Politics Plus

I’m writing for tomorrow, day 8.  Here in Portland, we have both a high wind warning and a winter storm warning from the NWS.  Sudden weather changes, especially ones involving winter storms, set off my COPD big time, si I’m having a bad air day.  I did get to the rental office to finalize my paperwork for next years lease, get some housework done, and stow the groceries Store to Door delivered.  But other than that, it’s been a day to rest, wrap myself around a buffalo chicken wing, and hide under the blankets.  I hope to be be back up to speed tomorrow.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:58 (average 4:37).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Back to the cat cave.

I’m writing for tomorrow, day 6.  I have a lot of housework to do today.  I’ve been procrastinating.  Tomorrow would normally be a prison volunteer day, but the Activities section is closed for the holiday, so I can’t go.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:48 (average 4:23).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos (Hat-Tip JL A): How Native Americans Beat the Kochs in ‘America’s Most Competitive’ Congressional District

Click through for an interesting grassroots success story.

From Upworthy: I hope we can all agree that it’s what’s on the inside, not the outside, that counts, right? So why are some people so determined to define someone’s sexual habits by their clothing — or at all, for that matter?!? In this video, vlogger Hannah Witton asks, "Do I look like a slut?" to show just how silly this question is.

I agree with her on every point but one. There is such a thing as a slut.  Here’s proof:

From The New Yorker: Saying that he wanted the remainder of his second term to be as active as possible, President Obama announced on Friday that he had ordered a two-year supply of crossword puzzles.

In signing an executive order for the puzzles, which range in difficulty from medium to advanced, the President laid out an ambitious plan to complete as many as thirty of them a day, for a total of ten thousand by the time he leaves the White House, in January, 2017.

The President said that he hoped that Republicans in Congress would support his plan for the puzzles, but added, “I don’t need their support. All I need is a pen.”

What Andy forgot to tell is that the Republican response will try to impeach him for such tyrannical behavior.

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I’m writing for tomorrow, day 4.  I got a few hours last night and feel almost feline again.  Tomorrow isa a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  My Broncos worship with the Raiders, but the service won’t be televised locally.  Our CBS affiliate, KOIN, is serving up paid programming, because the damn Seachickens are on the other network.  Grrr!!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:51 (average 5:30).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Fox News announced on Wednesday that it is terminating its coverage of the Ebola virus effective immediately, because, in the words of the host Sean Hannity, “Our work is done.”

Hannity commended the work of the Fox Ebola team, which provided non-stop coverage of the virus during the month of October, but added, “This story is officially over.”

Fox’s decision to bring its Ebola coverage to such an abrupt close raised eyebrows in media circles, but Hannity offered an explanation for the move after his broadcast concluded.

“There’s like, what, one case of Ebola in the United States?” the host said. “At most, two or three. The point is, the chances of any of our viewers catching Ebola are next to zero. We’re not in the business of scaring people for no reason. Let’s all move on.”

Andy’s reporting real news again. The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, successfully spread lies right up to the election to convince voters that the Obama administration had placed them at risk, completely contrary to the efficient, professional and effective way the Obama administration handled and is handling the problem.

From Upworthy: As a gay man who grew up in a Roman Catholic household, I know the push and pull of being a good Christian versus being exactly who God made you, especially if you’re part of the LGBTQ spectrum. But those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive, do they? This grandmother from Australian TV comedy "Please Like Me" doesn’t think so.

Just wait for the last line.

That’s the kind of courage we need to see much more on this side of the pond!

From Daily Kos (Hat-Tip Joanne Dixon): Democratic strategists have been segmenting the electorate and seeking individual self-interest-based issues in each electoral block.  The strategists also keep suggesting a move to right.  This has left no room for the Democrats to have an overriding authentic moral identity that Americans can recognize.

Those strategists form an infrastructure that all Democrats have come to depend on; not just the candidates, but also the elected officials, Democrats in government, and citizens who either do, or might, find progressive policies morally and practically right. The strategic infrastructure includes PR firms, pollsters, consultants, researchers, trainers, communication specialists, speechwriters, and their funders. 

It is an important and powerful infrastructure and we all depend on it. I believe it is vital to separate this infrastructure from the strategies it has been using. I believe the strategies can be greatly improved so as to give a true, deep, and moral picture of what progressive politics is about — one whose content and authenticity will resonate with, and inspire,  a majority of Americans.

Click through and read this article, please. It is important, because it makes suggestions on how the Democratic party should fix their fatally flawed campaign strategy. To be understood, it must be read in its entirety. When Joanne sent me the link to this article, her subject was, "This is exactly what you have been saying all along."

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I’m writing for tomorrow, day 2, even though 11-7 feels no luckier than Tuesday, which came up snake-eyes.  Obviously, I’m still not a happy camper, but I didn’t give up after the disasters of 2000, 2004, or 2010.  We should have another chance to save this nation in 2016, so campaign 2016 starts now.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:01 (average 4:54).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Congressional seats are on pace to fetch a whopping four billion dollars on Tuesday night, a record-smashing sales figure that has exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic insiders.

The seats, which include four hundred and thirty-five in the House of Representatives and thirty-six in the Senate, have attracted buyers from a broad spectrum of industries, including investment banking, energy, pharmaceutical, and gun.

“With all of the uncertainty in the world today, the United States Congress is considered a very safe place for the rich to invest their money,” said Charles Michollot, of the auction house Sotheby’s. “Congressional seats are like Manhattan real estate—they aren’t making any more of them.”

But Anton Pickardin, of the rival auction house Christie’s, sounds more skeptical. “I hate to be a wet blanket, but these sales figures lack rhyme and reason,” Pickardin said. “When someone is willing to pay millions of dollars for a pre-owned Mitch McConnell, you know that people have lost their minds.”

Given that this came out on election morning, before any returns were available, Andy proved himself a prophet, not just a comic.

From Upworthy: The Great Barrier Reef is in real danger. A lot of good folks are drawing attention to what’s going on and calling out companies that are doing the literal dirty work. How dirty? Very dirty.

Sadly any help the US might have been in curtailing the use of fossil fuels in the next two years just went up in smoke. This is just one of the reasons campaign 2016 begins now.

From NY Times: All told, Republican outside groups spent about $205 million on television advertising in Senate races, according to a Democrat tracking media purchases, who agreed to share the information on condition of anonymity, while Democratic groups spent $132 million.

Note that this does not count the spending after the reporting deadline that has not yet been reported. Republican spending during this period was so massive that there was no ad time left for candidates to buy.  We have the worst Legislature money has ever bought.

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