On the Edge–11/10/2015

Posted by TomCat at 3:24 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 102015

I’m still in considerable pain and hoping the donor site heals soon. I’m in a wheelchair and have taken a lap around the unit chasing nurses. I’m still to slow to ketch one, dang it!! Disappointed smile

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: On “ABC This Week,” Bernie was asked if he thought his agreements with Clinton outweighed his disagreements.

“Well, that’s — well, the answer is yes and no,” Sanders responded. “Yes, we do agree on a number of issues, and by the way, on her worst day, Hillary Clinton will be an infinitely better candidate and President than the Republican candidate on his best day.”

“But having said that, we have very significant differences and the key difference is I see a nation in which we have a grotesque level of income and wealth inequality,”

Bernie is as right about this, as he is about virtually everything else. The very worst Democrats are infinitely better than the very best Republicans.

From NY Times: A Senate security officer stepped out of the December chill last year and delivered envelopes marked “Top Secret” to the Pentagon, the C.I.A., the State Department and the Justice Department. Inside each packet was a disc containing a 6,700-page classified report on the C.I.A.’s secret prison program and a letter from Senator Dianne Feinstein, urging officials to read the report to ensure that the lessons were not lost to time.

Today, those discs sit untouched in vaults across Washington, still in their original envelopes. The F.B.I. has not retrieved a copy held for it in the Justice Department’s safe. State Department officials, who locked up their copy and marked it “Congressional Record — Do Not Open, Do Not Access” as soon as it arrived, have not read it either.

Nearly a year after the Senate released a declassified 500-page summary of the report, the fate of the entire document remains in limbo, the subject of battles in the courts and in Congress. Until those disputes are resolved, the Justice Department has prohibited officials from the government agencies that possess it from even opening the report, effectively keeping the people in charge of America’s counterterrorism future from reading about its past. There is also the possibility that the documents could remain locked in a Senate vault for good.

In a letter to Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch last week, Ms. Feinstein, a California Democrat, said the Justice Department was preventing the government from “learning from the mistakes of the past to ensure that they are not repeated.”

The Elephant in this room is that, if DOJ goes after Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the other Republican war criminals for their atrocities, little else will get done in the resulting Republican gridlock. Nevertheless, we have no moral authority as a nation, as long as Republicans keep getting away with war crimes!

from The Washington Post: The Obama administration will ask the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court injunction that has held up a new program that potentially would shield up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. The decision to take the case to the high court comes a day after a federal appeals panel ruled against the administration, keeping the new program on hold nearly a year after President Obama announced it.

“The Department of Justice remains committed to taking steps that will resolve the immigration litigation as quickly as possible,” said Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for the agency. “The Department disagrees with the Fifth Circuit’s adverse ruling and intends to seek further review from the Supreme Court of the United States. “

Administration officials said they hope the court will take the case in the spring and issue a ruling by June, which, if favorable, could allow the program to begin in the summer, with just months left in Obama’s term. Republican presidential candidates have said they would dismantle the program, adding urgency to the administration’s efforts to get it started.

Obama may well be making a mistake to put their fate in the hands ok SS Scalito, KKK Kennedy, Teabag Thomas, Republican Roberts, and worst of all, Schtupidenfuhrer Scalia, the five Injustices of SCROTUS, Republican Constitutional VD.

Cartoon:

Squatch’s Open Thread 10/11/2015

Posted by Lynn Squance at 12:04 pm Open Thread, Politics

Nov 102015

Well it seems that after several very late nights and very busy days, my cold is back with a hacking cough. Fortunately I see my doctor this afternoon. I wonder if he'll nail me with the flu shot? I get it every year but have not had this year's yet. Yesterday was all missions accomplished and then some. In a few days, when I am feeling up to it, I am going to be sitting down with the young lad who had problems last weekend and having a chat. There is never a shortage of things to do it seems.

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:44 (average 5:53). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.

