Tomorrow morning, I’ll be leaving for a prison volunteer trip to Salem, and I will not return until Friday afternoon. Therefore, for the next three days, expect an Open Thread at most, and more likely, just a personal update. Let me wish you an excellent week, in advance.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:01 (average 5:58). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: In the aftermath of Irish voters legalizing gay marriage, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has used his emergency powers to ban all Irish products from the state.
The sweeping trade sanctions will prevent popular Irish products, such as Jameson whiskey and Guinness Extra Stout, from being sold in Louisiana.
Jindal explained that breaking off trade with Ireland was necessary to protect the sanctity of marriage in Louisiana.
Andy has exposed a Republican disaster. Without Jameson, Agent Orange will be incapable of visiting Louisiana.
From NY Times: They are only four words in a 900-page law: “established by the state.”
But it is in the ambiguity of those four words in the Affordable Care Act that opponents found a path to challenge the law, all the way to the Supreme Court.
How those words became the most contentious part of President Obama’s signature domestic accomplishment has been a mystery. Who wrote them, and why? Were they really intended, as the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell claim, to make the tax subsidies in the law available only in states that established their own health insurance marketplaces, and not in the three dozen states with federal exchanges?
The answer, from interviews with more than two dozen Democrats and Republicans involved in writing the law, is that the words were a product of shifting politics and a sloppy merging of different versions. Some described the words as “inadvertent,” “inartful” or “a drafting error.” But none supported the contention of the plaintiffs, who are from Virginia.
By now most Republican politicians realize that, if the fascist five Injustices of SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD) invalidate Obamacare, it will be a disaster for the Republican Party. However, they were so effective at brainwashing rabid sheeple to hate it, that they now have to live in fear of their own base.
From Washington Post: You may not have realized it, but a large cohort of Americans did something brave this month. For years — in some cases, decades — these lonely, marginalized souls had repressed their shameful feelings, hiding them from the world.
Then May came along, and they finally decided to come out of the closet.
As liberals.
That’s right: A large chunk of Americans recently decided to come out as “liberal” — socially liberal, to be specific. As a result, for the first time on record, self-proclaimed social liberals are no longer outnumbered by their conservative counterparts.
That’s according to a new Gallup poll that finds the shares of American adults considering themselves “socially liberal” and “socially conservative” each total 31 percent. (The remaining respondents either called their views “moderate” or had no opinion.) Gallup has been tracking these categories since 1999, and the latest numbers simultaneously signify the highest share ever recorded for liberals and the lowest recorded for conservatives.
I’m one, and I was admitting it when it was still a very dirty word. What shocks me is the 31% that are still goose stepping to the drum beat of Republican hate.
Cartoon:
How Republicans celebrated Memorial Day.
18 Responses to “Open Thread–4/26/2015”
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5:16 average unchanged. Well, that was interesting. Nothing to eat though.
I added both of these to yesterday. but they need to be seen, so will tack on to today as well. Trigger warnings if outrage raises your blood pressure:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/804/202/928/this-12-year-old-police-victims-family-should-not-have-to-pay-18000-for-his-body/
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/news-gods-are-testing-your-outrage-tolerance-449081411877
New Yorker: Priceless.
NY Times – Yes, it is one of the stupidest cases in living memory. It will be interesting to see how much more stupid it gets.
WaPo – I've been out of the closet for some time too. Although I've kind of gotten into the habit of saying "Progressive." Both great words. I have a bumper sticker that says "You call me liberal, but I'm to the right of Jesus." I don't think I'm very far to the right, but I have never taken a whip into a bank.
Cartoon – Ain't THAT the truth. BTW, the (living) Marines look very sharp.
P. S. of course – sorry, but this rattles my cage.
http://start2.occupyourhomes.org/petitions/wri-trying-to-evict-single-mother-of-eight
She's not the foreclosee, she's been renting, had no idea her landlord might be foreclosed on.
4:19 Round and round! Where it stops nobody knows. You're going to need a lot of catnip sauce for this one!
3:47 Put the catnip sauce on hold. It does nothing for my appetite.
3:53 Of course we beat TomCat on this puzzle. He doesn't want to break teeth chewing on non-food bars.
Puzzle — 4:19 Round and round! Where it stops nobody knows. You're going to need a lot of catnip sauce for this one!
The New Yorker — Too bad it is only Louisiana. If the whole country went dry Irish, Agent Orange would go through a real withdrawal.
NY Times — It really is a national tragedy that so much time, money and other resources have been wasted on trying to defeat the ACA, a far from perfect piece of legislation, which does so much good for the average American. Can you image what that money could have helped . . . infrastructure, education, healthcare, the homeless, and the list goes on. The SCOTUS decision is not out yet, so there still is hope that the correct decision will be made, but I'm not holding my breath. I hope all this crap comes back to bite the Republicanus/Teabaggerum squarely in the ass!
