Jul 072018
 

It’s another hot, sticky day here at the CatBox, and it will get worse as the week goes on.  I’ll be scarce this weekend, as I have an annual cat scan with contrast for my Oncologist on Saturday and a routine appointment my PCP with fasting labs on Monday.  I’ll be out and about in high 90°s.  Not fun.  I hoped you are enjoying your vacation.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:48 (average 4:44).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (NY Times Channel): Trump’s Top Supreme Court Contenders on Abortion

 

Look how evasive they were.  If they did not rabidly oppose women’s rights, they would not be on Trump’s list. One thing they all have in common is this: during their confirmation hearing, they would lie. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): How a Multiracial Populism Can Build a 21st Century Economy

 

Republicans want us prejudiced against black, brown, red and yellow, when the true enemy of all, except the 1%, including white, is green. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From The Palmer Report: Article III, Section I of the Constitution states that “The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” While the Constitution established the Supreme Court, it left it up to Congress to decide how to fill the court. The Judiciary Act of 1789 set the number at one chief justice and five associate justices.

While the intended purpose of the Supreme Court is to determine the constitutionality of laws, there have been several instances where the court was used for partisan political moves. When the Federalists lost power in 1800 the lame-duck Congress made a play to prevent President Thomas Jefferson from being able to make an appointment by reducing the number of justices to five. However, the incoming Congress repealed this to put the number back at six. In 1807, Congress increased it to seven.

Then in 1837, President Andrew Jackson was able to appoint two justices after Congress increased the number of justices to nine. Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican majority in Congress voted to reduce the number of justices to prevent Democrat President Andrew Johnson from appointing any new justices. When Ulysses S. Grant won the presidency in 1868, Congress increased it back to nine to allow him two appointments. The number of Supreme Court justices has remained at nine since the Judiciary Act of 1869.

As I have said before, when Democrats have enough power, we can overturn the Judiciary Act and change SCROTUS (Republican Unconstitutional VD) back to SCOTUS!! RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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Jul 062018
 

It’s not as hot today, but the sun hit the window early, and the building was already overheated from yesterday.  I was sweating on the throne at 6:00 AM.  TGIF!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:10 (average 5:19).  To do it click here.  Hoe did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (RWW Channel): RWW News: Rick Wiles Says Democrats Will Kill Republicans To Prevent Them From Voting In 2020

Barf Bag Alert!!

Some men in white coats need to throw something on Wiles: a net. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From NPR: As the day dawned across the U.S. on Friday, a new economic reality dawned with it: The tariffs long threatened against billions of dollars in Chinese goods took effect just at midnight ET while many Americans were sleeping — but Beijing was ready immediately with a wake-up call of its own.

The new trade regulations imposed by the Trump administration, which levy a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports to the U.S., have "violated [World Trade Organization] rules and launched the largest trade war in economic history to date," China’s Ministry of Commerce declared in a statement Friday.

Chinese authorities quickly retaliated with equivalent tariffs on $34 billion worth of imported U.S. goods — previously promised as ranging from vehicles to soybeans, beef and other agricultural products.

The rapid tit for tat follows weeks of anxious anticipation over the "trade remedies"President Trump vowed last month to implement. At the time he announced the tariffs, back in mid-June, Trump said the current U.S.-China economic relationship had grown to be "no longer sustainable."

The people Trump is hurting most are US consumers and workers. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From Think Progress: With a top coal lobbyist stepping in to serve as acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), few people are expecting Scott Pruitt’s resignation to slow down the Trump administration’s efforts to deal a knock-out blow to the agency’s ability to protect the environment.

President Trump on Thursday named EPA deputy administrator Andrew Wheeler — whose beliefs on environmental protection are as radical as Pruitt’s — to serve as acting administrator of the agency.

As extreme as Pruitt’s graft became, it did not hold a candle to the level of damage the Republican Reich is doing to the environment. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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Jul 052018
 

The sun will be hitting the wall any minute now, and I’ll have to button-up the CatBox in anticipation of 90°s temps today.  I was up late last night.  The fireworks display is only five blocks away, and the sound echoes between the downtown buildings.  This morning, I overslept.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:01 (average 6:28).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): As the movement to Abolish ICE grows, right-wing media freak out

BARF BAG ALERT!!

