Personal – Page 563 – Politics Plus

Open Thread–8/24/2013

Posted by TomCat at 12:13 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 242013

Writing for tomorrow, day 71, it’s still relatively cool. I may actually have a few days respite from this horrid summer. The meeting went well. We brought in a writers’ panel headed by a writer from our local newspaper, and they read essays to the guys. I had the enjoyment of upbraiding one of the guys, telling him that he’s stinking up the place so bad, he ought to be thrown right out of the prison. Several of the guys joined in giving him a hard time. He didn’t mind. His release date is today. I was so tired, I slept the clock around.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:06 (average 5:14). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: …In short, the main lesson of this age of bubbles — a lesson that India, Brazil, and others are learning once again — is that when the financial industry is set loose to do its thing, it lurches from crisis to crisis.

An excellent conclusion by Paul Krugman at the end of a fascinating article. Click through.

From Alternet: Koch Industries confirmed it will not be buying the Tribune Company’s eight newspapers, which include the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times.

Progressive activists have heavily opposed the business and political activities of Koch Industries’ leadership, organizing a number of protests against the takeover. Activists in May had demonstrated outside the LA Times building protesting the sale on the grounds that the Koch brothers are “ radical ideologues” who would use the paper as a mouthpiece to advance their political objectives. The Other 98% organized a crowd-sourcing campaign to "Free the Press" and raise the $600 million required to buy the Trib before Koch could.

Even local city councils expressed opposition. Hartford City Council passed a resolution denouncing the takeover of Tribune…

Wooo Hooo!! There are to few newspapers left to allow any to become Koch suckers!

From MSNBC: Faux Noise lies to promote racism

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

The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda is simply trying to project their own racism onto us while stirring up blood-lust in their rabid followers.

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Open Thread–8/23/2013

Posted by TomCat at 12:25 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 232013

Writing for tomorrow, day 70, I’ll leave shortly for volunteer work in prison. With this place shut up all day, it will be a furnace, when I return, so I hope I am able to get these articles up.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:38 (average 6:01). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: Median household income has begun to recover over the last two years, but households still have not come close to regaining the purchasing power they had before the financial crisis began, a new study says.

The study, issued on Wednesday by two former Census Bureau officials, suggests why many people remain glum even though the economy is growing and unemployment has declined.

Although median annual household income rose to $52,100 in June, from its recent inflation-adjusted trough of $50,700 in August 2011, it remained $2,400 lower — a 4.4 percent decline — than in June 2009, when the recession ended. This drop, combined with the 1.8 percent decline that occurred during the recession, leaves median household income 6.1 percent — or $3,400 — below its level in December 2007, when the economic slump began…

Obama and the Democrats are clearly making progress, but nowhere near the progress we could have made, were seditious Republicans not sabotaging the economy to project blame onto us.

From TPM: A variety of Republican governors have sought federal funds under Obamacare, many of them to expand Medicaid eligibility for more residents, a centerpiece of the law that the Supreme Court made optional for states last year.

But shhh! Don’t call it Obamacare, they say, for they despise that law…

Click through for the rest of an excellent article. When Republicans claim that money they’re TAKING isn’t ObamaCare, check for results. If patients are alive and improving, it’s ObamaCare. If they are languishing or dead, it’s RepubliCare.

From Think Progress: In a meeting of the state’s Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force Wednesday, Colorado State Sen. Vicki Marble (R) delivered a long monologue suggesting that the reason for poverty among certain minority groups was that they eat too much chicken…

Buk-Buk-Buk-Buk-Bullshit! Racist bastards!

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Open Thread–8/22/2013

Posted by TomCat at 1:59 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 222013

Writing for tomorrow, day 69, it’s going to be a scorcher here today and tomorrow. Tomorrow is also a day for volunteer work in prison, so do not be surprised, if I’m out of it for a day or two afterwards.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:24 (average 6:24). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Alternet: On Monday, during a panel discussion about the launch of Al Jazeera America, a Fox News political analyst [Faux Noise delinked] explained the channel’s popularity in the Arab world by claiming that most Arabs sympathize with Osama bin Laden’s efforts to kill Americans.

