Day 69, an especially problematic number. I’m writing for tomorrow and am feeling tired, but well enough to blog. The Republicosis is under control, and now I need to catch up on sleep missed because of it.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:32 (average 4:47). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: In their fervor to ensure that the least amongst their citizens keep getting kicked in the teeth, the Republicans of Virginia have stooped to breaking and entering an executive office in order to block Medicaid expansion.
There is a time limit between delivery of documents and the Governor’s need to authorize them. So the Republican House Speaker William J. Howell authorized security to illegally enter the Governor’s office during a holiday break to ensure the clock started ticking before the Governor even knew the bill was delivered.
Is there anything the Republicans won’t do to harm the 47%?
No, there isn’t.
From The New Yorker: After announcing, on Thursday, that it would seek $500 million to help “train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the moderate Syrian armed opposition,” the White House today posted the following Moderate Syrian Rebel Application Form:
Welcome to the United States’ Moderate Syrian Rebel Vetting Process. To see if you qualify for $500 million in American weapons, please choose an answer to the following questions:
As a Syrian rebel, I think the word or phrase that best describes me is:
A) Moderate
B) Very moderate
C) Crazy moderate
D) Other
I became a Syrian rebel because I believe in:
A) Truth
B) Justice
C) The American Way
D) Creating an Islamic caliphate
If I were given a highly lethal automatic weapon by the United States, I would:
A) Only kill exactly the people that the United States wanted me to kill
B) Try to kill the right people, with the caveat that I have never used an automatic weapon before
C) Kill people only after submitting them to a rigorous vetting process
D) Immediately let the weapon fall into the wrong hands
LOL Andy! Click through. There are three more questions. Moderate Syrian rebels are like moderate Republicans in Congress. There’s a rumor that one exists.
From Crooks and Liars: Sources have confirmed that attorney Mark Mayfield has died of an apparent suicide.
Mayfield, vice chairman of the Mississippi Tea Party, and is one of the three men charged with conspiring with Clayton Kelly to photograph U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran’s bedridden wife in her nursing home and create a political video against Cochran.
Mark Mayfield of Ridgeland, an attorney and state and local tea party leader, was arrested last month along with Richard Sager, a Laurel elementary school P.E. teacher and high school soccer coach. Police said they also charged John Beachman Mary of Hattiesburg, but he was not taken into custody because of "extensive medical conditions." All face felony conspiracy charges.
It seldom happens but fore once a Republican murdered a guilty person with his gun, instead of an innocent one.
Cartoon:
17 Responses to “Open Thread–6/29/2014”
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2:39 I went bananas!
3:22 I slipped on the peel that you dropped.
3:16 I slipped on a peel but one that my Winnie dropped. Dr Winnie needed some doctoring so I have been very distracted today. He has been throwing up so he had surgery to remove an obstruction which turned out to be a plastic ribbon tie from a recycling bag and a humungeous hairball. He probably won't be home til Tuesday. Annie is looking for her big brother since they snuggle together all the time. Sorry TC but Dr Winnie won't be able to come down and look after you for sometime so be healthy.
Mashed!
Daily Kos ~ They are poor excuses for human beings.
New Yorker ~ The right to bear arms.
Crooks & Liars ~ He finally realized that he was insane from all the InsaniTea he drank.
Cartoon ~ Librul Ike. I like Ike!
Thanks TC – I am so tired I almost fell for Andy's piece – oh dear!
5:22 Not that bad when my mouse was thinking it had a bushy tail (i.e. squirrelly).
Daily Kos – Yes, indeed, shades of Watergate.
Thr New Yorker – Question 3 is missing the "All of the above" option. The article definitely proves, though, that even pretty obvious satire can be absolutely terrifying. Pat A, get some rest. Lona on Care2 hands out catnaps freely, I'm sure she'd send you some.
Crooks and Liars – Excuse me, isn't this the team that wanted to be sure Cochran was, in the primary, legitimately elected "by Republicans"? (As opposed to McDaniel winning through legitimate conspiracy?) Actually I am glad all these things are happening in open primaries; I hope it will scare people into voting down the open primary referendum which is on our November ballot. It isn't even for a civilized open primary like Mississippi and Virginia (and imaging being able to use "Mississippi" and "civilized" in the same sentence – what is the world coming to?), it is for a jungle primary like Louisiana. You do not want to hear what I think about the people who came up with this.
Cartoon – Would that we could have Ike back. Coming from a home that voted twice for Stevenson, I never expected to say that in my lifetime. What is the world coming to indeed.
