Would you believe me if I told you that I’m still completely swamped with tasks?
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:06 (average 5:00). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: Have you ever heard of the West Virginia mine wars?
Maybe they were mentioned in your high school history class, or maybe they were skimmed over, or even left out entirely for one reason or another. Too often, these stories are deemed not "important" enough to warrant the time and attention they deserve.
But the West Virginia mine wars are critical to understanding the history of the labor movement in the U.S. — and soon a new museum will be open to tell the story.
The Battle of Blair Mountain, for example, was — and still is — the most violent labor confrontation in history, in which union-supporting coal miners fought against local government and a coal company-funded militia, eventually involving the U.S. Army.
Click through for the history of what happened. If Republicans gain complete control, it will happen again.
From Boston Globe: …A live video stream of the Garland event on the organizer’s website recorded the moment when the crowd was interrupted by a private security guard in military fatigues, who bounded onto the stage to announce that there had been a shooting outside. “Were the suspects Muslim?” a man shouted.
“I have no idea right now,” said the man in fatigues.
Geert Wilders, an anti-Islam leader in the Netherlands for the Party for Freedom, attended the event and delivered a speech. After the attack, he wrote “never surrender to terrorism!” in a Twitter post, and he posted a picture of himself with what he said were SWAT forces taken before the gunmen opened fire.
Pamela Geller, an organizer of the event who runs a website that attacks Islam, said the group decided to hold the event in the Curtis Culwell Center because members had heard that a Muslim group had a conference in the same room after the attack on the Charlie Hebdo office.
Geller described Sunday’s event as pro-free speech, and said that Muslims had become a “special class” that Americans were no longer allowed to offend.
“The media is self-enforcing a Shariah,” she said, referring to Islamic law. “Under the Shariah you cannot criticize or offend Islam.”
Don’t you know that a hateful gathering of Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians performing offensive insulting acts will draw equally hateful Replican Supply-side pseudo-Muslims? Authentic Christians and Authentic Muslims coexist together in peace.
From NY Times: G.O.P. Hopefuls Now Aiming to Woo the Middle Class
RepubliSpeak Dictionary
Woo: lie to, hoodwink, deceive, bury in BS
Cartoon:
26 Responses to “Open Thread–5/4/2015”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
3:12 Fly little butterfly! Fly into the loving hands of Lynn or Jerry before the puddy tat eats you.
3:03 Just in the nick of time . . . butterfly 1, Puddy Tat 0!
Starving the poor hungry kitten again!!
4:06 average still 5:00. The notorious BWG, hmmm?
A couple of time-sensitive things to sign if you want: 1) Bread for the World is sending a Mothers' Day card to Sen, Chuck Grassley in support of the Smarter Sentencing Act specifically in order to help mothers. https://secure3.convio.net/bread/site/SPageNavigator/mothers_day_petition_2015 Also 2) Comments close Friday May 8 to close a loophole which allows coal companies to sell to themselves to evade (i.e., steal from us) paying royalties. https://secure3.convio.net/lcv/site/Advocacy
Upworthy – I'm sure those in West Virginia were the worst. But we had some that were pretty bad in and around Walsenburg, CO, too. We did have support from Mary Harris (Mother) Jones. I am not old enough to have been an eyewitness. I was not taught about them in school (not that I went to school in Colorado, but I understand from those who did that they weren't either). It was terrible everywhere there was coal, and it seems like it's already starting, or at least working up, to happen again.
Boston Globe – This was the "cartoon contest," wasn't it? Well, now I know two names of people who thought this contest was a good ides. I'm so sorry one was from the Netherlands, and I'll bet Lona (Care2) is mortified.
NY Times – Yes, "woo" is a keyword, but so is "aiming." It's not enough to aim at a target. You need to hit it. We'll see how that works out for them.
Cartoon – Yes. They marched so we wouldn't have to. And it's not their fault we still have too. They did the best they could. They had faith that increased familiarity between the races, and better education about each other, would make things better. If only that were true.
