I’d like to say yesterday went well, but my Ophthalmologist’s front office really screwed the pooch. The doctor was waiting for me at a different office, where they have all the equipment needed for both tests. However the only way I had been notified was in an the fine print of an online appointment reminder notice at their web portal. That’s the wrong way to inform someone who can barely see! So I had to reschedule the main test, and a technician performed the small test that required only partial dilation. When I was done, I asked Tri-Met if the could move up my ride home and they got me 45 minutes sooner. I was frustrated and exhausted from recent heat and humidity, so I just posted that I was OK, and went to bed. Except for a meal break and Republican depository breaks, I stayed there until morning. I’m feeling recovered, but groggy. The poll change and Monthly Report will be a few days late. I’ll finish ASAP.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:11 (average 5:47). To do it. click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (GQ Channel): Has Michael Flynn Already Flipped on Trump? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann
From Keith’s mouth to God’s ear. RESIST!!
Also from YouTube (GQ Channel): The GOP Must Take Responsibility for Trump | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann
Why don’t they? This is likely to be the last time that Republican leaders will ever have an opportunity to strip mine all the nation’s wealth, give it to billionaires, and create a totalitarian state. If they desert Trump, their chance goes with him. May they rot in hell. RESIST!!
From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): Robert Reich: 7 Reasons Trump’s Corporate Tax Cuts Make No Sense
Of course the Reich in the Left, Robert Reich, is right and the Reich on the Right, the Republican Reich, is anti-American. RESIST!!
From All In: Report: From start, Trump pushed to lift Russia sanctions
In three words, quid pro quo. In one word, treason. RESIST!!
It’s a profoundly sad comment on a president when the highlight of his (hopefully truncated term) is having made up a nonsensical word. But it looks like Twitler reached the Zenith of his presidency (probably accidentally) when he Tweeted out the neologism “Covfefe” – which he or someone deleted a few hours later, so all we have are screen captures.
So to mark this solemn occasion, I thought we should revisit some of the better takes on “Covfefe” – the “Meme of the Week” – because it’s all downhill from here on out. (Not that he reached any peaks prior to this – but “Covfefe” is probably going to be as good as it gets … *sigh*.)
I realize that you've probably seen a number of them already, so I doubt you’ll laugh your covfefe off. But I do hope some of them will provide a chuckle, or at least a smile.
From the “Obama-Biden Bromance Meme”, I think Joe actually followed through on this one
It has been no secret that Trump is a climate change denier, and that was fully borne out by his announcement that he was withdrawing the US from the Paris climate agreement.
President Trump announced Thursday that he is withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement, signed by nearly 200 nations to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
In his exit, Trump has likely put the accord into jeopardy, as the U.S. is the second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world next to China. Per capita, the U.S. is the seventh biggest emitter, after major oil- and coal-burning nations like Qatar and Australia. But cumulatively speaking, the U.S. is the country that has pumped the most greenhouse gases into the atmosphere over the decades.
These facts, environmentalists argue, mean that the U.S. should shoulder the biggest responsibility for mitigating the effects of climate change. But Trump has shirked that responsibility, a move that could weaken other nations' commitment: If the world leader in carbon emissions won't curb its own, why should other countries, which emit far less? …
The response from supporters of the agreement was harsh and swift.
"President Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord is a stunning abdication of American leadership and a grave threat to our planet’s future," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). "In walking away from this agreement, the president is denying scientific truths, removing safeguards that protect our health and our environment, protecting polluters and their dirty energy agenda, and threatening our national and global security."
"By abandoning the Paris Agreement, Trump continues on a reckless path of pretending that the dire threat posed by climate change is no more lasting than a tweet," said Sachs. "It’s one thing to campaign on a know-nothing platform on climate change that denies scientific reality, and another altogether to govern that way. If ever there was a moment for Donald Trump to listen to the consensus of scientists and 195 parties to the Paris Agreement, this was it, and he failed."
Here from Daily Kosis Trump's announcement from the Rose Garden.
Barack Obama has accused Donald Trump of “rejecting the future” by pulling out of the Paris climate deal.
