Apr 202012
 

Today I got tied up in the paperwork I have been putting off and ran well beyond the time I normally spend on research.  In addition, my COPD was severe last night.  I slept little, and, although I want to push myself, I think it unwise.  Therefore this is today’s only article.  I’m current on replies.  Tomorrow I should have no trouble with normal posting.

Special Announcement:

I trust many of you remember Lee Evans, who commented regularly here for a time.  I sent him a message when he stopped coming by suddenly, and heard nothing back.  Today I heard about him from mutual friend.  Here is her email.  I added his picture.

20LeeHi there TC…I have a favor to ask of you 🙂

After weeks of worrying and calling, I finally got a hold of Lee Evans on the phone a little while ago…He has been having his good and bad days, but i feared the worst as he is on palliative care due to prostate cancer…i broke into tears when he answered the phone i was so glad to know he was still with us!

Anyway, his computer is toast, and his money is low, so he couldn’t email anyone to let them know…and just like the first time you got ill, people have been asking me where he’s been at for months now.

The first one he asked about was you, followed by HHH, Bee, and all the regulars that post on Politics Plus…So if you could find a way to put a footnote in open thread or somewhere to tell every one that he is okay, and that he misses all, i would surely appreciate it.

In the meantime i’m going to see if i can’t find a tablet or inexpensive used laptop to send him.

Being all alone, and sick is bad enough…but he loved being part of this little family on care2, as we were all he had on a daily basis, and that really helped keep him going.

I don’t know if you ever saw any of my photos, but my profile pix is of him (cropped out) and i when he visited his son here in Seattle over Thanksgiving last year and we got to finally meet.

So anything you can do to let everyone know he misses them and thinks of them daily, and wishes everyone the best would be truly appreciated…1love, ellen

I hope you will join me by keeping Lee in your thoughts, hopes, prayers, or whatever you do.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:42 (average 5:15).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: What Paul Ryan’s Budget Could Mean For Your Family

20budget

This certainly shows who Republicans do and do not represent.

From NY Times: Mr. Sarkozy is in deep trouble and is looking, for now, as if he could be the first one-term French president since 1981. He appears to be running neck and neck with his main challenger, the Socialist candidate François Hollande, in the first round of voting on Sunday, when 10 candidates are competing. But all the opinion polls show Mr. Sarkozy losing to Mr. Hollande in a face-off two weeks later…

…A victory by even a centrist Socialist like Mr. Hollande, who has advocated higher taxes on the rich and a greater emphasis on growth over austerity, would create immediate strains with Germany and rattle financial markets that are already nervous about the size of France’s debt. Mr. Hollande has also said that he wants to pull French troops out of Afghanistan sooner than NATO has agreed to do. Still, he says that his first visit abroad would be to Berlin, no matter how chilly the reception.

I think this may be an excellent development for France, and would help to curtail the failed austerity programs imposed by European conservatives.  Republicans will surely claim that Hollande is a Communist, so they can accuse Obama of consorting with him.  That is a lie.  A French Socialist is a social democrat, not a communist.

From CBS: A judge has granted bail for George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with killing Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, but would not allow his release Friday, citing further discussions needed about the terms, including whether or not he would be allowed out of state.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester also said that Zimmerman must not have any contact with the victim’s family; must wear an ankle monitoring bracelet; and adhere to a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. The judge’s order also states that Zimmerman cannot be in possession of firearms; and must not consume alcohol or controlled substances.

I think the $150,000 amount of the bail is way too low.  In my volunteer work with prisoners, I know many, who were accused of far lesser crimes,  but whose bail was considerably more.  Therefore it reeks of favoritism.

Cartoon:

20Cartoon

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  7 Responses to “Open Thread–4/20/2012”

  1. Thanks for the update on Lee.  I sent a message a while ago and hadn’t heard anything.  I had already been saying prayers for Lee and lit a candle.  Hope he won’t mind.

    Puzzle — it’s a cat so of course I was under the average time!  Gotta love those furry little critters!

    MoveOn — The scales of injustice — the Ryan budget.  Isn’t it amazing how much can be accomplished by not giving the 1% yet another tax cut!

    Sarkozy — I wonder if this is the beginning of a return to centre from the right, not just in France but all over?  If I recall correctly, Sarkozy was quite popular originally but as time and circumstance wore on, his ratings dropped.  World economic conditions couldn’t help anyone but I think voters are looking for some humanity back in government.  I agree that Republicans will see M Hollande as a ‘communist’ when he is a socialist (social democrat in US terms), quite a different animal.  But what the hell, I hear Republican/Teabaggers calling Mr Obama a ‘communist’ which of course he isn’t.  They even call him a socialist but I’m afraid those rightwing Americans do not know what a socialist is.  I think they are still trying to fight the Cold War, it’s so ingrained.

    Zimmerman — Let us not forget that daddy is a retired judge and has connections with some of the upper echeleons.  If bail is $150,000, does that mean that Zimmerman has to come up with 10% or $15,000?  or does he have to come up with the full $150K?  At least he has to wear a monitoring bracelet and has other conditions to abide by.  Break those and it is jail pending trial more than likely.  Given that his bail is so little compared to his offence, I would agree that there is a lot of favouritism going on.

    Cartoon — Good cartoon, especially for the sports fans.  There was one a while back that I really liked too!

    • YVW and thanks for being you!

      Congrats!

      It boggles the mind!

      I fully agree.

      That was the first thing I thought too.

      Thanks!

  2. I do remember Lee.  If you can, let him know I’m sending out Good Karma to him …

  3. I remember lee from care2 and here and hope he has a full and speedy recovery.

    Jigzone puzzle 4:40

    Paul Ryan is modern America’s answer to Simon LeGree.

    I hope Sarkozy loses. His and all the rest of the so-called conservatives care nothing about the economy and their policies simply do NOT work.

    His low bail reeks of favoritism.

    Which Mittens will be at bat during his next appearance?

     

    • I’m sure he will appreciate that.

      Beat me by 2 sec.

      Agree!

      Agree!

      Nobody knows.

      I released the first comment and deleted the duplicate.

  4. 4:06  I’m on a roll.

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