Open Thread–4/24/2020

 Posted by at 10:19 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 242020
 

It’s a crappy day, here in the CatBox… literally.  I woke up at 1:00 AM with severe Republicosis and almost didn’t make it.  I did nor get back to bed until 2:45.  I was back on the throne at 5:45.  I suspect the next trip will be soon.  Wish me luck, or better yet, does anyone have a spare cork?  TGIF!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:38 (average 4:04).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

0424Cartoon

Trump* Virus Update:

0424TrumpVirusMap

Short Takes:

From Willamette Week: Forty-two percent of Oregon’s small business payrolls were covered by the federal Paycheck Protection Program last week.

The $350 billion program was designed by Congress to give companies with up to 500 employees the equivalent of two-and-half months of payroll in forgivable loans.

Oregon’s yield from the program—42 percent of eligible payrolls covered—was the third-lowest figure in the country, according to calculations by Ernie Tedeschi, an analyst at the New York investment banking firm Evercore ISI. Those findings were first published by Bloomberg News.

Tedeschi’s numbers show an imbalance: The top three states—Nebraska, North Dakota and Kansas—got an average of 79.4 percent of their small business payrolls covered. All are red states. The bottom three, Oregon, New York and California, which got an average of 40 percent, vote blue.

The picture in the article of a Portland business says it best.

0424WW

RESIST!!

From YouTube (Late Show Channel): Meet The Former Dog Breeder In Charge Of Coronavirus Response At HHS

Wouldn’t we all be better off, if criminal Fuhrer Trump* had appointed the dawg instead of the Republican asshole?  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): George Harrison-My Sweet Lord (Studio Version) Original


Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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Open Thread–4/23/2020

 Posted by at 10:51 am  Blog News, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 232020
 

It’s a pleasure to be back in the CatBox, after an absence of over two weeks.  Our HSP shut us down for a TOS compliance violation for using a © image several years ago.  One of our Administrators had purchased a membership from a photo sharing site that misrepresented that its members could use the images there for all noncommercial purposes.  They did not tell members that the original photographers retained ownership of the images.  This particular photographer has a long history of scamming site owners with bogus lawsuits.  For our protection from such scams, I keep our domain anonymously held.  He couldn’t find out who we are to sue us.  All he could do is complain to our HSP, Bluehost.  They apparently emailed me in late March, warning me to correct the problem by removing the image.  I never noticed it.  They send me SPAM every day, trying to sell me business services that we will never want or need.  I suspect I trashed the warning with those.  They shut us down on 4/6, when I did not comply with their warning.  Normally, their CS is excellent, but an inadequate response to Trump* Virus has put their CS in the toilet.  I deleted the image from the Bluehost site.  Then, over the next two weeks, I spent over 48 hours in chat and wrote a dozen emails, while fighting with incompetent underlings.  Finally one got the info to a competent tech.  He reviewed it yesterday and restored our access to the site.  It has been a Republican cluster f*ck!  I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.  Catching up will take a few days!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:25 (average 4:28).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0423TrumpVirusMap

Damn!  Talk about sticker shock!  The last time I did a TVU Trump’s* Republican murder total was only 8,454 dead.

My New Sweater:

0423JD1

JD made me this beautiful sweater!  Thank, you, JD!  This may also be my last pic with hair, as I have chemo again Monday.

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Well we knew it was just a matter of time, per The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Officials have identified seven people who appear to have contracted COVID-19 through activities related to the April 7 election, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik said Monday.

Six of the cases are in voters and one is a poll worker, Kowalik said.

By the end of this week, officials hope to have additional information on the cases that were reported between April 7 and Monday, she said.

The Wisconsin GOP, the five SCOTUS Conservatives, Trump and all his enablers are responsible for this…

And all those Republican murderers, who voted, voted by mail.  RESIST!!

