Open Thread – 9/3/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:18 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 032020

It’s another tired, busy day here in the CatBox. I overworked myself yesterday, something I tend to do when dealing with unpleasant tasks to get them over with. Store to Door will deliver groceries within the next three hours, and I gave to unpack and put them away. WWWendy is coming this evening to to destink the heat wave (95° forecast) fouled TomCat, change my pain patch, goop, and do chores. I did get a nap this morning. Diana and I decided tomorrow would be better for my follow up visit, as that will make her visit, after my shower. I guess I must be pretty rancid! JD, would you please cover Samantha Bee? I have another article to do. Have a great day, everyone.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:20 (average 4:54). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0903TrumpVirusMap

US Cases: 6,291,776
US Deaths: 190,014
Plus thousands of GOP plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us

Short Takes:

From Alternet: Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana has a long and colorful track record of being a right-wing prick who has a strange preoccupation with World War II, though which side he’s most obsessed with remains debatable. But one thing is clear: He likes to dress with flair and really sell his Military Police Corps career, complete with tough talk about hitting heavy bags and “riding Harleys to honor our American flag.” It’s almost like he’s overcompensating for something. (Just saying.) Anyhoo, Higgins is also a big Second Amendment rights and states’ rights guy. Of course, that doesn’t apply to those who aren’t white right-wing, Second Amendment types.

According to The Advocate and Mother Jones, on Tuesday Rep. Higgins posted a picture of armed Black demonstrators on Facebook, captioning it: “I’d drop any 10 of you where you stand.” Higgins seems to be working on the assumption that these demonstrators are out-of-towners with secret agendas—the oldest and most classic fascistic ruse in abusive states dealing with civil unrest. Higgins made sure everyone knew that he wasn’t being racist while he was clearly being racist, since trying to find similar images of white guys in tactical gear and assault weapons “demonstrating” would also include too many MAGA hats. “Nothing personal. We just eliminate the threat. We don’t care what color you are. We don’t care if you’re left or right. if you show up like this, if We recognize threat…you won’t walk away,” he spewed.

Hmmm… The author may be on to something. Is two inches an overestimation of the average size of Republican Ammosexuals? RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Trump Encourages His Supporters To Try To Commit Voter Fraud By Voting For Him Twice

Republicans are trying to deflect this by saying that he meant his supporters should vote in person only if their mail-in vote didn’t count. They’re NOT lying, the Pope is NOT Catholic, and bears do NOT shit in the woods! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): Sheryl Crow – In The End (Live)

I saw her on Morning Joe. That’s great protest music and brand new too! Protest like the 60s! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 9/1/2020

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

Sep 012020

It’s a tired busy day here in the CatBox. Yesterday Diana determined that sores in my butt crack and under my left butt cheek are a fungus infection. I have decided to forego posting pics. I have the Lotrimin I need to treat it. She’s coming back Thursday to recheck it. I think my esophageal tumor is getting worse, as I have to eat even more slowly, and I can drink water only two swallows at once instead of my usual five. WWWendy came. In addition to her routine tasks, she borrowed a plunger at the front desk and unplugged the throne. I bought a plunger on Amazon, and it arrives this week. She also cleared a bad paper jam in my color laser printer. I ate late, got to bed late, overslept this morning, and am trying not to doze off now. Tuesday is flush your Republicans day, even if you need a plunger, when they misbehave.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:20 (average 5:47). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

US Cases: 6,214,690
US Deaths: 187,839
Plus thousands of GOP plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Sharpton: Trump’s Defense Of Wisconsin Shooter “The Epitome Of An Insult” To Americans

That is sickening. Even though the mayor asked him to stay away, criminal Fuhrer Trump* is going to Kenosha today. Will his “visit” spread more Trump* virus, more GOP violence, or both? RESIST!!

From YouTube (TYT Channel): Police Stop BLM Medic From Helping Shooting Victim

Isn’t it ironic that the people the Republican Reich accuse of committing this murder were the ones trying to help him? Sadly, as a Portland resident, I know this is all to typical of Portland Police. There are some very fine officers here, but far to many “serve and protect” only criminal Fuhrer Trump* and the Republican Reich, including Republican terrorists. I have now seen video of the shooting. The victim, or someone near him, popped a can of mace and the shots came from within the cloud. Could it be that a Republican Ammosexual thought left-wing protestors were macing him and opened fire? RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): The Beatles – Revolution

This could not be more appropriate for today! Kudos to peaceful left-wing protesters! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/31/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:30 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 312020

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. Diana should be here in a few minutes for her routine visit, and WWWendy will be here late this afternoon. The score is now WWWendy 1 to TC 1. I plugged the toilet this morning! ARGH! Oh God, it’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:06 (average 4:55). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0831TrumpVirusMap

Click for interactive map

US Cases: 6,177,092
US Deaths: 187,248
Plus the thousands of GOP plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us

Short Takes:

From Alternet: One of the many oddities of the now-terminated Robert Mueller probe into Russian election interference and its links to various members of the Trump campaign and family, and in fact of all known federal probes into Russia’s Trump-related actions, has been the seeming lack of any counterintelligence probe on Donald Trump’s myriad, longstanding financial connections to Russia—and what role those financial ties have played both in the Russian government’s actions on behalf of Trump and their possible leverage over the now-president.

