I’m writing for tomorrow, day 104. I’ve been busy all day, between chores and colleting the data for our Monthly Report. LOL! Here at PP, Labor Day is a day to labor!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:54 (average 4:55). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: I saw a white man with a gun.
I heard a policeman saying, "Place the weapon down on the ground, please. … are crossing the street illegally … I need you to put the gun down before I talk to you. … You have committed a crime … you are jaywalking. … I don’t want to shoot you, I’m not here to do that. … Why are you so angry. … Why are you cursing at me?"
Watching the whole incident all I could think of were those dead (unarmed) black men and boys who never had the opportunity to be "talked down," called "sir," and were murdered by police.
These police handled the incident exactly the way police should, but I can’t help thinking that, if that were a black man, instead of a Republican Ammosexual, he would now be doing an imitation of Swiss cheese.
From Upworthy: Here’s a little story about how somebody (whose name you might recognize) got together with a bunch of other somebodies and changed the world. And his mission isn’t over yet. This is such a low-bar kinda thing to do, but it honors such a great person and legacy. I’m signing — will you?
Frankly, I think this is a great idea for a great man.
From NY Times: So, what do you think about those Medicare numbers? What, you haven’t heard about them? Well, they haven’t been front-page news. But something remarkable has been happening on the health-spending front, and it should (but probably won’t) transform a lot of our political debate.
The story so far: We’ve all seen projections of giant federal deficits over the next few decades, and there’s a whole industry devoted to issuing dire warnings about the budget and demanding cuts in Socialsecuritymedicareandmedicaid. Policy wonks have long known, however, that there’s no such program, and that health care, rather than retirement, was driving those scary projections. Why? Because, historically, health spending has grown much faster than G.D.P., and it was assumed that this trend would continue.
But a funny thing has happened: Health spending has slowed sharply, and it’s already well below projections made just a few years ago. The falloff has been especially pronounced in Medicare, which is spending $1,000 less per beneficiary than the Congressional Budget Office projected just four years ago.
Click through for the rest of this excellent Paul Krugman editorial. Contrary to Republican lies, there is no Medicare crisis. The entire healthcare system will become better and more efficient, if the ACA evolves into Medicare for All!
Cartoon:
I stole this from last year.
15 Responses to “Open Thread–9/2/2014”
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3:17 I spent too much time admiring the pretty flowers.
3:23 I wilted and went to seed.
3:15 Hello to all my seedy friends. There must be catnip in amongst the flowers to get puddy tat moving that fast.
TC:Catnip::Republicans:Koch
5:52 I really wanted to clip all the dead heads.
Daily Kos – I am, I think, at least as aware of racism and white privilege as the next white person; and this is certainly a horrible example which makes me furious. But I also feel police brutality endangers everyone, and I wonder why stories like this one are being ignored: http://www.care2.com/news/member/827551733/3798635 Isn't his also, if you'll pardon the metaphor, ammunition in the fight to end police brutality?
Upworthy – Signed, thanks.
NY Times – I bookmarked this. But the doom and gloom is not confined to health care. It is brought up regarding the Postal Service also. In fact, every kind of spending on anything Government is actually supposed to do. How do they manage to be wrong alll the time?
Cartoon – It's just as true now as it was last year, or in 1969 for that matter.
"… I don’t want to shoot you, I’m not here to do that. …"
There is the problem with the police. He is threatening to shoot someone over an incident started with jaywalking.
Daily Kos ~ I believe a black man would have been Swiss cheese also and he would not have been called "sir". In Utica, the closest city to me, they just purchased lapel cams for the PD. They are among the approximately 700 US cities t have them now. There is a large black and immigrant population there. I think it was a wise investment for the city. They have had their share of "problems" but nothing like the bigotry I have seen on the news. I grew up and went to school in that city and we all got along with each other.
Upworthy ~ A great man! I signed. It's a funny thing that if you bring up his name to a TeapublicanT, all they can think of is Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela.
NY Times ~ My, my! Do you mean to tell me that the TeapublicanTs lied? Horrors!
Cartooon ~ I still like the reruns.
I thought I would make it easy for anyone who wants to sign the petition. It took me a while to get to it.
https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/ask-president-obama-to-create-a-national-day-of-service-on-cesar-chavez-s-birthday
Thanks for the link, Patty. Had a hard time finding it but did find this one from the video. Not quite the same but it is worthwhile to sign it just the same. The video above is simple and straightforward.
http://www.takepart.com/chavez
Thanks for the link Patty – signed!
Cartoon:
I watched Star Trek as a kid growing up and enjoyed it. Was disappointed when it did not continue into season four. These days, I have been watching the entire series, seasons 2 – 3 on remastered DVDs. The remastered series are so much more enjoyable than when I first saw them as a kid. The images are crispy clear, colors are vividly awesome and has CC with them. I have already seen season 2 & 3 and am on a waiting list for season 1 from the library. A very popular series from the library as there are many sci-fi Trekie fans out there in my county. lol.
Daily Kos: I think you are right, if he had been black, he would have been swiss cheese.
UPworthy: Chavez deserves his day, we needmore like him in this country. Signing the petition.
NY Times: You know I shared this on Facebook, so all my red friends could see what wonderful predictors of doom that Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, etc. are.
Cartoon: We were so disappointed when Star Trek was cancelled. I wonder if the masters at NBC have kicked themselves enough over this?
Puzzle — 3:15 Hello to all my seedy friends. There must be catnip in amongst the flowers to get puddy tat moving that fast.
Daily Kos — I agree with the final few lines of the post.
Canada is not without racism. However, how can two countries living side by side, coming from the same European stock in the 16th century be so different when it comes to race relations?
Upworthy — "Chavez died on April 23, 1993, of unspecified natural causes …" (Wikipedia) at the age of 66 years. I can't help but think that those unspecified natural cases were a result of doing farm work in conditions that are not safe . . . heat, pesticides, hard work. Thank you César Chávez for all you did.
NY Times — Almost anything is possible if there is the political will to do it for the benefit of the people.
With the Congress dominated by the Republicanus/Teabaggers, the political will to do something positive is lower than a snakes belly.
Cartoon — Illogical indeed! NBC should not have cancelled Star Trek. But, the electorate should cancel the Republicanus/Teabaggers. The GOP ratings are in the toilet, much lower than Star Trek's ever were!
Thanks all. Very Busy day. Way pooped!
Sadly I have to concur with everyone – had that obstreperous rifle-carrying old man been black he would now be no more – I did wonder if that is what he wanted to happen, but maybe not.
Thanks for the petition link Patty – signed – what a good, peaceful, determined, effective and principled man Cesar Chavez was!