I’m writing for tomorrow, day 65. It’s been another hectic day. Tomorrow will be far worse, because it’s time for my quarterly visit to the podiatrist to cut the growth from my foot. I will be gone most of the day, miss sleep, and have no time to research. As a result, I will probably have no articles for Saturday.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:32 (average 4:36). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube: Barf Bag Alert!
In short, the Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christian party line is that Republican criminals, who blame their crimes on their wives, should not be prosecuted.
From Daily Kos: Yet another study has been released that proves that watching Fox News is detrimental to your intelligence. World Public Opinion, a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, conducted a survey of American voters that shows that Fox News viewers are significantly more misinformed than consumers of news from other sources. What’s more, the study shows that greater exposure to Fox News increases misinformation.
So the more you watch, the less you know. Or to be precise, the more you think you know that is actually false.
The only surprise here is that this didn’t come from Andy Borowitz.
From KUT.org: The next Lieutenant Governor of Texas has announced the Senate will not restore funding to the Public Integrity Unit. The operation, based in the Travis County District Attorney’s office, had its funding vetoed by Governor Rick Perry in 2013. That came after District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg was arrested and spent time in jail for drunk driving.
Lieutenant Governor-elect Dan Patrick [goosed stepper delinked] announced his plan as part of a press conference laying out Senate priorities for 2015. He offered no reason for not funding the unit, saying only that the Senate budget would not include money for it.
We already knew Texas has no public integrity. Now the only investigative office in Texas that Republicans do not control, the one responsible for prosecuting violations in government, has no funding.
Cartoon:
I bet Congress defunds this too.
18 Responses to “Open Thread–1/9/2015”
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Re Pat Robertson, I have just come across this
http://wellthisiswhatithink.com/2013/08/29/right-wing-tv-evangelist-us-gays-wear-special-rings-to-cut-people-and-infect-them-with-hiv/#comment-63682
It has a list of what might be called 'Robertson's greatest hits' – oh my, the poor man has lost whatever wits he once had. It is no surprise whatsoever that Robertson manages to blame women for men's crimes.
Thanks for this reminder I think. I had managed to forget about it. But of course those who cannot remember the past, etc., and I doubt if anyone can take any more of that.
2:51 Pensive Pooch!
3:14 Ouch! I got bit!
2:48 The only thing that pooch is thinking about is how to catch that slow moving cat on the fence!
YouTube ~ I wish I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. Dementia???
Daily Kos ~ My suspicions are confirmed!
KUT.org ~ Every "Family Values" Rethug's dream come true.
Cartoon ~ John Birch Society started their official campaign against the UN in 1965. I was surprised it wasn't earlier. When I travelled for work in the 1970s, I had to go through NY state's KKK territory. JBS signs were all over the place calling for the USA to get out of the UN. It's because they fear any type of collectivism.
4:24 average up a whole second. "Greed hedge"? Typo? Or is the poor dog Republican?
YouTube – No surprise here. What shocked me was that he managed to convince his own DAUGHTERS to TESTIFY (well, OK, to depose, but I believe still under oath) that their mother was responsible for all of this and he was dragged along kicking and screaming. It gives a new meaning to putting all assets into one's wife's name. The sentence was not long enough, but at least there was a prsion sentence, for which I give thanks.
Daily Kos – I read the whole PDF and a little of the other PDF on methodology and I thought it was very fair. I caution you if you are dealing with any Republicans who can read, however, that they will manage to twist it. So strong is the human desire to believe what one wants to be true, that there is NO network whose doesn't have SOME viewers who are the most misinformad about SOMETHING. With MSN it's about the US Chamber of Ammerce and foreign funds. So there are things in the report to get thrown back in our faces. BECAUSE it was done fairly. It is still strong, very strong, but if you want to use it you'll want to be ready.