From Salon.com: A Yale psychiatrist has warned that pro-Trump lockdown protesters, who exhibit similar psychology as “child soldiers,” could quickly turn into “armed troops in the streets” if the president loses his re-election bid.

Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a forensic psychiatrist at the Yale School of Medicine who has mostly taught at Yale Law School, said the armed protests were a natural evolution of the loyalty President Trump demands from his supporters. Many of these protests have evidently been organized by deep-pocketed groups allied with the president.Lee, the author of the textbook “Violence,” has been sounding the alarm about the danger posed by the president for years. She edited “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” after his election, with a group of fellow mental health professionals. The book’s authors recently started a chat series entitled “Is America in an Abusive Relationship With Its President?”

Lee has also served as a project group leader for the World Health Organization Violence Prevention Alliance. She told Salon that Trump’s recent call to “liberate” Democratic-led states was a dog whistle to his core supporters.

I fully agree. Bill Maher and I have both suggested that criminal Fuhrer Trump* and the Republican Reich will resort to violence to stay in power after they lose the election, unless they are able to steal it again!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Bob Dylan – Lay, Lady, Lay (Audio)

Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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Personal Update–4/6/2020

 Posted by at 5:37 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 062020
 

I’m in a big rush to get ready to go to the hospital to have my infusion port surgery.  I hope to be back in the saddle provided the pain is not too severe.  OGIM!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:56 (average 4:40).  To do it, click here.  How did do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

Cases: 336,851
Deaths: 9,620
Recovered: 17,977

RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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Open Thread–4/5/2020

 Posted by at 9:55 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 052020
 

It’s a busy day, here in the CatBox.  WWWendy is here and gooping, while I finish.  This is my only article today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:41 (average 4:54).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0405TrumpVirusMap

Cases: 311,656
Deaths: 8,454
Recovered: 14,828

0405TrumpVirusData

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: The National Incompetence Stockpiles, the federal reserves of inanity and ineptitude to be drawn upon in times of crisis, are at “full capacity,” the Government Accountability Office announced on Saturday.

According to the G.A.O., the Incompetence Stockpiles are so well stocked at the moment that they are in danger of overflowing.

“The sheer tonnage of failure and impotence that is being dumped into the stockpiles on a daily basis is straining their ability to contain it,” the G.A.O. statement read.

Davis Logsdon, a professor at the University of Minnesota who has written the definitive book about the National Incompetence Stockpiles, said that the nation’s futility reserves stand at their highest levels ever, eclipsing the record stockpiles established during the tenure of President George W. Bush.

“The Bush Administration tapped the National Incompetence Stockpiles when it invaded Iraq and responded to Hurricane Katrina,” Logsdon said. “At the time, it seemed as though the stockpiles would never be fully replenished, and that makes the Trump Administration’s achievement all the more striking.”

What can I say, Andy? You could not have nailed this better!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (Raw Story Channel): Devin Nunes: Homeless people are the ‘zombie apocalypse’

Barf Bag Alert!!

Nincompoop Nunes had it bass-ackwards. If America has a zombie apocalypse, it’s the Republican Reich. This is the garbage that the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, feeds their deplorable sheeple.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Rolling Stones – Angie (HQ)


Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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Open Thread–4/4/2020

 Posted by at 11:11 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 042020
 

It’s very busy day here at the CatBox, but I am feeling better than yesterday.  Tomorrow and Monday please expect no more than Personal Updates or Open Threads.  Tomorrow is a WWWendy day, with all the normal chores plus it’s Infernal Revenue Day.  Monday, I go to the hospital to have an infusion port surgically installed in my chest.  WWWendy will bring me home.  Tuesday will depend on how I feel after that surgery.  Love to you all!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:34 (average 6:40).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0404TrumpVirusMap

Cases: 277,613
Deaths: 7,406
Recovered: 12,294

0404TrumpVirusData

Short Takes:

From Twitter:

Does that say it all, or what?  RESIST!!

