I’m still running on a sleep deficit, because I spent much of yesterday helping my techno-phobic friend with Quicken. Nevertheless, I have three articles today. Tomorrow appears routine.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s tool me 3:57 (average 5:07). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From MoveOn: This Hidden Camera Footage Of A Gay Couple In Texas Will Shock You
Frankly, I am very pleasantly surprised at the reaction in Texas, but not that New Yorkers did not speak up.
From NY Times: In a deeply worrisome move, the Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a new campaign finance lawsuit that challenges long-established federal caps on the total amount an individual can contribute to federal campaigns in a two-year cycle. In a ruling last year, a special court in Washington correctly upheld those limits, which in some form have been included in federal law since 1974.
If the justices were to overturn that decision, it would be the first time that the court has struck down a contribution limit as unconstitutional. That would eliminate an essential tool in combating the corrupting effects of money in politics.
ARGH! I am troubled that the Fascist Five are about to ignore the Constitution and screw America with Citizens United, Jr. Money is NOT speech!
From CNN: With more than 20 months to go before the midterm congressional elections, incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell's team is already attacking Democrats for not yet fielding a candidate to challenge the Senate minority leader.
Bought Bitch Mitch is scared, because 55% of Kentuckians disapprove of him, making him the most unpopular Senator in his/her own state.
Cartoon:
Shhhh! Don’t tell the Republicans! They haven’t learned this on only 203 years.
16 Responses to “Open Thread-2/20/2013”
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3:51 Watch out! The Patty monster is making a comeback. I doubt if my time will hold up to Lynn's size 9 or Critter crunching.
3:21 Now there's a dog having fun. Is Lynn going to let me have my fun today, or is winning the Big Mouth Award going to make her think she needs to win everything?
PS – Here's a big Critter Congratulations, Lynn! You are a big mouth we all should listen to.
3:46 Well Jerry, I just couldn't catch you. I had physio for sciatica today and I just can't run like I used to!
BTW, thanks Critter! I'm not sure you should always listen to me . . . on the other hand, listen but don't follow. That should keep you safe!
🙁
Thanks for posting the MoveOn clip – very interesting piece – and I'm pleasantly surprised that the people there wouldn't have a "shoot-out" response – while it might even be more likely in NYC — afraid the response "it's none of my business" is far more prevalent! Often to intercede in NYC will land you in the hospital — law of the city – although I've taken stands before – like the time I witnessed cops clubbing a man in an ally – I had to run for my life! (didn't have iphones back then)!
That's why I was not surprised, having lived there. Those who intervened where the perpetrator is either "connected" or law-enforcement did not stay healthy.
I was overjoyed to see the ABC clip in Texas – such a relief to hear such enlightened and tolerant reactions – though I was sad to see indifference to humanity in New York. I am heterosexual – and I would have loved to have had loving parents and couldn't have cared less what race or sex they were! There is a series over here on the BBC called something like The World's Strictest Parents – where British teenagers whose behaviour is so AWFUL that their parents have lost all control over them (oh my they start off being embarrassing!) go abroad to other countries and experience life with a strict family – some religious, some not, some gay, some not, and any race and country are included. It is a JOY to watch the strict but very loving family find the good in the hooligans they take in for a couple of weeks – they find something loveable in an apparently unlovable teenager and build on it and help them start to become remarkable human beings. I have only watched about half a dozen episodes – and it so chanced that two couples were gay – one male couple, one female – and they were exceptional parents. (I thought at the time 'If only prejudiced people could see this they would surely find some of their prejudices reducing' – but then wondered if they could be persuaded to watch the programme at all.) They were good parents because they were good and loving people, and they considered the needs of the children, and also their need to have rules and structure in their lives as well as fun, and they all did charity work – it didn't matter a bit what their sexual orientation was.
As for the NY court case on political funding – oh how I hope you are wrong for once, TC!
Excellent, Pat. See my reply to Lee.
I hope so too.
Those 5 corporate lackeys on the SCOTUS are republicans – a few extremists in the mix – and they have realized that this Citizen's United (unconstitutional and corrupt idiocy) is the only way their sick and twisted party is ever going to win an election again. Expect the worst from them. However, isn't it refreshing and wonderful that even though the Koch monsters spent billions (snorts derisively) on Romney, he lost anyway?
Citizens United has had some lovely unintended consequences. It has gotten these fat, white parasites to pour money into our economy in elections that they have no hope of controlling. May they continue to do that and may they continue to lose.
Amen, Angie!
I saw the video when it aired on ABC and was pleasantly surprised at the interventions in Texas. That is a good example of why people should not be labeled because of the state where they live.
This Supreme Court ruled that Corporations are people. Of course they are going to overturn the decision.
McConnell is really afraid of Judd, he is all ready paying for commercials in Ky to demonize her. Run rabbit, run, your time is almost up!
Agree.
Agree.
I bet you are loving it!
Puzzle — 3:46 Well Jerry, I just couldn't catch you. I had physio for sciatica today and I just can't run like I used to!
MoveOn — What an excellent video, and I too am surprised that this happened in a conservative part of Texas. I wonder if Rick Perry and his herd have seen this? But in some ways, the New York experience does not surprise me, although it disturbs and disgusts me. The 'big city' meme of 'mind your own business' seems to be in full force, whereas the Texas situation is in a small community.
I wanted to check on the MLK Jr quote, so here it is with a few others I picked up from Brainy Quote.
"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
NY Times — On this one, we are of one mind! I think the Injustices need to heed the words of MLK Jr as overturning the special court ruling would be a threat to justice everywhere.
TC "I am troubled that the Fascist Five are about to ignore the Constitution and screw America with Citizens United, Jr. Money is NOT speech!"
CNN — Let him stew in his own juices! Hell, Karl Rove has started dissing Ashely Judd in advertising. Didn't McTurtle get Rove's message, however wrong it MIGHT be?
Cartoon — Excellent! But I have to quibble . . . it is 204 years, not 203 years.
It's up to the Patty Monster.
Good point!
Amen!
Amen again!
You expect me to be able to count at this hour?
The Patty Monster was the first one in at 3:51! We were Critter crunched!
And yes, I do expect you to be able to count at this hour! After all, you have nap(s) during the day.
OOPS!
I posted that I had no sleep the day before.