The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda is guilty of projection. They are acting as though most Arabs are the ones with Republican blood lust.

From Crooks and Liars: The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence has released an ad using the 911 recordings of the Trayvon Martin shooting as the basis for a visual re-enactment. It is visceral and chilling. I physically recoiled at the point where the shot rang out as if I were standing right beside the woman on the phone…

…As much as I wish there was a way to make the point without actually having to shock people into getting it, I have to say this ad is effective and right on par with the kind of Shock Doctrine-level pro-gun ads we see from the NRA. It’s about time we started fighting this war on the same battleground instead of pretending the high road will get us there. It won’t, and the NRA wouldn’t bat an eye at running an ad with the same visceral qualities and an opposite message.

The CSGV has a website and a petition urging state lawmakers to repeal Stand Your Ground laws. It’s a start.

In a word, Amen!

From MSNBC: Christie’s New BFF: Steve Lonegan

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

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall, when he and Lonegan were off camera.

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Open Thread–8/21/2013

Posted by TomCat at 12:50 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 212013

I’m writing for tomorrow, day 69. and I’m completely off-schedule from the heat. Tomorrow is forecast to be about 10° hotter.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:28 (average 4:33). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Tales:

From Daily Kos: With so many hurting in America, with so many having to defer their education, with so many having to work two or more jobs just subsist, with so many coming to the realization that the American Dream is but a dream, one wonders why more town halls are not exploding with people wanting to tell politicians their stories or wanting the heads of these politicians. It was refreshing to see an American citizen, a taxpayer, a person many in the Republican Party label a taker, confronts Senator John McCain directly. She forced him to confront the narrative of his party and how it affects real people.

Update: Original video was replaced. This is the same video from a different source.

McConJob may speak soothing words, but when it comes to to the Republican War on the Sick and Disabled, he goose-steps with the rest of the jackals.

From The New Yorker: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie withdrew from consideration as a Presidential candidate today after becoming embroiled in what a leading Republican strategist called “a career-ending empathy scandal.”

After signing a law barring licensed therapists from engaging in so-called gay conversion therapy, Mr. Christie stunned his fellow Republicans by seemingly expressing compassion for gay children, thus disqualifying himself from any further role in the G.O.P.

“Showing empathy for gays or children would have been bad enough,” says Republican strategist Harland Dorrinson, one of many party leaders who called for Mr. Christie to withdraw. “But empathy for gay children is a flat-out betrayal.”…

Although this is satire, that move may well cost Christie the Republican nomination in 2016.

From NY Times: A surprising number of world leaders and foreign policy experts have effectively acquiesced in the continued brutality of Egypt’s generals, arguing that support for the military is the only way to restore stability in the Arab world’s most populous state and limit wider regional turmoil. But this is just one of several false choices misinforming the debate and one that is certain to ensure more unrest, not less.

After overthrowing Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, the military could have been a positive force if it had put in place a transition plan that included all groups, including Mr. Morsi’s allies in the Muslim Brotherhood. But instead of encouraging Egyptians to settle differences through democratic means — elections, for instance — the generals and their anti-Morsi allies, invoking the threat of “terrorism,” took the ruthless, likely fateful, decision to crack down on peaceful demonstrators. The death toll of more than 1,000 now includes 36 Morsi supporters who died on Sunday under suspicious circumstances in police custody.

The choice the generals are promoting is that the world must decide between them or instability.

The US is in a lose-lose scenario. Oppressive military rule is what Republicans wanted to keep, when Arab Spring broke out. The other alternative is Supply-side pseudo-Muslims, who ran on jobs, jobs, jobs, but delivered only religious control, especially oppressive toward women. If they weren’t the wrong religion, they’d be Republican. To be clear, fanatic pseudo-Christians and fanatic pseudo-Muslims are equally dangerous, as are the parties that represent them.

