It’s another day, and the unrelenting heat continues. The webs between by toes, developed from living in cool, rainy Oregon for thirty-six years are cracked and brittle. The long range forecast sets the next day, below 90° as 7/11. This weather would be exceptional in the heat season, August and early September, not June and July. ARGH!! Although today is the official holiday, I’ll save Independence Day greetings for tomorrow.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 6:15 (average 5:08 (COPD coughing attack in mid-solve)). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Fantasy Football Recruiting:
We still need one or two new players for Lefty Blog Friends, our fantasy football league. We’re trying to get Viv in, but are not sure if it will support her smart phone. How about you? For more information, click here.
Short Takes:
From Media Matters: The Associated Press’ (AP) report on a meeting between lawless Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) completely ignored the nationwide controversy Bundy sparked in 2014 when he made a series of racist comments about "the Negro." Paul himself repudiated Bundy at the time for his "offensive" commentary, a fact that was also missing from the AP article.
According to the AP, Bundy and Paul met during a June 29 campaign event in Mesquite, Nevada. Bundy said of Paul to the AP, "In general, I think we’re in tune with each other." Politico additionally reported that the two men spoke for 45 minutes.
In its report, AP described the April 2014 armed standoff between Bundy supporters and federal law enforcement agents as "one of the more dramatic conflicts over land rights in recent years," but made no mention of Bundy’s infamous racist commentary…
Barf Bag Alert!!
It is media bias at it’s worst to ignore support from Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot for this racist Republican terrorist.
From Daily Kos:
Jeb! has called Obamacare "flawed to its core" on several occasions, but apparently it wasn’t too flawed for him to make a handsome profit from. Josh Barro reports.
According to tax returns released by Mr. Bush’s campaign on Tuesday, he sold $1,103,424 worth of stock in Tenet Healthcare in September and October of 2013, yielding a capital gain of $556,283. It hadn’t taken Mr. Bush long to double his money — he was selling shares he had acquired in 2010 and 2011.[…]
…Mr. Bush’s tax returns reflect a gain of 105 percent on Tenet stock he acquired in May 2011 and sold in October 2013. Tenet shares actually gained 68 percent over that period; Mr. Bush’s higher gain may be related to his receipt of restricted stock grants. Still, Tenet’s 68 percent gain was much stronger than the 26 percent overall gain for the S.&P. 500 index over the same period.
And why did Tenet’s stocks outperform other stocks? Because investors anticipated that Obamacare would make hospitals more profitable, with increased usage and fewer payment defaults by uninsured patients.
There’s nothing unusual for a Republican or a Bush here.
From NY Times: Jim Webb, a former Virginia senator and Reagan-era secretary of the Navy, announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, bringing his antiwar credentials to the field in what many consider a long-shot campaign for the presidency.
Mr. Webb’s announcement caught some political observers by surprise. He was the first from either party to form a presidential exploratory committee but has been barely visible since.
I was for him when he ran for Senator against George Allen, Macaca Man, but except for his opposition to the Iraq War, he’s been mostly a Republican posing as a Democrat, and should be treated as such.
Cartoon:
These are O-rings.
27 Responses to “Open Thread–7/3/2015”
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4:05 average 5:08. As poorly as you have been feelng, TC, are you hungry enough to eat a horse? Apparently not or you would have started over!
Football – I don't even have a smartphone. Mine makes and receives calls (when turned on, which is seldom). (Oh yeah – it also texts in a very primitive way – but I don't text.)
Media Matters – And who but us will notice? Most of white America is very comfortable with the racism that exists. Even terrorist killings don't put a dent in that for long. Idiot, Son of Idiot, has a great rating from the Marijuana Policy Project – but from no one else, even Republicans much. Bundy needs to go back under his rock and stay until he asphyxiates. No one, apparently, is going to do it for him.
Daily Kos – Sometimes DKos gets a wild hare that it is worse to make a killing from something you are badmouthing than from something you are defending and standing behind. I don't think it is myself. It can help to produce outrage – but we are already outraged and those who don't care, don't care.
NY Times – Jim Who?
Cartoon – Something else to store in the refrigerator in hot weather (Good point, Nancy W [Care2])
Joanne, I don't have a smart phone either. I use my laptop or tablet for the Fantasy Football League.
Viv is using a smart phone, because it's her only Internet access.
4:02 I guess our TomCat wasn't hungry enough to eat a couple of horses today.
3:37 Giddy-up horsies! Take me to someplace cool!
