastic weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:49 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: A member of President Trump’s legal team said on Sunday that the president was not under investigation by the special counsel looking into Russia’s election-year meddling, contradicting Mr. Trump’s assertion in a Friday morning tweet that he is a subject of the widening inquiry.

The denial on Sunday by Jay Sekulow, one of several personal lawyers Mr. Trump has hired to represent him in the Russia case, is the latest of many examples in which the president’s aides and lawyers have scrambled to avert a public-relations mess created by Mr. Trump’s tweets, off-script remarks or leaked private conversations.

How can you tell if a lawyer is lying? Look for any sign of life. Trump is not under investigation, the Pope is not Catholic, and bears never, ever shit in the woods. RESIST!!

From Huffington Post: Christian and Jewish clergy members have been part of the movement for reproductive rights for decades. Religious denominations, such as the Anglican Communion, the United Church of Christ, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), have passed resolutions supporting birth control. And during the 1960s, religious leaders were actually a “driving force” in the movement to legalize abortion in the United States.

Today, this history of activism has largely been overshadowed by prominent voices on the “religious right,” who promote the idea that it is impossible to be both religious and pro-abortion rights.

There is no conflict between authentic Christianity and a progressive agenda. Conversely authentic Christianity and the Republican Reich are mutually exclusive. RESIST!!

From TPM: Authorities say a noose was found hanging from a lamp post outside a museum in the nation’s capital, the third such incident in recent weeks.

U.S. Park Police Sgt. Anna Rose said the noose was found Saturday afternoon outside the National Gallery of Art.

She said her agency is currently investigating how it got there.

Tourists found a noose last month on the floor of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. A few days earlier another noose had been found on the grounds of the Hirshhorn Museum, which features contemporary art and culture.

Ever since the Dixiecrats became Republicans, the noose has been a Republican calling card. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

This is when Dixiecrats became Republicans.

Happy Fathers Day!

Posted by TomCat at 12:00 pm Holiday, Politics

Jun 182017

FathersDay

Open Thread – 6/18/2017

Posted by TomCat at 11:59 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jun 182017

I’m waiting for Wendy to arrive to de-stink the sweaty TomCat and to help with chores, including the dreaded task. If you played Fantasy Football in our league last year and have not told me whether you are still playing, please let me know.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:52 (average 4:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): A GOP Father’s Day

You know Bought Bitch Mitch and his goose-stepping criminal cronies will only make the bad things in the House Bill worse. RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: No experience? No problem! Donald Trump rewards loyalty above all else. Like a king doling out titles and land to loyalists, the U.S. is now Trump’s own personal fiefdom. He’s proved it once again by announcing he’s selected Lynne Patton for a key role at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:

Patton was appointed Wednesday to head up the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region II, which includes New York and New Jersey, where she’ll oversee distribution of billions of taxpayer dollars.

What makes her qualified for a job overseeing billions of taxpayer dollars? She coordinated Eric Trump’s wedding, not to mention some ‘celebrity’ golf tournaments.

What’s even sadder is that she may be the most qualified of all of Trump’s appointees. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Many governments must be thinking along the same lines, but few have spelled it out so clearly. Germany did, when Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “The times in which we could rely fully on others — they are somewhat over.” Now Canada, a country tightly bound to its neighbor by history, alliance and the longest border in the world, has declared the need to recognize that the United States is relinquishing its role as the “indispensable nation.”

“The fact that our friend and ally has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership puts into sharper focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course,” Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, told her Parliament this month.

Ms. Freeland never mentioned Donald Trump. That wouldn’t be diplomatic. But every line of her speech before a silent House of Commons was clearly about a world order thrown into crisis as President Trump scoffs at trade agreements, hectors allies, rips up the landmark Paris climate accord and otherwise demonstrates disdain for anything that isn’t “America First.” Canada’s course, Ms. Freeland said, would be the opposite of Canada First; it would be “the renewal, indeed the strengthening, of the postwar multilateral order.”

