Apr 302017
 

Wendy is here and is doing a little cooking, so I may as well get a start. I'll finish when she leaves.  She just left.  She is a positively magnificent helper.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 4:30 (average 5:34).  To do it. click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: President Trump came to a farm expo center here on Saturday to celebrate his first 100 days in office by bathing in the support of his bedrock supporters, reprising the populist themes of his campaign and savaging a familiar foe: the news media.

In a rally timed to coincide with an annual dinner of the White House press corps in Washington, which he declined to attend, Mr. Trump laced into what he referred to as “the failing New York Times,” as well as CNN and MSNBC, which he accused of incompetence and dishonesty.

Disapproval from the Pumpkin Pussy-grabber is the best recommendation the Times, CNN and MSNBC could have. RESIST!!

From Think Progress: Until November, it was easy for the National Rifle Association to galvanize its members against a common enemy. Hillary Clinton appeared likely to ascend to White House, where she would destroy the Second Amendment, according to leaders of the gun lobby. This fear of Clinton drove up gun sales, boosted firearm manufacturers, and bolstered the NRA’s lobbying power.

But with President Trump’s win — unexpected even for many here at the NRA’s annual meeting — the group had to reorient itself around a new target able to drive just as much anger in its millions of members.

ISIS or other international threats may have been easy marks. But judging by the rhetoric used by NRA leaders and President Trump in Atlanta this week, the gun lobby has set its sights elsewhere: the media.

For the Fuhrer to organize thousands of armed Republican ammosexuals against the free press sounds like something Hitler would do. RESIST!!

From Politico: Democrats couldn’t be less interested in the whole Jared Kushner vs. Steve Bannon drama, and they have given up on the idea that President Donald Trump’s son-in-law will push him to work across the aisle on tax reform or anything else.

The crisis of confidence they felt after Trump’s shocking win has faded and his record-low poll numbers have killed any incentive in their minds to suck it up and compromise with him.

“There is zero chance of any of this working out that way, and it doesn’t matter who you’re changing,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who notes that many of his colleagues who once decried his absolute opposition to Trump now agree with him. “At the end of the day,” he added, “this is Donald Trump, and we don’t want to work with him.”

If Trump ever proposed a plan that was acceptable to progressives, I could not penalize the American people by opposing it for the sake of partisan division. That said, I consider the possibility that Trump might offer such a plan to be somewhat less that having a bear dressed in a tux lecturing on fine wine choices in the street below my window. RESIST!!

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Apr 292017
 

I slept better last night, even though the pain has not diminished.  I'm not sure what or how much I'll be publishing tomorrow, because Wendy is coming to deodorize the TomCat and help with several other needed tasks.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today's took me 3:08 (average 5:05).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Reminder:

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): Trump's First 100 Days. And What Has He Done? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

 

We have survived the worst 100 days in US history. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): Why aren't news outlets talking about climate change?

 

On the other hand, climate change might have a positive side, if Mar-a-Lago sinks when Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten is there.

From NY Times: The Heritage Foundation, a powerful conservative think tank that played a significant role in shaping President Trump’s cabinet and tilting it far to the right, is expected to replace its leader, the former South Carolina senator and Tea Party leader Jim DeMint.

The anticipated shake-up, which was confirmed by two people with knowledge of the fraught internal dynamics, comes at an inopportune time for the group, with several major pieces of conservative legislation on the agenda in Congress. The budget, a tax overhaul and health care are all issues that Heritage has tried to influence, with varying degrees of success.

A spokesman for the foundation did not return a request for comment.

Mr. DeMint’s abrupt ouster, described by people as a “coup” against him, was the result of a larger debate among conservative donors who fund the group. One of its board members is Rebekah Mercer, a reclusive donor who has helped propel the White House chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, in his effort to dismantle aspects of the political establishment.

It appears that a mere KKK supporter is no longer extreme enough for Heritage Foundation. :Look for am Alt-Right Nazi replacement.