Tomorrow is SCOTUS D-Day. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Hobby Lobby LOSES. Or if they do prevail, they'll decide it as narrowly as they can – i.e., limited to Closely Held Corporations (usually those are run by a family – as both Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Woods are).
If they do that, I still call BULL$HIT! You shouldn't get to cherry-pick all the advantages of incorporating so as to insulate yourself from liability while ALSO demanding all the advantages of "personhood" so you can cram your own religious beliefs down your employees throats.
I may actually be more concerned with Harris v Quinn. This could be the death-knell of public unions as we know it. And I don't think Justice A$$hole Alto has written an opinion this session – so I suspect this one will be his
I hope you are right and Hobby Lobby loses. If they win there will be a barrage of suits filed by other companies who want to save a buck or two on health care.
I am also more worried about Harris v Quinn,
OK, this is off topic, and I apologize for boring anyone. I follow the Great Performances from the Met series and they have been known to do some bad timing, such as scheduling "Faust" on Mothers' Day (the heroine goes insane and kills her baby) and "Aida" on Father's Day (Aida's father manipulates her into something that gets both her and her lover killed). But today, for once, they got it exactly right. If instead of broadcasting the opera they had put up a screen for 3-1/2 hours just saying "DON'T GO TO IRAQ" it couldn't have been clearer – though it would have been much less entertaining, of course. "My army lies dead and I am to blame" – said Dick Cheney NEVER – but Igor says it and similar things (which Cheney also never would have said, true though they would be) throughout. His principality is in deep trouble due to his absence – the only thing his aggression accomplishes is leaving home unguarded so the enemy come in and raze it. He ends up starting the recovery by moving building materials into place with his own hands – at least he has taken that much responsibility.
For me, my world is silent – but I remember when I had hearing (and sang in a semi-professional choir) – so I thought for those who enjoy music, a couple of links MIGHT be enticing. (Of course given my hearing deficit, I might be WAY off on what you were referring to – but at least it's NOT "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall …" – not that it's not a GREAT ditty for long road trips …)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/gp-at-the-met-prince-igor/about-the-opera/2173/
http://www.thirteen.org/13pressroom/press-release/great-performances-at-the-met-prince-igor-2/
I hope you get caught up on your sleep, sleep deprivation is a dangerous thing.
Daily Kos: I hope there is some way to prosecute the thugs who did this. Disgusting.
The New yorker: Andy does it again. Loved your comparison of Syrian rebels to moderate Repubs.
Crooks and Liars: I wonder if it was guilt or fear that caused him to commit suicide? Most likely, fear, he was a member of the TEa Party and they have no guilt.
Cartoon: Yes, in todays world, Ike would be a liberal. Those were the days when you could vote for the person instead of the party, wish those days would come back.
Puzzle — 3:16 I slipped on a peel but one that my Winnie dropped. Dr Winnie needed some doctoring so I have been very distracted today. He has been throwing up so he had surgery to remove an obstruction which turned out to be a plastic ribbon tie from a recycling bag and a humungeous hairball. He probably won't be home til Tuesday. Annie is looking for her big brother since they snuggle together all the time. Sorry TC but Dr Winnie won't be able to come down and look after you for sometime so be healthy.
Daily Kos — "…Republican House Speaker William J. Howell authorized security to illegally enter the Governor's office …" — Sounds like they learned lots from Tricky Dickie! Is this Virginiagate? The lying, cheating bastards . . . by hook or by crook, but never by legal means.
The New Yorker — I cracked up when I first read this a few days ago. I thought this could be adapted for becoming a member of Congress (the Republicanus/Teabaggers could never get vetted!) or for gun ownership in the US.
Crooks and Liars — State Sen. Chris McDaniel, a Teabagger for sure, said "…Politics is about the exchange of ideas and this type of action has no place in politics whatsoever and will not be tolerated.”
Obviously, Mark Mayfield could not look himself in the mirror anymore after this fiasco exploding in his face.
Since this type of "dirty tricks" is employed by Republicanus/Teabbagers so often. it is hard to take McDaniel seriously. Mississippians are screwed with these low lifes running loose.
Cartoon — I was doing some reading about Ike a few days ago, and Republicanus/Teabaggers today would roast his butt on an open fire, had they a chance. He was positively forward thinking, almost a liberal. This from Wikipedia:
Further, Eisenhower seemed to be ahead of his time when it came to civil rights.
Also, seems that Eisenhower had problems with the right wing of the party trying to take over. Déjà vu?
Thanks all Overslept. Rushing.
On the edge of Law Violation, they will do anything… 🙄
4:10 – Puzzle