Dear world. It is my fervent hope that we will defeat the Republican Reich and return to the community of civilized nations. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Bill Maher from 6/16

Posted by TomCat at 1:19 pm Politics

Jun 172017

It’s that time of week again, and I’m happy to share two excellent video clips from Bill’s show last night. Enjoy!! But first, I’d like to explain why I continue to share Bill’s work, when some reject him completely over his N-Word comment. Bill and I are both satirists, so I shoot from the hip, based on stream of thought. Sometimes, things don’t come out the with the meaning I intended. Because I’m writing, I catch myself most of the time, feel appalled at myself, and correct the mistake, before it’s ever published. Even then, JD still finds cause to reign me in from time to time, so I can explain how a statement was intended. A live comedian does not have that luxury. I know what Bill was trying to say. He was telling the Republican that they treat Americans like slaves, and that he (Bill) was the wrong kind of slave. He has followed up with three separate apologies, and I think forgiveness is in order, even though I have been a civil rights activist for over 50 years. Bill is too valuable an asset for and too strong a supporter of civil rights to throw him away over a mistake.

Monologue: Panic Is the Word

‘Mueller is so far up Trump’s ass, he had to tell Putin to scoot over!’ Love it!

New Rule: Make America Shop Again

Shoppers have no money, because Republican billionaires have all the money, and they don’t shop.

When you finish laughing…

RESIST!!

Poll Results – 6/17/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:19 pm Blog News, Politics

Jun 172017

Here are the results of our “Trump Code-Word Intelligence” poll. Politics Plus Polls are not scientific, because those who respond are not balanced according to demographic categories. Therefore, we do not accurately reflect the makeup of the US population. Nevertheless, our polls are usually factually accurate, and more often than not, they reflect thinking of the majority of those who actually do think.

0616Poll

Since our polling site no longer enables us to copy and paste your poll comments, you may read them here.

I voted All of the above, because he does have the right to declassify material, to do it was completely incompetent, and giving it to Russia did betray America.

The new poll is up. After you vote…

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 6/17/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:18 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jun 172017

While not completely painless, yesterday’s repairs were successful. The culprit was CKEditor, which has always given me compatibility issues that I could work around, until now. In some ways, I prefer ARK, which is an improved front end for either CKEditor or TinyMCE, and I configured it for the latter. It gives all commenters features that only administrators used to have. However, we did lose the ability to change fonts and sizes. I’ll look for a fix when time permits.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:48 (average 5:11). To do it, click here. How dod you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Republican lawmaker Steve Scalise, who has made a career of “protecting” “traditional” marriage in the House, and the rest of his gay bashing caucus, can thank their lucky stars for the brave actions of same sex married Law Enforcement Officer Crystal Griner and Patrolman David Bailey, two AA Capitol Police Officers who took on the deranged gunman yesterday.

And, in fairness, they did.

But also in fairness, Scalise has been a leading opponent on the Hill of marriage rights for gay couples as a look at his record shows.

Scalise-

Authored constitutional amendment to protect marriage. (May 2008)
Voted NO on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. (Feb 2013)
Amend Constitution to define traditional marriage. (Jun 2008)
Protect anti-same-sex marriage opinions as free speech. (Sep 2013)
State definition of marriage supersedes federal gay marriage. (Feb 2014)

Will Scalise now “evolve” on this issue now that he owes Crystal, and her wife, his life?

In a word… No, Nevertheless, I wish him a complete recovery, followed by a 2018 election loss RESIST!!

From NY Times: The Department of Education is scaling back investigations into civil rights violations at the nation’s public schools and universities, easing off mandates imposed by the Obama administration that the new leadership says have bogged down the agency.

According to an internal memo issued by Candice E. Jackson, the acting head of the department’s office for civil rights, requirements that investigators broaden their inquiries to identify systemic issues and whole classes of victims will be scaled back. Also, regional offices will no longer be required to alert department officials in Washington of all highly sensitive complaints on issues such as the disproportionate disciplining of minority students and the mishandling of sexual assaults on college campuses.

What else would we expect from DeVos, Trump, and the Republican Party? RESIST!!

From Oregon Live: Rainbow flags, drag queens, family ties: A visual history of Portland’s Pride Parade

Click through for some great pics. Here in Portland the annual Pride Parade is tomorrow, and it will pass first four blocks west and then three blocks north of my place. Kudos to the marchers. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

She was last seen trying to swim back to France.

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