Politics Plus

I think I have enough energy to write today’s articles.  I’ve been in prison working to help prisoners to learn to address the issues that led to their crimes and to become proficient in the tools they will use to fulfill their needs pro-socially upon release.  Their diligence and dedication is inspirational.  I can never discuss the details, as we have promised them confidentiality, but I usually find that I have received as much as or more than I have given.  The down side is that I’m posting without the benefit of sleep.  I’m current with replies, though I was briefer than usual.  Today I recover.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:13 (average 4:17).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to approve a G.O.P.-backed bill that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from continuing to pursue its effort to block Boeing from operating a new $750 million aircraft assembly line in South Carolina. The largely party-line vote was 238 to 186.

This is union busting, pure and simple.

From Washington Post: House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) rejected Thursday any increase in tax revenue and instead said that a special committee seeking long-term debt reduction should find $1.5 trillion in savings entirely from cutting federal agency spending and slashing popular entitlement programs.

It’s not as though we expected anything else from Agent Orange.

From Raw Story: A primary battle between two well-known Democratic incumbents is brewing in Ohio, thanks to a Republican-led redistricting. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced Wednesday that he would compete with Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) in the primary for the newly redrawn House district that combines both their former constituencies.

The new district stretches across northern Ohio, from Toledo (Kaptur’s former district) to Cleveland (Kucinich’s domain).

Thanks to Republican gerrymandering, no matter who wins, we lose because we need both.

Cartoon:

Yesterday I was still so bleary-eyed from heat exhaustion that I thought today was my volunteer day when it’s really Thursday.  I got some much needed rest, caught up on email, and am current on replies.  Today I have errands to run and need to rest up for Thursday.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:33 (average 5:02).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Fantasy Football Report:

Lefty Blog Friends, our fantasy football league, had our first game last weekend.

Scores:

Progressive Underdogs	TomCat Teabag Trashers
105.98	103.20
Texans Will Rise Again	Playing without a helmet
96.98	107.48
ManOnDogSantorum	hugos renegades
117.18	130.96

Standings:

						Points
Rank	Team Name	W-L-T	Pct	Streak	Waiver	For	Against
1	hugos renegades	1-0-0	1.000	W1	6	130.96	117.18
2	Playing without a helmet	1-0-0	1.000	W1	5	107.48	96.98
3	Progressive Underdogs	1-0-0	1.000	W1	4	105.98	103.20
4	ManOnDogSantorum	0-1-0	.000	L1	3	117.18	130.96
5	TomCat Teabag Trashers	0-1-0	.000	L1	2	103.20	105.98
6	Texans Will Rise Again	0-1-0	.000	L1	1	96.98	107.48

I lost 🙁

Short Takes:

From USA Today: The median income of U.S. households fell 2.3% in 2010 to the lowest level since 1996 after adjusting for inflation, the Census Bureau reported.

The annual report also said the number of families living in poverty rose 2.6 million to 46.2 million, the largest increase since Census began keeping track 52 years ago. Long-term unemployment has left millions of people out of work and struggling to find jobs.

This is the product of Republican voodoo economics.  The economy is booming for the people Republicans represent, but the Republican recession goes on for the rest of us, and Republicans are determined to keep it that way.

From Huffington Post: The former director of the Republican National Committee’s infamous Young Eagles program, Allison Meyers, has joined the campaign of West Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney (R). According to disclosure forms Maloney released in late August, Meyers has been on the campaign’s payroll as a fundraising consultant since May, earning $5,000 per month in June and July, and slightly less in May.

Meyers’ new role comes a little more than a year after she made national headlines for spending nearly $2,000 at a lesbian bondage-themed club in Los Angeles. The evening was part of the RNC’s Young Eagles initiative, designed to cultivate younger GOP donors, but the visit to the club was an impromptu afterparty with a number of the contributors. Meyers submitted a reimbursement form to the RNC for the tab, which was then disclosed in FEC filings.

This is an excellent time to invest in lesbian bondage clubs in WV. 😉

From Think Progress: Judge Christopher Conner issued an opinion this morning striking down part of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to his appointment to the bench by President George W. Bush, Conner was a major GOP donor — giving over ten thousand dollars to GOP candidates and campaign committees between 1997 and 2000.

This decision does not matter, because it is at the lowest federal level, and it’s clear that this will go to the Supreme Court.  The point here is that it‘s criminally unethical that Connor did not recuse himself.

Cartoon:

Yesterday the heat here was worse than the day before.  Near dawn, when it is cooler outside the walls of the building still radiate heat from the day before.  I’m current with comments on yesterday’s articles.  Tomorrow the heat is forecast to be worse, and it’s a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:08 (average 4:45).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Common Dreams: A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit that sought government information about the reported use of unmanned drones to kill suspected terrorists.

The CIA turned down a Freedom of Information Act request from the American Civil Liberties Union. The spy agency refused to admit or deny that it had any relevant records and said that merely confirming the existence of material would reveal classified information.

This is not the transparency Obama promised.  It’s not as though this is secret.  Hell, it’s on the nightly news.

From Huffington Post: This week, 9/11 firefighters and police chiefs rallied to demand changes to the rules governing compensation for health problems tied to poisonous air and debris at ground zero. They want federal funds to support treatment for cancer, which is currently omitted from the primary legislation covering ground zero-related medical needs. For years, researchers have been uncovering fresh evidence of widespread and devastating illnesses afflicting a large portion of people exposed to the aftermath; ongoing health issues range from crippling lung and breathing problems to post-traumatic stress disorder. But adequate funding for 9/11 workers has often been ensnared in political gridlock.

These are the most deserving of the 9/11 victims.  The people in the towers  just happened to be there, but these people knowingly put themselves in harm’s way.  Political gridlock means Republican obstruction.  What hypocrites, because they pseudo=patriotically capitalize on 9/11, every chance they get.

From Raw Story: Skeptics of climate change will have to deal with more evidence contrasting their disbelief.

The U.S. has experienced its hottest summer in 75 years, according to USA Today and the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. This latest summer season, with an average temperature of 74.5 degrees, has also been recorded as the second hottest ever. Only the Dust Bowl year of 1936, at 74.6 degrees, was warmer.

And you folks back East are about to get what I’ve been getting.  God help you!

Cartoon:

Yesterday the heat was oppressive.  A new fire inspector has ordered that all the doors between hallways be kept closed.  That leaves nowhere to get cool air or for the heat to escape at night.  Even with my little AC going constantly, it only cooled to 91° Sunday night and is now 97°.  This heat wave is forecast to continue until Wednesday, so my contributions will be limited.  I have not answered replies, and am mot up to doing so.  There is only one short take.  Today, I expect more of the same.

Jig Zone Puzzles:

Yesterday it took me 4:14 (average 4:55).  To do it, click here, and today it took me 4:01 (average 4:32).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Take:

From The Cap Times: An internal memo from a top [Wisconsin] Department of Transportation official instructs workers at Division of Motor Vehicles service centers not to tell members of the public that they can obtain voter identification cards free of charge — unless they know to ask for it.

The memo, recently obtained by The Capital Times, was written by Steve Krieser and sent to all state Department of Transportation and Department of Motor Vehicles employees on July 1, the same day employees were to begin issuing photo IDs in accordance with a controversial new Voter Photo ID law adopted earlier in the year.

As laid out in the memo, failure to check a box when applying for photo ID with the Division of Motor Vehicles will result in the payment of $28.

Fitzwalkerstan Koch suckers, rich enough to be well informed, get a free voter ID.  The rest pay.  I understand that Walker had the employee that leaked the memo fired.

Cartoon: