Open Thread–5/9/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:15 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

May 092020

It’s a very painful day, here in the CatBox. The Radiation Oncologist told me to expect increased pain for a few days and a week before relief. Tomorrow and Monday please expect no more than a personal Update or an Open Thread. Tomorrow is a WWWendy Day, and Monday is my chemo infusion.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:54 (average 5:26). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

This is another oldie!

Trump* Virus Update:

0509TrumpVirusMap

Cases: 1,325,521
Deaths: 78,762
Recovered: 223,937

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: In a test result that he called “a tremendous relief,” the Attorney General, Bill Barr, has tested negative for integrity, Barr confirmed on Friday.

Barr submitted to the test after learning that he had come into contact with career Justice Department prosecutors who were found to be integrity carriers.

“When I learned that there were still people at the Justice Department with integrity, I was understandably furious,” Barr told reporters. “I told them to go home at once.”

Barr said that he was putting into place new protocols that would require Justice Department employees to be tested for integrity before entering the building.

But Andy… Barrf need not worry about catching integrity. He’s immune. RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): U.S. Logs Record High Unemployment Numbers – What Comes Next?

This is the other half of the Republican Reich crisis. The first half is Trump* virus. The second is the Republican depression of 2020. The solution? Flush the Republican Reich! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Matthew’s Southern Comfort – Woodstock

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread–4/30/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:49 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

Apr 302020

It’s a crappy day here in the CatBox. I spent a lot of time on the throne this morning. The problem with eating goop is like the problem with computer programming. Goop in; goop out. I talked to Megan (my PCP) and Evelyn’s (my Oncologist) nurse this morning. We all agree that the best way to deal with Republicosis is Imodium AD. Thursday is send Republicosis to criminal Fuhrer Trump* Day!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:09 (average 5:00). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0430TrumpVirusMap

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Vice-President Mike Pence has started wearing a mask after Anthony Fauci told him that it will protect him from women, Fauci has confirmed.

After seeing video of a maskless Pence touring the Mayo Clinic, on Tuesday, Fauci said, “I knew I had to come up with something fast” to get through to Pence.

Fauci immediately got on the phone with the Vice-President and informed him that “clinical research” had demonstrated that a mask is “an effective female-repellent.”

I believe you, Andy. That brown-nose sycophant, Pence, would love ensure that the use of his butt is reserved exclusively for his beloved criminal Fuhrer Trump*. RESIST!!

From Alternet: Countless non-fundamentalist churches in the United States, from Catholic to Lutheran and Episcopalian, have embraced social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic and temporarily moved their activities online. But many Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals have been irresponsibly downplaying the dangers of COVID-19 and doing so with deadly results: journalist Alex Woodward, in the U.K.-based Independent, reports that the pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 30 pastors in the Bible Belt.

“Dozens of pastors across the Bible Belt have succumbed to coronavirus after churches and televangelists played down the pandemic and actively encouraged churchgoers to flout self-distancing guidelines,” Woodward reports.

What Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians (the polar opposite of authentic Christians) fail to realize is that their false god carries a pitchfork and has horns, cloven hooves, and a pointy tail. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): From Ukraine to Coronavirus: Trump’s Abuse of Power Continues, featuring Robert Reich

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. Criminal Fuhrer Trump* exactly reflects the values and policies of the Reich on the Right, the Republican Reich. Every Republican in office is one Republican too many. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast): If it be Your will – Leonard Cohen – Lyrics

I hadn’t heard this before, but given my current situation, it really hits home. RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Trump* at the National Prayer Breakfast

Posted by TomCat at 10:44 am Politics, Religion

Feb 072020

A Dominionist cult, commonly known as ‘the family’ holds a supposedly non-partisan annual religious event called the National Prayer Breakfast. Presidents (and Residents) of the United States routinely attend. It’s normally pretty low key, as the family uses it to present themselves as mainstream and cover up who they really are and what they really do. But someone forgot to tell that to the criminal Fuhrer Trump*.

At the 68th, and perhaps last, National Prayer Breakfast, the main remarks were made by the former president of the American Enterprise Institute (and Post columnist) Arthur C. Brooks, who spoke on the themes of his wonderful 2019 book “Love Your Enemies.” President Trump then prefaced his speech by saying: “Arthur, I don’t know if I agree with you. But I don’t know if Arthur’s going to like what I’m going to say.”

It was a strange moment in U.S. religious history. The command to love your enemies, of course, came from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you.” It might be expected for a president to express how difficult obeying such a mandate can be. Trump decided to dispute the command itself. And some in the crowd laughed.

The purpose of Trump’s sermon at the Hilton was, in fact, to put his enemies on notice. Those who pursued impeachment were “very dishonest and corrupt people.” “They know what they are doing is wrong,” he continued, “but they put themselves far ahead of our great country.” Congressional Republicans, in contrast, had the wisdom and strength “to do what everyone knows was right.”

Trump proceeded to make a thinly veiled attack against Mitt Romney of Utah, the only Republican senator to vote for the president’s removal: “I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong.” And then a shot at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): “Nor do I like people who say, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ when I know that is not so.”… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Of course, every insult Trump* hurled at Democrats was a projection of what he and his Republicans Reich routinely do.

Trump waves ‘acquitted’ headline, takes shot at Mitt Romney in speech

Portman has his head up Trump’s* ass. The only message that Senate Republicans delivered is that there is nothing too evil for Senate Republicans to help Trump evade the consequences for doing it.

Joe Reads Bible To Critique Trump’s Prayer Breakfast Speech

Joe should not be surprised that the so-called believers there sided with Trump instead of Jesus. The NPV is sponsored by the Fellowship Foundation, aka ‘the family’. A Dominionist cult, they believe that they need to take over government to make the earth fit to receive Republican Supply-side Jesus on his return. Their vehicle they use to achieve this end is the Republican Reich. They are NOT Christians. Not all Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians are Dominionists, but all Dominionists are Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians.

Lawrence: Prayer Breakfast Rant Shows Trump Doesn’t Understand What Love Is

Very astute, Lawrence. The inability to experience love in relationships is a common symptom of Narcisistic Personality Disorder.

I’ve heard it said that Trump* has no soul. But he has what he is… an ass-soul!

RESIST!!

Esther and Assassination

Posted by TomCat at 8:24 am Politics, Religion

Jan 072020

Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians, the polar opposite of real, authentic Christians, love to twist the Bible to meet their own perverse ends. One of them, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is now driving Fuhrer Trump’s* foreign policy. Not only is he committing war crimes, but also, he is casting his Fuhrer as a Biblical character. How sick!

The Washington Post has reported that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was the main force that pushed Trump into assassinating Iranian Major General Soleimani. Pompeo, according to a New York Times reporter, had a fixation with a bible passage about Queen Esther protecting Israel from Iran. Pompeo’s extreme hostility towards Iran is motivated by his extreme religious beliefs.

www.nytimes.com/…

In November, Mr. Pompeo told a reporter for The New York Times Magazine that the Bible “informs everything I do.” The reporter noticed an open Bible in his office, with a Swiss Army knife marking his place at the end of the book of Queen Esther.

Mike Pompeo is a conservative evangelical Christian who believes in the rapture and that God is working through Trump and himself… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Daily Kos>

Here is Pompeo interviewing on CBN (a pseudo-Christian propaganda outlet, that specializes in soaking watchers for money).

EXCLUSIVE Secretary of State Pompeo to CBN News: God May Have Raised Up Trump Like He Raised Up Queen Esther

Barf Bag Alert!!

So they see their role as protecting Israel from Iran. They are not. They are just creating more chaos.

Remember. These people are NOT Christians. They are the same people, who opposed Jesus and had him murdered. He called them Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes. Today they are called Republicans. This is what Jesus said about them, from Matthew 23:

23 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:

2 The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses. 3 So obey everything they teach you, but don’t do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else.

4 They pile heavy burdens on people’s shoulders and won’t lift a finger to help. 5 Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels for everyone to see. 6 They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the meeting places. 7 And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers.

8 But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. 9 Don’t call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. 10 None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. 11 Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. 12 If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored…

…23 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you’re in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either. 24 You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel.

25 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you’re in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.

27 You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You’re nothing but show-offs. You’re like tombs that have been whitewashed. On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. 28 That’s what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good.

29 You Pharisees and teachers are nothing but show-offs, and you’re in for trouble! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of good people. 30 And you claim that you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets. 31 But you prove that you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. 32 So keep on doing everything they did. 33 You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?… [emphasis added]

RESIST!!

Republicans on Parade – 12/12/2017

Posted by TomCat at 9:10 am Politics, Religion

Dec 122019

Here is the one hundred seventieth article in our Republicans on Parade series, featuring individuals who personify what the Republican Party has become. Today’s winner is Trump sycophant white supremacist pastor, Rick Wiles. He is so honored for the typically Republican anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories he employs against impeaching his Fuhrer. This is his second parade. He earned the first on 6/26/2018 for accusing Democrats of plotting to murder Republicans.

Rick Wiles, the far-right Christian fundamentalist pastor and radio host who founded TruNews, has a long history of bigotry — and that includes a lot of anti-Semitism to go with his anti-Islam, anti-gay and anti-feminist views. Regardless, Wiles has enjoyed media credentials in the Trump White House, but two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives want those credentials revoked.

Wiles’ anti-Semitism was much in evidence in a video that was posted on TruNews’ YouTube channel on November 22. In the video, Wiles claimed that Jews are behind efforts to impeach President Donald Trump: Wiles described Trump as the victim of a “Jew coup” and claimed that Jews will “kill millions of Christians” after they succeed in removing the president from office.

YouTube banned TruNews’ channel from its video-sharing platform following Wiles’ anti-Semitic rant. And Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida and Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia, in a letter sent to Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Monday, asserted that Wiles should be banned from all White House media events… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Alternet>

I know that’s hard to believe, so here it is.

Pastor Rick Wiles Says Impeachment is A Jew Coup

Barf Bag Alert!!

I figure that rates a parade, because it’s hard to get more Republican than that!

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 12/7/2019

Posted by TomCat at 9:26 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

Dec 072019

It’s a comparatively lazy day, here in the CatBox. Today’s articles are my only chore, except routine food prep and cleanup. I am a bit tired, because stayed up to watch the 13th ranked Oregon Ducks win the PAC 12 by beating the 5th ranked Utah Utes 37 – 15. Tomorrow is a Holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. My Broncos are playing the Texans. Pat will get to watch it. I won’t. Sadly, no matter how much I yell at Pat, her team is just too horny for my guys. Tomorrow is also a WWWendy Day. One of our planned chores is to fleece the shaggy TomCat, before de-stinking the rancid TomCat. Therefor, please expect no more than a Personal Update. Have a great weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:23 (average 5:07). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Alternet: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rammed through eight of President Donald Trump’s lifetime judicial picks in just three days this week, accelerating the far-right court takeover that one commentator warned is “absolutely going to hamstring efforts to make the U.S. into a responsible, civilized country, for as long as we live.”

The latest slew of confirmations, according to Bloomberg‘s Sahil Kapur, means that Trump and his Federalist Society allies have now hand-picked “about one in every five American federal judges,” or 170 judges total.

“Nearly all are in their 40s or 50s with lifetime appointments and positioned to shape American law for generations,” Kapur noted on Twitter. “It gets a tiny fraction of attention compared to other stuff he does but this is the Trump legacy that’ll echo for generations after he’s gone.”

