Open Thread–1/31/2016

Posted by TomCat at 11:09 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 312016

It’s time to turn the page on another month. This morning I cooked an entire package of bacon to eat with breakfasts over the next two weeks. Standing up on George, every time something needs to be done, makes it a lot of work. To day is sort of a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. I may not even meditate. The league has ruined the Pro Bowl. Holding it before the Super Bowl prevents players from the league’s two best teams from participating. Making it a pick-up game instead of AFC against NFC eliminates conference pride as a motive to play harder. They should go back to the way it used to be. I hope your January was happy, memorable, and productive.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:15 (average 8:09). To do it, click here. n How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: One of the most important differences between Sanders and Clinton summarized in one image.

0131KosImage

That one says it all!

From NY Times: For the past painful year, the Republican presidential contenders have been bombarding Americans with empty propaganda slogans and competing, bizarrely, to present themselves as the least experienced person for the most important elected job in the world. Democratic primary voters, on the other hand, after a substantive debate over real issues, have the chance to nominate one of the most broadly and deeply qualified presidential candidates in modern history.

Hillary Clinton would be the first woman nominated by a major party. She served as a senator from a major state (New York) and as secretary of state — not to mention her experience on the national stage as first lady with her brilliant and flawed husband, President Bill Clinton. The Times editorial board has endorsed her three times for federal office — twice for Senate and once in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary — and is doing so again with confidence and enthusiasm.

Mrs. Clinton’s main opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist, has proved to be more formidable than most people, including Mrs. Clinton, anticipated. He has brought income inequality and the lingering pain of the middle class to center stage and pushed Mrs. Clinton a bit more to the left than she might have gone on economic issues. Mr. Sanders has also surfaced important foreign policy questions, including the need for greater restraint in the use of military force.

In the end, though, Mr. Sanders does not have the breadth of experience or policy ideas that Mrs. Clinton offers. His boldest proposals — to break up the banks and to start all over on health care reform with a Medicare-for-all system — have earned him support among alienated middle-class voters and young people. But his plans for achieving them aren’t realistic, while Mrs. Clinton has very good, and achievable, proposals in both areas.

I think the Times’ endorsement of Hillary reflects their establishment view. In spite of Hillary’s greater breadth of experience, I consider Bernie the better candidate. But either is an infinite improvement over any Republican candidate.

From PBS (2006): …he [Walter Cronkite] went to Vietnam and reported that he had seen the lies, corruption, and stalemate in that war and that it was time for us to go.

President Lyndon Johnson listened to Cronkite’s verdict with dismay and real sadness. As he famously remarked to an aide, “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost America.” After all, this was not one of the young, brash reporters like Morley Safer or Jack Laurence pricking the president’s power. It was Cronkite, veteran of World War II, a man of unimpeachable patriotism… [emphasis added]

Many of you commented sadness over the Tet Offensive, portrayed in yesterday’s Cartoon. But, I think it was the best thing that could have happened. Up until that time, the peace movement, though able to field as many as 500,000 demonstrators, was relatively small, made up mostly of students. Most Americans believed the military that we were willing the war and it was almost over. Tet exposed the lies, and because of it, Walter Cronkite went to Vietnam to see for himself. His report, something we would never see today from a network anchor, turned the majority of Americans strongly against the war. Tet was the turning point that, eventually, brought the war to an end.

Cartoon:

A Republican day of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Squatch’s Open Thread 30/01/2016

Posted by Lynn Squance at 5:53 am Open Thread, Politics

Jan 312016

I completed the Open Thread and went to save it only to get a message of an error, and the content went into cyber purgatory never to be seen again. I wonder if it was something I said? Yesterday was busy with teaching. After finishing an ESL lesson, I tutoured grade 7 math and grade 3 English spelling. By the time I arrived home at 20:30, the furbabies were ready to lynch me and I was too tired so no Open Thread yesterday. Today has been much calmer, that is until I lost my thread.

Short Takes

Huffington Post — The poisoning of the majority-black population of the city is a product of a system failing the people of Flint on many levels over a long period of time. To really start unpacking the historical roots of the crisis, you have to go back to slavery itself, which debased the humanity and devalued the lives of black people from well before our nation's founding; followed by the Jim Crow era of legal segregation, discrimination, and violence against black Americans, which resulted in early 20th century migrations of black people from the segregated south to urban manufacturing centers of the northern United States. When they got there, they found cities without legal segregation, yet with de facto segregation and discrimination alive and well in both white attitudes and systems. The arrival and growth of black populations in northern cities was followed shortly thereafter by white flight to the suburbs, aided by discriminatory housing policies that effectively prevented the vast majority of black people from joining them and blocked the financing of black homes even in the cities.

