I’m writing for tomorrow and feeling quite tired after research and running errands, but not too much so to give a Republican a parade.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:36 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: George Carlin (R.I.P.) was famous for being hilarious but also for being in-your-face honest about the state of humanity and the planet. His version of the lyrics for "America the Beautiful" are pretty halting.
Sadly, this is way too true.
From Daily Kos: Pretty much any traditional media outlet has been starting every discussion about the upcoming election as a done deal: the House will remain in Rethuglican’s greedy, dangerous, corporate-owned claws and the Senate may be lost to these miscreants as well, because that’s just what happens in an election year after the opposition party has won the White House.
Bull shit.
Plain and simple. And, yes, this is a rant.
Click through for a most excellent rant. Amen!!
From NY Times: The Obama administration is preparing to unveil a legislative proposal for a far-reaching overhaul of the National Security Agency’s once-secret bulk phone records program in a way that — if approved by Congress — would end the aspect that has most alarmed privacy advocates since its existence was leaked last year, according to senior administration officials.
Under the proposal, they said, the N.S.A. would end its systematic collection of data about Americans’ calling habits. The bulk records would stay in the hands of phone companies, which would not be required to retain the data for any longer than they normally would. And the N.S.A. could obtain specific records only with permission from a judge, using a new kind of court order.
People are far too quick to blame Obama for doing his duty by enforcing the secret law Congress passed, which is his job as chief executive. He has wanted too long, however, to do the right thing. Now I bet the very members of Congress, who have publically blamed Obama for spying on Americans, will sabotage the proposed measures to end that practice.
Cartoon:
A national shame and tragedy.
11 Responses to “Open Thread–3/26/2012”
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George Carlin's lyrics are most apt – and most painfully true.
Daily Kos – it is amazing that anyone other that Repuglicons win elections as all the newspapers and most of the media seem GOP/TP sympathetic – yet people are becoming more aware and often don't vote as their media tell them – thank the Lord!
NY Times – you are right TC, as always – the GOP and fellow travellers will criticise President Obama for doing what they passed into law – and criticise him for trying to mend it and they will try and block it – whilst still criticising him! Heads they win, tails we lose – they hope!
George Carlin: A man ahead of his time regarding issues. Wonder what he would have said about today's current situations. Carlin is missed.
KOS: "Come on. The American people are simply not the stoopid. Rethuglicans are certain that all of us ARE that stoopid, but I say let's fuck them up." Unfortunately, the
American people are simply that stoopid! Look at the recent election in Florida,
http://huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/11/florida-special-election-results_n_4937751.html
Propaganda by the sympathetic GOP/TP media has already started and will continue until after the elections.
TIMES: Until Snowden's "revelations" about the NSA spying was revealed, nothing
was being done.
CARTOON: Another shameful day in American history.
I think lazy is more accurate. Most American voters don't invest the efforet to learn.
3:09 This basket made me hungry. I think I'll grab a piece of fruit.
3:44 You ate all the fruit!
3:25 Fruit salad!
Upworthy ~ His lyrics are more realistic today than the originals. Very sad.
Daily Kos ~ It will only be true if Democrats lie down and stay away from the voting booths in November. If that happens, God help us.
NY Times ~ Of course they will try to sabotage this. No matter ho much they complain about the NSA, they don't want to change a thing.
Cartoon ~ Thus began the infamous Trail of tears. The government forced the removal of approximately 100,000 Native Americans from the Southeastern US to reservations in the Southwest. At least 15,00 died along the way. No telling how many died of broken hearts or starvation afterwards. A very black period in our history.
5:22 I could use the energy, but I think everyone else decomated the basket before I got there.
Upworthy – Of course Carlin is factually right on. I would like to point out that the original poem is nowhere near as arrogant as people today think it is – largely because the average American would no longer recognize a subjunctive if it came to the door and showed ID. Also, when was the last time you actually heard anyone sing I think it's the third chorus which has the line "God mend thine every flaw"? You didn't know each verse has its own chorus? I rest my case.
Daily Kos – Unfortunately I agree with Jim that the voters are indeed that stoopid. And, as he didn't say, that you can't fix stoopid. The only thing you can do is outnumber them, and the only way to do that is to GET. OUT. THE. VOTE.
NY Times – IF it passes it will be a good first step. It will not really solve the problem. Only dismantling the FBI, CIA, and NSA and startig over from scratch would do that. And that only for a relatively short time.
Cartoon – Tell me again why powerful white Americans are worth saving. I keep forgetting.
Upworthy: George got it right, sadly for us.
Daily KOs: I hope the ranter is right, but sadly, too many Americans are "that stoopid"
NY Times: I hope the legislative proposal is passed. I doubt it will be, though. Too many Americans have the attitude that they are doing nothing wrong so don't care if their government tracks them. What they don't seem to realize is that nothing wrong can be turned into something wrong by a government as out of control as ours seems to be getting. At the rate we are going we won't even be able to have sites like this one to air our grievances.
Cartoon: A day of disgrace for out country. The really harsh disgrace is the way native Americans are still treated.
TC, I hope you get some rest soon.
cc, I hoc
Puzzle — 3:25 Fruit salad!
Upworthy — I have been a Carlin fans for decades. This is classic Carlin, and unfortunately, all too true. Having said that, this could be Canada, the UK or one of many countries as long as the 1% have absolute reign.
Daily Kos — I so agree with with the author, Little Lulu, in her pithy rant.
NY Times — Interesting that you should say the Republicanus/Teabaggers will sabotage the new policies, because when I heard this yesterday or Monday, that was my immediate reaction. They can coöperate but then they hand Mr Obama a "victory" or they can sabotage the policy by voting against it and thwart Mr Obama. But at the same time they will put themselves in danger of an ass kicking by the American people. I think they will go after Mr Obama and count on the people to have short memories and no balls. As Little Lulu said in the Daily Kos post, "… all we have to do is talk to our family, friends and neighbors to GO AND VOTE these fuckers out of office …"!
Cartoon — Too bad they First Nations didn't deport the first settlers when they had the chance!
Thanks and Amen to all!