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Open Thread–8/20/2012

Posted by TomCat at 3:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 202013

Writing for tomorrow, day 68, I’m just wilted. Early this morning, the temperature outside was 59°, but in the breezeway, outside my windows, it was still 78°, and inside, 83° Someday rain has to come!!!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:52 (average 5:05). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MSNBC: Republicans debate government shutdown strategy

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

Whether Republicans shut down the government or trash our nation’s credit rating, because Obama is refusing to cave-in and give them their way, it is still sedition that will cost taxpayers a fortune and cause untold misery for the American people. Christina was completely off base to suggest ObamaCare should be ironed out in Conference Committee. It already was, BRFORE it became established law.

From Blue Oregon: Senator Jeff Merkley is doing that thing he does so very well, advocating for lifting up the blue-collar and middle class folks who often fall between the cracks of the very poor and the super wealthy.

Saul Hubbard, The Register Guard (originally published August 9):

When he speaks in Eugene today, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley plans to unveil a legislative concept that could provide some federal seed money to an embryonic and radical concept designed to tackle the student debt crisis.

The “Pay It Forward” model would allow students to attend state colleges without paying any tuition up front. Instead, they would commit a small percentage of their future incomes to repaying the state over a couple of decades.

The idea drew national media attention last month after the state Legislature passed a bill to study the feasibility of such a model.

Merkley has been a consistent voice for protecting consumers and has been a watchdog on financial issues. The issue of student debt and rising costs are smack in the middle of his wheelhouse.

I am proud to have supported Jeff and volunteered for his campaign, when he defeated Gordon "Goose Step" Smith. The "progressive" Republican who voted with us, whenever the issue was already decided, and his help was not needed. I am longer physically able to volunteer, but I will be supporting his reelection bid, both financially, and here on the blog. Oregon leads the way!

From Alternet: Rampant cronyism threatens the economic foundations that have made this the most prosperous country in the world. — Charles Koch

In a 2012 essay [Murdoch delinked]Charles Koch further criticized crony capitalism, saying "This growing partnership between business and government is a destructive force, undermining not just our economy and our political system, but the very foundations of our culture." Yet Koch Industries is one of the biggest beneficiaries of oil subsidies and government contracts. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the company has spent an average of almost $12 million per year from 2008 to 2012 on oil and gas industry lobbying.

There’s more. Over 100 bills introduced in 2013, backed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and heavily funded by the Kochs, seek to drive down wages, benefits, and worker rights.

This is just one of eight reasons why Charles Koch is "one of the scariest men on earth". Click through to read the other seven. Down with the Kochs! Down with Kochroaches!

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Hat-Tip and kudos to Terrie W from Care2, who inspired the concept for this.

Open Thread–8/19/2013

Posted by TomCat at 12:50 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 192013

I’m writing for tomorrow, day 66, and waiting for the next promise from the weatherman to blow up. He keeps promising cool, while I just get the added humidity of the showers that never come added to the heat. I’ve been too sticky to sleep. I am also in deep mourning after yesterday’s catastrophe at the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:09 (average 4:23). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: A San Antonio senior state district judge confirmed Thursday that he will name a special prosecutor to investigate possible charges of coercion and abuse of official capacity against Gov. Rick Perry.

May it result in swift and successful prosecution.

From Think Progress: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said on Sunday that he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to shut down the government over the funding of Obamacare, but that he is hoping his party does it anyway.

I nicknamed Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot well.

From MSNBC: Ed Schultz on Ted Yoho (R-FL)

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

Would someone please spray this Kochroach?

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Hat-Tip to Gene at Care2 for this marvelous concept. I only hope I did it justice.

Open Thread–8/18/2013

Posted by TomCat at 2:10 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 182013

I’m writing early for tomorrow, day 65, but will pre-make a place to plug in the results of this evening’s meditation on the Holy Ellipsoid Orb, as I do for the daily puzzles. The sun just hit the breezeway, so it looks like my hope for a cool day was in vain.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:08 (average 4:58). To do it click here. How did you do?

Religious Agony:

0817-Broncos10-Seachickens40

Losing to the Seachickens? Oh the humiliation!! Thank goodness it doesn’t count!

