I’m still very tired after yesterday’s visit to the Orthopedist, but not so much so that I come empty handed. One thing really impressed me about them. When I was done, I had to wait for the LIFT bus for an hour and a half in a small alcove on the ground floor. Knowing I would be stuck there people from their office came down to check on me three separate times. I consider that superior service.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:29 (average 4:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Fantasy Football Recruiting:
We still need two new players for Lefty Blog Friends, our fantasy football league. How about you? For more information, click here.
Short Takes:
From MoveOn: Ideas to Save the Economy: End Mass Incarceration
The Reich on the left is right again, as I know so well. I would add a #5. Switch from retributive justice to restorative justice. This is the tenth and final video of the series. Click through to MoveOn to share it from there. Bringing this series to you has been a privilege.
From Daily Kos:
In 2014, I published two stories about the surreptitious attempts by the Koch brothers to bribe their way into the academic freedom and integrity of FSU/Florida State University. The most recent story can be found in this link. For several years, FSU students, along with faculty, alumni, and concerned citizens have been adamantly dissenting the Koch influence on campus. One of the many dedicated and relentless activists in the movement is Ralph Benton Wilson. This week he contacted me with some promising news:
"FSU students have released a report (May 28th) revealing new evidence regarding the university’s agreement with the CFK/Charles Koch Foundation. Not only does the report find that the Koch agreement violates FSU’s donor policy but, contrary to university claims, the agreement was found to violate academic policy by a 2011 faculty senate investigation whose numerous findings appear to have been suppressed until being published in the student report. (Other suppressed findings include the manner in which the agreement was "forced" upon the department through threats and intimidation despite severe faculty dissent.)"
"The student report makes several recommendations which have been submitted as public comment in FSU’s current review of its donor policy. As of June 4, FSU has conceded to half of the recommendations in the student report, but we are continuing to pressure them to accept the remaining recommendations. A new public comment period is open until midnight, June 25. We are calling on the public to submit comment so that we may once and for all have a donor policy that protects FSU from the undue influence of any donor."
Wilson also sent several links, which I have included below.
If the Koch Brothers are trying to steal FSU and convert it to a propaganda mill, you can be sure they are doing so all over. Check locally to make sure you’re colleges and universities are not forced to teach only how to suck … nevermind.
From Media Matters: Fox’s Steve Doocy: It’s Extraordinary That Charleston Church Shooting Is Being Called A Hate Crime
Barf Bag Alert!!
I don’t know where they got that "pastor", but because is title is "Bishop" I have a pretty good guess. The Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, is acting as if SC did not already have a long history of racist violence against black churches, so they can misrepresent this incident as part of the left wing war, which does not exist, against Christianity. Not only that, the shooter is clearly a White Supremacist.
Cartoon:
16 Responses to “Open Thread–6/19/2015”
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Robert Reich is amazing – could we not just declare him Supreme Ruler of the Country? Why is he so very intelligent and the Repugs just a few IQ points above rocks? People need to be needed – so much we could do by and for prisoners that would treat all like human beings instead of so much garbage. Clean up on floods, dog training, cleaning the environment has been tried in bits but could be so much more.
As for the Koch Brothers, what I would like to say about them is unprintable.
Aw, the poor, poor white folks at Faux Noise think everything is about them….blame this Charleston shooting on those against Christianity, yep, that's it….they sound like Jon Lovitz doing his "that's the ticket" piece. Never ever want to admit there is racism – much easier to find other excuses. Bleh
Glad you are feeling better, TC – how about babying yourself a bit now?
Glad you got such a caring doctor’s office to check on you for the endless wait for the LIFT bus. That had to seem like an eternity after getting those shots! So happy to hear you are feeling better!
Ending mass incarceration would do a lot for the loss of jobs and make it easier for people to get a job and keep it!
4:56 average still 4:53. I would stay away from this guy, TC, he looks tough. In both senses.
Move On – Anyone with half a brain who is using it can see that the Reich on the left is right. What needs to happen, though, is for the Reich on the right to get left. Behind. At the ballot boxes.
Daily Kos – I wish them luck with that. After all, Jeb Bush and Rick Scott. Heaven grant our side strength to keep up the fight, as I fear they will need it.
Media Matters – I MIGHT buy a Republican supply-side pseudo-Christianity attack on real Christianity as a PART of the motivation here. A SMALL part. Left wing attack? God gove me strength!
Cartoon – signed 51 years ago and still being ignored. What other law has such a rccord?
If they checked on you three times that is three times more thanmost offices would do. That is excellent service. Glad your shoulder is better.
MoveOn: As you say, Reich is always right. Our prison systems are a disgrace. The penalties imposed for minor crimes are too harsh. Too much money is being made by these systems for change to be made easily. It will take a major effort on the part of American voters to rectify this.
Daily Kos: The Koch Brothers are the most dangerous threat to democracy in this country that I can imagine. I plan to check to see if they are infiltrating any of our schools. I surely hope not.
Media Matters: The shooter said he had hoped to start a race war, how can those dummies say it is not about race? Never mind, that needs no answer, we all know all ready.
Cartoon: I wish all had been gained that we thought would be by this act. Racism is alive and thriving.
3:31 I wonder if this is one of the many angels at Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome? There are so many statues of angels in Rome, it is hard to know. One thing is for sure, if Puddy Tat is going to contemplate eating this angel, he'll need jaws of the strongest steel! Even then, my money's on the angel.