Maybe I can use some catnip horseradish today.
I'm a wee bit confused about July 3rd being "the official holiday"
And I'm going to need my TomCat Magic Decoder Ring to decipher the cartoon.
What ARE those things … or do I even want to know?
I don't know how he found a picture of so many sizes and colors all together, because I certainly can't. but I'm pretty sure they're ligation bands.
July 3rd is the official holiday when the fourth is on a Saturday because DAY OFF!
Nameless, every time you mention hearing loss I think of my mother, who in her last years was using the strongest hearing aids she could get and only managing to hold on to 20% of her hearing. You have my sympathy; I know it is rough. I hope you don't have being "boxed on the ears" as a child for disciplinary purposes to thank for it as she did. Though at least I probably needn't worry, since no one ever laid a hand on me (I was "reasoned with." Which could be painful in its way).
Joanne is very close. O-rings are mechanical gaskets in the shape of a torus. In this case, their purpose od to replace sphincters broken by too much Koch Brothers attention.
No, my hearing loss is not from being "boxed on the ears." In fact I only got spanked once in my life, and I don't blame them for it.
Spanking is one of the "touchy topics" that came up as a Pediatrician. My general rule was against spanking – but if you did use it, it should only be for when the child puts himself or others in harm's way.
My hearing loss is from my Meniere's Disease.
Oh dear – and I guess you're one of the 15% – not an elite group you want to be in. Again, so sorry.
Nameless, you are the first person I've known, other than myself, who has Meniere's Disease. I was diagnosed in 1985 after coming down with severe vertigo, headaches and nausea that even injected gravol couldn't touch. I was taken from Hudson Hope, BC in March over frost heaved narrow highway by ambulance to Fort St John, the closest hospital. Did you know that ambulances don't have shock absorbers? I was off work for over a week and didn't have audio testing for over a month — the joys of northern living where such services travel to us. I am lucky that I have reduced hearing only of certain frequencies and don't need hearing aids yet. But I can't tolerate the ear buds from MP3s etc so earing aids would likely drive me nuts!
As the old aphorism goes: "A doctor who treats himself has a FOOL for a patient."
About 1990, mine began with very weird changes in my hearing – marked distortion, feeling of fullness and sometimes (paradoxically) loud amplification. I chalked it up to a cold I had, and waited a week before I saw my ENT. BAD IDEA! He said if I had come in right at the onset and got started on my high-dose Prednisoe (taking Prednisone and doing the taper yourself is LOTS cheaper than a Solu-Medrol Dose Pack), he might have been able to salvage hearing.
The hearing loss has been a gradual decline. The left is gone, but I actually do have a minimal residual in the right. When there's thunder, I only know it because the cat jumps. But just this past week a lightning bolt took down the neighbor's 30'-40' tree just 10-20 yards from my house – and I DID hear that one. (Drove the cat crazy – took hours to settle him down)
A lot of people are bothered by the endless tinnitus, but that hasn't bothered me too much – unless I get a weird ringing, which happens occasionally. (And I get lots of earworms for songs I once was able to hear.)
The worst is the vertigo. Fortunately I don't get it very often – and I'm very steroid-responsive. But I've had those rare episodes where I have to literally crawl on the floor to get to the toilet to vomit … and then just hang on to the porcelain for several hours.
There are lots worse maladies, so I try not to complain too much. And there may come a day when I finally decide to try a cochlear implant; but for better or worse, I have a real fear of general anesthesia. I've seen too many patients who didn't fare well.
I can't tolerate the earbuds from MPs either, if they are normal sized – I can tolerate the little ones – but the regular size is just a bad fit for me. It presses against the shell. They do make converters to put the sounds deeper, which I believe is the way most hearing aids fit. Here are some interesting user comparisons of what's available and how to customize –
http://forums.webosnation.com/palm-os-devices-apps/77396-whats-better-headset-ear-insert-slic-sound-ear-gels-minigels.html
I have used slic sound – I need the smallest size (there are 3) – they do help – but I wouldn't expect a hearing aid to fit like an earbud.
I have nevber hears of this affliction before. I am so sorry that you and Lynn have it.
We are still getting rain, lots of it, much flooding in central Ky right now, and our temps are still in the 70's. Somebody has switched Oregon and Ky. I hope you get some relief soon from the heat, and that we have a couple of days with no rain.
Media Matters: A barf bag alert was needed for the video, I couldn't listen to all of it. Not surprised that Rand met with him, he will do anything to raise money right now. Appealing to racists is not beneath his dignity.
