I’m writing for tomorrow, day 130. This morning I was tied up trying to fix a computer problem. In addition, I had no water for two hours, because maintenance had to do repairs in a neighboring unit. I got my research done, but it’s much later than normal.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:51 (average 4:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Religious Ecstasy:
Short Takes:
From NY Times: The four-hour tours offered by one of the big gun ranges here are a popular tourist attraction. Starting at $200 a person, a bus will pick up visitors at their hotel in Las Vegas, 25 miles to the north, show them Hoover Dam and bring them to a recreational shooting range called Last Stop, where they can fire the weapons of their dreams: automatic machine guns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers. A hamburger lunch is included; a helicopter tour of the nearby Grand Canyon is optional.
But on Monday, one family’s adventure went horribly wrong. A 9-year-old girl from New Jersey accidentally shot and killed her instructor with an Uzi submachine gun while he stood to her left side, trying to guide her. A video of the shooting, which her parents recorded on a cellphone, suggests that the girl, in pink shorts and with a braided ponytail, was unable to control the gun’s recoil; the instructor, Charles Vacca, 39, was rushed to a hospital in Las Vegas, where he died Monday night.
I remember being a nine year old at an NRA shooting range, but the weapon they gave me was a single shot .22 short rifle, not an Uzi submachine gun. I consider any instructor who would put such a weapon in a child’s hands a victim of his own Republican Ammosexuality, but he and the girl’s idiot parents have emotionally scarred the girl for life. She is the real victim here.
From Christian Science Monitor: The toughened economic sanctions the United States and the European Union imposed on Russia a month ago over its actions in Ukraine appear to have had little of the desired impact.
Instead of pulling back from the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia appears to be escalating its involvement. On Thursday, Western officials asserted that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers have crossed the border into southeastern Ukraine to bolster beleaguered pro-Russia separatists.
That action quickly raised questions concerning what more and what kind of action the West is likely to take in response. And the quick answer appears to be: not much.
Vladimir Putin (R-RU), aka GOP Pootie, because the Republican Party adopted him on account of his hatred toward and persecution of gay people, is ignoring the sanctions, because he recognizes that we have our hands full with ISIS and he sees the power vacuum in the US, where Congress has the responsibility to decide military action against ISIS, but the Republicans in the House would rather duck their responsibility, and complain that Obama has not taken action, while suing him over the hast time he took action, when they complained that he hadn’t taken action.
From CBS: They rejected him in 2008 and 2012, but Iowa Republican caucus-goers may finally be ready to embrace Mitt Romney as their presidential nominee.
According to a new USA Today/ Suffolk University poll, 35 percent of registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in Iowa would vote for Romney in the 2016 GOP caucus if given the opportunity to do so.
The pollsters initially gave the voters a list of a dozen potential 2016 Republican candidates, not including Romney. Asked to name their first choice, 13 percent said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (who won the 2008 GOP caucuses). Another 11 percent named New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, while 9 percent chose Texas Gov. Rick Perry and 7 percent chose former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
If the best they can come up with for 2016 is Little Lord Willard, infamous for Etching his Sketch, when reality does not suit them, Republicans are screwed in 2016. Vulture Capitalists make lousy candidates. Their greed sticks to them. Now we need to save the country by keeping them from increasing their power base before then.
Cartoon:
23 Responses to “Open Thread–8/29/2014”
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Recently a mother was arrested for letting her 9 y/o go to the local playground alone. And yet gun-loving parents can drag their 9 y/o out to the middle of the desert, put an automatic (NOT semi-automatic, but a fully automatic) Uzi in her hand and consider it "Good times". And after the tragic incident, have the NRA folks dismiss it as "Well, who would have ever thought …"
Then again, the gun manufacturing nuts have a much stronger lobby than that for playground equipment.
Sad … just abysmally sad all the way around.
More out of curiosity, I looked up "mother was arrested for letting her 9 y/o go to the local playground alone' via google and found that the mothers and their children were of color. Hmm, food for thought…
Food for Republican racism!
3:47 Pretty twin daisies!
4:15 For some reason, this puzzle is harder than it looks. Or at least I had more trouble with it than I thought I would.