Fantasy Football

						Points
Rank	Team	W-L-T	Pct	Stk	Waiver	For	Against
1	Monster Mashers	7-2-0	.778	W2	10	912.10	646.92
2+2	BALCO Bombers	6-3-0	.667	W3	9	849.04	702.98
3+3	Progressive Underdogs	5-4-0	.556	W1	8	869.74	829.72
4-1	MittsMagicJock	5-4-0	.556	L1	7	841.32	737.42
5-3	Lefty Hillbillies	5-4-0	.556	L1	6	808.62	805.66
6+1	Size 9 Stompers	5-4-0	.556	W1	5	791.62	766.26
7-2	Playing without a helmet	4-5-0	.444	L2	4	763.60	882.54
8	Purple Demon	4-5-0	.444	W2	3	877.30	909.76
9	TomCat Teabag Trashers	3-6-0	.333	L2	2	807.78	912.54
10	endthegop	1-8-0	.111	L8	1	594.62	921.94

* Rank change shown is from week 8 – 9

Short Takes

Alternet — On "Last Week Tonight," Oliver broke down the almost insurmountable obstacles faced by ex-cons after release, which helps explain America's high rates of recidivism. Over 50 percent of released prisoners end up back in jail.

Click through for the rest of the short article but most is in the video.

Huffington Post — Speaking at the National Religious Liberties Conference in Iowa, Cruz joined other GOP presidential candidates for a discussion about the persecution of Christians in the U.S. and around the world. After some very extreme, very weird comments about homosexuality, right-wing pastor Kevin Swanson introduced Cruz to the stage to ask him how important it was for candidates to submit to Jesus Christ as "the king of the President of the United States."

Barf Bag Alert!!! Barf Bag Alert!!!

Unfortunately I cannot embed the video for you so click through to see the it.

Right Wing Watch — On her program last night, Maddow filled her viewers in on Friday’s Republican campaign event, showing videos of Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee engaging in question-and-answer sessions with extremist pastor Kevin Swanson, who then went on to say that he would smear cow dung over his body to protest a gay couple’s wedding and urged the government to execute gays in the future if they don’t repent.

As Maddow also pointed out, Swanson’s views on homosexuality were well-known even before he hosted the weekend’s National Religious Liberties Conference, and he wasn’t the only speaker at the conference who had called for homosexuality to be treated as a capital crime.

Barf Bag Alert!!! Barf Bag Alert!!!

Her remarks on the right-wing conference start at the 5:55 mark.

Unfortunately I cannot embed the video for you so click through to see the it. I did watch the video and as a Christian, I can say I have never seen such a display of raw hate. Swanson is NOT a true Christian, and in my opinion is inciting violence and murder.

My Universe — courtesy of the Animal Rescue Site

Now, if this had been one of my cats, there would be meowing into the receiver!

On the Edge–11/9/2015

Posted by TomCat at 4:18 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 092015

I was able to get back to sleep, after they woke me up last night, but I still feel very tired. They put a goopy cream on my donor site to soften the thick scab so it will flake off. It also increased the pain level.

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Presidential candidate Ben Carson has issued a dire warning that President Obama’s cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline has left the United States with “virtually no place to store grain.”

Without the massive pipeline, Carson told Fox News, the nation’s network of silos is woefully inadequate “to store the bounty of grain that we soweth.”

Andy might as well be quoting Uncle Token, because the statement fits his stupidity level.

From Daily Kos: Why any ostensibly rational person living in Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana who saw this map, and still would think their states’ Republican leaders’ policies were delivering the economic growth their region so sorely needs is beyond comprehension.

Where Are the Hardest Places to Live in the U.S.?

The toughest places to live in America

Almost every county in the U.S. has its share of haves and have-nots. But there are some regions where it’s just plain harder for Americans to thrive, places where the poor far outnumber those living in middle-class comfort.

Ten counties in America stand out as the most challenging places to live, based on a survey of six criteria including median household income, disability rate and life expectancy, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

The county with the dubious distinction of being the worst of all is Clay County, Kentucky, where residents can expect to die six years earlier than the average American.

The other four counties ranked at the bottom of the survey include four counties in the rural south: Humphreys County, Mississippi; East Carroll Parish, Louisiana; Jefferson County, Georgia; and Lee County, Arkansas.

The findings highlight an often overlooked issue in the debate about income inequality — the stubbornness of rural poverty. In the U.S., the number of poor rural residents outnumber those in the cities, with 14 percent of rural Americans living below the poverty line, compared with 12 percent in urban areas, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s Rural Poverty Portal.

Of course you’d never get an inkling of any of this from watching Fox Noise.

There is a way to improve these areas. Forget the hate and fear that the Republican Reich peddles on Faux Noise, and elect lefties in all levels of government. Every Republican in office is one republican too many!

