Open Thread – Page 512 – Politics Plus

Open Thread – 1/31/2018

Posted by TomCat at 12:39 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 312018

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. Store to Door delivered my groceries and I put them away. WWWendy is coming this evening to destink the TomCat. I’m tired, so I’ll be brief.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:00 (average 5:54). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NPR: The head of Russia’s foreign spy service reportedly traveled to the U.S. earlier this month and met with top Trump administration intelligence officials, despite being on a U.S. sanctions blacklist.

Is anyone surprised that Trump and the Republican Party are ignoring the sanctions against their electoral benefactors? RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is proofreading the text of tonight’s State of the Union address one last time to remove any remaining facts, Sanders confirmed on Tuesday.

While a team of wordsmiths led by the senior adviser Stephen Miller has attempted to craft an entirely fact-free address, “It’s good to have a fresh set of eyes to root out any stray accuracies that might have crept in,” Sanders said.

The press secretary said that, for example, while purging the speech of truths, she noticed a reference to the African-American unemployment rate standing at 6.8 per cent, a statistic that she deemed “unacceptably correct.”

“I read that and my Sanders sense started tingling,” she said.

Taking her blue pencil to the text, Sanders changed the number to a “better-sounding” 2.3 per cent. “That may seem like a tiny detail, but it’s stuff like that that separates the professional liars from the mere amateurs,” she said.

Dang Andy! She sure did a good job! RESIST!!

From TPM: The adult film star, who reportedly was paid $130,000 to keep quiet about a 2006 extramarital affair with Donald Trump, was interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel after Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening and appeared to cast doubt on her previous denials of the affair.

Here’s the video. It’s hilarious!

The state of Trump’s union was wet and golden! It was the carrot on the right. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Open Thread – 1/30/2018

Posted by TomCat at 1:12 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 302018

It’s another muggy, sticky day, and it looks like unseasonably warm and wet weather will continue well into February. I slept intermittently, but am not as tired as I was yesterday. I should get some rest this evening, while I’m not watching the Piddle Pervert Prattle.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 6:04 (average 8:18). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Late Show Channel): The State Of Our Union Is… Misspelled

I won’t be watching the State of the Uniom address. The State of our Uniom is incompetent. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Inequality Media Channel): The Next Big Fight: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid

Please spread this around. Here at PP, we have been preaching both the problem and Reich’s solutions for ages. The rest of America needs education on the subject. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: With just one day until Donald J. Trump’s first State of the Union address, the cast of “Fox and Friends” is working furiously on the final draft of the speech, members confirmed today.

“We’ve really been burning the midnight oil,” Steve Doocy, the host of the Fox program, said. “We have so much to say tomorrow night, and we want to get it all in there.”

Doocy said that when he read the first draft of the State of the Union address last week, he “kind of flipped out” when he realized that there was “absolutely no mention of Hillary Clinton’s Hydra-like tentacles controlling the Deep State.”

“The State of the Union address is the President’s chance to tell the American people where the country is and where it’s going,” Doocy said. “You can’t do that without talking about how Crooked Hillary is funnelling her Russian-uranium riches directly into Bob Mueller’s bank account in the Seychelles.”

Dang, Andy! Did Rob Rosenstein help you wiretap the Oval Office? RESIST!!

Cartoons:

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This is when America learned we were losing the war, and the whole damn thing was a lie.

Squatch’s Open Thread 30 January 2018

Posted by Lynn Squance at 11:53 am Open Thread, Politics

Jan 302018

It has been a while since I last posted an Open Thread. Today I have 2 articles, with a new feature on the Open Thread. TomCat brings the Jigsaw Puzzle to you, and I wanted a suitable Soduku but could not find one. I did however find a word game for you. I hope you enjoy it.

Word Wonders (from Microsoft Ultimate Word Game)

I will give you a set of letters and the number of words and their lengths from which you will make words. At least one word will utilise every letter. I will post the answers at Politics Plus even if I do not publish an article. Let me know if you enjoy these puzzles.

Letters: A L N R S U

5 words with 3 letters each

4 words with 4 letters

2 words with 5 letters

1 word with all 6 letters

Good luck!

Short Takes

Politico — In early December, as President Donald Trump’s approval rating reached a new low of 32 percent, the commander in chief was rating the 2020 Democratic field from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — who had recently bested Trump in a poll that tested the two septuagenarians in a head-to-head matchup — wasn’t a serious threat and would be easy to beat, Trump told a Republican with close ties to the White House who was in the room.