Maybe it will bless me with manna from heaven and quails.
Puzzle — 3:31 I wonder if this is one of the many angels at Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome? There are so many statues of angels in Rome, it is hard to know. One thing is for sure, if Puddy Tat is going to contemplate eating this angel, he'll need jaws of the strongest steel! Even then, my money's on the angel.
MoveOn — Reich on the left is always correct. 5% of the global population, but 25% of the global prison population. Something is rotten in Denmark . . . er Washington!
Daily Kos — It is past time to kick these pariah from ALL educational institutions nationally. Good on FSU students who refuse to suck … nevermind.
Media Matters — I remembered the name "EW Jackson" as being an outrageous idiot but not the context until I googled him. From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._W._Jackson
Do you all remember him now? He is Faux's "go to" guy when they want to change the discussion from racism and hatred to the persecution of Christians. I am more inclined to see EW Jackson as the :Anti Christ".
Cartoon — I agree JD for the most part. It is being ignored for what it was supposed to do. But Republicanus/Teabaggerum are paying particular attention as they, and their legal beagles of SCOTUS, try to gut the original intentions of the law. Which of the 5 Injustices was moronic enough to say there is no race problems in the US so the law was no longer necessary?
Thanks. Now I remember him.
Re Media Matters, there is a very good article here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/19/dylann-roof-religion-church-lutheran_n_7623990.html?ir=Religion&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003 . A friend and I were discussing only a day before this appallling tragedy happened about how extreme, violent and revolting some people's behaviour was getting, and later that day I saw an article on the effects of xeno-estrogens (eg Bisphenol-A – which until recently was fine to be in babies bottles in America!) leaking from plastics around food and on phones etc have on people's behaviour – it makes them aggressive, violent and worse. America does seem to have more of these incidents than other places in the world (assuming one discounts wars of course) – could xeno-estrogens have something to do with it? (Xeno-estrogens are also apparently in the contraceptive pill – which not only means the person taking the pill gets a lot of them, but people who live in the same neighbourhood have recycled water [most of us do, and big cities do lots of times). (There is a long list at the bottom of the Wikipedia entry of the most common xeno-estrogens – the last one is this "Zeranol is currently used as an anabolic growth promoter for livestock in the US[75] and Canada.[76] It has since been banned in the EU since 1985,[77] but is still present as a contaminant in food through meat products that were exposed to it.[12]"
Fluoride is also supposed to have these effects – God help us all.
Thanks Pat. FYI, more than three links automatically goes to moderation.
The staff at the orthopedist's did an excellent job of taking care of you. You'd been given an injection you might have had an adverse reaction to or the stress of it might have made you unwell and they took that very serious while you were still under their care. It's nice to know that people care about you and about doing their job well, isn't it, TomCat.
MoveOn: Mass incarceration has resulted in mass destruction of potential. Many of the incarcerated for, for instance, drug related felonies are young, not criminal in a true legal or moral sense, too often from minority groups and have their lives ruined because of it, if not for ever. And if people incarcerated for crimes are only punished and not rehabilitated, they'll never be able to pick up a normal life and often have to revert to crime just to survive. Both you and Reich know that these vicious cycles need to be broken, or preferably not started at all, if an economy is to flourish again.
Thank you, TomCat for bringing us this series, and thank you, Mr Reich for making it.
Daily Kos: Isn't it the saddest thing when things like corporate bribery of universities can only come out into the open if students make a report and publish it through their own channels and social media which aren't in the grip of the Kochs and their ilk yet. And early report with the same conclusions never made it through the standard channels. It also points out why the Kochs and other like them are willing to spend so much money on buying to influence universities. They are very much aware of how much power young smart and free-thinking people have and that they are often the motor of resistance and even revolution against the powers that be. If the Kochs can nip that in the bud by influencing universities and killing free thought and speech, their plutocracy is safe for now. So kudos to all students who rise up against their influence and money and good luck to all those who will follow in the footsteps of those at FSU. If all students demanded to have a look at the books of their administration at every university and college, I think we'll be in for a great shock.
Media Matters: Well, that certainly was a great workout towards the barf bag Olympics of 2016. This segment probably went on air before Roof admitted he shot these people in the church because he wanted to start a racial war, but everything about is SCREAMED "racial", so even for the brainwashed Faux Noise watchers it must have been a stretch to see it as an attack on religion, THEIR religion, the pseudo Christian variety.
That's all folks, got to dispose of some barf bag filled within the time limits set for 2016.
Congrats on blue robbon barfing!
Hi TC. All the best to you.
Just a couple of thoughts.
1) Carl Rove calls Trump a. MORON.! (which he is) but coming from " Bush,s Brain" He sure as heck should know.,(past experience).
More serious. The Terrible act in Charleston must weigh VERY heavily on Washington,on those who voted against "background checks and sensible gun laws, Yes,those who are stuffing wads of money,from lobbyists for the NRA.and gun manufacturers into their LARGE back pockets.
Joe Biden did his best ,but this is America where GOD =Money..Unfortunately NOTHING will change.How Sad.
America,the new killing fields.
Avril, you write as though those who voted down background checks have consciences. I truly doubt that.
I'll never forget the look on Rove's face when Little Lord Willard lost.
Thanks and hugs to all,