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Apr 282017
 

Pain is still high.  On the plus side, I got to watch my Broncos draft an OT in the first round last night.  No surprises there.  It’s what they needed most.  Now if only Democrats would do that!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:47 (average 4:16).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): What Would Trump’s Immigrant Ancestors Say? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

 

For the heinous crime of deporting Fredrick Trump to America and fouling our nation with his vile spawn, Bavaria deserves at least a nuclear strike, or even worse, government by Republicans. RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: This past May, while candidate Donald Trump was running over Republicans and we all were relatively unaware of the impending nightmare that would be November 8, 2016, Noam Chomsky was interviewed on Democracy Now! by Amy Goodman. He made this statement:

 

He’s right. But I’ve said that Republicans are mose dangerous for years and referred to the Reich as Al Dubya, before Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten. Here’s one example from 2010. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos criticized the media on Friday for placing so much emphasis on Donald Trump’s first hundred days, because “it’s so darn hard to count to a hundred.”

“I’m watching the news and they’re going on about a hundred days this and a hundred days that, and all I want to say is, ‘Who the heck can count all the way to a hundred?’ ” she said. “They’re acting like we’re a bunch of math geniuses.”

DeVos added that, if the media wanted to establish a benchmark for Trump’s achievement, “they should have picked a number of days that people can actually count to, like five or ten.”

Dang Andy! Considering what DeVos is doing to education, that will be true all too soon! RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Ending that war took far too long.

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Apr 272017
 

I breathed water into my windpipe last night by coughing at the wrong time and set off severe choking and gasping.  That undid the healing in my side, so my pain level is severe again.  ARGH!  The draft is tonight.  May the Holy Ellipsoid orb guide and bless your team, named especially my Broncos.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:26 (average 4:28).  To do it, click here.  How did you do.

Short Takes:

From All In: Bernie Sanders sounds off on Trump’s latest fiascos

Senator Bernie Sanders sounds off on the flurry of activity from the Trump administration, including its last-ditch effort to kill Obamacare and a tax cut plan that would give breaks to those who need then the least.

 

Spot on, Bernie! Boycotting the Fuhrer’s photo-op was smart!. RESIST!!

From Raw Story: Maryland Democratic U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings said on Thursday that President Donald Trump and his administration are “stonewalling” the investigation into retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s ties to Russia and lies to the federal government and doing everything it can to sabotage the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to the Russian government.

“Clearly the White House is stonewalling,” Cummings told Willie Geist of “Morning Joe.” “And I don’t use that word frequently because I try to give the benefit of the doubt, but they have not given us one shred of paper on him, not one syllable — after a bipartisan request was made for contacts that the general had with the Russian and Turkish governments and any kind of information that would lead us to understand how he was vetted and what the process was.”

Geist asked Cummings why he thinks the White House would still be covering for Flynn even after his firing.

“This situation is one that leaves me baffled,” Cummings said. “Here’s a man fired. Come on, now. Fired. He lied to the vice president but it seems that they have circled the wagons around him. I don’t know what this is all about, but I’ll tell you one thing. It leaves those of us who are looking into it, it makes us even more anxious to get information. And then it makes me wonder what if anything is being hidden.”

I think I understand. The more the truth about Flynn’s treason is exposed, the closer we will be to criminally exposing Trump’s treason. RESIST!!

From NY Times: President Trump told the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Wednesday that he would not immediately move to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, only hours after an administration official said he was likely to sign an order that would begin the process of pulling the United States out of the deal.

In what the White House described as “pleasant and productive” evening phone calls with President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Mr. Trump said he would quickly start the process of renegotiating Nafta — not abandon it, as he said he would do during the 2016 presidential campaign if he could not rework the deal to his satisfaction.

Now that NAFTA is in operation, simply terminating it would cause economic upheaval in all three countries.. It needs to be updated, but not in any way Trump would want to renegotiate it. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Flask back to the Fourth Reich.  From the present perspective of the Fifth Reich, I almost miss him,

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Apr 262017
 

I’m waiting for Store to Door to deliver my groceries, and Wendy comes this evening to de-stink the TomCat.  Please pardon my pain induced brevity.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:11 (average 5:49).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): It Sure Looks Like a Russian Cover-Up | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

 

The cover-up could not be more obvious. RESIST!!