Already signed both, but thanks for ensuring we didn't miss them Joanne.
I was able to sign the bread petition but not the other one regarding coal.
The coal said: "We're sorry – the page or function you tried to access could not be found on our web site."
Thanks!
My high school history book covered it.
Many states have laws about inciting violence–wonder if that state does and whether specifics of language would apply to those holding the event.
Will they get support from any who aren't wannabe wealthy folks?
I used to work with a Freedom Rider who never made it–TX took them off the bus/train and held them in jail until events were over.
Yesterday Avril Lomas said that given the coming (now done) additions of Ben "Prison-Makes-You-Gay" Carson and Carly "I'm-Incompetent-But-NOT-Crazy-Like-the-Rest" Fiorina that the Repubican Party would need to switch from a Clown Car and get a Clown Stretch Limo.
I responded by saying I thought they'd need a BIG BUS.
… BUT I did happen to find a Stretch Limo that might fill the bill. What do you guys think?
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/2011/4589/original.jpg
Puuurrrfect. lol.
Without doubt, this is a clown car befitting the Republicanus/Teaggerum clowns! With that bright pink, the stretch limo has the advantage of hopefully getting the male Republicanus/Teabaggerum clowns in touch with their feminine sides!
I think that limo fits the bill.
How about a wire mesh submarine?
There's a cool T-shirt for Bernie Sanders at Red Bubble – a halo of his hair. (Inscription is "Time for tough love on Wall Street … Minus the Love"
Never heard of Red Bubble – so I Googled it. It gets pretty mixed reviews, so I'm holding off for right now. But it's a pretty cool T-shirt:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/jrstees/works/14122148-bernie-sanders-for-president-hair?grid_pos=1&p=t-shirt
Puuurrrfect. lol.
Whoops. Wrong one. Should be for the stretch limo.
The T shirt is looking good.
Thanks, Named! 😉
A Demented Republican
Here is a real Doozy of a story uttered by another Republican having an "Incredibly Demented Moment". Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) of TX should get on next week's "Demented Republican List".
Texas Republican Wants Women to Carry Deceased Fetuses to Full Term
The proposed amendment is so insane, even his GOP colleagues are repulsed.
READ MORE:
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/texas-republican-wants-women-carry-deceased-fetuses-full-term?akid=13071.176640.h-a_0l&rd=1&src=newsletter1035843&t=7
Un freaking believable! His mother should have aborted him while she had the chance! There is definitely something wrong with his genetic code!
WTF???!!!!! To carry a deceased fetus to term would kill the poor deeply distressed mothers, the demented SOB! What a nasty little stupid pervert with deep Freudian issues that man sounds!
Does he not understand that when anything dies it starts to decompose? His only excuse must be altzheimers…. no, there is NO excuse for such sadistic evil.
Horrid!
Puzzle — 3:03 Just in the nick of time . . . butterfly 1, Puddy Tat 0!
Upworthy — Thanks for the treat of listening to Tennessee Ernie Ford . . . it's been a long time! To be sure, if the Republicanus/Teabaggerum take the White House and hold the Congress, there will be a bloody uprising!
Boston Globe — These morons were asking for a fight . . . inciting violence . . . no common sense or descency at all. To deliberately bait people, in this case Muslims, is asking for trouble. Do I condone the attempt to kill participants? No! But neither do I condone the baiting. That is just plain ignorant! Geller and her posse may say the event was a free speech event, but it was anything but! Stupid is as stupid does!
NY Times — My concern is that there are too many sheeple out there . . . people who will be sucked in against their better judgement. A synonym for Republicanus/Teabaggerum is liar, liar!
Cartoon — The Freedom Riders began their journey and are still on the journey with their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. When will the main part of the journey be over so people can live peacefully?
Loive that tune. I ised to sing it in a choral group.
I knew about the Virginian mine wars, amazingly enough.
Boston Globe – words fail me. Have these people entered the Darwin Awards?! Oh my word!
Thanks all. Totally swamped, as usual!!
Hi Sudanese..
Fits the bill .perfect.!