I’m writing for tomorrow, and feeling as though I have a hangover from getting sleep. I’m heading into another busy week, ending with a Board Meeting at my place on Saturday. Between now and then, I need to do taxes for myself and for my volunteer organization. A good pest control company can handle Norway Rats and roof rats, but God save us from bureaucrats!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took us 3:38 (average 4:31). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos (Hat-Tip to JL A at Care2): My Cat’s Number One Priority is His Own Needs.
Geoffrey has a routine. As cats go, and I have had many, he’s the most routine-driven feline I have ever met. He’s deeply conservative that way. If I’m not up by 7am, he sees to it that I am and then flumpity flump down the stairs to the door. Out he goes just long enough for me to freshen his food and water, which I have paid for. He doesn’t care if I have to pee first, or forgot to put out the garbage on garbage day, he has his routine and nobody is going to change it. The next thing he does is come in and eat that food, that FREE food, and he’s smug and entitled when he does it. He then makes a commentary on his human companion:
The author on to to describe a list of reasons why he knows his cat is a Republican. Click through. How horrid! Now as attached as I am to my own kitty dingles, I really hate to wish the big snip on any cat. However, unless yours is a DemoCAT, take it to the vet to be neutered!!
From The New Yorker: By a five-to-four decision, the United States Supreme Court today defended the right of the wealthiest Americans to own the United States government.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts summarized the rationale behind the Court’s decision: “In recent years, this Court has done its level best to remove any barriers preventing the wealthiest in our nation from owning our government outright. And while the few barriers that remained were flimsy at best, it was high time that they be shredded as well.”
Citing the United States Constitution, Justice Roberts wrote, “Our founding fathers created the most magnificent democracy in human history. Now, thanks to this decision, the dream of owning that democracy is a reality.”
This time, Andy’s satire is so accurate that tears are a more appropriate response than laughter.
From NY Times: After months of wincing in the face of negative ads funded by the industrialists David and Charles Koch, Democrats believe they have finally found a way to fight back: attacking the brothers’ sprawling business conglomerate as callous and indifferent to the lives of ordinary people while pursuing profit and power.
By drawing public attention to layoffs by subsidiaries of Koch Industries across the country — a chemical plant in North Carolina, an oil refinery in Alaska, a lumber operation in Arkansas — Democrats are seeking to make villains of the reclusive billionaires, whose political organizations have spent more than $30 million on ads so far to help Republicans win control of the Senate.
Portraying the Koch Brothers as villains is functionally equivalent to portraying The College of Cardinals as Catholics, or portraying bears as woods-shitters.
Cartoon:
26 Responses to “Open Thread–4/7/2014”
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3:16 All that sleep must have slowed the TomCat down in his pursuit of the macaw.
2:59 Love me those colours!
3:16 Critter wants a cracker, but it looks like he will not get it.
Last!! 🙁
This time you have been Bigfooted!
Daily Kos ~ My 2 cats are definitely Independents. Maybe it has to do with them having been feral kittens born outside my house. It took a while to get them used to being in the house but I really can't call them tame. So, as you can see, they were never a part of the priveleged class.
New Yorker ~ I am so sad.
NY Times ~ It's about time! Expose them to the American public for what they are. Don't forget to tell them to whom all their money goes!
Cartoon ~ I bet they wish the stamp was a "Wanted" poster instead.
love the "bureaucrats" comment…. I'd take a rat over a GOP any day of the week actually. They are much more sensitive and compassionate.
Cats have a sense of entitlement that the rest of us only wish for….
Rest up, TomCat – we need you to be your witty, energetic self!
Current cover for "The New Yorker" is a definite keeper. I especially like the tear trickling out of Boehner's right eye as he walks away:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/04/cover-story-barry-blitt-the-best-medicine.html
You can't be right because you're a leftie, so I'll simply say that you're correct . . . it is a keeper! I like the idea of the Turtle being fed his meds. He is such a caustic nut job! They are all, or should be declared so, a communicable disease that needs to be wiped out!
Also the huge grin on Obama. There's a word for that but I'm sure you all know it.
Depicted as the petulant children they are.
Loved it! Thanks for sharing.
Love it!
Time: 3:52 – I thought that would be easy, I was wrong.
My cats are not republican, and maybe this new puppy is to young to know. Though she is great at sleeping through the night, it's a matter of those last two hours of hyper puppy that makes the cats and I want hide under the sheets. My cats do have a routine, though puppy is not on that list. The puppy, well she is very much a baby, but at times hyper and hell bent to rip and tear through anything in reach. My leg at the moment….Ouch! Come to think of it, not the cats or the dog are paying the rent or buying food. Ummm, maybe I need to read Ayn Rand to them at night. Nah, that would have me tossing my cookies all night.