From NY Times: A judge in San Francisco on Tuesday temporarily blocked President Trump’s efforts to starve localities of federal funds when they limit their cooperation with immigration enforcement, a stinging rejection of his threats to make so-called sanctuary cities fall in line.

The judge, William H. Orrick of United States District Court, wrote that the president had overstepped his powers with his January executive order on immigration by tying billions of dollars in federal funding to immigration enforcement. Judge Orrick said only Congress could place such conditions on spending.

The ruling, which applies nationwide, was another judicial setback for the Trump administration, which has now seen three immigration orders stopped by federal courts in its first 100 days. And as with the rulings halting his two temporary bans on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries, the president’s own words were used against him.

That’s good news for Portland, one of America’s first sanctuary cities.

From Alternet: What is "dictator style"? For Donald Trump, it’s celebrating winning on a private jet while eating a Big Mac. He’s a "man of the people" with bad hair, oversized suits and a notorious trucker hat.

On the other hand, according to Peter York, author of Dictator Style: Lifestyles of the World’s Most Colorful Despots, "Trump’s design aesthetic is fascinatingly out of line with America’s past and present."

Barf Bag Alert!!

 

I can’t tell the difference. Can you? RESIST!!

Cartoon:

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Apr 242017
 

I’m feeling slightly better than I did yesterday.  The pain when I cough is still excruciating, but I’m coughing less and was able to sleep.  Today, I put George on for the first time in two weeks.  The stretching hurt liked hell, but leaving Stumpy unconfined for so long was bringing back phantom pain.  Wendy and I got everything done yesterday, including the dreaded task.  This morning I scheduled my first cataract surgery for June 23.  There is light at the end of this tunnel.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:21 (average 4:26).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Unpopular orange blunt object of a President Donald Trump had a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni recently. It’s hard to screw up a press conference introduction but the wannabe tiny-handed model did just that.

Through the ages your country has been a beacon of artistic and scientific achievement. That continues today. From Venice to Florence, from Verdi to Pavarotti—friend of mine. Great friend of mine.—These bonds…   

As an American I want to jump out of a window every time he speaks as president. Not since George W. Bush came on the scene has someone seemed so thoroughly unimpressive. He’s also an insane liar and, as the Independent in England reports, Pavarotti’s widow and his family can’t stand the guy—and they don’t imagine their late great Luciano could either. [emphasis added]

To settle the issue, Peach Pinocchio could create an opportunity to meet with Luciano Pavarotti and discuss it. RESIST!!

From RFI: The deciding round of France’s presidential election will pitch Marine Le Pen, the 48-year-old inheritor of the leadership of the far-right National Front (FN) against Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old former merchant banker and former economy minister who has never held elected office. What are the big differences in their programmes?

Sunday’s first round saw the candidates of the ruling Socialists, Benoît Hamon, and the mainstream right Republicans, François Fillon, eliminated, with the hard left’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon close behind Fillon and way ahead of Hamon.

So, although Macron was a minister in the outgoing government and Le Pen’s FN has been on the political scene since 1972, neither represent a party that has held the presidency or run the country before.

Many Socialists and Republicans on Monday called for a vote for Macron to stop Le Pen, whose party is strongly anti-EU and anti-immigrant.

Click through for analysis of their policy differences. I can’t say that I’m thrilled with either, but I have to support Macron over Le Pen [R-FR]. RESIST!!

From Think Progress: It all started with Steve Doocy.

On July 6, 2016, former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson sued Roger Ailes, alleging she was sexually harassed. The suit prompted an investigation of Ailes, his eventual firing, and a $20 million settlement for Carlson.

The investigation of Ailes, and the public standard it set for Fox News, set the precedent for the ouster of Bill O’Reilly last week, following numerous allegations of sexual harassment.