The former U.S. President said those nations that remained signed up to the accord would “reap the benefits in jobs and industries created.”
But he added: “This Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future.”
Mr. Obama’s administration played a key role in negotiating the deal.
Speaking after Mr. Trump announced America was withdrawing from the agreement, the former President argued the U.S. “should be at the front of the pack” when it came to lowering emissions and developing green technology.
"We are deeply disappointed that the United States federal government has decided to withdraw from the Paris agreement," Trudeau said in the statement. "Canada is unwavering in our commitment to fight climate change and support clean economic growth. Canadians know we need to take decisive and collective action to tackle the many harsh realities of our changing climate." …
"This is about an ambitious and unshakable desire to leave a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable planet for our kids and for generations to come," Trudeau said. …
"The clean-growth economy is where the world is going and Canada is going to be part of it," McKenna said on Parliament Hill following Thursday's White House news conference.
"Canada wants to create good jobs, and wants to grow our economy and create opportunities for business. We want to be there, we want to be providing solutions for the world. We know where we're going."
I can hardly wait to see what the other European nations have to say, especially after dealing with Drumpf at the G7 and NATO summits last week. I remember reading quite some time ago that many countries in Europe had made significant strides in clean energy. Below is a map showing the relative percentage of green energy as part of the total energy consumption as noted in Wikipedia. As you can see, the Scandanavian countries are out front with Iceland and Norway having over 60% of total energy consumption in green renewables.
So if Europe can make significant changes, why can't other countries like the US and Canada? Canada is trying. With Trump's climate change denier status, and a Republican Congress that follows suit, the country is turning back the clock and putting its citizens in danger as well as the rest of the world. With Trump and Republicans it's profits first and only. Let's hope that this decision of Trump's has a severe political price for Trump and the Republicans.
This is super brief, because I need to be in the lobby at 7:45 AM. When I return, I’ll be fully dilated and mostly blind, but I will try to reply briefly to say I’m OK.
Jig Zone Puzzle: Today’s took me 3:11 (average 5:09). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Normally, when I have used the tag ‘GOP Fear’, it has referred to the manner in which Republicans instill fear in their sheeple to get them to goose-step without thought in blind obedience. However, since passing the latest Republican plan to kill Granny, aka TrumpCare or RepubliCare, Republican reps have cowered in fear of their constituents. Darrell may be the biggest coward of all.
A GOP congressman became an instant meme after taking to the roof of his district office to photograph protesters on the street below.
Social media users drew instant comparisons between Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Michael Scott, the bungling boss from “The Office,” following Tuesday’s bizarre incident at his office in Vista.
There were conflicting reports as to why Issa decided to go up on the roof in the first place. The lawmaker himself said he’d “spent the morning talking with constituents [liar delinked] gathered outside the office” before going up “to take a quick pic.”
His opponents, however, alleged that he scurried up onto the roof because he was “too afraid” to speak with the protesters below…
I'm waiting for Store to Door to deliver groceries. Wendy comes this evening, and I have plenty of stink to keep her scrubbing for a while. Tomorrow I have two appointments with Christine, my Ophthalmologist in preparation for my first cataract surgery on the 23rd. Please expect only a Personal Update. I'll be fully dilated and virtually blind when I return.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today's took me 3:14 (average 4:19). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (GQ Channel): Shouldn’t Jared Kushner Be Arrested? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann
Arrest Kushner Now! RESIST!!
From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning that his practice of sleeping only four hours a day was having no impact whatsoever on his ability to cljjryff.
Trump, who repeatedly touted his high energy level during the 2016 campaign, tweeted that, despite his gruelling Presidential schedule, he still had enormous reserves of stamina, which he called “stamgygygyggy.”
In the same tweetstorm, he lashed out at news reports questioning his fitness for office, denouncing them as “fakequez%(™.”
Andy is back to straight news again. RESIST!!
From NY Times: Back from overseas and confronting an unforgiving political environment, President Trump appears increasingly isolated inside the White House, according to advisers, venting frustration over the performance of his staff and openly talking about shaking it up. But as he considers casting off old aides, Mr. Trump is finding it challenging to recruit new ones.
