{"id":41120,"date":"2020-09-14T11:30:19","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T18:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=41120"},"modified":"2020-09-14T11:30:19","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T18:30:19","slug":"open-thread-9-14-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2020\/09\/14\/open-thread-9-14-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread – 9\/14\/2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s a busy day, here in the CatBox, and I feel very tired.  I overslept.  The goop experiment I suggested to WWWendy Saturday was a total failure, and the resulting tumor-clog irritated the hell out of my esophagus, so the last two days have been painful.  I thoroughly enjoyed my zoom meeting with my volunteer friends and some of my guys that have been released.  I had a hard time recognizing them in street clothes, as I’ve never seen then in anything but prison blue and orange.  My meeting with Diana was routine. The heat wave is over, and I have 10 days in the 70s and some 60s.  Tonight my Broncos meditate on the Holy Ellipsoid Orb on Monday Night Football.  I shall be in fervent prayer.  Oh God!  It’s Monday!<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today’s took me 3:42 (average 5:33).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Cartoon<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

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Trump* Virus Update<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"0914TrumpVirusMap\"<\/font><\/p>\n

Click for several interactive maps<\/a><\/p>\n

US Cases: 6,715,194
US Deaths: 198,614
Plus thousands of Trump’s* plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us<\/font><\/strong> <\/p>\n

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

From The New Yorker<\/a>: <\/font>Questions arose after the P.A. system at a Trump rally in Nevada accidentally blasted excerpts from Bob Woodward\u2019s interviews with the President.<\/p>\n

As supporters streamed into the rally, the customary sounds of such classic rock songs as \u201cFortunate Son\u201d and \u201cYou Can\u2019t Always Get What You Want\u201d were supplanted by audio of Trump acknowledging that the coronavirus was far deadlier than a flu. <\/p>\n

After Trump was heard revealing the details of a previously secret weapons program, campaign aides frantically disconnected the P.A. system and started scrambling for an explanation. <\/p>\n

LOL, Andy! Obviously this didn’t really happen, but just the thought of it happening is sufficient to provoke wet dreams!  RESIST<\/strong>!!<\/font> <\/p>\n

From Crooks and Liars<\/a>: <\/font>Fresh on the heels of spreading hoax rumors about \u201cantifa buses\u201d<\/a> coming to rural towns to create mayhem, right-wing conspiracists eager to spread the narrative about the supposed existential threat posed by black-clad antifascist activists have a hot new fraud for their armies of gullible social-media followers: The forest fires raging along the West Coast<\/a> from California to Washington are an antifa plot! <\/p>\n

The rumors\u2014spread first by far-right activists, then parroted by followers living in areas where the fires are raging\u2014claim that a handful of arrests for arson in unrelated fires are proof that the fires are being coordinated by leftists intending harm to befall rural Trump-supporting regions. \u201cIt\u2019s the antifa burning EVERYTHING down!\u201d shrieked<\/a> one QAnon believer who chimed in on Twitter. <\/p>\n

Among the leading spreaders of the false rumors is a right-wing online publication catering to police officers, Law Enforcement Today, which posted an article<\/a> claiming that the \u201cwildfires on the West Coast may be a \u2018coordinated and planned\u2019 attack.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cLaw enforcement throughout the west coast is reportedly being put on alert to look out for \u2018opportunists\u2019 and those who may have more sinister motives,\u201d the article claimed. It then went on to list six arson incidents either related to the fires or in their general vicinity, but offered no evidence that they were coordinated in any fashion. <\/p>\n

Of course there is no evidence that this is true and ample evidence that lightning strikes ignited the fires. The biggest danger to spreading garbage like this is that it will inspire a few QPoop wing-nuts to light fires and blame them on the left.  RESIST<\/strong>!!<\/font> <\/p>\n

From YouTube<\/a> (a blast for JD): <\/font>Luciano Pavarotti sings “Nessun dorma” from Turandot (The Three Tenors in Concert 1994)<\/p>\n