Day 72. I’m writing for tomorrow and waiting for Safeway to deliver groceries sometime within the next four hours. I spent the morning collecting the data for June’s Monthly Report. Today my A/C gets it’s first major test, as the forecast is for 98° heat.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:07 (average 5:27). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: If you’re the type, like me, to get super excited about anyone boldly going where no one has gone before, get excited about this. Water astronauts! (OK, OK — aquanauts.) There’s so much earth to explore!
They have built an underwater habitat, they are live-streaming the whole thing, and they’re even getting dreamy actors to visit.
Given the way Republicans are blocking initiatives to combat climate change, living underwater may become a highly valuable skill.
From The New Yorker: Millions of Americans awoke on Monday to the shocking news that a gigantic corporation [Facebook] with unprecedented power over their lives had allegedly abused that power for commercial gain.
Across the United States, stunned consumers were shaking their heads in disbelief after learning that a gargantuan company whose explicit goal is to make as many billions of dollars as possible through any means available would put its own interests ahead of those of its customers.
“It never would have occurred to me that an enormous corporation with the ability to track over half a billion customers would ever exploit that advantage in any way,” said Harland Dorrinson, twenty-nine, a caterer from Albuquerque. “Like a lot of other people, I feel used.”
Andy, I really am surprised, and the Pope really is Hindu, and bears really never, ever shit in the woods.
From Daily Kos: You’d think it would be persuasive to some …
Can you imagine the Republican reaction, if women demanded an "open carry" law for their toys? It would certainly be less dangerous that the ones for guns.
Cartoon:
19 Responses to “Open Thread–7/2/2014”
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New Yorker – Andy didn't get me this time, as I had just read an article in the Guardian – they have apparently been experimenting on people without their consent – wake up people, what is next?!
Hope your AC does its job and keeps you cool and kitty fresh, TC!
I was one cool cat! 🙂
5:42 I read the description before I saw the picture and though that would really be something to see. And it would have. (Maybe Baba Yaga's house?) But alas, it was just a typo.
Up worthy – I'm not thrilled about living underwater either, which may be kind of odd, since I'm not claustrophobic and don't go out very much. Maybe it's the thought of all the other people in there, since I am an introvert. But I can see where it might be the future. And yes, of course, the idea would be putting us at the mercy of the monied corporations which build these things. (Perhaps I should add that dreamy is in the eye of the beholder, and there wasn't any in mine.)
The New Yorker – Using the name would have defeated the purpose, since it is not the corporation which is the target of the satire, but the sheeple. I think even using the picture may have been a mistake, This could be any corporation, or all corporations. Chevron, for instance, has a court order to read my emails if they want to, because I signed a petition a while back. Then there are government agencies. And we see these people on Care2 as well. "Why would you care that someone is reading your emails or listening to your cell phone when you don't have anything to hide?" Well, it's that little thing called the Fourth Amendment. Plus that little quote from Cardinal Richelieu that many people cite: "Give me six lines written by the most honest man on earth and I will find something in them to hang him." Those of us who lived during the McCarthy era, even just the tail end of it, have seen this in action.
Daily Kos – I'm so glad you posted this. Yes, it is priceless. I downloaded it too. Of course there is no law against open carry of sex toys (for people or ducks), it's only social pressure that keeps us from doing it. It did occur to me that, although I'm sure as many Republican women as Democratic women own them, there are some Republican men who might see them and not know what they are.
Cartoon – Yup, they did. Hence RICO. And they've learned to evade that too.
Beliebe it or not, Republicans in Alabama have made toys illegal. Texas had a similar law, but the Appeals Court struck it down.
3:54 My horse hit the bar and stumbled.
3:53 Dang hurdles!
2:57 Move over puddy tat! Coming through!!
Bigfooted!
Upworthy ~ You couldn't get me down there. You can watch Fabien Cousteau emerge from his underwater habitat this afternoon after spending 31 days down there. It is taking 16 hours to surface to prevent the bends. http://abcnews.go.com/US/fabien-cousteau-set-emerge-31-day-underwater-mission/story?id=24395897
New Yorker ~ They really are controlling the news feeds they give you though.
Daily Kos ~ Too funny!
Cartoon ~ They just passed a law in Congress that Nancy Pelosi is up in arms about. Disclosure of lobbyist funded trips no longer is required. Imagine that!
We all should be up in arms over that one.
Frankly, I thought Facebook had been running "experiments" from day one..isn't that what Corporations do? – figure out how to sell more of whatever they're hawking? I'm sure the results will not be lost on the NSA either. I don't see masses of data lying idle, the computer programmers KNOW how to cherry-pick what they want & when they want it.
I never trusted them, but once Goldman Sucks bought a big piece of them, I knew they had to be violating privacy and lying about it.
Well Winnie is home and doing well. He hates only eating little bits and waiting 2 hours til the next meal. But what he hates even more is not being able to eat kibble. The other 2 hate not having wet food. The other guy's grass is always greener, eh! Anyway, really good to have him home.
Puzzle — 2:57 Move over puddy tat! Coming through!!
Upworthy — Very cool, but I had that instant claustrophobic feeling . . . took all the joy out of it.
The New Yorker — "… Harland Dorrinson, twenty-nine, a caterer from Albuquerque. “Like a lot of other people, I feel used.”" I'd say more like stupid. But isn't it 1984?
Daily Kos — Quite funny, but I doubt that Republicanus/Teabaggers can understand the message. Isn't it Alabama that bans the sale of such items, and bans their possession? They'd really be offended and the connection would be lost.
Cartoon — Didn't they though!
Glad Winnie is better. 1984 came a few years late.
98 degrees should be illegal!
Upworthy: Anyone who lives on a coast should learn how to live under water!
The New Yorker: I can't believe Andy would be surprised by this.
Daily Kos: That was a hoot!
Cartoon: They learned how to evade it and have developed it into a highly polished skill!
I'm one cool cat with my A/C.
I hope you ladies are … well armed. 😉
5:20 – Puzzle
Facebook can kiss my a$$. I'm on the verge of getting rid of it anyways since they are a for profit Corporation.