I’m writing for tomorrow, day 4. I got a few hours last night and feel almost feline again. Tomorrow isa a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. My Broncos worship with the Raiders, but the service won’t be televised locally. Our CBS affiliate, KOIN, is serving up paid programming, because the damn Seachickens are on the other network. Grrr!!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:51 (average 5:30). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Fox News announced on Wednesday that it is terminating its coverage of the Ebola virus effective immediately, because, in the words of the host Sean Hannity, “Our work is done.”
Hannity commended the work of the Fox Ebola team, which provided non-stop coverage of the virus during the month of October, but added, “This story is officially over.”
Fox’s decision to bring its Ebola coverage to such an abrupt close raised eyebrows in media circles, but Hannity offered an explanation for the move after his broadcast concluded.
“There’s like, what, one case of Ebola in the United States?” the host said. “At most, two or three. The point is, the chances of any of our viewers catching Ebola are next to zero. We’re not in the business of scaring people for no reason. Let’s all move on.”
Andy’s reporting real news again. The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, successfully spread lies right up to the election to convince voters that the Obama administration had placed them at risk, completely contrary to the efficient, professional and effective way the Obama administration handled and is handling the problem.
From Upworthy: As a gay man who grew up in a Roman Catholic household, I know the push and pull of being a good Christian versus being exactly who God made you, especially if you’re part of the LGBTQ spectrum. But those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive, do they? This grandmother from Australian TV comedy "Please Like Me" doesn’t think so.
Just wait for the last line.
That’s the kind of courage we need to see much more on this side of the pond!
From Daily Kos (Hat-Tip Joanne Dixon): Democratic strategists have been segmenting the electorate and seeking individual self-interest-based issues in each electoral block. The strategists also keep suggesting a move to right. This has left no room for the Democrats to have an overriding authentic moral identity that Americans can recognize.
Those strategists form an infrastructure that all Democrats have come to depend on; not just the candidates, but also the elected officials, Democrats in government, and citizens who either do, or might, find progressive policies morally and practically right. The strategic infrastructure includes PR firms, pollsters, consultants, researchers, trainers, communication specialists, speechwriters, and their funders.
It is an important and powerful infrastructure and we all depend on it. I believe it is vital to separate this infrastructure from the strategies it has been using. I believe the strategies can be greatly improved so as to give a true, deep, and moral picture of what progressive politics is about — one whose content and authenticity will resonate with, and inspire, a majority of Americans.
Click through and read this article, please. It is important, because it makes suggestions on how the Democratic party should fix their fatally flawed campaign strategy. To be understood, it must be read in its entirety. When Joanne sent me the link to this article, her subject was, "This is exactly what you have been saying all along."
Cartoon:
19 Responses to “Open Thread–11/9/2014”
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Sorry TC – migraine – can't see well enough to understand anything just at the moment!
Feel better! Hugs!
Can you believe it! The timer didn't time me! So I did it, but I have no idea.Do you suppose my computer is a Republican? (It does say the average is up to 5:42.)
New Yorker – Andy had me as straight news until Hannity said, "We’re not in the business of scaring people for no reason." Now if he had said something like, "If we keep up with the story there's a serious danger that money will be thrown at it, and we can't have that" …
Upworthy – Yeah, no kidding. I'm sorry she had to out him to make the point. And of course I always cringe over the words "decided" and "lifestyle." But her heart is truly pure. And her actions. Expecially the last action.
Daily Kos – Read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest. Or at least bookmark. You know, Republicans are constantly appealing to (and then of course betraying) self-interest. I have always been on the left, but one thing that may have done more to crystallize that then anything else was something I read that Garrison Keillor wrote (in "Lake Wobegon Days?") Sorry I don't remember where or the exact wording, but he was talking about his upbringing and said that to be moral means that sometimes you must vote against your own interest in favor of those who have greater need. Pushing self-interest isn't working for us. Maybe we need to seize and hold the moral high ground.
Cartoon – The "God" in the implied "Thank God" is the one Aunt Peggy told what to do, right?
Thanks for the tip!
Great Open Thread Tom DaliyKos great article I even put the link on my care2 page. It would be great that more people would have more courage to stand up for what is right after all we are all human, but it would seem that the more we progress that more we let fear control our lives.
Good!
2:59 Now that is one prickly puzzle!
3;19 Yes it is and I got stuck!
Bigfooted!
2:57 ~ Mashed!
Lakoff says and explains it well: thanks Joanne.
Allies should never be silent, as Upworthy shows us time and time again–silence was key to Nazis taking power and facism elsewhere, too.
By the end of the year reporters will be asking what ebola and Benghazi are–so quickly they forget the invented myths they fell for.
I'm glad sleep became more normal yet wish we'd given more people sufficient reason to vote–something that infrastructure fails to deliver and thus defeats its purpose instead of fullfilling its mission.
When Hillary decides to run, they will resurrect Benghazi.
Glad you finally got some sleep.
The New Yorker: Andy's post sometimes seem frighteningly true, Apparently, sincethe election is done, Fox has given up its scare tactics on ebola. So has CNN, fox light.
Upworthy: We need more like her. I take a lot of flack for defending the LGBQT community here in the Bible belt. I plan to share the video on FB.
Daily Kos: This is exactly true. I am so sick of being demonized because I am a progressive Democrat, not willing to settle for the fear factor.
Cartoon: If Jesus were a Republican, and I have my doubts about that, this is probably what he would say. I am convinced Jesus was a liberal.
Republican Sujpply-Side Jesus is not the real Jesus. They are complete opposites.
I got a cartoon on FAcebook about why Obama is not a muslim. He listed all the things we "hate" about them and they lined up with the right wing agenda. At the end, it said if he really wanted to turn the USA into a Muslim state, he would become a Republican. So funny.
This is the 4th time doing this so it is getting shorter each time. I keep having plug ins crashing and taking my comments with them. ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!
Puzzle — 2:59 Now that is one prickly puzzle!
The New Yorker — Hannity said "We’re not in the business of scaring people for no reason." It would appear that Andy read Lakoff's article. The Republicanus/Teabaggers operate through fear. Rile up the sheeple with fear and nothing more matters. I agree. Andy is reporting again, not satirising.
Upworthy — Amen!
Daily Kos — Well, very informative despite the errors in the article (grammar, spelling etc). The differences in the meaning of one word . . . democracy . . . makes all the difference.
Cartoon — Edie, Jesus was a revolutionary, a socialist, a social misfit to the "society" of his days. He challenged the status quo and usually won!
Lynn, are they my plug-ins or your browser plug-ins?
If only the biggest fools had stayed home.
If the biggest fools had voted, the next biggest fools would not have won. 😉