It’s another busy day. Jeannie (shower-aide), Arvilla (PT) and Tracey (OT) have come and gone. This is my last day with all three of them. I will miss them. They have taught me a lot. Starting on the 26th, I’ll go out for PT/OT on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:15 (average 5:20). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Patty Monster:
We have not seen our beloved Patty Monster for some time, so when the Squatch mentioned it yesterday, I sent Patty an email. Here is her reply.
Hi Tom.
So sorry i’ve been AWOL. I’ve just been busy around here and trying to limit my computer time.
I promise that I will show up again from time to time if for nothing else but the crossword puzzle.
Keep up the good fight. I still am!
My love and hugs to you all! Patty
Short Takes:
From Alternet: Soviet Jews: “The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy. And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern.” (link)
This is the first of ten Inhuman and typically Republican quotes from Henry Kissinger, whom Hillary praised last year, Click through for the other nine.
The woman Uranus Inspector picked for the above commercial, Amy Lindsey, is a soft porn star. Perhaps he needs to turn his TRUS down a notch or three. Bwahahahahaha!!
From The Guardian: Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders next square off in the Nevada caucuses. Who’s ahead there? Who knows – there’s not much polling. The Real Clear Politics average uses two polls in the last four months and shows Clinton up 20.
But hold the phone: a new poll by a TargetPoint, a Republican polling firm, conducted for the Washington Free Beacon finds – a tie! at 45-45.
Today is another relatively busy day. I have a grocery delivery coming to put away, volunteer editing to do, meals to prepare, and my helper friend coming to help me wash and change the sheets on my hospital bed. I did managed to get a full night’s sleep last night, and I needed it. I still feel tired today.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:42 (average 5:11). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: Take a minute to celebrate and discover these 25 black "firsts" from the last 25 years.
It’s Black History Month. I shared the first Black “first” listed. Click through for the other twenty-four.
From NY Times: The state-appointed emergency manager of the Detroit Public Schools, who had also managed the city of Flint and oversaw its decision to draw its water from the Flint River, resigned on Tuesday, the day before a congressional committee hearing in Washington on Flint’s water.
Michelle Zdrodowski, a spokeswoman for Detroit Public Schools, said the manager, Darnell Earley, had declined to testify before a panel investigating the widespread contamination of Flint’s tap water after the city switched its water source, which led to elevated blood lead levels throughout the city.
On Tuesday evening, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued a subpoena for Mr. Earley to testify on Wednesday, but his lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, said Mr. Earley would not be able to appear.
I’m glad this Republican race-traitor lost his job. Rachel Maddow explains why the Republican House hearings are just a smoke screen to protect Sturmbannführer Snyder.
I bet a fiver against a donut that the goose-stepping, sham committee will blame it on Obama or Hillary.
From Crooks and Liars: Rand Paul, the libertarian-minded freshman senator who was once viewed as a formidable presidential contender, is suspending his White House bid on Wednesday, several sources close to Paul told CNN.
I was happy to see that the Clown Car had barfed Upchuck Huck. I’m equally happy to see that it puked Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot!
I should never have changed the channel. See today’s Open Thread to learn why I wish I’d been wearing George. Clown Car Destruction Derby VII was a debate that reflected the century. Unfortunately, it was the 19th century, and the Republicans reflected only its low points. Unless they are successful at undermining the tattered remains of this Republic, that American apathy has allowed Republicans to shred, and establishing a Republican Reich, in which predetermined elections exist for show only, we may be watching the implosion of the Republican Party.
Things felt a lot more predictable in the Republican debate Thursday night in Des Moines, Iowa, without the party’s bombastic front-runner.
Real estate mogul Donald Trump made good on his promise not to show up for the debate after feuding with Fox News over its moderators, a risky move just days before Iowa’s caucuses kick off the election season next week. But Trump’s opponents made sure he was not forgotten.