3:32 I love bright colours!
Bigfooted!
My little twins are feeling poorly, especially my little girl Siily. I had to rush her to the Vet today after she had what appeared to be a petit mal seizure. I have to keep an eye on her for the next few days. He couldn't find anything wrong physically.
I hope and pray she's OK.
NY Times:
THE LAST WORD 08/28/14
Neighbor predicted gun range tragedy
Lance Krig who lives near the Arizona shooting range Bullets and Burgers predicted tragedy could happen there years ago. He joins Lawrence.
VIDEO: http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word
What till you see what Andy did with this!
4:17 Got interrupted and had to start over 2 hours later – maybe the initial exposure gave me a tiny head start.
NY Times – There is nothing to say about this. Nothing. "Darwin award" doesn't even come close.
Monitor – I am sorry for the Ukrainians, but did they ask for our military assistance? And if not, how is it ethical or moral to send military into their territory?
CBS – On that list, Willard IS the best they could come up with. But the voters being no more into reality than the pols, he would still pick up many votes.
Cartoon – I kind of like that tan suit and the silver tie – but I can also see why Inspector Goosestep is having a hissy. Light colors make people look darker LOL.
LMAO! If he wears a white suit, they'll impeach for sure!
NY Times – is this true? Has someone REALLY given a 9 year old child a sub machine gun to fire???!!! Are they all completely insane? (Sorry rhetorical question they simply must be). Joanne is right – Darwin Award.
Monitor – have just heard on the news that NATO has said it would accept Ukraine if they want to apply for membership. I simply cannot think what would stop Putin from advancing – certainly not the limp rhetoric of our politicians over here – perhaps being part of NATO might (I certainly hope so!).
Have just heard UK terror threat raised to 'severe' as a result of events in Iraq and Syria – it is the second highest level of alert. Scary.
GOP list – help what a group!
Pat, it really is true.
Yay for your Broncos, Tom. I would like President Obama in anything he wore.
Thanks and amen!
5:36 – Puzzle 🙄
Puzzle — 3:32 I love bright colours!
NY Times — I agree that the real victim is the 9 year old girl who will most likely be haunted by this accident for the rest of her life. The parents and the now deceased instructor should be held accountable for this is something that should never have happened in the first place. On our news today, the family of the instructor was interviewed and said that it was a terrible accident and they were writing to the child to say it was not her fault. I am surprised that the NRA has not had anything to say yet.
One thing that really annoys me is that Harper and his harlots "… said last month it was loosening restrictions on some firearms while introducing new safety measures for gun owners. " This move is partly attributable to the influence of the US's gun policy and the NRA. Back in 2012, Harper did away with the long gun registry started by the Liberals, and many of knew that was just the beginning. Harper is pandering to Canadian ammosexuals, many of whom live in Alberta, Harper's province. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/peter-mackay-poses-in-pro-gun-no-compromise-t-shirt-1.2748676
Christian Science Monitor — Pootie doesn't need spies when the Republicanus/Teabagger dominated US Congress is sending all the information he needs to make his imperialist decisions. It is time to take out the Congressional trash — VOTE BLUE and send all Republicanus/Teabaggers into the unemployment lines!
CBS — Obviously, the Republicanus/Teabaggers in Iowa don't know much about running a business. Running a country, ANY country, is not like running a business. Rmoney is too profit driven, greed driven, to make a POTUS. If Rmoney makes it to the White House, I'll leave the light on!
Cartoon — Aha! Inspector "Numbnutz" Goosestep, I just kicked you in the family jewels with my tan coloured shoes. Wanna talk about my suit now?
Why am I not surprised? I cant wazit to hear what Harper is doing about today's lead article.
NY Times: I feel so sorry for that little girl. She will spend the rest ofher life suffering because her parents were such idiots.
CSM: No matter what course the President takes, the REpublicans will decry it as hopeless. I still remember Dubya saying he had looked at Putin's heart. Does he really have one?
CBS: I hope they are right and Willard runs again. He is a paper tiger.
Cartoon: Isnt it sad how simplistic the racist Republicans are? No matter what he does, the decry it.
Amen Edie!
Thanks all. I overslept again! 🙁