I wish I knew what to do. Frankly, I’m at a loss. Can we impeach 170 at once? My best guest is that the majority are guilty of crimes, if only lying during their confirmation process. As soon as we return DOJ to the people, they all should be investigated, and most, indicted, convicted, and/or disbarred. RESIST!!

From YouTube (RWW Channel): RWW News: Rick Wiles Says ‘The Democrats Are Forcing Me to Stockpile Ammunition’

Barf Bag Alert!!

Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians, the polar opposites of true authentic Christians, are experts at projection. That is, they accuse the left of committing their own crimes. It is these Ammosexuals, who art plotting the overthrow of America through violent Talibangelical Jihad, not Democrats! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Monkees – I’m a Believer, 1966 (HQ Stereo)

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 12/5/2019

Posted by TomCat at 9:22 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

Dec 052019

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. I got to bed late last night. My new O₂ compressor arrived, and while installing it, WWWendy and I rearranged the entire wall it was on to make it more accessible than the old one, and to put the microwave closer to the sink and range. Store to Door is delivering groceries today, and I’d like to finish on time to get a partial nap in before they arrive. I also have a mild case of Republicosis. Flush your Republicans!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:24 (average 4:49). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Republican polluters think that poor non-white neighborhoods should be contaminated.

Short Takes:

From YouTube (RWW Channel): Johnny Enlow: God Is Using Trump as a ‘Hinge of the Ages’

And I looked, and behold a pale motorcycle: and his name that sat on him was Trump, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians, the opposite of real authentic Christians, are seriously deranged! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Elizabeth Warren Channel): White Supremacy Threatens Our Democracy

I could not agree more! Fear is the opposite of love. Hate is just a symptom of fear. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 10/28/2019

Posted by TomCat at 11:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

Oct 282019

It’s another crappy day, here at the CatBox. The problem that’s causing the Republicosis is that I’m taking more aspirin than I should in the Alka-Seltzer I need and consuming far more dairy products than normal. I’ve talked to my doctor about it, and she said to cut down on both. I’m going to try an aspirin free antacid effervescent. It’s on the way. Sleepy OGIM Hugs to all.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:22 (average 4:59). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Religious Agony:

1027Broncos13-Colts15

Another bad call put the Colts in range for Vinatieri’s winning field goal. Although a Bronco tackled a Colt, that hit was NOT a horse collar! Damn Ref! Damn Orb!

Short Takes:

From Nation of Change: …A church in Columbia, Missouri teamed up with non-profit organization RIP Medical Debt last month. Together The Crossing Church and RIP Medical debt paid off more than $43 million of medical debt. The Crossing was able to raise more than $430,000 through donations from members of the church.

Churches in several other states have also partnered with RIP Medical Debt to help pay off past-due medical debt for local residents. Pathway Church in Wichita, Kansas, spent $22,000 of their budget to eliminate $2.2 million in medical debt. Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church in Champaign, Illinois, used $15,000 of surplus money from a building renovation project to eliminate $4 million of debt for more than 3,000 families. Revolution Annapolis church in Maryland raised $15,000 to erase $1.9 million in medical debt for nearly one thousand families last year. And City Church in Evansville, Indiana, raised $15,000 and wiped out $4 million in debt.

Most recently in Texas, Lake Pointe Church paid off over $2.5 million in medical debt as part of their “Pay it Forward” campaign. The campaign encourages community members to commit acts of kindness in celebration of the church’s 40th anniversary…

This illustrates the pro-social behavior of authentic Christians. It’s the opposite of the the hateful behavior of Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Elizabeth Warren Channel): 100 Days Until the Iowa Caucuses

Now think of the contrast between these fine people and deplorable Republican Sheeple! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the Past): Crosby, Stills & Nash – Southern Cross

I’ve dreamed of crossing the equator, but I’ve never seen the Southern Cross. I loved the song, though. Ah… The memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

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