“I’m a maniac, and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly,” Texas Senator Ted Cruz said at the debate’s outset. “And now that we’ve got the Donald Trump portion out of the way…”
Trump’s absence meant less ad-hominem attacks, but also a lot less spontaneity. Most of the exchanges felt familiar, a rehashing of many of the same disputes seen in previous debates. Cruz once again attacked his Senate colleague, Florida Republican Marco Rubio, for flip-flopping on immigration when he worked on a failed bipartisan reform plan. Rubio, in turn, critiqued Cruz for not supporting defense budgets in the Senate.,,
The following is a complete list of statements that reflect competence.
[end of list]
The following is a complete list of good ideas.
[end of list]
The following is a complete list of statements that reflect integrity.
[end of list]
The following is a complete list of interesting statements.
[end of list]
I would include a complete list of lies told but I do not have the Craig super-computer needed to format a collection that asymptotically approaches infinity in length,
In my goodness and mercy, I shall not assault you with video of Clown Car Destruction Derby VIII
Fortunately for Iowa, there were other events that day.
Hillary attended a rally in Newton, Iowa.
And, saving the best for last, Bernie, with Susan Serandon, attended a rally in Fairfield, Iowa.
Yesterday Arvilla (PT) worked me hard. We needed to ascertain whether I could support myself well enough with a quad-cane to make transfers to a doctor’s table, a barber chair, a toilet without handicapped rails, etc., when I’m out and about, so I don’t have my walker for transfers. It worked well. I also tired myself out, so today, I’m taking a much needed rest day.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
today’s took me 2:44 (average 4:16). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin continued to air her grievances against President Obama on Friday, telling an audience at a Trump rally in Iowa that Obama was “single-handedly to blame” for her defeat in the 2008 general election.
“Like a lot of American families, we Palins had big plans and dreams—in this case, regarding me becoming Vice-President,” she said. “But you know who had to go and ruin those plans and dreams? President Obama.”
Palin said that Obama insured her defeat in 2008 “just like he has defeated so many other great Americans,” and that her family had paid the price.
“I can’t help thinking that, if I had been elected Vice-President, Bristol and Willow wouldn’t have gotten into that drunken brawl and Track wouldn’t have threatened his girlfriend and whatnot,” she said. “Thanks, Obama.”
Andy sure understands Bloody Bullseye Barbie!
From NY Times: A massive winter storm that threatens to dump two feet of snow on the nation’s capital began pummeling the East Coast on Friday afternoon, as millions of people from the Carolinas to New York braced for a weekend of severe winds, power losses and coastal flooding. Thousands of flights were canceled; governors and mayors warned people to stay indoors and off the roads.
Governors in at least 10 states declared states of emergency, and travel was disrupted in at least five major airport hubs, with 6,300 flights canceled on Friday and Saturday and 4,675 more delayed. In North Carolina, more than 114,000 homes lost power. The Washington region’s mass transit system took what an official called an “exceedingly rare” step of shutting down for the weekend.
Cities from Nashville to New York started emergency operations to respond to what the National Weather Service deemed a “potentially crippling winter storm.” In Virginia, where snow began falling Friday morning in the southern part of the state, Gov. Terry McAuliffe put 700 National Guard members on standby; by Friday evening, hundreds of accidents had been reported. In Baltimore, shelters added hundreds of extra beds to accommodate the homeless.
To you, who are in the path of this fossil-fuel weather, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Please be careful and stay safe.
From Crooks and Liars: Oops! Trump Campaign Runs Veterans Ad Featuring Russian Soldiers
I bet Vladimir Putin (R-RU), aka GOP Pootie, hopes Hateful Hairball wins, so his vets get US taxpayer money!
I decided that after spending so much time on the negativity of US politics, I wanted to finish the year with some positive notes. So here are 6 short takes that made me feel good, and I hope they will do the same for you!
Happy New Year!
2016
The Province — Two children seized from their British Columbia home on Christmas Eve weren't overlooked by Santa thanks to a couple of Mounties and a businessman.