From YouTube (Real Time Channel): Sen. Bernie Sanders

Click through using the channel link for the rest of Bill’s show. I don’t have time to submit an article on it this week, but it’s there for you. As for Bernie, he could not be more spot on in his outlook for dealing with the effects of Trump* virus. Looking to the future, Trump and the Republican Reich have trashed the economy so completely that tying health care to employment is no longer feasible.  On Bill’s ‘Manhattan Project’, we need health care that bases profit on wellness. We have healthcare that bases profit on sickness.  That’s bass-ackward!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Maddow to Trump: You Had One Job. Virus Response Needs Competent Leadership

This is one of Rachel’s best ever!  Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon, just lent respirators to New York. Oregon leads the way! Kate is as competent and caring as criminal Fuhrer Trump* and all his Republican lackeys are incompetent and uncaring. Incompetence is a hallmark of the Republican Reich, such as Katrina and the Republican Recession of 2008. What do we say of the Trump* virus pandemic and the Republican Depression of 2020? It’s Trump’s* job, so we say “Heck of a job, Donnie*!”  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Nancy Sinatra – Friday’s Child


Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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Open Thread–4/3/2020

 Posted by at 11:30 am  Open Thread, Personal, Plus, Politics
Apr 032020
 

It’s a barfy day here in the CatBox.  I’ve been throwing up most of last night and this morning.  I think something got caught in my tumor.  I feel VERY tired.  TGIF!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:09 (average 4:46).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0403TrumpVirusMap

Cases: 245,442
Deaths: 6,098
Recovered: 10,411

0403TrumpVirusData

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: Welcome to the COVID-19 Games, where the tributes are governors fighting for the scraps of critical protective gear still available, and where success still depends on kissing Trump’s ass.

Last week Trump was playing quid pro quo with Americans lives, telling governors “it’s a two-way street. They have to treat us well.” The result of not doing so is not getting help. Take New York, which requested 30,000 ventilators and got 4,400. And is being outbid by FEMA on the private market, where the state has been trying to procure more. “What sense does this make?” Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters Tuesday. “The federal government, FEMA, should have been the purchasing agent. Buy everything, and then allocate it by need to the states.” Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers asked for 190,000 nonsurgical masks from FEMA last week, and has struggled to find ventilators. He has no idea where the masks are.

On the other hand, Oklahoma asked for 16,000 face shields and got 120,000. It had received about 84,000 N95 masks by the end of last week, “more than twice its original request.” Then there’s Florida, which is expecting its third shipment from the feds. It got 100% of what Trump’s good buddy Gov. Ron DeSantis asked for in the first two shipments. Kentucky has gotten more than it requested. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maine have only gotten part of what they’ve requested. (There you go, Sen. Susan Collins, more lessons learned for you.)

For governors to save their people, being just sycophants isn’t enough. They have to become suckophants too!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Sen. Harris On Trump’s Virus Response: ‘This Guy Doesn’t Understand His Job’

Unfortunately, I must disagree. Criminal Fuhrer Trump* does understand his job , and it has two foci: 1. Take the wealth of lower and middle class Americans and use it to provide welfare for billionaires and corporate criminals. 2. Establish a permanent, National Socialist, plutocratic Republican Reich in which elections have predetermined outcomes and exist for show only.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Neil Young – Heart of Gold/Lyrics (Full HD)

Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

 

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Open Thread–4/2/2020

 Posted by at 10:41 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 022020
 

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox.  WWWendy is stopping by, because she took my keys home by mistake last night.  Store to Door is delivering groceries this afternoon, and I have to but them away.  I feel very tired.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:42 (average 5:46).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0402TrumpVirusMap

Cases: 215,395
Deaths: 5,113
Recovered: 8,892

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Issuing a new distancing guideline on Wednesday, Donald Trump said that he was now practicing distancing from all of his previous statements about the coronavirus.