From Think Progress: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) vetoed legislation Monday that would have added 1.6 million new voters to the state’s rolls and made New Jersey the third state in the country to adopt automatic voter registration.

After sitting on the “Democracy Act” for almost five months, the governor and Republican presidential candidate vetoed his second voting rights-related bill in three years, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Christie has previously said that he does not support making it easier for residents of his state to vote.

Now that residents of NJ have experienced what PIGnocchio is really like, he knows that his only good shot at keeping his job is to disenfranchise voters. Republicans like nothing better than separating YOU from your Constitutional and human rights.

1109putsch

Squatch’s Open Thread 09/11/2015

Posted by Lynn Squance at 3:18 am Open Thread, Politics

Nov 092015

What a weekend! After confirming that the teen I mentioned yesterday was OK, I settled in to do some research and finished off today's lead article. Then it was off to see my mother. I left home at 4 pm and didn't return until 10 pm. She ate well but then proceeded to doze. When the aids got her ready for bed, she came wide awake and didn't want me to leave. Tomorrow I have physio and teaching followed by a trip to Costco with my friend. I think I shall surely sleep Monday night. Fortunately, there is nothing on tap again until Tuesday evening.

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:24 (average 5:42). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.

Short Takes

Huffington Post — Former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has an urgent message for Christians everywhere: convert as many people as possible, especially Jews, because Jesus is "coming soon."

“We recognize the shortness of the hour," she said in an interview with right-wing radio host Tony Perkins last week. "That’s why we as a remnant want to be faithful in these days and do what it is that the Holy Spirit is speaking to each one of us, to be faithful in the Kingdom and to help bring in as many as we can — even among the Jews — share Jesus Christ with everyone that we possibly can because, again, he’s coming soon."

OK, who let the dogs out? The silence from the Bachmann corner of late has been blissful! But now she returns with her barking mad pseudo Christian idea of the imminent rapture! . . . pure insaniTEA!

The World Bank — A new World Bank report shows that climate change is an acute threat to poorer people across the world, with the power to push more than 100 million people back into poverty over the next fifteen years. And the poorest regions of the world – Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia – will be hit the hardest.

But the report – Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty – also points to a way out. This requires that poverty reduction and development work continue as a priority while taking into account a changing climate. It also means taking targeted action to help people cope with climate shocks – such as developing early warning systems and flood protection, and introducing heat-resistant crops. At the same time, efforts to reduce emissions should accelerate, and be designed to protect the poor.

" We have the ability to end extreme poverty even in the face of climate change, but to succeed, climate considerations will need to be integrated into development work. And we will need to act fast, because as climate impacts increase, so will the difficulty and cost of eradicating poverty. "

John Roome, Senior Director for Climate Change at the World Bank Group

Click through for an excellent graphic and a copy of the World Bank report. If we in North America and Europe think that this climate change – poverty cycle will only affect sub Saharan Africa or places like the Seychelles and not affect us, guess again. Think of the significant weather disruptions that have resulted in the California drought and the loss of crops etc. What about the rising sea levels and floods in areas like New Orleans, the Fraser River delta (Metro Vancouver) or the polders of the Netherlands, just to mention three. I agree that we need to act NOW and coördinate with the best ideas.

The New Yorker — Presidential candidate Ben Carson has issued a dire warning that President Obama’s cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline has left the United States with “virtually no place to store grain.”

Ben Carson! Ben Carson! Ben Carson! I am so tired of Carson's inanities. But even I have to think that Andy is doing straight reporting again. Click through. Barf Bag Alert! There is yet another picture of the idiot.

My Universe —

On the Edge–11/8/2015

Posted by TomCat at 3:22 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 082015

I’m feeling pretty tired, because they woke me up at 2 AM to check my vitals. By the time I struggled to the edge of the bed to pee, I was too fully awake to go back to sleep. I finished the majority of the work needed to lo get the right software installed on my new computer.

Short Takes:

From Politicus USA: Appearing yesterday at Kevin “Kill the Gays” Swanson’s Iowa conference of haters, Bobby Jindal joined Mike Huckabee in pretending neither the United States Constitution nor the Supreme Court exist, by stating that “No earthly court can change the definition of marriage.”

He is about as wrong as a person can be, because United States Constitution. The Constitution is the law of the land of course, not the Bible. The Founding Fathers conveniently set it up that way because they liked the idea of freedom of religion. People like Jindal and Huckabee, to name just two, can’t seem to get that through their heads.

