I’m writing for tomorrow, day 75, and it occurred to me that, since most folks in the country get a holiday, I ought to as well, since it’s a slow news day, I’m tired, and preparing my holiday feast took three hours of cooking and prep, so this article is all I have. The rest of the weekend depends on the availability of content. Please be safe.
Late (early) update:
I just woke up. I slept through the fireworks.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:59 (average 6:11). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: Kinda like a really scary jigsaw puzzle … oh, and the Congress Critters in the districts that make up those shaded areas? Yeah, they don’t want folks to see this map. Hint, hint.
That high area in eastern Oregon is the sparsely populated Republican part of the state. Politically and culturally, it’s more like Idaho.
From The New Yorker: A new poll released Wednesday revealed that people rank President Barack Obama as the worst President since the Second World War, and also blame him for starting the Second World War.
While the respondents slammed the President for his handling of the economy, Iraq, and a host of other issues, his perceived role as the primary cause of the Second World War was the biggest drag on his numbers.
Even more troubling, when compared to the three leaders of the Axis powers during that war, President Obama polled at the bottom of the list, finishing far behind Emperor Hirohito of Japan.
LOL Andy. It may be accurate! If so, do I have to tell what TV channel those polled used to get their news? (the real poll was demographically skewed).
From NY Times: In a decision that drew an unusually fierce dissent from the three female justices, the Supreme Court sided Thursday with religiously affiliated nonprofit groups in a clash between religious freedom and women’s rights.
The decision temporarily exempts a Christian college from part of the regulations that provide contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
The court’s order was brief, provisional and unsigned, but it drew a furious reaction from the three female members, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. The order, Justice Sotomayor wrote, was at odds with the 5-to-4 decision on Monday in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, which involved for-profit corporations.
“Those who are bound by our decisions usually believe they can take us at our word,” Justice Sotomayor wrote. “Not so today.”
The court’s action, she added, even “undermines confidence in this institution.”
Monday’s decision and the order on Thursday were dual blows to the Obama administration’s efforts to provide contraception coverage, said Walter Dellinger, who was acting United States solicitor general in the Clinton administration.
This order, unsigned demonstrating their cowardice, directly contradicts part of the Hobby Lobby decision that the ruling applied only to closely held, for profit corporations. Wheaton College is neither. I promised you a slippery slope was ahead. The slide has started. For a better understanding, click through and read the entire article.
Cartoon:
25 Responses to “Open Thread–7/5/2014”
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4:48 Prickly, purply puzzle.
4:37 Ouch!
4:01 Wonderful colours, but those prickles . . . let the cat get stung!
Wooo Hooo! 🙂
5:57 – Puzzle -Beat the Average anyways. 🙄
Upworthy ~ My area on the map is about 24% for both men and women. It may be because so many people have left here in search of jobs and warmer climates.
New Yorker ~ Not too far from the truth. They are blaming him for what is happening in Iraq since our troops left even though the Bushies negotiated our withdrawal.
NY Times ~ Get the straight jackets out now! Those men are in dire need of them.
Cartoon ~ Labor needs no help according to the TeapublicanTs.
UPWORTHY: A surprise to see that the middle states like Nebraska as having the highest percentage of lowest paid workers (women) in USA.
NEW YORK TIMES: A bit of an understatement by Justice Sotomayor when she wrote The court’s action “undermines confidence in this institution (Supreme Court).” Maybe the court's name should be changed to some other name. Any suggestions…?
NEW YORKER: How could anyone with a modicum of "intelligence" blame Obama for WW II…? Obama was not even born until August 4, 1961 (age 52 years), Honolulu, HI. Yes, the real poll was "greatly" demographically skewed.
How about Supreme Court hypocrites?
Nebraska is is Bible Belt and Brownback is the Governor.
Small nit to pick:
Brownback is the governor of Kansas – Heineman is the governor of Nebraska.
You are correct, of course. I was a bit groggy last night.
6:48 Got to be careful with those prickles.
Upworthy – So the only super-low-wage MALE workers are the migrants in California's central valley. Mm-hmm. Yup.
New Yorker – You know, if Republicans really irrationally believe that black people have the ability to start events, ot only before they are in office, but even before they are born, itt is no wonder that are irrationally terrified. At least Reagan was BORN when WWII ended. This might be a good place to mention a "survey" I just filled out (on paper) for a group called "Catholic Vote" which wants to use the results of the survey to make repealing Obamacare the big issue in the midterms. Actually I kind of hope they do. It should be good for us as more and more people like having Obamacare. But there were a number of questions I had to select "other" and write in "you're lying." If you hear of "Catholic Vote" in your area I would think you'd want to oppose it. "Faithful America," on the other hand, is a good group.
NY Times – I mentioned, I think it was yesterday, that these policies that don't cover contraception would need to be subject to underwriting fees. I didn't go into detail. Because it's not just writing them, which can take months if not years, but the process of getting them approved by state regulatory boards, which is far from automatic and far from free, and can take years. I don't actually have friends in the health insurance industry, since my experience was all in Property and Casualty. But I do know what they must be going through. I never thought I would feel sorry for health insurers.