A new story from The New York Times‘ Michael Schmidt reports that that’s because in the first months of the new Trump administration, former deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein shuttered that investigation—then ordered special counsel Robert Mueller to steer clear of it himself. It’s not that the counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s known ties to Russian crime figures, to money laundering, and his family’s stated reliance on Russian cash has been kept closely-held: It never existed. And it still doesn’t.

Assuming that we win in November, the investigation blocked by Rosy Rectum Rosenstein needs to be done, and Trump* needs to be prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated for the crimes Republicans are hiding. RESIST!!

From Crooks and Liars: Hopped up on Trump rage and Village People music, this white man feels emboldened to walk up to a journalist and verbally abuse and threaten media in New Hampshire.

That is so Republican! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): Imagine – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band (w the Flux Fiddlers) (official music video HD long v)

Kudos to left wing protestors! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/30/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:20 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 302020

It’s a muggy day here in the CatBox. I did get to lie down for 90 minutes to rest my back. Tomorrow morning I have a routine visit from Diana, my palliative care nurse. Tomorrow is also a WWWendy day to destink the extra-mangy TomCat, change my pain patch, goop, and help with chores. However, that won’t effect my blogging, as she won’t be here until late afternoon. Sometime this week, I need to take at least a partial day off to complete some tasks in preparation for my death. I need to arrange for the transfer of the ownership of this site to JD, Lynn, and Nameless. I also need to arrange for low-cost cremation, unless you folks would like to goop me for your pets. I hope you’re having a lazy Sunday.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:39 (average 5:16): To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0830TrumpVirusMap

Click for an excellent interactive map

US Cases: 6,141,057
US Deaths: 186,875
Plus thousands of murdered GOP plague victims Republicans are hiding from us

Short Takes:

From Vox: A shooter killed one person in Portland, Oregon on Saturday night, according to a statement by the Portland Police Bureau.

Much is still unknown about the shooting, but the victim — a white man — appears to have had some connection to the far-right Patriot Prayer group; according to Willamette Week reporter Aaron Mesh, the victim was wearing a hat and shirt with the group’s logo.

The shooting comes after supporters of President Donald Trump led a caravan of vehicles through the city Saturday and clashed with anti-police brutality protesters in Portland’s downtown; video from journalist Cory Elia shows trucks flying Trump flags driving through people on a street and unleashing pepper spray as the vehicles forced their way through a crowd of protesters…

…Early Sunday, Trump issued a string of tweets and retweets, including one retweet and a tweet condemning Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s leadership of the city. “The National Guard is Ready, Willing and Able” to deploy, Trump wrote in a quote tweet [Republican Fuhrer delinked] shortly after calling Wheeler [Republican Fuhrer delinked] a “fool.”

It strikes me as very strange that a Republican was the murder victim in this case. Democrats do not carry loaded guns to demonstrations. The Ammosexuals that do are either Republicans or right-wing anarchists, whose only intent is violence. Republicans falsely associate the anarchists with Democrats, but their behavior is too Republican-like for that to be true. If the shooter was not an anarchist, than Republicans must have killed one of their own terrorists by mistake. My beef with Wheeler is that he tends to let the rabid Republican police union intimidate him. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): What the Fact?! Robert Reich Reacts to the RNC

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. As for the Reich on the right, the Republican Reich, their convention was a super-spreader event in two ways, but I don’t know what they spread most: Trump* virus or Bullshit. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): Talkin’ Bout a Revolution

Amen! Kudos to left-wing protesters! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Bill Maher from 8/28

Posted by TomCat at 10:22 am Politics

Aug 292020

It’s that time of week again, so here are three good video clips, from Bill’s show last night. Enjoy!

Monologue: American Carnage

Three fact checkers taken into concussion protocols? I’m amazed they weren’t taken into funeral homes! Bill painted the convention hypocrisy perfectly. The last time Kimberly had an orgasm, folks thought the fire department was on the way.

Wynton Marsalis: The Ever Fonky Lowdown

While some people on both sides think like Wynton and Bill say they do, I tend to disagree. Many on the left are open minded. While far fewer on the right are, because of their identification with authoritarianism, I do know right wing people with whom I can hold respectful conversations in which we agree to disagree. However I have to admit they are not thrilled with Trump*

New Rule: Think Like a True QAnon

I heard on the news this morning that Republicans are exporting QAnon to other countries. That makes the Republican Party an international terrorist organization. I bet a buck that Jo Rae Perkins will NOT defeat Jeff Merkley [D-OR]!

And for once JD gets her dose of culture this weekend, without me bugging her to post this! 😉

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 8/29/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:21 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 292020

It’s another tired day here in the CatBox. I overslept again. Yesterday I had a rough afternoon. My pulled pork BBQ goop still had chucks that were too big, and it plugged my tumor. That kept me awake all afternoon. WWWendy regooped it when she made a pit stop to change my pain patch. At least its cooler. We have three days in the 70°s before a week in the 90°s. Have a fine weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:59 (average 5:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Remember Larry?

