Politics Plus

I’m writing early in what should (hopefully) be a one day heat spell.  It’s just after Noon, and the temperature as already 86° at my desk.  Not fun!  I wish these patches would stop sputtering out.  I’m running out of matches.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:36 (average 5:36).  To do it, click here.

Short Takes:

From Think Progress: Parts of Alberta, Canada were hit by extreme flooding the size of New York State on Friday, forcing 75,000 to evacuate their homes. Hit by heavy rain, people have abandoned their cars and low-lying residences in flooded waters Mayor Naheed Nenshi described as “an ocean at the moment.”

Across the world, cities in Germany have also been wrecked by flooding — one estimate puts the damage as high as $7.7 billion. Climate science explains that global warming leads to a 5 to 10 percent increase in rainfall, and subsequently leads to a higher risk of flooding.

As Climate Central notes in its reporting on the Calgary floods: “A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change on June 9 found that flood frequency as well as the number of people at risk of inundation from flood events are both likely to increase as the world continues to warm.”

Gee! Increasing temperatures that melt ice caps, putting more water into the world’s weather system actually increases flooding? Who would have imagined!! I know who wouldn’t have!  Scheeeesch!!

From Raw Story: A federal judge slashed 10 years off of his prison sentence of former Enron Corp Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling on Friday, a decision that could set him free as early as 2017.

U.S. District Judge Simeon Lake reduced his term to 14 years from 24 years, accepting a deal struck between prosecutors and Skilling’s lawyers that will end years of appeals.

Under the deal, more than $40 million of Skilling’s fortune, which has been frozen since his conviction in 2006, will be distributed to victims of Enron’s collapse.

It would have been better to increase Skilling’s sentence each time he refused to return stolen funds to his victims, instead of allowing him to buy a shorter sentence with his ill gotten gains. That’s unequal justice favoring a 1% vulture capitalist.

From YouTube: Senator Jeff Merkley speaks at Netroots Nation 2013.

I promised to bring you Jeff’s keynote speech, when I could. Here it is. It’s worth the 25 minutes. Oregon leads the way!

Cartoon:

Note that even the Republican Jobs, Jobs, Jobs from coat hangers have been offshored.

I’m writing early, and feeling quite tired today, because a helicopter moved in low over my building at about 5:30 AM and stayed there for almost two hours.  By then I felt too angry to sleep, so I’ll write tomorrow’s (day 7) articles and return to bed.

I’m late because I overslept.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:35 (average 5:27).  To do it. click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Supporters of the United States’ twelve-year quagmire in Afghanistan cheered the news today that the U.S. would strive to achieve a seamless transfer of that quagmire to Syria, effective immediately.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sought to reassure those who were concerned that the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan signalled a wavering of the nation’s commitment to being mired in open-ended military muddles.

“I can tell you, right here and right now, that the U.S. is every bit as determined to engage in an ill-defined, ill-advised and seemingly interminable mission in Syria as we were in Afghanistan,” Gen. Dempsey said. “All that’s changing is the Zip Code.”

I’m sure Dempsey did not say that, but he should have!

From MSNBC: The New GOP Agenda

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I never thought we’ see another serious challenge to Glen Beck for depth of InsaniTEA? Bring on the Cruz Control. Then a parade of wing-nuts piled-on.  Even the de facto head of the Republican Party, Rush Limbarf is jumping in. Obama must have super-socialist/Kenyan power to turn the conservative Republican in charge of that IRS division into an obedient zombie. Comparing these Republicans to schizophrenics is an insult to schizophrenics!

From Weird Facts: Weird Texas Law

• A recently passed anti-crime laws requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and explain to the nature of the crime about to be comitted [sic].

• One must acknowledge a supreme being before being able to hold public office.

• Up to a felony charge can be levied for promoting the use of, or owning more than six dildos.

…

Could this be why ladies from Texas can be so …um… boisterous? 😉

Cartoon:

I’m writing early, and tomorrow will be day five.  I’m having trouble with irritation with patches.  I scratched one off in the middle of the night and woke up craving.  Grrr!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:36 (average 4:14).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

I OOPSED!! We filled three out of five spots for our fantasy football league.  For more information about the last two spots, check Monday’s article.

Short Takes:

From NJ.com: Two liberal groups say they’ve found a “smoking gun” in a century-old state law that could force Gov. Chris Christie to schedule the general election in November.