RCMP in the Interior city of Trail say the constables visited a local home on Thursday to check on the well-being of five- and nine-year-old girls.
The visit resulted in a social worker with the Ministry of Children and Family Development apprehending the children and taking them to a foster home at 10 p.m.
So Santa has a bigger wardrobe than just that red suit with chimney soot on it! Click through for the rest of the story.
Upworthy — No matter where he is in the world, Santa Claus appears to be a popular guy.
Case in point: His recent visit to a shelter for migrants and refugees in Sarstedt, Germany, on Christmas Eve. The facility has been a temporary home for those from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan.
Santa's pit stop there shows that, regardless of where they are in the world, children go through the same stages of excitement when Santa comes to town.
Click through for more pictures of Santa's visit to a refugee centre in Germany.
The Province — When Erin Barrett decided to take her personal battle with ovarian cancer to Facebook, she had no idea her message about the “silent killer” would travel the world and be shared more than 240,000 times.
“It made me sort of a bit anxious putting it out in public like that — I’m a very private person,” the 35-year-old Vancouver mother of two told The Province, as she sat waiting for her third and final chemotherapy appointment at the B.C. Cancer Agency on Tuesday.
But Barrett felt a “moral and ethical responsibility” to post about the disease, because she considers herself lucky for being diagnosed at stage one — most women don’t get the diagnosis until stage three or four, when it’s often too late.
She was diagnosed early because she was in “overwhelming pain” during her second pregnancy, so her doctor ordered some scans. On Sept. 21 he found the tumour, which was “bigger than a volleyball.”
Erin Barrett cuddles her daughter Edie, born on Sept 24.
Three days later they delivered her daughter Edie while also removing Barrett’s left ovary, Fallopian tube and the nearly six-pound tumour.
Thinking beyond herself in hopes of helping others. Her reward, not that she was looking for one, was a show of support from people around the globe! Click through for the rest of the story.
CBC — A recent strong solar storm is expected to give Canadians across the country a special New Year's Eve northern lights show.
The aurora's swirling colours may light up night skies as far south as 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude, says the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This means that cities along the Canada-U.S. border and farther north might get a chance to see the display.
Photographer and tornado hunter Greg Johnson took this photo in Saskatchewan. The photo was taken at night, and the lights seen are the from the full moon and aurora borealis.
Finland
Norway
Alaska
Iceland
It doesn't get much more beautiful than this! The first time I was the northern lights was in the summer of 1960 in central Ontario. I have seen them many times since, especially when I lived in the north . . . almost a daily occurrence especially during the winter where the light reflects off the snow.
So said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's photographer, who captured this sweet moment between Canada's leader and a young student sitting on the steps of Parliament.
When I first saw this story, I was proud to call Trudeau my Prime Minister. Don't get me wrong, he's not perfect and I don't "worship the ground he walks on". But he looks at the seemingly inconsequential like this boy, and takes the time to listen. This has shown up also as he greeted refugees. The greatest gift we can give to another is our time, our heart and listening.
Upworthy — This kid has a point. About life. About relating to other human beings.
This lad is spot on! I am learning Persian and when I use a few words at the market or at physio, faces light up. I have noticed the same when I greet Julio and Alberto at the grocery store in Spanish. My pronunciation is not perfect, but I try. It is about respect.
Although I am still hurting from my fall, I’m back in the saddle, albeit barely. Groceries are coming today.
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Hillary has an extensive record that cannot be disputed (although people try).
This will be part one of a series that could take a lifetime to go over. Here we start with a list of portions of Hillary’s record and some of her achievements. Feel free to discuss. I hope there are no duplicates in this batch.
As critical as I am of Hillary, I have to agree that she has done many positive things. I’ve shared five. Click through for a long list.
