Politics Plus

I didn’t get as much sleep as I needed, but enough to write.  The heat wave is past, so kitty solar basking can wait until afternoon.  TGIF!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:41 (average 4:58).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Fantasy Football Recruiting:

We still need two new players for Lefty Blog Friends, our fantasy football league.  How about you?  For more information, click here.

Short Takes:

From PRWatch: Jeb Bush is the highest profile speaker at a secretive three-day retreat in Bristol, Virginia, hosted by the CEOs of six coal companies, according to materials for the invitation-only event obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) and shared with the Guardian.

The event, dubbed the "Coal & Investment Leadership Forum," which started Sunday and goes through Tuesday, is taking place at an exclusive private golf course and resort called the "Olde Farm," owned by the founder of United Coal Company, Jim McGlothlin. The private country club is known for its annual golf tournament in which players take sides in the Civil War for the South or the Union and which is described by McGlothlin as "our most cherished tradition."

In addition to United Coal, the forum is being hosted by the CEOs of five other coal companies: Alliance Resource Partners, Alpha Natural Resources, Consol Energy, Drummond Company, and Arch Coal.

Strike Three is clearly ready to suck a little nevermind.

From Daily Kos:

Alberto Iber is in hot water after took to the comments section of a Miami Herald article on the Texas pool party to defend the Texas officer who pulled a gun on unarmed teens:

The Miami-Dade County school district announced Wednesday that Alberto Iber had been removed as principal after going online to defend a white Texas police officer who waved a gun at black teens while responding to a call about an unruly pool party.

In a brief statement, the district said employees are required to conduct themselves, both personally and professionally, in a manner that represents the school district’s core values. The district said a replacement would be named shortly and that Iber would be reassigned to administrative duties.

I fully agree with this action, especially considering that 88% of the students ay Iber’s school are black. He was a Republican disaster waiting to happen.

From Media Matters: Rupert Murdoch is reportedly planning to step down as CEO of Fox News parent company 21st Century Fox "and hand that title to his son James," according to CNBC. James Murdoch previously resigned his role as the head of News International — which published several tabloids and newspapers abroad — amid the widespread scandal over phone hacking at News of the World, a since-shuttered UK tabloid he oversaw. As part of the fallout from that scandal, Murdoch also resigned his position as chairman of UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

According to CNBC, "Rupert Murdoch will continue to be the executive chairman of Fox, while his son Lachlan would also become an executive co-chairman of the company."

James Murdoch has reportedly drawn the ire of Fox News chief Roger Ailes, who allegedly called him a "fucking dope" over his inability to contain the hacking scandal. (Fox News media critic Howard Kurtz claims that despite James Murdoch’s new position, "Ailes will still report to Rupert.")

No matter whish Murdoch is in charge, Faux Noise will continue, as the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, to keep offering infoganda for brain dead sheeple.

Cartoon:

I’m off to a very late start today.  I had a bunch of volunteer paperwork to get done.  I had to complete my kitty solar basking, before it got too hot.  I had to set up our fantasy football league for the coming season.  And I had to clean house, because today is a grocery delivery day.  I’m now waiting for Store to Door to arrive, do I can put them away.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:37 (average 5:36).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Ideas to Save the Economy: Make Polluters Pay

Let’s stop investing in dirty fuels and start charging polluters rent for poisoning our skies.

The Reich on the left is right again. To his solutions I would add an end to all; subsidies for polluters. This the ninth video in the series. Please click through to MoveOn and share it from there.

From Daily Kos: When Minnesota resident Jeff Gullickson:

posted a doctored image of Mr. Obama’s famous campaign poster, instead showing the president with his head in a noose, his eyes closed and his neck appearing broken as if he had been lynched

… to Twitter in response to President Obama’s first tweet from his brand-new account, he netted himself nationwide attention, a visit from the Secret Service, was fired from his automotive job, and permanently etched his own name into the pantheon of the internet’s famous Obama-era racist nutcases. This upsets him.

But the Plymouth resident insisted that his tweets were not racist.

That is not racist. The Pope is not Catholic. Bears never, ever shit in the woods.

From NY Times: A police officer in McKinney, Tex., who was seen on video pulling his gun on teenagers in swimsuits and shoving a young black girl’s face in the ground at a pool party has resigned, the police said Tuesday.

Cpl. David Eric Casebolt, who had been placed on administrative leave after the episode on Friday, remains under investigation, Chief Greg Conley said at a news conference. The corporal will keep his pension and benefits, the police chief said.

