{"id":20971,"date":"2016-04-01T00:17:15","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T07:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=20971"},"modified":"2016-04-01T00:17:15","modified_gmt":"2016-04-01T07:17:15","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-31032016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/04\/01\/squatchs-open-thread-31032016\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch’s Open Thread 31\/03\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

I don't know about where you live, but here in Metro Vancouver, BC it was sunny with nary a cloud in the sky and temperatures around 22 C (72 F) today as well as yesterday.  Many of the fruit blossoms are finished, but there are still many magnolia trees (Magnolia liliiflora<\/span>) in full regalia but they too will be finished before long.Yesterday I was teaching English and French, and tomorrow I will be working with my first student.  My two adult students are at such different places in the command of the language.  My young French student gets very excited when she knows I am coming over and it is cute to behold.  Today is the last class in my Pastoral Care programme and we will be commissioned on 24\/04\/2016.  Next Thursday I start another study group called Immersion.  It is geared to we flaming liberal Christians and will be taught by our Pastor Dave along with the woman who was leading the Pastoral Care programme.  So lots going on!  So who said retirement was for relaxing?  Retirement is for doing what you enjoy but seldom had the time to do!<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Huffington Post<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — On Oct. 21, Jessica Grubb flipped open her laptop and watched a live stream of her father telling President Barack Obama about her addiction to heroin.<\/p>\n

Obama was in Charleston, West Virginia, Jessica’s hometown, to discuss the opioid epidemic. When the local newspaper solicited questions for the president from its readers, Grubb’s parents asked their daughter if they could tell her story.<\/p>\n

“Absolutely,” Grubb said, hoping it might help somebody else in need.<\/p>\n

If she’d been in Charleston, Grubb would have tried to attend the president’s visit herself. But she was in Michigan, where she’d moved for a residential drug rehab program.  …<\/p>\n

\"Grubb\"<\/a>Jessica Grubb  1986 – 03 March 2016<\/p>\n

Jessica Grubb “had a twofold reaction” to her story being shared with Obama, David Grubb recalled. “The one part was, ‘Wow, the president’s talking about me<\/em>.’ The second reaction was, ‘Wow, the president’s talking<\/em> about me. It was bittersweet.”<\/p>\n

Hearing about a life lost so young; about parents fighting so hard for their daughter, and ultimately all daughters and sons, yet losing the battle . . . it leaves me hollow.  David Grubb is correct . . . something has to be done.  He lists some things that are being done, but more is needed.  Drug addiction is a health issue that needs to be addressed everywhere.  In <\/span>Squatch’s Open Thread 29\/12\/2015<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, I presented an article about how Portugal had decriminalised drugs and began treating drug addiction as a healthcare issue rather than a punitive issue.  I then followed it up with a piece in <\/span>Squatch’s Open Thread 30\/12\/2015<\/span><\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

From the internet<\/strong> — <\/span><\/p>\n

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Need anything more be said?  I have never enjoyed his genre of writing, but on these  words I agree.<\/span><\/p>\n

Daily Kos<\/span><\/a><\/strong> — <\/span>When I watched the Chris Matthews interview with Trump on MSNBC tonight, I’d already seen the video exchange where Trump said that women who had gotten an illegal abortion should be punished.  But when I watched the entire discussion, Trump made an even more shocking, and I think,<\/em> more newsworthy statement that no one even bothered to mention. <\/p>\n

The blogger has a point.  Here is the Chris Matthews interview with Drumpf.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stephen Barf Bag Alert!!!!!     Barf Bag Alert!!!!!     Barf Bag Alert!!!!!     Barf Bag Alert!!!!!  <\/strong><\/span>   Barf Bag Alert!!!!! <\/strong><\/span>    <\/p>\n