I’m writing for tomorrow, day 169. I took the regular bus to my Cat Scan. Since I was actually there less than half an hour, the upside is that it took me 3 – 4 hours less than the Lift Bus would have. The downside is that I had to walk about 1.75 miles in places where there was no shade. I took water, but I’m quite worn out. Fortunately I did research before I left, so you get a full Open Thread.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:03 (average 4:59), To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: In its campaign across northern Syria and Iraq, the jihadist group Islamic State has been using ammunition from the United States and other countries that have been supporting the regional security forces fighting the group, according to new field data gathered by a private arms-tracking organization.
The data, part of a larger sample of captured arms and cartridges in Syria and Iraq, carries an implicit warning for policy makers and advocates of intervention.
It suggests that ammunition transferred into Syria and Iraq to help stabilize governments has instead passed from the governments to the jihadists, helping to fuel the Islamic State’s rise and persistent combat power. Rifle cartridges from the United States, the sample shows, have played a significant role.
I’ve heard many ask, of late, why we don’t just give weapons to the people fighting ISIL and let them deal with it. This is the reason.
From Think Progress: New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) argued on Sunday that President Obama has declared war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in order to help Democrats win the midterm elections in November and expressed concern that he would abandon the fight in the new year.
Is that a load of RS (fouler than BS) or what? Throughout his presidency, Obama has been more willing to use military force than most anticipated.
From Right Wing Watch:
Last month, a number of Americans joined anti-gay and anti-abortion-rights activists from around the world at a Kremlin-backed conference on “Large Families and the Future of Humanity” in Moscow. The conference was originally organized under the name of the Illinois-based World Congress of Families, but WCF “suspended” its planning of the event after Russia seized part of Ukraine…then the event went ahead as planned with only nominal changes. Two WCF officials, Don Feder and Larry Jacobs, attended the conference officially in their personal capacities, and Feder gave a speech on how the sexual revolution will make the human race extinct.
Despite doing it on the sneak, Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians are still offering fool support for Vladimir "GOP Pootie" Putin (R-RU) in his Republican campaign of hatred against gay people. This is also sedition.
Cartoon:
For a mere four bits…
I’ll sniff your nose and your toes…
I’ll sniff your eye and your thigh…
I’ll sniff your lip and your hip…
Where else can you get such a thorough Cat Scan for fifty cents?
17 Responses to “Open Thread–10/7/2014”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
NY Times – i agree that that is a very good reason not to arm the local opponents of ISIL – but there is also the embarrassing fact that history tells us that just about all our countries have happily given arms to allies in other countries – only for the allies to change their coat and their allegience and use those weapons against us.
ThinkProgress – typical of the Reich Wing.
Right Wing Watch – yes, you are right, such actions do support Putin.
That happens all too frequently. The term "Al Qaeda" can be translated as "the database". G.H.W. Bush, as CIA Director, helped organize it and funded it under the Reagan adminisatration to perform terrorist activities against the USSR, who were occupying Afghanistan. ISIL grew out of Al Qaeda, as a result of the GE Bush occupation of Iraq. We have the Republican party to thank for both.
4:49 average now 5:00 even. Looks inviting, especially since I overslept.
NY Times – This is true outside of war as well. The "good guy with a gun" never has the advantage of surprise, and is more likely to have his gun stolen in a confrontation than to be able to use it. And that's in the best possible situation, when he isn't mistaken for another bad guy and shot by a policeman or someone else just for carrying. There are plenty of statistics that show you are more likely to get hurt or die if you carry than if you don't. It's like a bloody parody of Gresham's Law. But it is of course not sane people we need to convince of that.
Think Progress – Of course she is not running; Jeanne Shahhen is running against Scott Brown (Carpetbagger-MA). New Hampshire is living proof that just having an all-female delegation (inclidong Governor) doesn't guarantee common sense.
Right Wing Watch – The human race is going to be extinct pretty soon, all right, but not because of "the sexual revolution." Larger families can only exacerbate climate change. These fools are rushing toward estinction in a luge.
Cartoon – Of course this is no time to tell the joke about the dog who suddenly passed away and was rushed to the vet, because the punch line ("$10 for the office visit and $300 for the Cat Scan") is telegraphed. But with the element of surprise it is still funny. TC, you don't say, but I gather aside from the transportation issues the procedure was not too painful? When can you expect to know results?
GOPerdom cancwels the positive effects of gender.
Not painful at all. I see my Pulmonologist at the end of the month and will get the results then.
3:21 I fell asleep in the hammock.
3:11 I felt like I was all tied up in knots, not relaxing at all. A hammock should be relaxing!
3:18 My foot got caught in the webbing.
O come on! I didn't want to win that one. I can't eat it!! 🙁
You can try but I don't recomend it! That will make you one very sick puddy tat . . . all that "string" messing up your innards! Ask my Winnie about that!
NY Times ~ The war mongers want President Obama to follow in St. Ronnie Ray-Gun's footsteps and arm the enemies.
Think Progress ~ Kelly has been hanging out with John Mc and Lindsey a bit too much.
Right Wing Watch ~ A melding of the Communist and Pseudo-Christian minds.
Cartoon ~ What a deal!
Russian Communism after the second revolution (1917), was really just right-wing tolalitarianism masqueradong as left wing socialism. But they were atheist. Putin is just another Republican.
That was a long way to walk in the heat. Glad you made it back ok.
NY Times: Seems to me that this has happened before after we have provided arms to the "right side". When it falls apart, the ones we didn't want to have them gets them. We need to quit being the policemen of the world. It is in the best interests of Turkey, and other countries in that area to put down ISIL instead of relying on the US to do it, and then deriding us for "invading"
Think Progress: Obama has certainly been mor willing to use military force than I anticipated. He has followed in Dubya's footsteps on this one, and I don't like it. Of course, anything he does can be turned by the Republicans to be an unfavorable act.
Right Wing Watch: I agree with you, it is sedition. No American should be siding with Putin on anything right now.
Cartoon: I much prefer the fifty cent version. I have ample opportunity for it, too. The stray cat I have been feeding gave birth to five kittens six weeks ago. I all ready had four cats, now I have ten. I am begging people to take a kitten. Anyone interested? I will hand deliver.
I had my water to drink, my walker to stop and sit, and my cell phone, in case I rean into trouble.
See my reply to Pat.
Puzzle — 3:11 I felt like I was all tied up in knots, not relaxing at all. A hammock should be relaxing!
NY Times — In war, armaments are going to fall into the hands of the enemy. That to me is common sense. All it takes is the enemy overrunning a position or a warehouse in a military base. So why add fuel to the fire by arming those fighting ISIL? I'm sure that Republicanus/Teabaggers are hoping that the US will arm fighters. Why? Profits for the military industrial complex. Why do you suppose that China and Russia are supplying armaments? Money!
Think Progress — What do you expect . . . Sen. Kelly Ayotte is a freaking Republicanus/Teabagger!
Right Wing Watch — From Feder's speech — "Many species have become extinct. Ours may be the first to finance its own extinction." — If the human race becomes extinct (which I doubt it will unless the whole planet disappears), it will be because of over population, food scarcity, and climate change. Not because of a sexual revolution and the use of contraceptives. What a bunch of hatemongering clowns!
Cartoon — I get multiple cat scans daily at no charge! Colour me happy!
Good point
Amen.
They lack the special TC technique.
They have their own delightful techniques which include scalp massages and face exfoliation prior to or after a cat scan! Can you top that?!
Yes! 🙂