It wasn’t the lefty politics of the self-described socialist that Trump thought were a losing proposition. Instead, according to the person in the room, Trump was hung up on Sanders’ age, arguing that Sanders, now 76, wouldn’t have the energy to run another national campaign.

Sanders wasn’t the only potential presidential candidate who Trump, 71, brushed off as a non-threat. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the woman he has nicknamed “Pocahontas,” would be “easy to beat,” he said. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker probably wouldn’t end up running, Trump mused. When someone in the room brought up California Sen. Kamala Harris, the president seemed not to have her on his radar yet.

So, not only is Trump raising money for his 2020 run, he is handicapping possible Democratic opponents in the most arrogant way. Recently, he committed to campaigning for 2018 hopefuls but with a caveat . . . only if the candidate supports his agenda. We saw how well that went in Alabama with Roy Moore.

Canadian Press — Shakil Afridi has languished in jail for years — since 2011, when the Pakistani doctor used a vaccination scam in an attempt to identify Osama bin Laden’s home, aiding U.S. Navy Seals who tracked and killed the al-Qaida leader.

Americans might wonder how Pakistan could imprison a man who helped track down the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Pakistanis are apt to ask a different question: how could the United States betray its trust and cheapen its sovereignty with a secret nighttime raid that shamed the military and its intelligence agencies?

“The Shakil Afridi saga is the perfect metaphor for U.S-Pakistan relations” — a growing tangle of mistrust and miscommunication that threatens to jeopardize key efforts against terrorism, said Michael Kugelman, Asia program deputy director at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

The U.S. believes its financial support entitles it to Pakistan’s backing in its efforts to defeat the Taliban — as a candidate, Donald Trump pledged to free Afridi, telling Fox News in April 2016 he would get him out of prison in “two minutes. … Because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan.” But Pakistan is resentful of what it sees as U.S. interference in its affairs.

Quid pro quo Trump style? Admittedly, this started under Obama and might have thought that Obama could use diplomatic finesse to free Shakil Afridi. But now, the boastful Trump waded into the fray saying that he would free Afridi in “two minutes. …Because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan.”. How has that worked out Trump? Now the US under Trump has withheld aid to Pakistan and the problem still exists. Trump has no idea of the intricacies of foreign affairs and the necessity of “walking quietly” and listening.

The Hill — President Trump in two late-night tweets on Saturday pitched his immigration plan while slamming Democrats, saying they are only interested in obstruction.

Trump called his fix for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program “wonderful” and said there were two reasons for proposing it.

“I have offered DACA a wonderful deal, including a doubling in the number of recipients & a twelve year pathway to citizenship, for two reasons: (1) Because the Republicans want to fix a long time terrible problem. (2) To show that Democrats do not want to solve DACA, only use it!” he said.

“Democrats are not interested in Border Safety & Security or in the funding and rebuilding of our Military. They are only interested in Obstruction!” he added in a subsequent tweet.

Obstruction??? Horse puckey!!! First, Republicans don’t want to fix anything. Second, I would be interested in knowing what Trump thought about Republican performance during the Obama years. Now THAT was obstruction on an unprecedented scale. We will have to wait to see if DACA gets renewed since some Democrats allowed it to be deferred in the negotiations to end the government shutdown. Personally, I think it was all a Republican ruse.

Jalopnik — Montreal police probably rolled their eyes at the person who parked their snow-covered early ‘90s Toyota Supra right in a snow-removal lane, completely blocking in other parked cars.

They went to ticket the car, and got to the point of lifting its very real windshield wiper when they realized, hey, this isn’t a snow-covered car—it’s a snow pile shaped like a car.

Oh my! Such great art work! Thankfully the police enjoyed the prank.

Open Thread – 1/29/2017

Posted by TomCat at 12:41 pm Open Thread, Plus, Politics

Jan 292018

It’s another super-muggy day, and I’m very tired, so I’ll be brief.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:03 (average 4:41). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Billboard: With no shortage of gripping political and social issues at hand, performers and presenters at the 2018 Grammys had plenty to tell the world during the televised New York City ceremony. From all the night’s speeches and salvos, here are the ones we found most gripping…

…1. Camila Cabello Salutes the DREAMers

Camila Cabello introduced U2’s Statue of Liberty performance in dramatic fashion. She shouted out America’s immigrants, specifically those in the country under the DREAM Act. With the status of DREAMers under siege by the Trump administration, the Cuban-born artist — who emigrated to America at age five — did her best to make Lady Liberty’s meaning especially clear: "These kids can’t be forgotten and are worth fighting for."

