I’m writing for tomorrow, day 106. It’s been a busy day. I cleaned up a three day mess. It was huge, I got a haircut. It was hot, but the barber shop is only three blocks away, I had a big bowl of Gehenna chili. You know, when someone in the surrounding area lights a match, the fireball can be quite dramatic. And, of course, I researched.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:10 (average 4:46). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: I’ll keep the commentary low, because the event speaks for itself. So much for the religious tradition the Republican party prides itself on and uses as the basis to deny so many rights. A recent bill introduced in the house suggests a resolution honoring the Pope "for his inspirational statements and actions" as well as his goals to ameliorate inequality and promote solidarity.
What do the Republicans think about this? According to reports from The Hill, it looks like they aren’t too happy.
Only 19 of the 221 co-sponsors are Republicans. The dearth of GOP members on the measure could be attributable to assertions that the pope is “too liberal,” according to a Republican backer of the legislation.
The source noted that Francis last year denounced “trickle-down economics.”
Some Republicans believe the pope is “sounding like [President] Obama. [The pope] talks about equality — he actually used the term ‘trickle-down economics,’ which is politically charged,” the GOP official said.
There is a simple enough explanation for why the Pope sounds so like Obama to Republicans that they object. Pope Francis and Obama are both Christians. Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians are NOT Christians.
From NY Times: The nation’s largest environmental group is earning money from an oil well on land it controls in Texas, despite pledging a decade ago not to permit new oil and gas drilling on land supposedly set aside for conservation.
That revelation is contained in a forthcoming book about climate change by the writer and activist Naomi Klein, and the essential facts of the case were confirmed last week by the Nature Conservancy, the environmental group in question.
The Nature Conservancy — which says it helps protect about 20 million acres in the United States — argues that it has had no choice in the case of the well. Under the terms of a lease it signed years ago with an oil and gas company and later came to regret, the group says it had to permit the drilling of the well in 2007.
But the lease contains termination clauses, and Ms. Klein argues in the book that the Nature Conservancy could most likely have stopped the 2007 drilling. The group has earned millions of dollars over the years from gas and oil production on the property, though the 2007 well was not especially lucrative.
Unless there is more about this issue that I do not know, I would suggest that there are better environmental groups to support than they are.
From TPM: An Evanston, Ill. man fatally shot himself Sunday night while showing off a shotgun he thought wasn’t loaded to a group of friends, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Police were called to an Evanston home for an accidental shooting. They found Eric Zyzanski on the floor with a shotgun wound to the head, lying next to the shotgun.
He was taken to the hospital and died about two hours later, according to police.
According to witnesses, Zyzanski was in his apartment with friends, where he took out a shotgun and "began showing it off."
His friends told him to put the gun away, so he proceeded to take two or three rounds out of the gun, according to police. He then pointed the gun at his cheek, said the gun was empty and pulled the trigger, witnesses said.
Bye Bye Gunny Boo Boo!! Any needless loss of life is tragic and regrettable, but at least that Republican Ammosexual won’t be voting in November.
Cartoon:
18 Responses to “Open Thread–8/5/2014”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
What in the world is "Gehenna chili"?
(I know Gehenna from the Bible is an area for the wicked outside of Jerusalem – but I didn't know they were famous for their chili.)
Nameless, he probably means it is really wicked chili! The other night after he had chili, we had a green haze and clouds that moved in from the south. All fireworks have now been banned for the public safety!
Gehenna is also ther Biblical lake of fire. 😈
5:37 (average up to 5:17) Is that cat a Republican? I don't think I'd want him (or more probably her) kitten-sitting for me.
Daily Kos – The comparison is a compliment both to the President and to the Pope. Neither is perfect but, as you say, TC, both are actually Christians. As such they are certainly refreshing. 221 co-sponsors is nore than half of 435, so it's up to Boehner and the Committee (House Foreign Affairs) to kill it. As Molly K Hooper says for The Hill, Boehner is not sending up a white smoke signal any time soon.