Trump* Virus Update:

0829TrumpVirusMap

Click for interactive map

US Cases: 6,103,398
US Deaths: 186,167
Plus the thousands of GOP plague victims Republicans are hiding from us.

Short Takes:

From NY Times: It started with an unexpected call last week from Lynne Patton, a longtime Trump associate who oversees federal housing programs in New York.

Ms. Patton told a leader of a tenants’ group at the New York City Housing Authority, the nation’s largest, that she was interested in speaking with residents about conditions in the authority’s buildings, which have long been in poor repair.

Four tenants soon assembled in front of a video camera and were interviewed for more than four hours by Ms. Patton herself. Three of the tenants were never told that their interviews would be edited into a two-minute video clip that would air prominently on Thursday night at the Republican National Convention and be used to bash Mayor Bill de Blasio, the three tenants said in interviews on Friday.

“I am not a Trump supporter,” said one of the tenants, Claudia Perez. “I am not a supporter of his racist policies on immigration. I am a first-generation Honduran. It was my people he was sending back.”

The episode represents another stark example of how President Trump has deployed government resources to further his political ambitions.

My response can be condensed into one word: typical! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Trae Crowder Channel): Liberal Redneck – This Week in Hell

Dang, Trae! That’s the best RNC analysis I’ve heard! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a long blast of protest!): Live From the Left Coast

28 fantastic minutes against the Republican Reich! Kudos to left wing protestors! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/28/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:35 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 282020

It’s a very tired day, here in the CatBox. When I order groceries from Store to Door, the Fred Meyer store has usually been out of half the frozen entrees I order to goop. So I order more selections than I need, so I’ll have enough. Yesterday, they not only delivered everything, but two items were on a two for one sale. I had to unload and repack my freezer to get everything to fit. WWWendy had to work late and arrived late, and we had more work to do than usual, so I ate supper late and got to bed late. I overslept this morning and got started late. I’m pooped! TGIF!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:54 (average 4:31). To do it, click here. Hoe did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0828TrumpVirusMap

It it any wonder Canada had closed its border to US residents?

US Cases: 6,055,672
US Deaths: 185,051
Plus the thousands of GOP plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us

RNC Deplorables Take:

Yesterday was so different in spirit than the first three days. The super-spreader event was dominated by Trump* himself, so the lies were more numerous and the hatred more intense than before.

Wendy mentioned how surprised she was that she had seen so many Black speakers during the convention. She didn’t see how Black people could be that stupid. So I told her a story, which I shall also share with you. When I was doing prison volunteer work several years ago, I was the Treasurer of our volunteer organization and a former lead parole officer for this county was the President. We spent so many hours together that we became good friends. Our political views were very similar, so I was shocked when he mentioned he was a Republican. I asked how that could be. He explained that the reason was that he is Black. I asked why being Black attracted him to a racist party that opposed everything we were for. He explained that as a Democrat, he was one among millions of Black Democrats, but as a Republican, he was something special. He received awards and honors. They paid him to be the token Black at events they could use to prove they weren’t racist. They promised him future job opportunities and financial security. I asked him if he felt like a hypocrite. He said he tried not to think about it, because he deserved a piece of the pie. I lost a lot of respect for him that day. Nevertheless, we continued to work together for another couple of years. Then he proved that he really is a Republican. He misappropriated money from our organization to pay himself a salary. When the money was gone, he left the organization in ruin. Those of us who remain reincorporated, reorganized rebuilt it from scratch at the prisoners’ request.

The Republicans promised to follow Trump’s* agenda for America. The following is a complete description of that agenda:

Finally, thank God it’s over!

Short Takes:

From Willamette Week: President Trump Warns of Dystopian Future Under Democrats: “They Will Make Every City Look Like Portland, Oregon”

In his acceptance of the Republican nomination, Trump uses Portland as a shorthand for lawlessness.

America would be better off, if every city looked like Portland! Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Fact checker on Trump’s RNC speech: He is a serial liar

If criminal Fuhrer Trump* were any more full 0f shit, his foul orange hair would turn brown. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): “The Shady Bunch” a Roy Zimmerman song parody

Could it be more true? Hell no! Kudos to left-wing protesters! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Samantha Bee from 8/26

Posted by TomCat at 11:49 am Politics

Aug 272020

It’s that time of week again, and here are five fine video clips from Sam’s show last night. Enjoy!!

The Republican Party’s Fall Look: Fringe!

Barf Bag Alert!!

Dang Sam! That first Republican made me have to clean my screen! YUCK! The Republican Reich, not Islam, is a cancer on society!

WickerSam

Amen Sam!

What It Means To Be Progressive With Pramila Jayapal

I’m well known for saying, “Oregon leads the way!” But so does Washington, and all the other blue states. But Jayapal is wrong about thing. She said that Trump* won’t deliver on anything you care about. If you care about bringing more hate, more greed, and more violence to the US, Trump* will do it for you!

Full Frontal’s The Amazing Disgrace: Our Country’s Racist Symbols Pt. 1