Dream their dream!! I shared one of seven. Click through for the other six. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Tamesha Means had been pregnant for just 18 weeks when her water broke in 2010. In pain, she rushed to a hospital near her house in Michigan. But because it was a Catholic health center, doctors there did not tell her that continuing her pregnancy could threaten her health and that abortion was her safest option. Instead they sent her home. They did so again when she returned the next day, bleeding, with painful contractions. They were preparing to send her home for a third time when she miscarried at the hospital.

Cases like this, in which a provider’s religious beliefs take precedence over a patient’s needs, could become more common because of a series of recent White House decisions that please the anti-abortion movement. The decisions may make it more difficult for teenagers wanting to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, for gay men looking to prevent HIV and even for women seeking breast exams or pap smears.

Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the creation of a “Conscience and Religious Freedom Division” to enforce laws protecting health care providers’ right to opt out of certain procedures, including post-abortion care or gender-affirming surgery, because of religious objections. (The website displays what appears to be a female Muslim doctor in a hijab smiling enthusiastically — a twist on the administration’s usual attitude toward Muslims.)

If the people running an institution will not provide all the care for all who need it, they have no business in health care. This is pseudo-Christian, hate-based RepubliCare. RESIST!!

From Vox: On a night that featured the biggest stars in music, it was Hillary Clinton who got one of the loudest reactions of the night. Clinton appeared at the end of a pre-taped skit in which various musicians read excerpts from Michael Wolff’s best-seller Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, purportedly auditioning for the audiobook most likely to take home Best Spoken Word Album at next year’s Grammys.

Here’s video.

If I worked at McDonalds, I’d feed him a turdburger!! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Open Thread – 1/28/2018

Posted by TomCat at 10:58 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 282018

It was a warm clear night, and the natives partied under my window all night, waking me several times. WWWendy is due momentarily, and we have lots of chores to complete, so this is my only article today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:42 (average 5:41). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (SNL Channel): George W. Bush Returns Cold Open

Crawford Caligula was the worst Resident in US history… until now! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): I REALLY HAD TO CUT YOU OFF – Parody of Somebody That I Used to Know

The idea being married to a Republican goose-stepper is a cruel nightmare!! RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: But Trump cannot talk about anything without attacking it, be it human, animal, plant, mineral, or noun.

It wasn’t until I became a politician that I realized how nasty, how mean, how vicious, and how fake the press can be—as the cameras start going off in the background.

Self-fulfilling prophesy much?

That statement brought uncomfortable laughs, that were very quickly overtaken by hissing and boos from the predominantly human audience.

It couldn’t happen to a more deserving asshole! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Open Thread – 1/27/2018

Posted by TomCat at 1:03 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 272018

I actually had a fairly good night’s sleep last night, but I have felt groggy all day. I obviously need more.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:45 (average 7:00). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): The Muslim Ban One Year Later

Amen! Throw terrorists out of the country! How? Keep the Muslims, and expel Republicans! RESIST!!

From Share Blue: Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee’s finance chair Steve Wynn have more in common than just being casino owners and friends.

They are both sexual predators, according to recent allegations against Wynn.

(Trump admitted to being a sexual predator in the infamous”Access Hollywood” tape that surfaced in 2016.)

The Wall Street Journal reports multiple women faced sexual harassment and rape at the hands of Wynn, who now leads fundraising efforts for the Republican Party.

In 2005, a manicurist left Wynn’s office in tears, telling colleagues Wynn forced her to have sex. Former employees told the WSJ about a culture of sexual abuse and fear, one noting that “everybody was petrified.”

Mirroring Republican efforts from just three months ago, many people are now calling on Republicans to return money from an accused sexual predator.

When news of Weinstein’s sexual harassment broke, the RNC released the following statement:

During three-decades worth of sexual harassment allegations, Harvey Weinstein lined the pockets of Democrats to the tune of three quarters of a million dollars. If Democrats and the DNC truly stand up for women like they say they do, then returning this dirty money should be a no brainer.