 

I have nothing against ice. At this time of year, it makes coffee quite refreshing. But let’s get rid of the fascist organization and the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Robert Reich: The 5 Principles of True Patriots

 

Amen! True patriots RESIST!! True patriots VOTE BLUE!!

From Politico: A pile of pending lawsuits over Donald Trump’s personal and business conduct could put his nominee to the Supreme Court in an awkward position: deciding whether to cast potentially pivotal votes on legal matters of keen importance to the president.

Virtually all justices wind up ruling on policy issues affecting the president who appointed them. But Trump is enmeshed in more than half a dozen significant court cases involving everything from his alleged sexual behavior before taking office to claims that his businesses are profiting from his presidency and allegations that he misused funds through his charitable foundation.

In addition, the Supreme Court could be asked to rule on other legal questions critical to the president, such as whether Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election was legally authorized or whether Trump has the authority to dismiss the special prosecutor.

The legal pressure Trump faces on many fronts is likely to spill into the confirmation hearings for his nominee — whom he is expected to name next week to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, long seen as the court’s swing vote — as senators seek to use the high-profile platform to publicize the unusual legal predicaments.

This is partially why no Trump nomination is appropriate as long as he remains under investigation. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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Jul 042018
 

I’m in a hurry today, because Wendy’s niece is coming an hour early.  I’m tired, because Safeway.com delivered my food over four hours late yesterday.  The heat wave is here.  UGH!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:18 (average 6:11).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Daily Kos Channel): Prime Miniter [sic] Mark Rutte gives President Trump a lesson in being a world leader

 

He demonstrated that he alone understood trade. Kudos to the Netherlands. However, Donald Duck could give Resident Trump a lesson in being a world leader. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): Right-wing media repeatedly incite violence

Barf Bag Alert!!

 

Criminal violence is the long term Republican way. Remember "Kill a commie for Christ"? RESIST!! THINK BLUE!!

From Crooks and Liars: Ever wonder what a real political interview sounds like? You’re not ever going to see anything this pointed, this direct on American cable news, so be prepared to get startled a little by what real journalism looks like.

 

Animae, may we steal that interviewer? We’ll give you Jeanine Pirro in return. Winking smile  RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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Jul 032018
 

Safeway.com is due in the next 75 minutes.  I hope they don’t screw up.  I’m also enjoying the last cool morning before the heat wave hits.  It will last through mid-July or longer.  This is my only article today, and I will not be sending links messages on Care2.  I’m still waiting for Safeway to deliver.  They are now over 2 1/2 hours late.  AAAARRRRHHHHHHHH!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:20 (average 5:39).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): ZERO TOLERANCE Parody of "Casual Conversation"

Barf Bag Alert!!

 

Spot-on, but he could have done it without nekkid Trump! YUCK!! RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Robert Reich: Special Report: What Can We Do?

 

AMEN!! RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From YouTube (Daily Kos Channel): Fox’s Judge Jeanine Pirro goes bananas

BARF BAG ALERT!!

 

Pirro wants an example? Trump, Congressional Republicans, Republican pundits, Faux Noise, Putin, and the entire FSB (formerly KGB) ganged up on Hillary Clinton. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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Jul 022018
 

I’m back in the saddle again today.  Yesterday, Katie was very efficient.  I was glad to have her, even if she wasn’t WWWendy.  Tomorrow  I have a grocery delivery coming from Safeway.com  I’d rather not use them, but Store to Door is closed for the 4th, and WWWendy is out of town.  The extra time that will take is likely to limit me to a Personal Update or and Open Thread, with no links messages on Care2.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:04 (average 5:08).  To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Robert Reich: How to Prevent Future Trumps

The Reich on the left is 100% right. Those are the things we need to do, which is why I have maintained that Democrats need to focus more on economic issues, while standing strong on social issues. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From NY Times: Riding a wave of populist anger fueled by rampant corruption and violence, the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected president of Mexico on Sunday, in a landslide victory that upended the nation’s political establishment and handed him a sweeping mandate to reshape the country.

Mr. López Obrador’s victory puts a leftist leader at the helm of Latin America’s second-largest economy for the first time in decades, a prospect that has filled millions of Mexicans with hope — and the nation’s elites with trepidation.