Jindal was introduced by Swanson, who told his fellow haters,

“Let’s acknowledge right now that Jesus Christ is king over the president of the United States, whether he recognizes it or not. Jesus Christ is king over the Supreme Court of the United States, whether they recognize it or not!”

Watch courtesy of Right Wing Watch:

BARF BAG ALERT!!

Booby J. and the Republican Reich demand that YOU undergo forced conversion to Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christianity and learn whom to hate.

From The New Yorker: New reports indicating that Ben Carson might not have actually stabbed anyone during his youth have sent the retired neurosurgeon plummeting in the latest Republican Presidential polls.

Carson supporters, reeling from the news that their candidate’s past might have been devoid of stabbing, have deserted his candidacy in droves, suggesting that Republican voters viewed Carson’s stabbing as a key part of his résumé.

Indeed, a recent University of Minnesota poll showed that a full third of Carson supporters singled out “his stabbing experience” as a top reason for supporting him for the nation’s highest office.

In Iowa, where Carson was the front-runner before the non-stabbing bombshell hit, voters like Carol Foyler, of Des Moines, expressed dismay and disillusionment that the retired doctor might have fabricated his stabbing exploits to make himself more appealing to Republican voters.

Andy should tell Uncle Token not to worry about this. Republican voters will soon realize that, were Uncle Token not sufficiently criminal to quench their blood lust, he would not be allowed in the 2016 Clown Car Destruction Derby.

From Daily Kos: Harry Reid continued fully enjoying the fact that he’s retiring after this term and had a few words on the Senate floor on one of his favorite subjects: The Koch brothers. Riffing off of the really pathetic Morning Joe interview with the brothers, Reid went to town.

Putting on his media critic hat, the Nevada Democrat mocked Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for what he sarcastically called a “really tough” interview with the billionaire brothers earlier this week on their popular MSNBC morning talk show.

As he launched his anti-Koch broadside, Reid read excerpts of the brothers’ “Morning Joe” interview on the Senate floor—including Scarborough’s inquiry on whether the Kochs got their “graciousness” in philanthropy from their mother, or Brzezinski asking them who was the better brother. […]

“Wow. Those were some really tough questions asked by the host of ‘Morning Joe.’ That’s sufficient journalism,” Reid said Wednesday morning from the Senate floor. “Those questions are so easy, they may even qualify them to moderate the next Republican presidential debate.”

Note that this is the same Morning Joe that we recently discussed, because of his whining over (nonexistent) left wing media bias. What a hypocrite!!

Cartoon:

1108All3Strikes

Squatch’s Open Thread 08/11/2015

Posted by Lynn Squance at 12:21 pm Open Thread, Politics

Nov 082015

I am light on short takes today as this evening took a difficult twist. I enjoyed the pizza night with the kids, but after mum arrived home, there was a call from police saying that her 16 year old son had been beaten and robbed and was being taken to hospital by ambulance. Because of mum's lack of English and unable to drive, I took point this evening. The teen was discharged from hospital and I don't know where he went. I hope he got on a bus home, but I wanted to go get him and see him safely home. I just finished my last call with the police at 2:38 am so I am going to bed. Please keep this teen in your thoughts and prayers until we can ensure he is OK. I appreciate it very much.

Update — I confirmed this morning that the young man made it home safely just after midnight.

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:24 (average 5:27). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.

Short Takes

The Guardian — Malala Yousafzai has told Emma Watson that the actor’s speech to world leaders made her change her mind about not describing herself as a feminist.

The 18-year-old human rights and education champion from Pakistan met the film star at the premiere of a documentary about her, called He Named Me Malala.

Yousafzai, a Nobel peace prize winner, said she initially thought feminism was a “tricky word” but now believed everyone should be a feminist.

Watson, a UN global goodwill ambassador for women, gave a speech to the UN last year to launch her “He for She” campaign, aimed at encouraging men to speak up for women’s rights.

Click through for the remainder of the article. Also, NPR had an interview of Malala which follows.

This has implications for all people, no matter the country. It would be great if Republicans could be called "feminists" but I am sure that hell would have to freeze over first.

The Nation — “From coast to coast, Americans are taking action to reduce the influence of wealthy and well-connected special interests on our politics and on our democracy,” says Congressman John Sarbanes, the Maryland Democrat who has emerged as one of the most innovative thinkers in Congress when it comes to election reform issues.

