{"id":19140,"date":"2016-01-17T08:58:34","date_gmt":"2016-01-17T16:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=19140"},"modified":"2016-01-17T08:58:34","modified_gmt":"2016-01-17T16:58:34","slug":"open-thread1172016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/01\/17\/open-thread1172016\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–1\/17\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today is another high holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  Congrats to the Patriots and the Cardinals who the Orb blessed yesterday.  The later game was a nail biter, but I have to say, as a disinterested party, that the Cardinals had extraordinary assistance from the Zebras on more than one occasion.  Today I suspect that the Panthers will dine on Fricassee of Seachicken.  My Broncos can beet the Steelers, if the right Broncos show up and stay for all 60 minutes.  I don\u2019t have to tell you my plans for the day.<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today\u2019s took me 4:43 (average 6:03).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From The New Yorker<\/a>: <\/font>A fact checker who has vetted all of the 2016 Republican Presidential debates was hospitalized for exhaustion during the sixth G.O.P. forum in Charleston on Thursday evening.<\/p>\n

Martin Slessky, a former journalist who works for HonestyWatch, a Minnesota-based fact-checking organization, was resting comfortably after suffering what his doctors called a \u201ctotal physical and mental collapse\u201d during Thursday\u2019s debate.<\/p>\n

Harland Dorrinson, the executive director of HonestyWatch, said he first became concerned about Slessky\u2019s health when the fact checker started having heart palpitations and shortness of breath every time Texas senator Ted Cruz spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI turned to Martin and said, \u2018Are you all right? Are you going to be able to make it through this?\u2019 \u201d Dorrinson said. \u201cAnd he said, \u2018I\u2019ll be fine. Ben Carson is starting to talk now, that\u2019ll be soothing.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

But moments later, when New Jersey governor Chris Christie falsely claimed that he never supported the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Slessky experienced acute dizziness and blurry vision, and was immediately rushed to the hospital.<\/p>\n

Andy, I’m amazed his job didn’t kill him.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Daily Kos<\/a>: <\/font>Charles Carter and Vincent Smith were right-wing extremists planning a "Paul Revere 2016 Final March to Restore America" [Republican Ammosexuals Delinked<\/em>] \u2014 a cross-country caravan to \u201cremove the corrupt leadership that has taken over our beloved country and ousted her God and constitution.\u201c<\/p>\n

On Monday, police in Grayson County, Texas reported one person was dead as the result of a gunshot wound to the head.<\/a> Although they didn\u2019t name the victim or the suspect, Raw Story<\/a>\u200b notes that right-wingers on Facebook were quick to identify the victim as Charles Carter and the shooter as Vincent Smith: [Republicans delinked<\/em>]<\/p>\n

Posthumous Barf Bag Alert!!<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n