“Our policies, our training, our practice doesn’t support his actions,” Chief Conley said. “He came into the call out of control, and as the video shows was out of control during the incident.”

This does not go far enough. Not only does this Republican get to keep his pension and benefits, but also, he is eligible for hire as a police officer elsewhere. He needs to be criminally charged and convicted to keep him out of police work. If you think he should be allowed to work, he can always get a job as private security for Republican campaign events, where his employers would appreciate that kind of behavior.

Cartoon:

With a forecast high of 92° and high humidity, I need to get my kitty sun basking in early, before it gets too hot.  The hallways of this building are still so hot, even in the early AM, that I cannot open the door to cook without losing the AC, so it’s lunchmeats and microwaveables today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:37 (average 5:52).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos (Classic: 1/2015): American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys are disgusted that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker chose to use their music for his intro at the Iowa Freedom Summit Saturday.

They’re especially peeved because this isn’t the first time Walker or his "cronies" have used Dropkick Murphys’ music at a political event.

I’m not a punk fan, but I sure give them kudos for their reaction to the Fartfuhrer of Fitzwalkerstan.

From NY Times: The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has proposed expanding a telephone subsidy program to help the poor gain access to high-speed Internet service. A few Republican lawmakers — notably John Thune of South Dakota in the Senate and Fred Upton of Michigan in the House — have complained of fraud in the existing program. The complaints are overblown and are no reason to undermine an excellent idea.

The subsidy program, known as Lifeline, was created in 1985, when home telephone service was essential to all Americans. In the last decade, high-speed Internet service, or broadband, has become just as important. But many poorer Americans cannot afford broadband; the F.C.C. estimates less than half of all households earning less than $25,000 a year have high-speed service at home, while more than 95 percent of those with incomes of $150,000 or more have it.

Under the proposal by the chairman, Tom Wheeler, Americans who qualify for Lifeline could chose to apply the program’s $9.25 a month subsidy toward wired or wireless Internet service. Currently, people can use the money only for a home phone or mobile phone service. To qualify, people have to make less than 135 percent of the federal poverty level or already receive benefits like Medicaid, food stamps or federal housing vouchers.

I fully support this. Internet access is more important today than telephone access was 30 years ago.

From Crooks ands Liars: As we discussed here back in April, the CEO of a credit card processing company in Seattle, Dan Price, decided to lower his pay to $70K a year and give all of his employees a raise. Which of course had the yappers over on Faux "news" going nuts, and attacking Price as a socialist who is just out to get attention.

Their little tirade drew this response from Russell Brand, who called took apart the Cashin’ In crew apart for their callousness and utter disregard those struggling to get by in America:

On this Saturday’s Cashin’ In, the talking heads were outraged!!!… outraged I tell you that a high school sociology teacher would dare to use Russell Brand’s video as part of a class on poverty in America and how it’s treated in the media.

As we discussed here back in April, the CEO of a credit card processing company in Seattle, Dan Price, decided to lower his pay to $70K a year and give all of his employees a raise. Which of course had the yappers over on Faux "news" going nuts, and attacking Price as a socialist who is just out to get attention.

Their little tirade drew this response from Russell Brand, who called took apart the Cashin’ In crew apart for their callousness and utter disregard those struggling to get by in America:On this Saturday’s Cashin’ In, the talking heads were outraged!!!… outraged I tell you that a high school sociology teacher would dare to use Russell Brand’s video as part of a class on poverty in America and how it’s treated in the media.

Barf Bag Alert!!

Note that the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, is treating Brand’s satirical humor as literal, but Brand did go too far in one way. Comparing a Faux Noise talking head, Jonathan Hoenig, to a rat is too insulting… to the rat.

Cartoon:

I’d like to say that I’m well rested, but unfortunately I have reached the level of tired that sleep does not come easily.  Maybe a low-key weekend with lots of kitty basking in the sun will help.

Cartoon:

Today’s took me 3:25 (average 4:24).  To do it, click here.  Hiw did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: The Guardian UK has decided to keep a running total of ALL people killed by police in 2015, and keep a live running total that you can check on their website.

They break it down demographically and by state to make it easy to see what is happening in this nation.

It's even interactive. You can give them info, that they might not have been given by local agencies where you live.

Can you imagine any entity in our so called free press doing something like this?

Kudos to the Guardian. Click here.

From Upworthy: As you surely know by now, Caitlyn Jenner introduced herself on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Only one group have a problem with Caitlyn being who she is: Republicans.

From Media Matters: The Fox News Primary For May

The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, is goose-stepping early and often.

Cartoon:

Had Republicans not had him murdered, he probably would have won.