But Carlson’s problems with Ailes began when she complained to him about the conduct of Steve Doocy, her co-host on Fox & Friends.

According to Carlson’s complaint, Doocy “engaged in a pattern and practice of severe and pervasive sexual harassment of Carlson.”

Doocy was not named as a defendant. But Carlson claimed Doocy created a “hostile work environment” by treating her in a “sexist and condescending way,” regarding her as a “blond female prop.”

The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda has always reflected the misogyny of the Republican Party by treating women as props, and many of the ones I used to call Faux Noise Bimbettes, knew they were being hired as eye candy and cashed in on it. Since then, I have learned that even a woman’s active participation in the discrimination against her does not keep her from being a victim. Doocy is just one of the Republican crowd there. Put Faux Noise and the Republican Party out of business. RESIST!!

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Apr 232017
 

Wendy eill be here in less than an hour to scrub and deodorize the TomCat, and we have a lot of other tasks, so this is today’s only article.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:28 (average 5:50).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Bill Maher:

The Slow and the Furious

 

New Rule: Make Earth Great Again

 

Make the Earth great again.  Send the Republican Party to Mars.

Cartoon:

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Apr 222017
 

It’s another day with lots of pain, but enough sleep.  There has been a small demonstration, marching under my window.  Some chanted "What do we want? Educated science! When do we want it?  After peer review!"  Others chanted, "Science says, ‘Dump Trump!’"  A small group of Republican hecklers marched and chanted, "Science trumps niggers!  Trump trumps niggers!"  I apologize for using that hateful word, but I consider accurately condemning Republican racism more important political correctness.  Please expect no more than a personal update tomorrow.  It’s a Wendy day, and there is much to do.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:53 (average 4:58).  To do it, click here.  Hpw did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): Happy Earth Day from MoveOn.org!

 

What Republicans are doing to the earth is unBEARable. RESIST!!

From Sen. Jeff Merkley: Keep It in the Ground

Climate change is already wreaking havoc on our farming, fishing and forests—and without dramatic action in the near future, it will get much worse. Our society is still dependent on fossil fuels, but affordable and reliable technology exists to gradually transition to clean energy and clean transportation. Making that transition happen smoothly should be a central priority of the federal government.

A key starting point is to stop the expansion of fossil fuel production on our public lands and waters. Rather than serving coal, oil, and gas companies, our public lands should serve the public and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and towards a cleaner energy future.

Learn more about Keep It in the Ground

The Keep It in the Ground Act is one step we can take to slow the pace of climate change and prevent some of its most serious consequences. Click here to learn more about Keep It in the Ground and click here to download a short summary of the bill.

To see the full text of the bill, click here.

To download a copy of our Keep It in the Ground PDF pamphlet, click here.

Sign Up for Jeff’s Climate Updates

To sign up for Jeff’s climate change updates and the latest Keep It in the Ground Act news, sign up here.

 

Please Support Jeff’s Keep It in the Ground Bill, It won’t pass during a Republican Reich, but it shows voters that Democrats are superior stewards of our world. I could not be more proud of Jeff. Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: Donald Trump wants nothing more in the world than to build that "big, beautiful" nativist status symbol he promised at every campaign stop from the moment he announced his candidacy. Yes, indeedy, that border wall is emerging as so very important to the popular vote loser that his minions are willing to risk it all.

Despite the fact that Republicans have no path to securing enough GOP votes alone to pass Trump’s budget priorities—funding the wall, increased defense spending, and adding more border agents—the White House is preparing to wage what amounts to a game of chicken with Democrats in advance of the April 28 deadline, writes Politico:

With almost uniform Democratic opposition to nearly all of the Trump administration’s spending proposals, the fight could lead to a government shutdown next Friday — the day government spending expires, and right before the 100th day of Donald Trump’s presidency. Officials could also strike a one-week compromise, giving them more time for a broader agreement.

I warned that this was coming. As painful as it might be, Democrats cannot bow to Republican blackmail using the American people as hostages. There is only one response. RESIST!!

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A dark day!

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