Now that not only a Republican donor, but Trump’s hand-picked finance chair, is accused of similar behavior, will Republicans make the same demand of their own members?

I’m taking bets. Five to one on IOKIYAR!! Instead, they will invite him to attend one of the Fuhrer’s pervert parties. RESIST!!

From The Palmer Report: Donald Trump has learned nothing from the mistakes that took down Richard Nixon, and now we know that Trump hasn’t learned anything from the mistakes he got called out on yesterday, either. Just twenty-four hours after Trump’s odds of avoiding prison took a nosedive with the news that he had tried (and failed) to illegally fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, now Trump is reacting to the fallout by trying (and apparently once again failing) to illegally fire someone else too.

Trump just told his advisers to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, according to reports from CNN, MSNBC and other sources. His advisers have apparently talked him out of the move. Because Rosenstein has control of Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation, firing Rosenstein would also be an illegal act of obstruction of justice. In other words, Trump is still trying to run from his mounting list of crimes by trying to commit even more crimes.

Moreover, Trump is acting as tepidly and indecisively as ever, as his staff keeps talking him out of the illegal orders he’s giving. Instead his advisers keep ratting him out, by telling Mueller that Trump was trying to fire him, and by telling the media that Trump is trying to fire Rosenstein. This also further demonstrates that Trump’s actions are growing more erratic by the day, as he can’t even decide which coverup crime he wants to commit next.

This looks like the penultimate struggles of a doomed and desperate dictator! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Republicans want space-based nuclear weapons platforms.

Open Thread – 1/26/2018

Posted by TomCat at 12:59 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 262018

I’m, feeling very tired, because I slept poorly last night. It was a combination of the extreme muggy weather and having a lot on my mind. Please pardon my brevity. On the plus side, Carrie emailed me to tell me she has Barry home from the hospital with a catheter and a special diet. The the cause of the problem, was not his kidneys. It was a prostate problem, and they are waiting for analysis by a Urologist. They appreciate your prayer and support and say thank you.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:39 (average 5:28). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): The Trump / Fox echo chamber

Barf Bag Alert!!

Faux Noise is the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda. The White House is the Republican Reichsministry of Perversion. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Inequality Media Channel): How We Can Lower Drug Prices (When Big Pharma Pulls the Strings)

Democrats have tried repeatedly to pass all three of Reich’s suggestions. Republicans have obstructed every attempt. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: One day after Donald J. Trump offered to testify under oath for the special counsel, Robert Mueller, a newly discovered video of Trump lying under oath has sent shock waves through Washington.

In the video, which experts believe was recorded approximately one year ago, Trump places his left hand on a Bible and raises his right hand before uttering a stream of falsehoods.

“The video shows him lying in front of what appears to be a substantial number of witnesses, including his wife and a Supreme Court Justice,” Davis Logsdon, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, said. “It does raise questions about what, exactly, testifying under oath means to him.”

Too true, Andy. Afterward he lied about inauguration crowd sizes. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Open Thread – 1/25/2018

Posted by TomCat at 12:55 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 252018

It’s another busy day. I overslept and got a late start. I met with the Community Services Manager here to put in an application for a room in the Alder, a building in the neighborhood that is finishing a complete remodel like the one starting here. If one of their units will fit my size needs, and their handicapped shower will fit my disability needs, I should know next week and can plan to move in late April or May. What a pain!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:47 (average 5:34). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): Dobbs calls for purges of non-Trump loyalists in DOJ/FBI

Barf Bag Alert!!

Dobbs is getting even more disgusting as time passes! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Inequality Media Channel): Welcome to Class! In Focus: How to Ignite Social Change

The Reich on the left is Right! Everybody in the US needs to see this. Please spread it around. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Amid reports that Donald Trump might soon be summoned to appear before Robert Mueller, the White House doctor wrote a note on Wednesday indicating that Trump was too sick to talk to the special counsel.

“Donald Trump is not well,” Dr. Ronny Jackson wrote.

The doctor’s note offered a laundry list of ailments afflicting Trump, including flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, headaches, dizziness, confusion, and what Jackson called a “wartime foot injury that appears to be acting up.”

Jackson acknowledged in the note that his current assessment of Trump’s health was at odds with the robust picture he painted last week, but added, “Every patient is entitled to a second opinion, and this is mine.”

Dang Andy! Do you think it’s a case of Raving Bullshititis? RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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