What makes Andy so darned good? He is a bright, preceptive well educated young man that has a remarkable ability to turn the ills of society something to laugh about, or as it's called satire.
Every now and then I hear about the Koch's from their best defender; none other than Joe Joe Scarborough, the MsNBC hours of banal Bull Turds echoing off into TV land. Jon Stewart keeps us abreast of the many stupid things said by Joe and his talking puppet the bleached blond embarrassment to her father, Mika Brzezinski daughter of Zbigniew Brzezinski. Recently praising the virtues of the Koch's by the magnanimous gifts to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Praise worthy indeed, but how many free concerts are given for the poor? Yep, zero. After seeming to toss this in the face of Schumer, Joe did not expect that Chuck would fire back with a long list of the direct interference with the functioning of the government by the Koch's. Though that is what happened. The Koch boys also use PBS as another tax write-off. I watched a science program supported by Koch, and found it interesting that the big bang, climatic change and the word evolution were not mentioned. Like father, like sons these two give a new meaning to pond scum.
Thanks TC –
Yss, and they call MSNBC the librul network.
I tell my own cat off whenever she seems to be becoming Thatcherite in her leanings (wanting to steal the dog's food – nicking the dog's beds when she has twice as many of her own) so I think at the moment she is mostly Independent, not Right Wing – the article was wonderful, thanks TC and JL A!
Ouch – I winced as I read Andy's piece – you're right TC – that was painfully true!
The Koch brothers are apparently sending out emails with the 'real' truth in them to all employees – that should make them happy(!). Mind you, the Right have found lying their ***es off over the years to be extremely effective – God send this won't be!
HEY!! One-upping the dawg in all tthings is a feline right!!
Commiserations for the amount of paperwork you have to do this week TC!
4:40 Is that the royal "we" or were your 4-legged housemates helping?
Kos – This is indeed a great article. But if Republicans could provide as much affection as cats (or, come to think of it, bring down our blood pressure instead of shooting it up), we might be more accepting of their, for want of a better word, quirks too.
New Yorker – "Va', pensiero, sull'ali dorate; Va, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli, ove olezzano tepide e molli l'aure dolci del suolo natal! … Oh mia Patria sì bella e perduta! O membranza sì cara e fatal! … T'ispiri il Signore un concento che ne infonda al patire virtù!" (Partial translation: My country, so beautiful and lost! Grant us strength to bear our suffering." There is a petition to impeach SCROTUS at http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1030.php
NY Times: There is a petition ouy yhere to wgbh to bounce David Koch at http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/remove-david-koch-from
Hope you can do your own taxes on line and paperless. The organization probably not so much, alas.
.A Royal brain fart
Puzzle — 2:59 Love me those colours!
Daily Kos — Great and thoroughly enjoyable article. I am proud to say that my 3 cats are definitely not Conservatives or Republicanus/Teabaggers. They have compassion for each other and me. They earn their food by taking care of me, and they don't believe in torture (well my Primo does torture my feet in bed!) and do not bring trophies into the house.
The New Yorker — Andy is so spot on, unfortunately! Here is a link to a petition on Credo which would send a note to SCROTUS. http://act.credoaction.com/sign/mccutcheon_robes?sp_ref=37015240.4.7347.f.26220.4&referring_akid=.2241138.pJp6U3&source=fb_share_sp
NY Times — Well if the pot isn't calling the kettle black!
If the Kochs were Democrats, Rubio would be on the attack against them. Isn't it amusing that what is good for the gander is not good for the goose, despite what Rmoney used to say.
Cartoon — Although he was born 13 years before Mahatma Gandhi, he appears to have shared a non violent approach towards goals as did Gandhi, which put him at odds with the more radical NAACP formed in 1909. From Wikipedia:
An interesting fellow!
Avril Lomas reminded me of something I was thinking about earlier: if 52% of Americans don't know who the Koch brothers are, then 52% of Americans are at best politically illiterate! All I can say to that is "Heaven help the US!"
Only id WE educate them.
Daily Kos: All my cats are Democrats, else they could not live here. I read the article and his cat surely is a Republican.
The New Yorker: Sadly, this is more truth than satire.
NY Times: Let us also not forget that the Koch Bros owned the company that caused the massive chemical spill in West Virginia that contaminated drinking water for half the state and is still causing problems.
Cartoon: Can't believe the Republicans didn't stop this stamp.
TC: you need to slow down and take some time to relax.
Thanks all!!
4:24 – Puzzle