NY Yimes – Well, it sounded like a good idea when they started it. But apparently ownership corrupts like power. Are they supposed to be the biggest in membership, or in money? I would bet the latter. I haven't heard much from them lately, whereas real working groups are out there in polluters' faces.
TPM – Not very imaginative, but it does sound like he may have done this before spawning, so he might still qualify for a minor Darwin Award. Appropriately or not, this incident will likely give new legs to a bunch of old tired Polish jokes, which is too bad. Especially considering Frederic Chopin, Maria Sklodowska, Ignace Paderewski, and George Gamov.
Just wondering – If you took the average 1%er, or the average large corporation, would 3% on all income, wherever earned, no deductions, no breaks, no credits, end up being more or less than they pay currently? For some I can answer that – GE paid no tax last lear ans in fact received a "refund."
I don't have the numbers, but I know an awful lot of big corporations fall under 0% (we pay them), let alone 3%.
5:10 I think I'm cross-eyed for life after that puzzle.
3:42 That cat means business.
3:38 You'd be grumpy too if you had to wear all this fur in this heat!
The cat is grumpy because it was Bigfooted!!
Gehenna Chili indeed! Must be hellishly hot!
Daily Kos ~ If they voted to honor him it would mean they would actually have to change their ways. God forbid!
NY Times ~ I have heard about this in the past and stopped supporting them many years ago. There are others out there just as underhanded. Be careful and do your research.
TPM ~ Another Boob showing off. Oh well.
Cartoon Grover Norquist hates him and won't endorse him in an election.
On the bright side, today is the anniversary of Pres. Nixon's resignation.
Aha! Patty knew what Gehenna is!! My neighbors are afraid to venture into the hallways!
Just listened to a Scientist re. holes in the perma frost and the destruction of the Amazon rain forest and ensuing implications world wide. BE AFRAID. be VERY AFRAID.Is anyone in Washingon listening??ANYONE??.
Sadly, too few are.
Daily Kos: Your point that Pres. Obama and the Pope are really Christians, and not pseudo or supply side Christians says it all. I sincerely hope that if I ever get to heaven, God will be a black man. I would love to see how so many racists who call themselves Christians will react, that is, if they ever make it there.
NY Times: The Nature Conservancy is being dropped from my e mail list tonight. Hypocrites!
TPM; The man was obviously an idiot. No one in their right mind would point a gun at his own head. Sad.
Cartoon: This is true. Lincoln was a democrat, although the party was called Republican in those days. The Republican party today is so far from Lincoln and Eisenhour that it should have a different name.
If you do, God may be pissedat you for thinking she is man. 😉
Oh, shame on me for falling into that trap!
Puzzle — 3:38 You'd be grumpy too if you had to wear all this fur in this heat!
Daily Kos — "Pope Francis and Obama are both Christians. Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians are NOT Christians."
That would be it! Also, I suspect that they don't trust someone who wears white after Labour Day!
NY Times — This sounds like a "do as I say, not as I do" time. I hear there is a Koch brothers conservancy foundation too. They're trying to conserve oil and gas production so they can make more money.
TPM — There's a song . . . "I didn't know the gun was loaded!" which I'll bet this guy has been singing ever since. Nit-wit!!!
Cartoon — I knew we were slow, but wowzer, you Yanks started paying income tax 56 years before Canada started. Wouldn't you know, war necessitated the paying of income taxes. Maybe someone should clue in the Republicanus/Teabaggers to stop all their wars.
"The Parliament of Canada entered the field with the passage of the Business Profits War Tax Act, 1916 (essentially a corporation tax), which was replaced in 1917 by the Income War Tax Act, 1917 (covering personal and corporate income). Similar taxes were imposed by the provinces in the following years."
Conscription at the beginning of WWI and income tax near the end . . . brought out the rabble rousers of the day.
We repealed that one aftewr a few uears. It cans an went a vouple times, before it stuck.