I came across this piece and thought to share it and the following 28 minute video "America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America". Wallis talks of racism and white privilege as moral issues that are "…in the air that we breathe and the water we drink." At Politics Plus, we often talk about pseudo Christianity and authentic Christianity, especially as it relates to the political scene. We talk also about white privilege and the political effects. As Wallis says "So let's change the water — and the air."

Think Progress — The Ku Klux Klan has gotten a bad rap, according to one Georgia lawmaker. He says the terror group “was not so much a racist thing but a vigilante thing to keep law and order” that “made a lot of people straighten up.”

That leader is now hellbent on stopping the “cultural cleansing” of the South’s heritage. So far this year, State Rep. Tommy Benton (R) has co-sponsored two bills to preserve the Confederate’s legacy.

Another Republican nutter.

Mother Jones — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's presidential campaign never really caught steam. In Iowa, he's barely registering in the polls, and in New Hampshire (seemingly friendlier territory) he's generally in sixth place. So with the first votes fast approaching, he's settled on a strategy of attacking the non-Trump frontrunners, particularly Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, as dishonest politicians who are lying to voters.

This from Pignocchio whose nose is so long that he would be unable to do a field sobriety test of touching his finger to the end of his nose! That's rich!

Alternet — “It’s really frightening,” survivor Al Munzer told the newspaper. “When you see these mass rallies that Trump is able to attract, you really wonder: How are they buying into this message of hate?”

The most direct answer to Munzer’s question can be found in the words of Trump’s followers themselves, who aren’t so much buying into hate as they are enthusiastically supporting the guy boosting the hate and racism they already feel. For all his self-aggrandizement, even Donald Trump wouldn’t likely claim to have hypnotized his supporters. He’s merely speaking directly to a huge demographic of overwhelmingly white voters who want blacks, Mexicans, Muslims and others out of the country they believe belongs to them. This is what they mean by "making America great again."

We hear a lot of references to Adolf Hitler when talking about Trump and his racist, xenophobic ideas. I am not enamoured of such talk, but some survivors of Hitler's final solution see distinct similarities.

Huffington Post — A veteran MP losing his voice to the ravages of Lou Gehrig's disease found an innovative way to make himself heard in the House of Commons Wednesday.

mauril belanger

And Mauril Belanger made history in the process.

This is a story of perseverence and courage. Mauril Bélanger, MP has represented Ottawa-Vanier for 20 years. Immediately following the Canadian federal election of 19/10/2015, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrigs disease. Some thought he would step down, but that is not his style. His voice is greatly affected so he has come up with an idea to allow him to continue.

My Universe —

Bill Maher: Beyond Zombie Lies

Posted by TomCat at 1:30 pm Politics

Jan 302016

Because Bill Maker is such a funny guy, because his views on most subjects are usually spot on, and because he is almost as irreverent as I am, I bring him to you at almost every opportunity.

Real Time host Bill Maher closed his show on Friday by sounding almost nostalgic for the era of GOP “zombie lies.”

“In a very short time, Republicans have gone beyond even the ‘zombie lie’ to just making sh*t up,” he marveled.

He singled out presidential candidate Carly Fiorina’s insistence that she watched video showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing how to harvest the brain of a “fully-formed fetus on [a] table,” a charge she has defended despite all evidence to the contrary proving her wrong. ‘’…

Inserted from <Raw Story>

If there was something funnier to add, I would, but I loved the way he lampooned Lindsey Poo!

Open Thread–1/30/2016

Posted by TomCat at 1:30 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 302016

This morning I felt do tired that, when I had finished with m,y research, I returned to bed for a couple hours. I still feel tired, so please pardon my brevity.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:30 (average 4:41). My fishy? To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: It seems that Jeb Bush, now reduced to an asterisk (*) in the 2016 Republican Presidential contest, has concluded that the best way to quickly burn through those millions upon millions of dollars in campaign donations he received is to perform a supreme act of self-immolation, by resurrecting the infamous Terry Schiavo fiasco in a new campaign ad, paid for, morbidly enough, by a Bush PAC that calls itself “Right To Rise."

In addition to touting his high score with the NRA , the voice-over in Bush’s new ad celebrates how then-Florida governor Bush “fought time and again for the right to life," with an image of someone leaning over Schiavo, lying in a helpless vegetative state in her hospital bed.