New Jersey Citizen Action and New Jersey Communities United in a brief today, told the state Supreme Court today that the state’s 1915 law on filling U.S. Senate vacancies said that unless the vacancy occurred shortly before the next general election, it should be filled at the closest general election.

The purpose, according to drafters of the original law, was to “avoid the expenses of special elections for United States Senators and Congressmen.”…

I would love to see it, because, if both the Senate vote, and the General Election are combined, as they should be, turnout for Booker will assist down-ballot Democrats, and that's exactly what Christy want's to spend $12+ million of NJ taxpayer's money to avoid.

From MSNBC: Is Miss Utah planning a career in Congress?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

She had her talking points, and she was bound and determined to stick with them regardless of the question asked. It's sad to see such goose-stepping at such a young age. That she comes from a Red State was quite apparent, because her opinion trumped her intellect.

From Alternet: Bank of America’s mortgage servicing unit systematically lied to homeowners, fraudulently denied loan modifications, and paid their staff bonuses for deliberately pushing people into foreclosure: Yes, these allegations were suspected by any homeowner who ever had to deal with the bank to try to get a loan modification – but now they come from six former employees and one contractor, whose  sworn statements were added last week to a civil lawsuit filed in federal court in Massachusetts.

“Bank of America’s practice is to string homeowners along with no apparent intention of providing the permanent loan modifications it promises,” said Erika Brown, one of the former employees. The damning evidence would spur a series of criminal investigations of BofA executives, if we still had a rule of law in this country for Wall Street banks… [emphasis added]

Click through for the rest of this highly enlightening article. BofA employees were told to lie to customers to trick them into foreclosure. Bring on the DOJ!

Cartoon:

I’m writing early, as usual.  Day two is proving more difficult.  In spite of the Chantix and a 21 mg. patch, I’m Jonesing big time.  nevertheless, I remain committed.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:20 (average 4:47).  To do it. click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Alternet: Military contractor Booz Allen Hamilton of McLean, Virginia, has shot into the news recently over two of its former employees:  Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who has just revealed the extent of  US global spying on electronic data of ordinary citizens around the world, and James Clapper, US director of national intelligence.

Clapper has  come out vocally to condemn Snowden as a traitor to the public interest and the country, yet a review of Booz Allen’s own history suggests that the government should be investigating his former employer, rather than the whistleblower.

Clapper worked as vice-president at Booz Allen from 1997 to 1998, while Snowden  did a three-month stint at their offices in Hawaii in spring 2013 as a low-level contract employee. Both worked on intelligence contracts, which are estimated to make up almost a quarter of the company’s $5.86bn in annual income. This past weekend, Clapper condemned Snowden’s leak…

I’m going to disagree with this author, in part. Because Snowden, by his own admission has leaked US sources and methods to China regarding electronic surveillance of that nation, he should certainly be investigated, and in all probability prosecuted. However, I agree with the author that Booze Allen Hamilton should be investigated for criminal negligence, and Clapper should be fired and criminally investigated for corruption.

From Common Dreams: An interactive database allowing users to search more than 100,000 secret companies, trusts and funds created in offshore tax havens including the British Virgin Islands has gone online.

The data, part of a cache of 2.5m leaked files that has already led to a series of exposes of the offshore financial sector by the Guardian and other global media organisations, has been launched by the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

The ICIJ, a non-profit organisation that has analysed the files with more than 100 journalists in dozens of countries and is continuing to do so, hopes the Offshore Leaks web app will trigger further investigations and revelations by making the information more widely available.

This resource may be difficult to use, but I consider it an extremely valuable tool to ferret out the 1% vulture capitalists that the Republican Party represent exclusively.  Major kudos to the ICIJ!!

From Huffington Post: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) criticized President Barack Obama while speaking at the annual meeting of the Faith and Freedom Coalition Saturday, saying the United States should not intervene in Syria while he’s in office.

“Until we have a commander in chief who knows what he is doing… let Allah sort it out!” Palin told the conservative crowd, according to The Hill.

God forbid that I I should ever be perceived as agreeing with Blood Libel Barbie, aka Drill Baby Dingbat, aka Mooseolini. I think intervention in Syria is a mistake for different reasons, and it should be noted, the ones who are pushing hardest for it are Republicans, but Obama painted himself into a corner when he threatened increased US involvement if Assad was proven to have used chemical weapons.

Cartoon:

Don’t tell Republicans it’s from France, or they’ll send it back!!