{"id":16131,"date":"2015-09-25T00:17:14","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T07:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=16131"},"modified":"2015-09-25T01:35:55","modified_gmt":"2015-09-25T08:35:55","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-25092015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2015\/09\/25\/squatchs-open-thread-25092015\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch\u2019s Open Thread 25\/09\/2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

It turned out to be a moderately busy day when I thought it would not be so.  I had a nice lunch with a group of ladies.  As I headed home, I realised that I had to buy food for my furbabes because we were almost out.  Then I remembered that this was the day for a visit to the chiropractor.  When I finally made it home, I was attacked at the door by cats who can spot a kibble bag from 100 metres! I decided it was time for a short Lona cat nap, but it turned out to be longer than expected. Tomorrow will be busy . . . physio, teaching ESL which is usually 3 hours, and then back to the computer to prepare the Saturday's Open Thread.  TGIF!!!!  <\/strong>Although that doesn't have the same meaning now that I am retired.<\/span><\/p>\n

Puzzle<\/strong> — Today’s took me 2:56 (average 6:07).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?  For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Upworthy<\/span><\/a> <\/strong>— h\/t JL<\/strong><\/span> — Last January, a 13-year-old named Vidal was asked this question on a street in Brooklyn. He was chatting<\/a> with portrait photographer Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York<\/a> (HONY).<\/p>\n

Little did either of them know just how big an impact their conversation would have.<\/p>\n

Vidal said his principal, Nadia Lopez, was his biggest influence.<\/p>\n

"When we get in trouble, she doesn't suspend us," he said. "She tells us that each time somebody fails out of school, a new jail cell gets built. And one time she made every student stand up, one at a time, and she told each one of us that we matter.<\/strong>"<\/em><\/p>\n

Read the rest and watch the video.  This is what education should be about . . . inspiring to acieve!<\/span><\/p>\n

Robert Reich<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — On Thursday, right-wing extremists in the U.S. House of Representatives will vote to try to defund Planned Parenthood<\/b>, one of the nation’s largest providers of women’s health care and family planning services.<\/p>\n

Planned Parenthood is under attack and it’s up to all of us to fight back.  Any society that respects women must respect their right to control their own bodies.  There is a strong moral case to be made for this — but this video isn’t about that.  This is about the economics of family planning – which are one more reason it’s important for all of us to stand up and defend Planned Parenthood.  …<\/strong><\/p>\n