Oct 152011
 

Yesterday I moved furniture.  The plan was to rearrange my computer corner to have a little more space when I change computers next week.  It worked, with 1/4” to spare.  The down side, of course, is that moving heavy furniture does not sit well with my COPD, so it took several hours and exhausted me in the process.  I’m current with replies.  Today I have more chores planned and errands to run.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:00 (average 5:39).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Washington Post: Sen. Patrick Leahy says the Senate Judiciary Committee he heads will vote next month on legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The Vermont Democrat says that overturning the 1996 law was “part of the nation’s continuing fight for civil rights for all Americans.” He says it’s time to ensure equality for gay and lesbian Americans who are lawfully married.

Good for him.  Log Cabin Republicans should take note of which party represents their interests.

From Common Dreams: One day after a nation-wide poll found strong popular support for the United Nations, Republicans on a key Congressional foreign policy committee Thursday voted to cut U.S. funding for the world body if it did not implement major changes.

A general view of the UN Headquarters in New York City. A key US House of Representatives panel on Thursday approved legislation that would slash US dues to the United Nations by half unless the world body agrees to be funded with voluntary donations. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives voted 23-15 for the United Nations Transparency, Accountability and Reform Act.

It would require Washington, among other provisions, to cut 50 percent of funding for the U.N. unless it converted to a voluntary contribution system permitting Washington to fund only those agencies and programmes "that advance U.S. interests and values".

In short, Republicans do not want US dues to support human rights, birth control, or Palestinians.  Republicans have hated the UN almost as long as they have hated Social Security.

From Right Wing Watch: Yesterday Bryan Fischer was asserting that Muslims were responsible for slavery in America, so it only stands to reason that it must have been Christians who were responsible for ultimately ending it.

Specifically, he credits the Tea Party for ending slavery.  Here’s the video:

What a pants-load!!   To accuse Muslims of starting slavery in the US has no historical basis.  Furthermore, the abolitionists were mostly mainline Christians.  The extreme right wing pseudo-Christians, like Fischer, used Philemon in the Bible to justify slavery.

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Oct 142011
 

Yesterday, I spent most of the day pre[paring to change computers next week, namely finding out how to change the license for each of the commercial programs I use.  I’m current on replies.  Today, I expect more of the same.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:16 (average 5:17).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: The House just passed the "Protect Life (Unless it’s a Woman’s) Act," 251-172. Fifteen Democrats voted with Republicans, two Republicans defected.

Rachel Maddow has more:

 

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

From Think Progress: A picture is worth a thousand words.

14infographic

From Raw Story: The home state of Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) may contain the country’s largest population of college students, but Brown appears to have committed one of academia’s cardinal sins: plagiarism.

American Bridge 21st Century, a Super PAC associated with liberal causes, discovered that Brown’s website contained chunks of text taken verbatim from a campaign speech for Elizabeth Dole’s 2002 North Carolina Senate run, the transcript of which was posted to her website.

I suppose he’s just not bright enough to come up with his own material and just too dishonest not to steal someone else’s.  Go Warren ❗

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Oct 132011
 

Yesterday I was quite busy.  I located the installation routines for over fifty of the programs I use, downloaded them, and burned them onto a DVD to minimize my down time next week, when I change computers.  I tried to log on to the blog to moderate comments and couldn’t get in.  I called my HSP and learned the problem was that yesterday’s article on the American Jobs Act went viral and had over 10,000 readers, most before noon.  The traffic was so heavy that it overloaded the server.  They advised me to install a caching plugin that keeps copies of all the blog’s pages in HTML, updating them when they change to lessen the load on the blog’s database, and therefore, the servers.  That should make such problems less likely in the future and improve blog performance. I’m sorry some of you had a database error message, when trying to access PP.  I’m current on replies.  Today I’ll continue to prepare for changing computers next week.

Jig-Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 5:06 (average 5:20).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Reuters: A strong majority of Americans are aware of the "Occupy Wall Street" protests against U.S. economic inequality and a majority either view them favorably or do not have an opinion about them, a Reuters/Ipsos poll said on Wednesday.