The outcome represents a clear rejection of the status quo in the nation, which for the last quarter century has been defined by a centrist vision and an embrace of globalization that many Mexicans feel has not served them.

Mexican voters are smarter than US voters. They elected a progressive, not a Nazi. Kudos to Mexico. Obrador is anti-Trump! RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From Alternet: During an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Tapper noted: “You’re going to get a lot of pressure from groups and individuals who support abortion rights and one of the things that they think about you is that you get played by these judges and that ultimately, if you vote to support whoever President Trump nominates presuming the person comes from the list of 25, that one of your longest lasting legacy is likely going to be you vote to confirm a justice that ultimately tipped the balance of political power on court and voted to overturn [Roe v. Wade].

Collins, however, defended her record.

She is talking about stare decisis. I have no doubt that Trump’s pick will promise to abide by it. Every Republican appointee since Thomas has made that promise, and they were all lying. We can’t depend on Collins. She will probably make sure they give her the answers she needs to goose-step, and claim she was duped later. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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Jul 012018
 

Wendy’s cousin is coming at an off hour, and I have a lot of extra work to do to make the job easier for her.  This is my only article today, and I will not be sending links messages on Care2.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:22 (average 5:25).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Take:

From Think Progress: It’s been less than a week since Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, but already anti-women activists are plotting how best to take advantage of a weakened judicial branch in order to undermine access to safe abortions.

Kennedy was long thought to be the crucial swing vote on any legal challenge to Roe v. Wade, having already upheld the landmark decision in 1992. With his departure, Donald Trump will have an opportunity to nominate a second person to the bench, one who figures to be far less sympathetic towards women’s rights.

In case there was any doubt about the administration’s intentions behind filling Kennedy’s seat, the director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services Roger Severino appeared at the National Right to Life Convention on Thursday in Overland Park, Kansas and assured the crowd of anti-woman activists that the Trump administration was “just getting started.”,

“Our president is fearless when it comes to life and conscience,” Severino added.

If Trump is able to appoint a crucial fifth anti-woman justice to the Supreme Court, the fate of safe abortions for millions of women across the country will be jeopardized. Already, there are several states that have passed unconstitutional laws aimed at criminalizing abortion. Those laws are facing legal challenges, some of which seem likely to end up before the Supreme Court.

My comment is graphic.

RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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Jun 302018
 

The sun hit the wall again, so I had to fire up the AC.  It’s also very muggy.  I don’t know, if I’ll be able to publish tomorrow.  Wendy’s niece will be coming in the afternoon, and I’ll have extra preparation to get done, so I may have nothing more than a Personal Update or Open Thread.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:02 (average 5:34).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Who’s On [R]esident Donald Trump’s Supreme Court Short List?

 

Trump lied. All these judges have been prescreened that they would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. Otherwise, they would not even be on the list. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From ABC News: Liberal activists, parents and first-time protesters motivated by accounts of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border plan to rally in hundreds of cities nationwide Saturday to press President Donald Trump’s administration to reunite the families quickly.

More than 600 marches could draw hundreds of thousands of people across the country, from immigrant-friendly cities like Los Angeles and New York City to conservative Appalachia and Wyoming under the banner Families Belong Together.

Though many who show up will be seasoned anti-Trump demonstrators, others will be new to immigration activism, including parents who say they feel compelled to show up after heart-wrenching accounts of children forcibly taken from their families as they crossed the border illegally. In Portland, Oregon, for example, several stay-at-home moms have organized their first rally while caring for young kids.

Kudos to the demonstrators. It’s also a great opportunity for seasoned activists to encourage the newbies to join the resistance. We’ll need more and much larger demonstrations over SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD).  RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

From NY Times: A federal judge on Friday blocked Kentucky’s closely watched plan to require many Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or train for a job as a condition of coverage.

The state had been poised to start carrying out the new rules next week and to phase them in fully by the end of this year.

Judge James E. Boasberg of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, an Obama appointee, ruled that the Trump administration’s approval of the plan had been “arbitrary and capricious” because it had not adequately considered whether the plan would “help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid.”

Enjoy it. Unless we stop Trump’s pick, we can expect little or no judicial relief from hateful Republican policies ever again.  RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!

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