Daily Kos: I shared this article on Facebok. I know it is probably a waste of time, but I want my RED friends to know who they are supporting. We know from Dubya that a Bush will use anything that will make him some money, and a little hypocrisy doesn't matter.
NY Times" Thanks for the reminder that Webb is a DINO. I knew I remembered something negative about him, but senioritis kept it from coming out.
Cartoon: LOL< LOL<LOL
Our weather does seem to be bass ackward!
Puzzle — 3:37 Giddy-up horsies! Take me to someplace cool!
Media Matters — Cliven Bundy and Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot . . . what can I say . . . birds of a feather flock together!
Daily Kos — To paraphrase the famous John Houseman/Smith Barney line : “How does Jeb make money? The old-fashioned way…he 'steals' it.”
Jeb talks the talk and then walks the other way. It seems that all he is interested in is money and more money anyway he can get his hands on it.
NY Times — Webb . . . isn't that what a spider weaves?
Cartoon — Is this the way to end Republicitis or Kocitis?
It hit 40C (104 F) Wednesday very briefly then settled at 35C (95 F) . Today was 36C (97 F) although in some areas there was a bit of a breeze. It is way too hot for me and actually nauseates me a bit.
Nameless, you asked how we celebrate Canada Day. From one who prefers to be low key, I generally hang out with my furbabes, especially in the evening when the fireworks happen. In my complex, there were games and swimming in the pool followed by a barbeque and fireworks around 10 pm. Some places have parades etc but mostly it is family time. Also, there are usually citizenship ceremonies in some areas depending on the numbers of people. Really not unlike the US celebrations as I know them. In 2017 we will be 150 years old and plans are afloat for a bigger celebration.
We are sharing the same weatrher pattern.
Oh my TC – a pussycat with webbed toes, accustomed to living in damp Oregon – you are morphing into an otter!
Media Matters – you are right, they are colluding in racism. Disgusting.
Daily Kos – same old hypocrisy, again, and again, and AGAIN. Their supporters must be dumber than soup.
Cartoon – mystified, and on second thoughts, I don't think I want to know(!). [Relieved that Nameless seems equally mystified]..
See my reply to nameless. 🙂
The heat wave seems to engulf a large part of the Northern Hemisphere right now and shows little signs of relenting. Grin and bear it, that's all we can do, TomCat and I'm sure I'd grin if you'd send us a picture of your webbed toes. I've never seen a cat with duck's feet before
Media Matters: American media biased? How could you possibly say that, TomCat? AP didn't report anything untruthfully, did it. Just left some relevant information out, that's all. Bundy said to Paul that "In general, I think we’re in tune with each other." and then they spoke together. About how Bundy is going to sponsor Paul's campaign if Paul promises to get the state off Bundy's back. That's how it's done between fellow racists, uhm Republicans, right?
Daily Kos: Ah, yes, Jed had promised to disclose how well he had done through "hard work", hadn't he. Half a million by selling restricted stock grants in Healthcare, which doubled his money because The implementation of Obamacare made this part of the market soar.
Now let me see: Hard work? I think not. Making money of healthcare? Unsavory. Making even more money on healthcare because of the "rotten to the core" ACA? A case of double standards, but not if you're Jeb. Investing in healthcare while loudly protesting that the ACA will bring the country to financial ruin, and then selling at the height of profit? Inside knowledge or just Republican Luck.
And could someone please explain to me how Jeb received restricted stock grants with which he doubled his profit? He wasn't working for Tenet at the time, was he?
NY Times: As long as Webb remains "a long shot at the candidacy", his DINO views will not threaten the Bernie effect that has forced Hillary to the left.
I'm afraud my webbed toes are metaphors.
I was picturing something like this:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=imgres&cd=&ved=0CAUQjBwwAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F236x%2Fba%2F7c%2F9e%2Fba7c9ec0c0dbcd3a5570990ddabaec5a.jpg&ei=WiqYVbeFLIakNs7LgoAI&psig=AFQjCNHoPRuyu9wWOSGPDB86TszhBXm_Dw&ust=1436122074837793
Hot holiday hugs to all!!
You outdid yourself on the cartoon TC.
Hopefully Webb will help get an alternative to war (including that of drones) into the foreign policy discussions, positions and debates.
Thanks for highlighting Jeb's hypocracy.
I find the Bundy-Rand connection both tasteless and disturbing at this moment in history on the heels of Charleston and 7 churches burned.