KUT.org – Oh yes, because in Texas public integrity is "political." My apologies to the wonderful Texans out there who are just as appalled as we are at what their state government has become, as well as to those also wonderful Texans who would be appalled if they had any energy and brain cells left over from working multiple slave labor jobs tryung to feed their families.
Cartoon – Oh yeah, they think we should have gotten out long ago – Amurrikkkan exceptionalism, don'tcha know.
Kudos on 65.
I think it was ruled political when Perry did it–so I believe the unit's funding may be restored in court (but a waste of funds making the Governor and the unit bear such legal costs to minimize how much corruption gets outed).
Some Biblical descriptions of being possessed by demons sound like apt descriptions of Robertson.
At least now DISH subscribers are protected from FOX…
Just came across this now, and it's an enjoyable Hoot.
If you, like many of us, have been wondering exactly WHAT color John Boehner is, well, "The New York Times" took a picture of him available this week, tightly cropped it and submitted it to … the Sherwin-Williams Color Visualizer analyzer!
Turns out he's either "Spicy Hue" or "Husky Orange".
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/01/09/?entry=mb-6&_r=0
Barf Bag Alert! 😆
I would have pgged Boehner's tan as "Drunken Stupour" 😀
Husky Orange… Nah, more like a wimpy orange.
Spicey Hue, Spice Peeyou.
Barf Bag:
Pat Robinson's age is soon to be 85. Why hasn't he gone into the "clouds"… Bob McDonnell and Pat have a biblical relationship. Nothing like throwing your wife and daughters under the bus. Bob only got two years for his crimes. Bob should have gotten 8. Bob's wife sentence comes up soon.
Daily Kos:
"This is not an isolated review of Fox's performance. It has been corroborated time and time again. The fact that Fox News is so blatantly dishonest, and the effects of that dishonesty have become ingrained in an electorate that has been been purposefully deceived, needs to be made known to every American. Our democracy cannot function if voters are making choices based on lies. We have the evidence that Fox is tilting the scales and we must now make certain that they do not get away with it."
Claim: The Fox News television channel has been banned in Canada.
Read more at: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/foxcanada.asp#sz1Zl5zttyCvHMO5.99
KUT.org:
Governor Rick Perry was indicted this summer on two felony counts of abuse of power in connection with the veto. That case is still in the pre-trial phase. The two counts, Indictments are described here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/itzy855iyk0tvzv/Perry%20indictment%20.pdf
Cartoon:
United Nations still plays an important part in global matters. While not always perfect, UN does help to make a difference. Yes, the GOP/TP people want to quit funding US share of keeping the UN open.
I was misinformed… 😆
Puzzle — 2:48 The only thing that pooch is thinking about is how to catch that slow moving cat on the fence!
YouTube — When is checkout time for this demented grumpy old phart?
Daily Kos — The study organiser could have saved money by just asking us about Faux Noise newsies!
Kut.org — "… He offered no reason for not funding the unit…" — He doesn't have to offer one because people should already know. The reason: so imbeciles like Perry etc won't be challenged and their cronyism and corruption can continue unabated. That's how the Republicanus/Teabaggers establish and maintain their various fiefdoms.
Cartoon — I wonder how long the US will continue to participate in the UN? Their "agenda 21", which has nothing to do with one world government, has people like Joni Ernst crying foul and railing against any world government lest it take over US sovereignty. I just cringe at the likes of Joni Ernst.
Take care of yourself first. Don't worry about the rest.
Barf Bag Alert, indeed. This is so ridiculous I cannot think of a sensible thing to say. This old man needs to retire and shut up.
Daily Kos: I all ready knew this, just from talking to people who only listen to Fox. They are deliberately misinformed, too. The FCC needs to prosecute Faux news. You are right, TC, this does sound like it should have been written by Andy.
KUT.Org: Coming from Texas, I am not surprised. Nor would I be surprised if it happened in several other red states. Most of them don't know the definition of integrity.
Cartoon: You are probably right, TC, they are against the United Nations, too.