And while the general electorate will likely recoil in horror at this kind of crass opportunism, Bush apparently hopes the Republican base will be shocked and awed as they are reminded of his role in forcing the irreversibly and profoundly brain-damaged Schiavo to cling to life in direct contravention of what her husband explained would have been her own desires, simply to bolster his credentials among the forced-birth crowd of ghouls who demanded that the poor woman be kept resuscitated at all costs, no matter how much pain it caused to others. Because abortion or something.

Bush Barf Bag Alert!!

The autopsy proved that what the doctors had said was right. Under no circumstances could she ever have become conscious again. When I named Jeb :Strike Three", was I right, or was I right?

From NY Times: Johnson Controls, an industrial and auto parts supplier headquartered in Milwaukee, announced this week that is was selling itself to Tyco International, a maker of fire safety products based in Ireland. The deal will let Johnson Controls pass itself off as Irish and, in the process, cut its taxes in the United States by at least $150 million a year.

Johnson Controls is not the first American company to avoid taxes by merging with a smaller company in a low-tax nation, and it won’t be the last. Nor is it the biggest. That distinction goes to Pfizer, which is in the process of becoming Irish, having merged last year with a smaller company based in Dublin.

Johnson Controls is, however, the latest and quite possibly the most brazen tax dodger. The company would not exist as it is today but for American taxpayers, who paid $80 billion in 2008 to bail out the auto industry. Johnson Controls’s president personally begged Congress for the bailout, which came on top of huge tax breaks that the company has received over the years, including at least $149 million from Michigan alone from 1992 to 2009, according to The Times.

What’s galling about this and similar maneuvers is that Congress has done nothing to stop them. Since 2008, some three dozen American companies have used gaps and loopholes in the law to change their tax nationalities, a process known as “inverting.”

Most Democrats are not the problem. Virtually all Republicans support the practice by blocking all attempts by Democrats to make inverted companies pay US taxes. Bernie opposes inverting.

From Crooks and Liars: Stephen Colbert Holds An All-Trump Debate

Barf While You’re Laughing Bag Alert!!

FOMCROTFPIMPLMAO!!!!

Cartoon:

Everyday Erinyes

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 7:45 am Politics

Jan 302016

I can't say it has been a slow week for outrage – rather the reverse, but so much of the material calling for outrage has actually gotten publicity I don't want to rehash it for the ladies. They can get overloaded too, you know. This, though, seems to me to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with it. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as "unceasing," "grudging," and "vengeful destruction."

It's not unusual for a very wealthy person to be completely lacking in understanding of how most people live. It is, perhaps, noteworthy when one openly voices that lack of understanding so openly, and so clearly showing his opinion that most of us are simply not grateful enough. Steve Schwartzman is such a man.

DAVOS, Switzerland — As income inequality and healthcare costs rise in the United States and as an economic slowdown may be on the horizon, one of the world’s richest men expressed surprise that U.S. voters seem so angry in advance of the 2016 presidential election. Speaking at a gathering of corporate and government leaders in Switzerland, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman told Bloomberg Television that he is bewildered about why Americans seem so discontented.

“I find the whole thing astonishing and what’s remarkable is the amount of anger whether it’s on the Republican side or the Democratic side,” the Wall Street mogul said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “Bernie Sanders, to me, is almost more stunning than some of what’s going on in the Republican side. How is that happening, why is that happening?”

Yes, why would average Americans be upset when everything is going so good for me? My butler's servant says the poor are happy to toil in the sweatshops.

Schwarzman’s private equity firm, Blackstone, manages — and makes fees from — billions of dollars of pensioners’ assets, and was recently fined by federal regulators for not properly disclosing fee terms to its investors. The investors harmed by Blackstone’s conduct included public retirement systems in California, Florida and New Jersey…

Schwarzman has made national headlines likening tax increases on the wealthy to the Nazi invasion of Poland.

Actually, this type of talk does sound terribly familiar. One can find it many places in literature. After several in the comment section after the article referenced Dickens, the author added his own comment with this quote from A Tale of Two Cities:

