Tomorrow, I have the routine quarterly surgery to remove the growth from my foot. It will be the forst time I have left the building in over a month and should serve as a means to measure the extent of my recovery. However, expect only a Personal Update, and that, later than unusl.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:37 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Chuck Schumer, the expected replacement as top Senate Democrat when Harry Reid retires at the end of his term, has made a big splash in the past few days by saying he supports a bill designed to give Congress the clout to wreck a deal with Iran. He is not, of course, the only Democrat backing the Corker-Menendez bill, S. 615, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015. Since March 26, when Schumer quietly signed on as the latest of eight Democratic co-sponsors of the bill, it’s had 21 co-sponsors, including one independent, Sen. Angus King of Maine.
But given his clout, Schumer could be key to making it okay for other Democrats to support the bill, giving it the 67 votes it would need to override the veto that President Obama has vowed to impose.
First, please sign their petition. Second, when we win the senate in 2016, under no circumstances may this man be allowed to become Majority Leader. To go from the Nevada Leg Hound to the New York Sellout is NOT progress.
From Upworthy: Here’s two students’ response to an anonymous comment submitted to their university.
They waste no breath. And every single word pulls its own weight.
Their anger is quite discomforting, but spot-on.
From NY Times: A 17-year-old transgender youth, Leelah Alcorn, stunned her friends and a vast Internet audience in December when she threw herself in front of a tractor-trailer after writing in an online suicide note that religious therapists had tried to convert her back to being a boy.
In response, President Obama is calling for an end to such therapies aimed at “repairing” gay, lesbian and transgender youth. His decision on the issue is the latest example of his continuing embrace of gay rights.
In a statement that was posted on Wednesday evening alongside a WhiteHouse.gov petition begun in honor of Ms. Alcorn, Mr. Obama condemned the practice, sometimes called “conversion” or “reparative” therapy, which is supported by some socially conservative organizations and religious doctors.
The petition has received more than 120,000 signatures in three months.
It’s good to see a positive response to the petition system, and fully agree that conversion therapies violate their rights.
Cartoon:
Republicans seem to have forgotten this event took place.
17 Responses to “Open Thread–4/9/2015”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
4:28 average still 4:45. Isn't the Bahamas a place where your phone calls are particularly vulnerable to the NSA? Never been there myself.
OK, I did read what you were saying yesterday, TC, and I think I said I am 100% with you on stamina. But what about comfortable transportation? I once had to take a cab from Alamosa, CO to Colorado Springs – a matter of about 170 miles and just under 3 hours – and it was pricey (though only about a tenth of the transmission replacement that made it necessary) – but it was doable and a lot more comfortable than public transportation. Nowadays I gather there are people who are not professional cab drivers but who do give rides for fees. Is there any way your fans can help with that, or should I just shut up? (My feelings won't be hurt if it's the latter.)
Daily Kos – And this is EXACTLY why I said you should have had as a poll answer "It depends." Your petition is a Daily Kos petition (well, duh! of course it is). The one I posted uesterday is a Credo petition and is addressed directly to Chuckie.
Upworthy – I find their anger refreshing rather than discomforting. I wish more people were this angry for exactly these reasons. Instead of, as Lynn said the other day, insisting there is no problem because it is not a problem for (the one insisting).
NY Times – Too bad it's closed. I understand when a response is given they close it so they won't have to respond again, but it would be interesting to see how many more people would sign it given the NY Times publicity.
Cartoon – They just surrendered militarily. They never surrendered their attitudes. And boy, does THAT show.
New topic: Media Matters has just published an ebook about Bill O'Reilly First, it's absolutely free. Second, they are hoping to get enough downloads to have their book come up in the search engines alongside O'Reilly's own new book. Sooooo… even if you don't want to read it, please consider downloading it. Multiple times if you have multiple computers. It's only 56 pages, BTW. http://action.mediamatters.org/oreilly-ebook
Coming back at night, at an uncertaun time is the problem with getting a ride.
I'm glad Obama would like to provide the protections CA has to protect from such a harmful experience…
I don't want Schumer and believe any of the others the email I got let me choose from would be better…have the impression I read somewhere that Reid expressed concerns about Schumer replacing him, too.
Most youths today deserve more credit than society is willing to give them.
Given today's Cartoon, I decided to visit the National Park Service website for Appomattox, and was so disappointed in the message their opening greeting was conveying ("Beginning Peace and Reunion") that I used their Contact option to share with them how inappropriate I thought that paragraph was in trying to provide a take-home lesson about the reasons for the Civil War.
http://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm
Maybe the recent murder (and I don't care what any jury ever decides – this was MURDER) of Mr. Walter Scott by a cop in South Carolina made me over-sensitive, but what they wrote was NOT the major focus of the Civil War.
To counterbalance my above downer rant, I also came across a site featuring what would now be illegal drone photos of maybe more obscure landmarks in Europe. Absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous!
http://www.boredpanda.com/illegal-photography-quadcopter-amos-chapple/
Beautiful pictures Nameless, some almost surreal in the mists. And the hermits house atop the stone pillar . . . the first step at the top could be a dousie! One would have to be high to live there!
Hey Nameless, since you're a doctor I'll ask you about something I've wondered about . . . measles. When I was a child, the measles vaccine did not exist. By the time I was 5 years old, I'd had red measles and German measles (rubella), and then again around 8 or 9 I had rubella again. I am proudly 63 (well I will be in 8 days). Should I be getting a measles vax or are my previous afflictions all the vax I need? My curiosity has been re-ignited as we have an outbreak about a kilometre away which came from China by plane. Thanks bud!
The short answer: No needles for you! The wild diseases are felt to provide lifelong immunity. And I will say there are literally dozens and dozens of rashes that all look alike, so you may not have had true rubella twice. (BUT it's possible – very rare, but possible. And you are a uniquely rare soul, for which we're grateful.)
As a guideline, anyone born prior to 1957 is considered immune, and does not require any further measles vaccinations. (Caveat: If you're a healthcare worker, you will probably need to prove you're immune by a blood titer – or just get the vaccine.)
Here are TWO Guidelines for ADULT vaccination protocols from the CDC. (They basically just changed the ordinates and abscissas around along w/ colors, but one may be easier to read for some people.)
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-schedule-easy-read.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-schedule.pdf
AND I would definitely pay attention to the FOOTNOTES if you're looking up anything – because they're chockablock full of useful information and restrictions.
Pay closer attention to the Bigfootnotes.
Very funny! They're all the same size . . . very, very small!
Thanks bud! I appreciate your advice, especially since I am somewhat needle phobic. Great thing for a diabetic that takes insulin every night, eh! I cringe when I get a flu shot and recently found that the pharmacist was better at giving needles than my former doctor.
Daily Kos: I signed their petition, have also signed several from other sites.
Upworthy: Wow, they said it all, good for them.
NY Times: The petition has been closed, I could not sign it, but I totally agree. Convesion therapy is kin to burning witches in Salem. It is hell for those who are forced to suffer it, and has no scientific or medical basis. Glad the Prez is supporting this action.
Cartoon: My grandmother, who was from Tennessee, always called this the end of the "War Between the States." She would never agree to call it anything else.
3:29 Too many waves and too much wind rocking my boat today!
3:42 This puzzle gave me the blues.
A fishin' trip!
Puzzle — 3:29 Too many waves and too much wind rocking my boat today!
Daily Kos — Maybe THIS is where Elizabeth Warren is needed right now, not in the White House. She would put some starch in Schumer's shorts! Petition signed.
Upworthy — One Mothers' Day, 2 children looked at their mother and asked "When is kids' day?" The mother replied "Everyday is kids' day." Substitute 'white male' for kids and you know where I stand.
NY Times — With Obama supporting no more conversion therapy, you can guess that the right wingers will be against it. Isn't that what Marcus Bachmann, Guano Girl Bachmann's husband, does for a living? I thought the US signed the UN Convention Against Torture, and conversion therapy surely should be labelled as torture.
Cartoon — I so agree with JD "They never surrendered their attitudes. And boy, does THAT show."
TY TC
Daily Kos ~ I have already signed both petitions and called his office to express my outrage. He is a poor choice to Leader.
Upworthy ~ As a woman, I agree with these 2 young people whole-heartedly. I applaud them!
NY Times ~ I bet Marcus Bachmann isn't too happy about this.
Cartoon ~ I posted this on FB along with an article about ringing church bells at 3:15 PM nationwide yesterday morning to remind everyone of the 150th anniversary.
Thanks all, Hugs. Exhausted.