My horoscope today said in part: "Today the moon is in your sign lined up with wild, wacky Uranus." Uranus? Uranus! I want nothing to do with Ted Cruz. It was bad enough that I had already seen the Raw Story article below, but then to see my horoscope contained Uranus . . . well that was just too much! The day started off on a low note with a 2.8 blood sugar reading (50 on the US scale) which had me sleeping all morning, even through the heat. Then the heat hit 29 (85 F) and I was getting more miserable. It has cooled down at bit but is scheduled to drop to 13 C (55 F) over night (I have my pom-poms out!). At least I had some laughs when a respected local radio commentator to whom I enjoy listening, in commenting about Brexit and the ultra conservative US politicians (read Drumpf), referred to the UK as our ailing mother and the US as our weird and wacky brother. Tomorrow will be busy with physio and teaching. Inbetween the two, I have to go pick up a new cell phone. Two days ago, it slipped from my fingers into the toilet (another good reason to leave the lid down!). I rescued it very quickly but some damage was already done, although I was able to use it — just not reliably. When I charged it yesterday, it slipped again from my fingers and fell about 25 cm (10 inches) to the carpet. That finally did it in! Do you see what I mean about Uranus???!!!
Short Takes
Alternet — During an explosive CNN segment on Sunday, former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) lashed out at President Barack Obama because she said she was tired of being called a “bigot” for supporting presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. …
“Obama just always comes tearing after Republicans constantly, calling names and calling people bigots and racists,” she complained. “And that’s their big comeback, you know. And it’s absolutely ridiculous. To see a president speak like that is offensive.”
It has been awhile since I have seen or heard of the battle-axe of Arizona, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her silence. But recently, she unleashed her big mouth attached to her fact devoid brain and lashed out at Obama for using facts when talking about Drumpf. It seems that she feels "guilty" about her association with Drumpf, or at least getting caught publicly with her hand on his ass. Even while she was governor, she demonstrated no respect for Obama, so this latest extremism does not surprise me.
Raw Story — Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on Tuesday accused the Obama administration of under-emphasizing the “threat of radical Islam” as he presided over a Senate hearing for the second time since suspending his presidential campaign in early May.
President Barack Obama and top Justice Department officials have come under fire from conservatives for avoiding the term “radical Islam” when denouncing attacks by violent extremists who claim inspiration from Islamic State, such as the Orlando nightclub shooter.
I am tired of hearing the term "radical Islam" from the likes of Ted Cruz. When will we hear of "radical Christianity" and "radical Judaism"? Yes they do exist! In the news over the past several days, I have seen Pastor Steven Anderson of the Independent Fundamental Baptist church (Christian) in Tempe, Arizona preach from atop his lectern condemning the LGBTQ community with the most toxic vitriole ever, calling for the death penalty for gays, and celebrating the deaths at Orlando. Now he is calling for the death penalty for adulterers. I suppose that is one way to get rid of some politicians! — you know those family values Republicans! Of course there is "Pastor" Terry Jones formerly of Gainesville, Florida who threatened to burn Qu'rans. Or let's see, there are extremist Jews, some of them settlers who occupy Palestinian lands. Let's call this what it is with no adjectives — extremism! OK, rant over. I was appalled with the tenor of Cruz's hearing.
Globe and Mail — The Supreme Court issued its strongest defence of abortion rights in a quarter-century Monday, striking down Texas’ widely replicated rules that sharply reduced abortion clinics in the nation’s second-most-populous state.
By a 5-3 vote, the justices rejected the state’s arguments that its 2013 law and follow-up regulations were needed to protect women’s health. The rules required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and forced clinics to meet hospital-like standards for outpatient surgery. …
Breyer wrote that “the surgical-centre requirement, like the admitting privileges requirement, provides few, if any, health benefits for women, poses a substantial obstacle to women seeking abortions and constitutes an ‘undue burden’ on their constitutional right to do so.”
A great judgement that should never have been necessary. There are pending actions in Mississippi and Louisiana which will likely fall. Let's hope that all such laws and regulations in all states will be declared unconstitutional now that SCOTUS has ruled.
My Universe —
Thank God for 9 lives!
Arrggghhhh!!!!! Kitty breath!
At a rally on Wednesday in Bangor, Maine, the right-wing radio personality Howie Carr took the microphone before a screaming crowd to introduce Donald Trump. In his meandering speech, he called out Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who has recently joined forces with Hillary Clinton and given several speeches excoriating Trump. To the delight of the crowd, Carr did an Indian war whoop into the microphone, mocking Warren’s claim of 1/32 Native American heritage.