"Pardon, Monsieur the Marquis!" said a ragged and submissive man, "it is a child."
"Why does he make that abominable noise? Is it his child?"
"Excuse me, Monsieur the Marquis—it is a pity—yes."
The fountain was a little removed; for the street opened, where it was, into a space some ten or twelve yards square.   As the tall man suddenly got up from the ground, and came running at the carriage, Monsieur the Marquis clapped his hand for an instant on his sword-hilt.
"Killed!" shrieked the man, in wild desperation, extending both arms at their length above his head, and staring at him.   "Dead!"
   The people closed round, and looked at Monsieur the Marquis. There was nothing revealed by the many eyes that looked at him but watchfulness and eagerness; there was no visible menacing or anger. Neither did the people say anything; after the first cry, they had been silent, and they remained so. The voice of the submissive man who had spoken, was flat and tame in its extreme submission. Monsieur the Marquis ran his eyes over them all, as if they had been mere rats come out of their holes.
He took out his purse.
"It is extraordinary to me," said he, "that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your children. One or the other of you is for ever in the way. How do I know what injury you have done my horses. See! Give him that."
He threw out a gold coin for the valet to pick up, and all the heads craned forward that all the eyes might look down at it as it fell   The tall man called out again with a most unearthly cry, "Dead!"

Truthfully, I suppose this kind of what is often called "tone deafness" is all too common and may not deserve having all three of you – um, counsel him. The problem is, the tone deafness is so engrained now that it will take all three of you to make a dent in it – if, indeed, all three of you is enough. But I hope you will try. Thank you.

Oh, wait – there is just one other little thing. It's this Ted Sessoms, the pastor of the Arbor Springs Baptist Church in Samantha Alabama. He sent out a letter to make sure that everyone knows, with regard to Syrian refugees, that (his) "God gave specific instructions to destroy these people (even their women, children and animals)." He explains how this applies to Muslims, who "are not victims when it comes to their lifelong hatred of us and our belief in Christ." (So apparently he is not aware, or doesn't care, that a large and disproportionate number of the present refugees are Christians. Or, for that matter, that the Founding Fathers of our nation wrote widely on how one of the benefits of separating church and state was that it would grant equality to Muslims and Hindus.)

In commenting on this article, "Out There" says, "Really that’s funny God and I had tea the other day and she told me for a fact that helping out refugees made her very happy. I would guess that Pastor Ted has tune into the wrong channel again he is getting his info from the right-wing favorite source the Lucifer channel. Seem his kind get confused rather easily they just don’t seem to know the different between the Heaven and Hell channels." I believe you ladies are just the ones who can improve his education and clarity. Thanks again.

We'll be back next time. Have a good week, everyone.

(Bonus video – IF it works – if not, the URL is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibuNJteJEH0 – and let me know in a comment.)

Open Thread–1/29/2016

Posted by TomCat at 2:27 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 292016

I’m running quite late today. Yesterday afternoon, my helper friend and I made six meals. Last night I filled two barf bags, trash can, my coffee cup, my shirt pocket, and George. Today Jeannie (shower-aide) left me with soft shiny fur. Arvilla (PT) gave me a hard workout including a toilet transfer with my quad-cane, without using the disabled rails. Then I walked around 225 ft. with my walker. That’s almost double my previous best. Then I did exercises, and maneuvered from the sink, paste the range, past the counter, to the refrigerator and back without my chair or my walker, using the surfaces for support. I’m pooped!! TGIF!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:19 (average 5:41). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: The FBI has released video tonight of the shooting death of LaVoy Finicum to dispel any rumors that he had “had his hands up” and was trying to surrender to police. The FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Gregory T. Bretzing held a press conference to explain the events surrounding the arrest of Ammon Bundy (and others), along with the fatal shooting of LaVoy Finicum. Finicum can be seen running from the initial stop in his pick-up truck, with passengers Ryan Payne, Shawna Cox and a woman the FBI declined to identify. The video was captured by aerial camera and shows Finicum driving into a snow back, barely missing a law enforcement officer. He immediately jumped from the vehicle, at first with his hands up as he yelled at law enforcement, but then clearly reaching into his pocket multiple times, where the FBI says he did have a gun (update: a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.)

Here us a shortened, edited clip instead of the 26 minute clip included with the article. No significant parts were removed.

I have no doubt that the Republican terrorist was going for his gun, based on his previous statements and the loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the pocket. The officer was fully justified in shooting him. However, I would like to have seen a faster response time to try to save his life, if possible, after he was down.

From Media Matters: Student loan debt in America has reached a staggering $1.3 trillion, surpassing even credit card debt. But right-wing media figures have criticized efforts to combat student loan debt by pushing misinformation and blaming students for pursuing higher education…

…Blaming students for the student loan debt crisis ignores the facts and distracts from finding real solutions to America’s skyrocketing student debt burden.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Students should be able to pay for their education with their choice of military, national, or community service.

From NY Times: WHILE presidential candidates from both parties feverishly pitch their legislative agendas, voters should also consider what presidents can do without Congress. Agency rules, executive actions and decisions about how vigorously to enforce certain laws will have an impact on every American, without a single new bill introduced in Congress.