“Nearly 70 percent of Americans feel that our political system is broken because it works for wealthy donors and special interests at the expense of everyday Americans,” says Sarbanes, who suggests that members of Congress should “take the [cue] from state and local efforts that fight back against big money in politics and pass sensible reforms at the federal level to take power away from wealthy special interests and return it to everyday people.”

Here in Canada, change was the word that electors sought. And we did it by dumping Harper and bringing in a majority Liberal government. It sounds like Americans are seeking change too. Keep at it and don't accept 'no' for an answer. Click through for thr rest of John Nichols' piece.

My Universe — The cone of shame!

ARGH!!!–11/7/2015

Posted by TomCat at 6:29 pm Blog News, Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 072015

After sleeping about four hours last night, a nurse awakened me to see if I needed a pain med. Me: “5 minutes ago, I didn’t, but I sure do now!” The pain from the skin graft donor site is still quite severe. I spent the day alternating between working on the computer, and being a feline pincushion. I purchased and installed Paint Shop Pro V8. I was using V5, so the learning curve for me is steep, like learning it from scratch. The install, including extras, was almost 400 MB. I also installed Short Keys Lite, a keyboard macro tool I use to store and insert phrases I use frequently, such as target=”_blank” and [emphasis added].

I did stream the Democratic Forum last night on the computer. I can summarize it in two words:

Bernie Won!!!

There was just no doubt about it. Rachel was a tough moderator, but she treated all three candidates equally.

Hugs until tomorrow!!

1107cat-at-computer

Squatch’s Open Thread 07/11/2015

Posted by Lynn Squance at 2:38 pm Open Thread, Politics

Nov 072015

It has poured rain all day and tonight/tomorrow is supposed to be very heavy rain and wind. Time to button up under the blankets with the fur babes. I was teaching today and had the most delightful surprise . . . as I was leaving, my little Simon, who is 18 moths old, grabbed my legs in a big hug and said "I love you". Oh my, didn't that just bring tears to my eyes! I guess this is what it feels like to be a grandma! (I never had childrren of my own) Tomorrow, their mother is going to a dinner at the church so I volunteered to watch the kids. We're having pizza for dinner which I know they all like. Sure beats cooking!

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:13 (average 4:54). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.

Short Takes

Alternet — John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" is far and away the most refreshing thing on late-night TV. While other shows center around round-table chats and celebrity interviews, Oliver uses his massive platform to highlight overlooked but important political issues. Recently, he told CBS that his focus was "absurd public policies."

By highlighting the absurdities of American institutions, he milks the injustice for a laugh while drawing the attention of millions of viewers to the issue. It's a brilliant combination that, when it fires on all cylinders, makes for great comedy and sometimes even triggers reforms.

Here are his seven best segments.

1. Net Neutrality

Arguably Oliver's breakout hit, this segment masterfully dissected the knotty issue of net neutrality and its effect on free speech. Oliver explained why creating a two-tiered Internet was unfair, and even recruited the Internet's "vile commenters" to spam the FCC's website, which was taking public comment at the time. As a result, the website crashed and FCC Chair Tom Wheeler had to hilariously insist to the public that he "wasn't a dingo."

Click through for the other 6 videos of John Oliver monologues which average 15 minutes each. But each one is focused on different aspects of American life. John is funny as usual.

The New Yorker — New reports indicating that Ben Carson might not have actually stabbed anyone during his youth have sent the retired neurosurgeon plummeting in the latest Republican Presidential polls.

But Andy, on the other hand, he tried to redeem himself by lying about being offered a scholarship to West Point. Click through for the rest.

Mother Jones — On Friday, President Obama announced his administration's decision to reject the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, after seven years of intense deliberation over the pipeline's potential environmental risks. The announcement is widely viewed as a major victory for environmentalists and is sure to further burnish the president's legacy in combating climate change.

Click through to read Obama's speech. And here is the Canadian government reaction as reported by the CBC. As noted, the federal NDP were against the Keystone XL, but the Alberta NDP government of course was for it. Personally, I was not in favour of the pipeline, particularly the route that could affect the Ogallala Aquifer. Oil companies do not have a good record with spills, on both sides of the border.

My Universe — Chillin'!

This pretty kitty is ready for his close-up.

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