Washington Post — John F Kennedy Jr "painted an idyllic portrait of what the term meant: “someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties.”" This is the complete antithesis of the Republicanus/Teabaggerum. Things must be looking up a bit. I hope this comes to bite the Republicanus/Teabaggerum big time in the ass says I a confirmed social democrat.
Cartoon — You'd think that the Republicanus/Teabaggerum were paying the benefits out of their own pockets. I doubt they are, well at least the 1% aren't.
Personal update — My leg continues to heal slowly but it is still infected so I am back on anti-biotics —cephalexin 500 mg for 10 days. I had an ultrasound last Friday and learned today that as well as the infection, I have significant swelling around the tendons in my knee which is causing my lower leg to swell dramatically and be painful. The tendonitis is being treated for now with an anti-inflamatory, elevation and ice. This is one time when I wish I had a laptop so I can work from my bed. Anyway, I will carry on just as if were normal.
It's finally dawned on Rethuglicans that if they actaully prevail in destroying ObamaCare they are going to be in a world of hurt with a tsunami backlash. As the saying goes: "Be careful what you wish for because it might come true."
Interesting tidbit is that the lead named plaintiff in King v Burwell is David King, a veteran. As a veteran he is considered to have healthcare, and thus is EXEMPT from all PPACA requirements.
Bottom line: He has NO standing in this case. But what the heck – wingnuts thought it would help them, so they put him in.
How old is he? Is he maybe still pissed over TriCare (not that we shouldn't all be)?
I hope all this BS comes back to bite the Republicanus/Teabaggerum in the ass, both literally and politically.
Why do they continually try to take the ACA to prices? With all the infrastructure demands on our plate now, you’d think we would have better things to spend our money on! Especially with the floods and tomatoes that are ravaging the countryside right now!
Just today, there has been 3 tornadoes and multiple inches of rain here in Oklahoma! And I will get a dollar to a donut that one of those plaintiffs in this case it from Oklahoma! If not Oklahoma, then a contiguous state!
Undoubtedly we are all celebrating Ireland passing their 34th Constitutional Amendment protecting equality for all in mandating same-sex marriage.
NOTE TO ALL Talibangelical christianists (that would include YOU, Josh Duggar), Rethuglicans and especially SCOTUS:
Pull up the nearest wall, and start reading the damn handwriting, you homophobic hate-mongers!
"homophobic hate-mongers" indeed! They are the most sorry excuses for human beings. Mahatma Gandhi said "I like your Christ. But Christians are so unlike your Christ."
I hope you have a safe and enjoyable trip.
The New Yorker: If Jindal were to ban Irish whiskey and stout, the Louisiana voters would impeach him. Very funny as Andy always is.
NY Times: So, what this article says, in effect is that a lot of people will lose their insurance due to an editing problem in the bill itself. I wish I could say that SCOTUS has more sense than that, but we all know that is not true.
Washington Post: Hurray for those gutless wonders who are now using the word. I have always called myself a liberal, not a progressive, or any other Republican accepted word. I am a liberal and proud of it, and I tell my right wing friends that I am pretty sure Jesus was a liberal, too.
Cartoon: Sad but true. My daughter in law's mother died on MOthers day this year. She was 65 years old and had been receiving social Security for five months. What happens to the money she paid into the system? This is never mentioned when the right wing is screaming about entitlements.
Edie, I'm sorry to hear of her loss. Her mother was only 2 years older than me. I know in Canada there is a death benefit that goes to the estate, but also, some of it can go to the spouse and increase their payments. I hope that your system is as good as ours, or better.
So sorry to hear about your daughter in law's mother – that must have been a shock, she was so young.
I am sure that Jesus was a liberal – Matthew 22 36 – 40 inc, and Matthew 25 31 – end, to quote but two. No Right Winger ever reads those passages or would take any notice of them, most sadly for us all.
New Yorker – I thought 'please can this be by Andy – the trouble is Jindal is bats enough to do something like that!' – fortunately it was by Andy, phew!
Washington Post – we regularly stand up for our principles, but the others have to do the same as well (and the world over please); please God they are getting the courage to do so! We know it can be hard, but it has to be done with calmness, confidence and humour, then it is usually ok (unless there is someone with extreme views about).
Have a good and safe trip TC, try not to overwork yourself (fat chance!). I hope your chaps do you and themselves proud – in fact I'm sure they will (if only politicians would be as honest… sigh!).
New Yorker ~ As absurd as this sounds, I'm sure some of them have thought of doing just this. Warnings from Agent Orange probably prevented it from happening.
NY Times ~ They will continue to file suits against ACA because it was Pres. Obama's baby. But they hope they don't win because they know what it will do to them after everyone loses health care.
Washington Post ~ Hooray! It's about time they came out of the closet. I hope they will vote thier consciences in the next elections instead of voting their fears.
Cartoon ~ So damn sad.