“As of today, I will be keeping a great distance between myself and anything I said about covid-19 in the months of January, February, and March,” he said. “I will be staying at least six feet away from those statements, and probably more like ten thousand feet.”

Trump said that he could not predict how long his new practice of distancing would continue, but indicated, “Next week, I will probably be distancing myself from things I said this week. This could go on for a long time.”

Well Andy, I see you’re back to straight news. You described criminal Fuhrer Trump* perfectly!  RESIST!!

From NY Times: Taking their cue from President Trump, Republicans at every level of the party are pushing ahead with plans to put on their national convention this summer and provide Mr. Trump the kind of gauzy coronation he seeks.

Democrats, by contrast, are mired in uncertainty. Access to their convention arena in Milwaukee is contingent on the state of the N.B.A. playoffs, and they won’t have an undisputed nominee until at least early June, while state parties scramble to rewrite rules governing delegate selection.

Even former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the likely Democratic nominee, has said “it’s hard to envision” his party’s convention taking place as planned in July. “The fact is it may have to be different,” he said during an appearance on MSNBC Tuesday night.

There may be a plus side to this. The cream of America’s National Socialist elite may contract Trump* virus through their own stupidity. While I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, it may well be what’s best for America.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Jim Croce – Time in a bottle – 1973

Since Lona Requested ballads, I found a playlist of ballads.  Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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Open Thread–4/1/2020

 Posted by at 10:12 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 012020
 

It’s another tired day here in the CatBox.  I’ve been very busy researching my medical way forward.  I did order one thing from Amazon that should help with both Trump* and cancer:  100 barf bags.  I just learned I get my port in next Monday and have my first infusion the following Monday.  This is getting too real!  WWWendy comes this evening to de-stink the TomCat and help with chores.  I’m ready for a nap, and it’s only 8:30.  Happy Hump Day!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:46 (average 5:33).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Jen Sorensen Cartoon:

0401Sorensen

Embedded with permission from Jen Sorensen.

Trump* Virus Update:

0401TrumpVirusMap

Cases: 188,881
Deaths: 4,066
Recovered: 7,251

0401HospitalBeds

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump should use this time when he is staying at home to repeat first grade, the nation’s teachers are urging.

Carol Foyler, the executive director of the National Alliance of Elementary Educators, said that the homebound Trump has a “golden opportunity” to use remote learning to repeat the first-grade curriculum.

“At a time when many of our nation’s children are being homeschooled, this seems like the perfect time for President Trump to learn the basics of reading, writing, and math,” she said. “By June, he could be reading ‘Hop on Pop’ and ‘Go, Dog, Go!’ ”

Sorry, Andy. I just can’t believe this one. All elementary educators are bright enough to be certain that criminal Fuhrer Trump* would flunk first grade.  RESIST!!

From Alternet: Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s financial disclosures from late February and early March are simply fascinating. We already knew that Loeffler sold off a lot of stock in early February, while buying stock in a company positioned to do well during coronavirus shutdowns because it provides online meetings. But the hugely wealthy senator’s money moves didn’t stop there.

Loeffler sold off $18.7 million in shares of Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. Loeffler’s husband, Jeff Sprecher, is the CEO of the company and she used to be an executive there. Loeffler and Sprecher also sold shares of retail stores including Lululemon and T.J. Maxx, while making another really interesting investment. This time, they bought shares of a company that makes protective gear being used in hospitals fighting COVID-19.

She did not even warn her own constituents, let alone the rest of us, that she knew the Trump* virus pandemic was about to strike. How many thousands did she and Republicans like her murder by choosing to line their own pockets, instead of doing their job? RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): How to Prepare for the Trump Recession with Robert Reich

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. The Reich on the Right, the Republican Reich, cares only for grabbing power and providing welfare for billionaires. All of Robert’s proposals are spot-on, but only as a start. I will not survive the Republican Recession. I hope and pray you do! RESIST!!

From YouTube: Canned Heat – On The Road Again [HQ]

Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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