The Obama administration has a substantial track record on agency rules and executive actions. It has used these tools to protect retirement savings, expand overtime pay, prohibit discrimination against L.G.B.T. employees who work for the government and federal contractors, and rein in carbon pollution. These accomplishments matter.

Whether the next president will build on them, or reverse them, is a central issue in the 2016 election. But the administration’s record on enforcement falls short — and federal enforcement of laws that already exist has received far too little attention on the campaign trail.

I just released a report examining 20 of the worst federal enforcement failures in 2015. Its conclusion: “Corporate criminals routinely escape meaningful prosecution for their misconduct.”

Amen! Click through for the rest of this fine editorial by American National Treasure. Elizabeth Warren, and be sure to read her report.

Cartoon:

Republicans want to take your money and give it to the 0.1%

Friday Fun – “Stick” Around for Some Fun …

Posted by SoINeedAName at 7:31 am Politics

Jan 292016

Almost a decade ago, back in 2007 (know it was because of the pictures' “Created Date”), I came across a site that featured whimsical sculptures made out of Scotch Packaging Tape. They caught my eye, so I saved a bunch of them that I’ll share with you today.

I can’t find that site from 2007, but it looks like it got some coverage and probably led to Scotch Tape by 3M developing a contest “Off the Roll” – at least from 2010 to 2012. (Can’t find anything before or after – and more on that at the end.)

We’ll start with the originals that I came across back in 2007

Here’s the Scotch Tape site for Entering the 2012 Contest – with the “Winners”, FAQs, Tips & Tricks, etc.

http://www.offtherollcontest.com/

From that site, here is the 2012 Grand Prize Winner

Here's the 2011 Grand Prize Winner

And here's what I think may be the cutest one I came across – the 2010 Grand Prize Winner

Here's a YouTube of how an artist goes about making a human cast, along with its installation and some pedestrians’ reactions.

Now aren't you glad you stuck around for a bit?

Squatch’s Open Thread 28/01/2016

Posted by Lynn Squance at 4:36 am Open Thread, Politics

Jan 292016

Sorry I wasn't here yesterday to post an Open Thread but my arthritis flared up, swelling my fingers and making it too painful to type or use the mouse, although I managed to respond to TC's articles. I suspect the heavy rains were the catalyst. It wasn't until late this afternoon that things started to normalise. Well I know I am in the dog house, so to speak, with my furbabes as Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday they ignored me, completely! I suspect it may be the reduced rations. It is amazing though — the power of food — as they started coming to me a bit more. I think I am forgiven now.

The Intercept — New FEC filings show that all of the $417,250 in monetary donations to a Super PAC called “Black Americans for a Better Future” comes from conservative white businessmen — including $400,000, or 96 percent of the total, from white billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer.

donors-theintercept-graphic-v2

Call the PAC something that it is not in hopes that it will convince some African American voters to get behind Ted Cruz . . . Black Americans for a Better Future, thy name is deception.

Huffington Post — California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) is asking voters to overturn a strict sentencing law he signed nearly 40 years ago because of its "unintended consequences," including a surge in the prison population.

Brown, in a call with reporters Wednesday, announced a ballot initiative called the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016, which he said would likely reduce prison time for many of the 127,000 nonviolent offenders locked in the state's overcrowded correctional facilities.

Personally, I think this is a great move. Couple it with Obama's recent call to ban solitary confinement for juveniles and as punishment for low-level infractions in federal facilities, and you have the first steps of prison reform.

Global News — Months after being released from an Egyptian jail, Mohamed Fahmy is adjusting to the life of an academic at the University of British Columbia, talking to students about his experiences as a journalist.

“It feels very inspiring that I’m actually lecturing students and getting feedback about various topics,” he said.

He has no shortage of things to talk about. Fahmy spent more than 400 days in prison on terrorism charges after an Egyptian court case that was the subject of broad international criticism.

From CBC News

Click through for the interview and short videos to see what Fahmy is trying to do. I really don't know how much Americans know about the Mohamed Fahmy case in Egypt. Fahmy, Cairo bureau chief for Al Jazeera English and an award winning journalist, was arrested 29/12/2013 and accused of conspiring with a terrorist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, and fabricating news to portray Egypt in a state of civil war. His journey has been long, unnecessarily so, courtesy of ex-PM Stephen Harper who would not speak to the Egyptian president on behalf of Fahmy. I support Fahmy.

My Universe — h/t Ted W and Carol D, Care2

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