Eighty-two percent of Americans have heard of the protest movement, and 38 percent feel favorably toward it, the poll found. Thirty-five percent are undecided, and about one-fourth — 24 percent — are unfavorable.

What amazes me is that 18% have never heard of it.

From Politico: In a three-page statement released Wednesday afternoon, the New Hampshire secretary of state reiterated his independence and said he’ll move the primary up as far as necessary to maintain first-in-the-nation status and comply with state law.

“If Nevada does not adjust its caucus date to a later time, I cannot rule out the possibility of a December primary,” Gardner wrote.

At this rate, campaign season will be 365 days a year, 24/7.

From Think Progress: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), an agency whose three commissioners are appointed by climate denier Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), has censored a Texas climate scientist’s attempts to warn the public about the threat of global warming to the state’s residents. Rice University oceanographer John Anderson withdrew his article on the Galveston Bay from a collection commissioned by TCEQ after the agency stripped all mentions of climate change, sea level rise, and other man-made impacts on the environment.

Republicans love gutting scientific evidence and promoting folklore as science.

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Oct 122011
 

Yesterday I did housework and worked with my computer supplier to design a new custom built system.  My old notebook is running hot and has been used so much that many of the letters have worn off the keyboard.  Replacing it now will extend its life for use outside my home.  Fortunately, I planned for this long ago and have put a few dollars away for it every month since the day I bought the old system.  After I post articles in the wee hours of the morning next Monday, there will be no new articles, replies, or moderation until the new system is fully up and running.  I’ll take the notebook in Monday morning.  They will copy data files from the notebook to the new system and deliver it and the notebook next Tuesday.  Then I have to reinstall all the software programs and should finish sometime Wednesday.  Barring unforeseen difficulties, I should be posting again in the wee hours of next Thursday morning, so the whole process will probably cause a two day interruption.  I’m current on replies.  Today I will be making a list of software to replace. and downloading the install programs to a CD.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:41 (average 5:21).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Fantasy Football Report:

Here’s the latest from Lefty Blog Friends, our fantasy football league.

Scores:

TomCat Teabag Trashers

Texans Will Rise Again

122.30

96.40

ManOnDogSantorum

Progressive Underdogs

121.84

119.96

hugos renegades

Playing without a helmet

92.86

101.44

Standings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Points

 

Rank

Team Name

W-L-T

Pct

Streak

Waiver

For

Against

1 (1)

ManOnDogSantorum

4-1-0

.800

W4

6

645.66

603.56

2 (2)

Progressive Underdogs

4-1-0

.800

L1

5

635.82

547.50

3 (3)

hugos renegades

3-2-0

.600

L1

4

619.26

587.76

4 (4)

TomCat Teabag Trashers

2-3-0

.400

W1

3

626.04

573.54

5 (5)

Playing without a helmet

2-3-0

.400

W1

2

533.34

607.94

6 (6)

Texans Will Rise Again

0-5-0

.000

L5

1

478.04

617.86

Short Takes:

From AP/Google: A coalition of more than 150 Texas school districts said Tuesday it has filed a lawsuit against the state over a school funding system it says is unfair, inefficient and unconstitutional.

The coalition represents more than one in 10 Texas districts. It accuses lawmakers of turning a blind eye to the state’s troubled school financing system for years and exacerbating the flaws this summer when they slashed public school spending by more than $4 billion to close a massive budget gap.

As President, Perry would undoubtedly help education in the US the way he has in Texas.

From AP/Google: The Republican speaker of the Wisconsin otstate Assembly, one of the key backers of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal curbing bargaining rights for public unions, announced Tuesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate.

Jeff Fitzgerald said in an interview with The Associated Press that he believes his role in passing that law is his largest asset heading into the race. The proposal drew protests as large as 100,000 people and made Wisconsin the center of a national fight over union rights.

This is the Fitz in Fitzwalkerstan.  Defeating this Koch sucker is imperative.

From Washington Post: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in New Hampshire today, providing the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination with a boost on the verge of tonight’s New Hampshire debate.

Since they are both Corporocons and Plutocons, I’m not surprised.