From NY Times: Many of the indelible images of the Middle East refugee crisis this year are haunting. There was the heart wrenching photo of Aylan Kurdi, a lifeless 3-year-old boy who drowned at sea and washed up ashore on a beach in Turkey in early September. A photographer in Greece captured the moment Laith Majid, an Iraqi refugee, walked off a deflating boat in Greece in tears, tightly clutching his son and daughter. And it’s hard to forget the spiteful Hungarian journalist who tripped a Syrian refugee carrying a child, making them stumble.
The simple but powerful words with which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada greeted the first group of Syrians resettled under an expedited program stood in sharp contrast to the misery and monumental injustice the earlier images represent.
“You are home,” he said when the refugees disembarked in Toronto on Thursday after a 16-hour flight from Beirut. To a man holding a toddler wearing a headband with flowers, he repeated the sentiment: “Welcome to your new home.”
Kudos to Canada. They got rid of their Republicans, Harper and his harlots. We could be like Canada, if we would flush ours!
From Think Progress: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) likely knew that there was unreleased video evidence of Officer Jason Van Dyke killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald within 50 days of the shooting, internal emails obtained by NBC Chicago indicate.
The emails show Emanuel staffers discussing the existence of dashcam video of the killing in early December of last year, as Emanuel’s re-election effort was entering the home stretch. The city sought to suppress the video for over a year before a judge forced Chicago to release it to the public last month. In the early weeks after the killing, police insisted McDonald had lunged at Van Dyke with a knife — something the video proves to be untrue.
I’ve said it before, so I’ll repeat: Rahmbo must go!
Cartoon:
Made in 2012, before I coined the term SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD).
In politics it is said, that when not fueled by hope there is a vacuum for fear to fill. Since artists turn to the muses, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope we are exploring what they can offer us for inspiration to have the hope fueling politics. Last week we were in the wake of Paris; this week we follow two violent events on American soil (covered in other threads) in Minneapolis and in Colorado Springs yet do not hear near the cacophony of voices loudly urging actions to keep Americans safe. We also follow the holiday most associated with gratitude in the U.S.: Thanksgiving. One Thanksgiving email I received began with this quote: “I saw…that there was an ocean of darkness and death; but an infinite ocean of light and love…flowed over the ocean of darkness.” — Journal of George Fox (1647)
Then continued with: ”It can be hard to look into the darkness we find all too easily today: in the suffering and fear of so many, in the cycles of violence. Yet, when we come together with compassion, understanding, and openness, we find the Light in dark places.” It was from the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Calliope is considered the strongest of the nine and imposes serenity. Researchers have been exploring this area and one finding that goes with post-Thanksgiving is:
Gratitude can be transformative:
“The Thanksgiving holiday began, as the name implies, when the colonists gave thanks for their survival and for a good harvest. So perhaps November is a good time to review the mental health benefits of gratitude — and to consider some advice about how to cultivate this state of mind.”
“Recently scientists have begun to chart a course of research aimed at understanding gratitude and the circumstances in which it flourishes or diminishes. They’re finding that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits:
Staying with science, let us hear from Ourania (astronomy) via :“In a 2-minute elevator speech, a NASA scientist shares his greatest hope for the future of earth.”
Didn’t he make it crystal clear and easy to understand—did he also communicate hope?*
One thing events in Paris affected was people’s plans with COP 21 Nov. 30th-Dec. 11th…I’ve seen one group that is collecting photos of people holding empty shoes to represent people who would’ve been marching in Paris to address climate change. Greenpeace is matching individuals who would’ve marched in France with someone marching in another country…the resilience to this purpose in this one (check out the video) is it an example of what Dr. Rignot said was our hope? Is it a love Erato might claim?
Can’t the world always use more love? Is it always the answer?
And thank you dear reader for joining me on this journey of discovery!
*Note: Physics is the one field where research questions with answers using statistics often have no error rate so results are not a probability of truth/fact on the subject but are actually the truth or fact of the matter.
If you missed the first installment of this series and would like more information about the muses by reading it:
