{"id":13771,"date":"2014-09-28T00:03:56","date_gmt":"2014-09-28T07:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=13771"},"modified":"2014-09-28T00:03:56","modified_gmt":"2014-09-28T07:03:56","slug":"open-thread9282014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2014\/09\/28\/open-thread9282014\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–9\/28\/2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing for tomorrow, day 160.  After sleeping from 2 PM until 7 AM with three short breaks for food, posting and equestrian events, I\u2019m feeling almost feline again.  Tomorrow is a Holy Day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, but my Broncos will not have a service.  In solidarity with the LFBT community, they are observing their bi week.<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s took me 2:54 (average 5:15).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

My Prison Volunteer Trip<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

All things considered, it was a highly productive trip.  I took the bus down to Salem on Wednesday.  We had a Board Meeting, and inducted two new members to our Board.  On Thursday I made two trips to the prison.  In the first we had an Executive Body meeting.  That consists of the Officers if the club (the inside group) and the foundation (the outside group, of which I am the Treasurer).  We discussed plans for meetings for my guys in 2015, including a Community Impact Meeting between my guys and a group of university students in criminology and sociology, an Essay Presentation meeting featuring writers from inside and outside, a Victim Impact meeting between my guys and crime victim, two months of banquet where my guys\u2019 families come in, several charity events that my guys are organizing to help others, and more.  We also discussed improving the communications between my guys and their outside supporters, which had fallen off, because our former President had some personal issues, and needed to be replaced, and because my guys have not been feeding me the information I need to maintain a website.  The second meeting was a general meeting with about seventy of my guys.  DOC informed us that they have a new staff advisor.  She seem personable.  I particularly enjoyed introducing her to the newest member of our Board.  She knew who he was, but had never met him.  Until a few months ago he used to be her boss\u2019 boss\u2019 boss.  He was in charge of Inmate Activities for all of DOC, not just the one prison where we volunteer.  The meeting was primarily housekeeping, informing my guys of the plans we made, and planning a charity event, but we did hear a presentation from a college teacher seeking help to continue a limited opportunity for higher education inside.  I also learned that a good friend of mine was just elected President of the Lakota Club, the prison\u2019s Native American group.<\/font><\/p>\n

Now a couple commented about how non-intimidating the prison entrance seems.  As prisons go, these folks do a better job than most in that respect, but so you don\u2019t get the wrong impression, here are a couple more pics.  The first is the same entrance from a different angle.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"0928OSPWall\"<\/font><\/p>\n

The second is a view od the wall from inside.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"0928OSPWire\"<\/font><\/p>\n

Is that more prison-like?<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From The New Yorker<\/a>: <\/font>In a Thursday appearance on the Fox News Channel, former Vice-President Dick Cheney said that it was \u201cno fair\u201d that President Obama gets to bomb Syria.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m envious as hell,\u201d he told Fox\u2019s Sean Hannity. \u201cThat was on my bucket list.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if he had any advice for the President on bombing Syria, Cheney said, \u201cJust enjoy it. It doesn\u2019t get any better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andy has captured ChickenHawk Cheney, aka Five Deferment Dick, perfectly!<\/font><\/p>\n

From Upworthy<\/a>: <\/font>Actor, advocate, and creative dreamboat Joseph Gordon-Levitt ponders aloud how his views on gender equality went viral not once, but twice. He has some interesting thoughts to share. Take a look \u2014 at 3:45, he asks something of all of us, especially if you have a webcam on your computer!<\/p>\n