Short Takes:

From Bill Moyers: Bill’s guest, veteran activist and organizer Marshall Ganz, joins Bill to discuss the power of social movements to effect meaningful social change. A social movement legend who dropped out of Harvard to volunteer during Mississippi’s Freedom Summer of 1964, Ganz then joined forces with Cesar Chavez of the United Farmworkers, protecting workers who picked crops for pennies in California. Ganz also had a pivotal role organizing students and volunteers for Barack Obama’s historic 2008 presidential campaign. Now 70, he’s still organizing across the United States and the Middle East, and back at Harvard, teaching students from around the world about what it takes to beat Goliath.

This is a 34 minute video, but it’s well worth the time to watch it.

From NY Times: An outlet of Fox Entertainment said on Friday that it would not be involved with the hotly debated Hillary Rodham Clinton mini-series on NBC, after all.

Isn’t it ironic that the miniseries on Hillary that so enflamed Rabid Reince Priebus was actually slated to be produced by the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda? This proves that these programs had nothing to do with wanting the philosophical head of the Republican Party, Rush Limbarf to moderate their debates.

From The Hill: Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) said recent executive actions by President Obama, including a plan to extend high-speed Internet connections to virtually every school in the nation, demonstrate a "blatant" attempt to subvert the will of the American people.

"It’s just a flagrant, you know, arrogant disregard not just for the current Congress," Grimm said in an interview with Fox News. "Look, it’s not about me personally. That’s not what this is about. You think about who is the Congress? It really — it is the voice of the people."

That is not at all true. It is a blatant (and sadly successful) attempt to subvert the will of the American people that 1.17 million more Americans voted for House Democratic candidates than Republican in 2012, but Republicans control the House 234 – 201. In this case the voice of the people comes from the minority.

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Open Thread–8/17/2013

Posted by TomCat at 1:40 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 172013

Writing for tomorrow, day 64, I feel pretty wilted, because the forecast cooler day did not happen. At 10:00 PM, I was blowing 87° superheated air in from the breezeway to cool off the apartment. Ugh! Tomorrow evening my Broncos have a preseason pretend worship with the Seachickens, so I shall be attending the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:25 (average 4:40). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Iowa congressman Steve King was the star speaker at a “Stop Amnesty” rally in Richmond, Virginia, Monday, and supporters stayed away in droves — the crowd was estimated at between 30 and 60 people, almost none of whom appeared to be valedictorians or drug mules with calves the size of cantaloupes. Despite the disappointing turnout, King offered more of his trademark crazy, warning that Latins will sap and impurify [sic] America’s precious bodily fluids.

30 – 60 is 30 – 60 TOO MANY!

From NY Times: …Put it all together, and it’s a discouraging picture. We have an ill-informed or misinformed electorate, politicians who gleefully add to the misinformation and watchdogs who are afraid to bark. And to the extent that there are widely respected, not-too-partisan players, they seem to be fostering, not fixing, the public’s false impressions.

So what should we be doing? Keep pounding away at the truth, I guess, and hope it breaks through. But it’s hard not to wonder how this system is supposed to work.

This is Krugman’s conclusion to an excellent editorial. Click through for a most informative read.

From Think Progress: Two days after an American became the first athlete to speak out against Russia’s new anti-gay law at the track and field World Championships in Moscow, the United States Olympic Committee staked out its position on the law. Instead of offering support for gay athletes, though, the head of the USOC said that athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi should “comply” with the Russian law that bans “homosexual propaganda.”

“The athletes are always going into countries with laws different than his or her own country. They’re going to agree with those laws in some ways, they’re going to disagree with those laws in other ways,” USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun told Russia’s R-Sport [Russian Tea Party delinked]. “It’s our strong desire that our athletes comply with the laws of every nation that we visit. This law is no different.”

Bull! If the games are not moved, the athletes should either boycott them or flaunt the law at every opportunity. Once Blackmun made this statement, I already knew to which political party he belongs, and sire enough, he is a Republican supporter of Little Lord Willard.

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