The disclosures from investigations stemming from Russian meddling in last year’s election — coupled with the president’s habit of undercutting his staff — have driven away candidates for West Wing jobs that normally would be among the most coveted in American politics, according to people involved in the search.
By the time the first change in what may be a broader shake-up was announced Tuesday, the White House was left without a replacement. Michael Dubke, the White House communications director, said he would step down, but four possible successors contacted by the White House declined to be considered, according to an associate of Mr. Trump who like others asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.
That makes perfect sense. If I were a completely corrupt Republican (tautology intended), I would not accept an appointment from the Fuhrer without a guaranteed full-salary pension for life and a blanket full pardon for all crimes: past, present and future. RESIST!!
Back in the day when Democrats could actually run as Democrats, we never had to ask questions like the ones we are looking at today: How can we get Democrats elected to offices since a Teflon President has apparently passed on that mantle (now usually referred to as IOKIYAR) to an entire guilty party, which people CONTINUE TO VOTE FOR?
I got an email last week from another Progressive who is running as a Progressive. This one is running for Governor, opposing (Republican) Governor Rick Scott (aka Voldemort or Skeletor), who, having been elected in 2012 in his own right after having assumed the seat in a Special election, is now termed out in 2018.
Here's what Andrew Gillum has to say (again, fundraising delinked):
Friends –
There is a debate in our party right now about whether or not we as Democrats should talk to working-class white voters or double down on our base. And let me tell y’all, it is asinine.
The truth is we ought to be talking to working-class black voters, working-class white voters, working-class Latino voters, all working class voters.
Our opportunity for a victory here in Florida isn’t hidden in some specific demographic that we need to target, but rather in demonstrating to all Floridians that we have the best plan to move our state forward. Our strategy is to not only go speak in all 67 counties in Florida — it’s to listen in all 67 counties, too.
Now, this kind of strategy means there will be times when we’re campaigning in towns that haven’t gone blue once in my lifetime. But whether we’re speaking with folks in a small town up in the Panhandle, or a big city down in South Florida, I can promise you that our message will be the same.
We’re going to talk about the need to create jobs on every rung of the income ladder, so that every Floridian can get a job that doesn’t require them to have three jobs. About finally giving teachers the pay raise they deserve, and getting rid of the high stakes testing that leaves our kids sick to their stomachs with anxiety. About protecting Planned Parenthood and expanding access to health care. About fulfilling the promise that we are ALL created equal, no matter our race, religion, creed, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or what’s in our bank account.
We’re not going to water down our message or compromise our progressive principles based on some superficial differences. And we don’t need to — because these ideas aren’t just appealing in communities like the one I grew up in. These ideas are appealing in any community where there are folks who believe we need to level the playing field, provide better job and education opportunities, treat our neighbors with more kindness and compassion, and rebuild this state into a better place for all of us.
Together, we will build the kind of campaign that the entire state can be proud of, that stands up for every Floridian, that gives hope to every person and every family regardless of their background. Together, we will build a campaign that will win back the Governor’s Mansion after more than 20 long years.
Bring it home.
(Normally I don't go with family pictures, but I just couldn't resist the twins.)
The phrase, "Let them eat cake." was falsely attributed to Marie Antoinette as a statement of contempt for the poor, who had no bread to eat. Even though she never actually said it, that same attitude is alive and well in today’s Republican Party. Typically, Rep. Adrian Smith [R-NE] made it clear that he thinks the poor have no right to eat by the way he kept ducking the question.
A Nebraska Republican refused to say whether all Americans were entitled to food.
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) appeared Saturday on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” where he discussed farm subsidies and food stamps, which both would be cut under a budget proposed by President Donald Trump, reported The Hill.
Host Scott Simon asked Smith “bluntly” whether he believed every American was entitled to eat, but the lawmaker refused to give a straight answer.
“Well, they — nutrition, obviously, we know is very important, and I would hope that we can look to —” Smith said.
Scott cut him off and reminded the lawmaker that living creatures died without food…
