{"id":16345,"date":"2015-10-13T06:41:03","date_gmt":"2015-10-13T13:41:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=16345"},"modified":"2015-10-13T06:55:28","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T13:55:28","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-13102015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2015\/10\/13\/squatchs-open-thread-13102015\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch’s Open Thread 13\/10\/2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well today was turkey day!  I say "was" because I have already consumed a wonderfully moist turkey dinner with all the trimmings and a piece of pumpkin pie.  I am satiated!  I can still smell that turkey! So now to finish up with that smell firmly planted in my mind. <\/span><\/p>\n

Puzzle<\/strong> — Today’s took me 4:40 (average 5:51). To do it, <\/span>click here<\/span><\/a><\/strong>. 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> <\/strong><\/span>— Kids try to tell us things all the time that they don't know how to describe.<\/p>\n

They don't have the words to say it. Or they're embarrassed, or terrified, like the child in this video. (And while the stat at the end of the video is specifically about India, I've included a look at other countries and here at home below.)<\/p>\n

It pays to be very aware of what is going on with kids.  Listen to what theysay, and don't say.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternet<\/strong><\/span><\/a> <\/span>— Why is Ryan likely to take the bait and become the next speaker? As he wrote in 2012, grousing about compromise after compromise that he had to vote for, “Taken together, these experiences taught me valuable lessons about how the House and Senate operate, and I came away with an even deeper appreciation for the role of congressional leadership. Who holds the top post really matters because the decisions they make at the outset determine the votes that ever member has to take and how much good we can achieve for the country and our fellow citizens.”<\/p>\n

What follows are six examples of the “good we can achieve” if Ryan becomes speaker.<\/p>\n

Read the entire <\/span>Alternet<\/span><\/a> <\/strong>article to get a flavour of Ryan's “good we can achieve”.  I don't think that there will much of any good coming out Washington with a severely conservative Congress. November 2015 is the time to make some changes at the state and local levels.  2016 is the time to make big changes in the Congress for a more balanced Congress, a progressive Congress. <\/span><\/p>\n

Huffington Post<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — <\/span>Iran's parliament passed a bill on Tuesday supporting a nuclear deal with world powers, signaling a victory for the government over conservative opponents of the agreement and clearing the way for it to be implemented.<\/p>\n

\"Athena<\/p>\n

Many lawmakers strongly opposed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that President Hassan Rouhani's government reached with world powers on July 14, and Tuesday's vote removes an obstacle to putting the agreement into practice.<\/p>\n

The article<\/span><\/a> <\/strong>goes on to state that if sanctions are not removed as per the agreement, Iran will resume its nuclear activities.  With saber rattling by Sunni Saudi Arabia towards Shite Iran and Russia, there is more chance of a bigger war in the Middle East.  All parties must stick to the deal.  Spend some time reading <\/span>The Historic Deal that Will Prevent Iran from Acquiring a Nuclear Weapon<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

My Universe<\/strong> — <\/span><\/p>\n