Cartoon – the technique must work; they are still doing it.
You be safe too, TC, and have a great Day 75.
Since you missed last night's fireworks (they're legal where I live, so I get a great view right out my front window – but BOY does the cat HATE THEM) – here's a YouTube video quite literally of a bird's-eye-view of them.
Yep – someone setup a drone with a GoPro camera flying through an amazing display of fireworks. Quite mesmerizing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9KZ3jgbbmI
Magnificent!
Every one deserves a day off occasionally, you need to rest some of the time.
Upworthy: A sad commentary on our nation. Manufacturing jobs are gone, the majority of jobs are in the service industry, which is mainly made up of women, and we all know women are never going to be paid the same as men in this country, at least not until we get rid of all the Repubs and Tea Partiers.
The New Yorker: Starting WW2 is about the only thing he hasn't been accused of, YET.
Cartoon: They seem to have mastered the technique for blocking appointees!
NY Times: I think we all knew that Hobby Lobby would not be the only beneficiary of this ruling. All this is, imo, is another stab at the ACA. And Obama, of course.
Puzzle — 4:01 Wonderful colours, but those prickles . . . let the cat get stung!
Upworthy — Interesting to note that the southern and some mid western states show more low wages for women (~28%) than in the northern states. But neither is good when compared to men. A living wage is definitely needed, as if we didn't already know.
The New Yorker — Andy is on it again! I posted a piece to Care2 "12 of the Most Inhumane American Presidents" http://www.care2.com/news/member/775377582/3785948 , which although not a poll as such, has rated various presidents. Nixon was the worst, followed by Reagan, and #11 was Baby Bush. (I would have placed him further up the list) Obama was not in the top 12 but was listed as somewhere in the middle with a mixed legacy. The best was Lincoln.
NY Times — "The college objected to coverage of intrauterine devices and so-called morning-after pills, saying they were akin to abortion. Many scientists disagree."
It seems that Ben Franklin has something to teach us . . . "The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason. " And of course, places like Wheaton College are based on faith. I'd lump Hobby Lobby in there too except that the underpinnings of that fiasco I believe are different. I don't think it is religious belief but a political belief dressed as freedom of religious belief. SCROUTUS strikes again and ends up shooting itself in the foot.
Cartoon — Yup, the Republicans tried to stop the passage of the National Labour Relations Act of 1935
I have lost any vestige of respect I may have had for the old Republican party. I have absolutely none for the Republicanus/Teabaggers, and never did.
That was my only comment to someone else's on Care2 this EARLY morning!
Have you seen this?
http://blogs.rollcall.com/five-by-five/pentagon-leader-no-plans-readied-to-invade-canada/
I have heard American citizens (I prefer to refer to them as nut cases) advocating for the invasion of Canada and making it part of the US. That was a few years ago now. Hey, maybe that is why Ted Cruz was born in Alberta . . . glad you have him now as he is definitely a nut case. But I cracked up laughing at this absurdity. What's more, why invade when, if you are patient, Harper will deliver the country to the US providing the US allows him to be emperor! That way, no money spent and no lives lost.
We don't? Dang! 🙁
😉
http://youtu.be/bOR38552MJA
Thanks Lynn, 🙄
Lovely New Yorker piece – thanks TC!
Re the NY Times piece – how on earth can a Supreme Court Order be legal if it is not signed – anyone could have composed it (yes, I know!) – but it really is extraordinary!
For Justice Sotomayor to say that it “undermines confidence in this institution” may possibly be her quiet way of acknowledging that the public's confidence in them – and international respect – vanished a few years ago – and the final nail in the coffin was Citizens United. This latest is merely the Repuglicans dancing on the grave of freedom and justice for all – and naturally lying in their teeth as they do so (we all said a few days ago that the Hobby Lobby ruling could never be just for one corporation and never for any others – and oh boy, were we right!).
Thanks all. The hour should make it obvious that another short catnap went awry! ARGH!
Hi T.C.
So Mr Obama is the worst president ever!. Anyone read the news,the Dow ,remember the Liars war which costs millions in ,dollars,and untold death and disablement to both Iraqi,s and OUR troops,
remember the Housing bubble and crooked banks?All under Georgie and his president Dick!.
anyone remember the deficit in 2008.? and as one who spent four years sleeping in an air raid shelter in the UK. from 1940 -44. I do not remember seeing Mr Obama at that time . I DO however remember listening to Sir Winston Churchill and being inspired. How about W.W.1. I was NOT around at that time so I cannot comment on the presence of Mr Obama at that time!
Seriously are Americans REA LLY that stupid.or just plain Racist??
Stay cool CT. the temperature is on the rise again.Keep the air on for your Kitty Cat.
I'm the only cat in the house. 🙂
Yeah, they don’t want folks to see this map. Hint, hint. Upworthy –
Thank you for taking action!
🙄