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Oct 112011
 

Yesterday I spent most of the day at appointments, so I’m running short of sleep.  I’m current on replies.  Today I have housework to do and sleep to catch up.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:14 (average 4:30).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Reuters: Democrat Elizabeth Warren raised $3.15 million in the first stage of her bid for the Senate from Massachusetts, the former Obama administration official’s campaign said on Monday.

More than 11,000 individuals in Massachusetts alone gave to Warren’s campaign, and the vast majority of the contributions were $100 or less.

Way to go!

From CBS: California Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday signed a bill banning the open carrying of handguns in public, making California the fifth U.S. state to do so.

When I lived in Arizona, that had an open carry law, and I saw weapons used in threats on more than one occasion.  I see nothing in the Second Amendment that guarantees open carry.

From Crooks and Liars: SNL spoofs Fox and Friends.

A refreshing break!

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Oct 102011
 

Yesterday I meditated on the Ellipsoid Orb, but the Orb did not bless me.  On a positive note, Pastor Orton of the Denver congregation may have be defrocked.  I’m current on replies.  Tomorrow, I’ll be spending much of the day at an appointment.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:30 (average 4:24).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Religious Agony:

1009-Broncos24-Chargers29

Short Takes:

From AP/Google: Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann said Sunday that her unsuccessful fight against raising the federal debt ceiling kept her away from New Hampshire for nearly four months, but she’s still committed to winning over voters in the key early primary state.

How absurd!  I’ll have a load of that for the front lawn!

From Raw Story: House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) suggested Sunday that the Occupy Wall Street protests were the fault of President Barack Obama for “sowing class envy and social unrest.”

How absurd!  I’ll have a load of that for the front lawn too!

From Crooks and Liars: Nancy Pelosi defends OWS demonstrators.

It sounds like Nancy had a load of that for the front lawn!

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Oct 092011
 

Yesterday I rested.  I did a few chores, but spent most of the day relaxing and catching up on some research. I’m current on replies.  Today is a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, and I will be meditating on the Chargers’ visit to the Broncos’ cathedral.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:10 (average 4:50).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: A Texas pastor introduced Rick Perry at a major conference of Christian conservatives here on Friday as “a genuine follower of Jesus Christ” and then walked outside and attacked Mitt Romney’s religion, calling the Mormon Church a cult and stating that Mr. Romney “is not a Christian.”

The comments by the pastor, Robert Jeffress of Dallas, injected a potentially explosive issue into the presidential campaign: the belief held by many evangelicals that Mormons are not Christians.

I was wondering how long it would take for Perry to play the Mormon card.  Those Republicans do love to hate.

From LA Times: Declaring the need to expand educational opportunity, Gov. Jerry Brown announced Saturday that he has signed legislation making illegal immigrants eligible to receive state financial aid to attend California universities and community colleges.

Brown said he signed the California Dream Act because it makes sense to allow high-achieving students access to college financial aid.

I support the Dream Act.  Kids that have lived here virtually all their lives have benefited from having an education.  That benefit should be developed and used here.

From Crooks and Liars: Alan Grayson explains OWS.

As usual, Alan is spot on.

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Oct 082011
 

Yesterday, feeling quite tired, I ran some errands, and tried to connect with the Occupy Portland march, but without success.  I’m still running a sleep deficit. I’m current with replies.  Today I’m going to rest as much as I can.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:06 (average 4:05).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From AP/Google: The federal government asked an appeals court Friday to stop Alabama officials from enforcing a strict immigration measure that has already driven Hispanic students from public schools and migrant workers from towns, warning that it opens the door to discrimination against even legal residents.

The Department of Justice’s filing to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also said the law, considered by many to be the most stringent immigration rules in the country, could cause considerable fallout as immigrants flee to other states or their native countries.

Alabama Republicans actually made it a class C felony (up to 10 years) for undocumented people to buy water service.  I’m pleased to see Holder doing the right thing, for a change.

From Politico: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on Friday decried the “growing mobs” of protesters flooding Wall Street, charging that the activists were creating a divisive atmosphere that pit Americans against one another.

Bull!  It is the 1% who have set Americans at each others’ throats by taking so much that far to many struggle for the scraps they leave behind for the 99%.

From Countdown: Worst Persons in the World!

Bill O’Lielly – Mooseolini – Neal Bootz

These are the cream of the Republican Party.

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