The weekend has arrived. add with it, 80°s weather. I plan to spend as much of the day mapping as I can. I’m still quite tired from staying up for religious services, as noted below.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:10 (average 5:27). To do it click here. How did you do?
Religious Ecstasy:
Seattle’s special teams played such outstanding football that the made the score much closer than the game actually was.
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: The Tree of 40 Fruit is a living, breathing tasty work of art. And you can see it come to life in this short video by National Geographic:
Dang! If I had a couple trees like that, maybe I could give up puzzles!! 
From Daily Kos: From First Look:
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said today that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein was a “pretty good deal.”
Bush was speaking at an event sponsored by Americans for Peace, Prosperity and Security (APPS), a group formed and backed by a number of people associated with major defense contractors.
Bush Bag Alert!!
Shouldn’t that group be renamed "Americans for Conquest, Greed and Imperialism"? Strike three fits right in with that crowd!
From NY Times: This is an alarming new direction in modern campaigning that arose along with the nation’s growing income disparity and is empowered by shadowy new methods of raising unlimited, untraceable money from the richest donors.
Hillary Rodham Clinton’s formal campaign celebrates large-scale support from small-dollar donors, but her affiliated super PAC reported that most of its $15 million came from nine donors giving $1 million each. Some of the money, as is the case in rival campaigns, is untraceable because of another cynical innovation — “social welfare” nonprofit groups. Fueled by the Supreme Court’s reckless Citizens United decision in 2010, which ended limits on campaign spending by corporations and unions, spending by exempt organizations that do not have to disclose donors increased 60-fold to more than $300 million in the 2012 presidential cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. An even bigger infusion is expected in 2016.
Mrs. Clinton has, to her credit, promised to make campaign reform one of her main priorities if she wins the White House and to stop “the endless flow of secret, unaccountable money.” This is a crucial but increasingly tall order, as she and all the other candidates find their dependency on the richest Americans deepening with the election cycle.
And Mrs. Clinton is not, by any means, the biggest offender in the campaign grabfest. The Times’s survey showed that Republicans have been the main beneficiaries of the new platinum circle of givers.
Jeb Bush has made an art of super PAC politicking, raising $103 million from a small group of super givers free to circumvent the formal campaign’s far lower limits; 26 are in for more than $1 million each. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has raised the most cash from the fewest donors: Just three families donated most of his $37 million in super PAC money. Of $16 million reported by the super PAC for Senator Marco Rubio, $12.5 million was from four donors, including a Florida billionaire and longtime political patron.
Although I support Bernie, I do not blame Hillary for her $15 million in billionaire bucks. SCROTUS set the rules, and unless she takes advantage, she has little chance to win, if nominated. I do expect that she will follow through on her promise. On the other hand, I expect Strike three to win the Republican nomination, because he is the most "bought and paid for" candidate in history.
Cartoon:
39 Responses to “Open Thread–8/15/2015”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Strike Three is trying to take us ALL out. End of story. And I'm sure that Hillary understands that we expect to hold her to her word about Citizens United.
The Donald has gotten all the attention, but I'd really like to know who was polled to show him as the top Rethug candidate….wouldn't you? I don't think even TeaBaggers are that delusional. On the other hand….
However, Hillary will need support from Congress to pull off campaign finance reform. Thats; probably after 2020, if we can retake the House by then.
4:44. Salad?
Upworthy – Yeah, I'd love one too. But wouldn't the puddytat still need complete proteins, and taurine? Oh yeah, and a few other things. LOL.
Happy for your ecstatic services. The orb smiled.
DKos – On the principles of War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Strength is Weakness, it's probably pretty accurately named. Misleading to those who still speak English instead of Newspeak, though.
NYTimes – Glad but somewhat surprised that the old grey lady actually put Hillary into proper perspective. Not that Republicans will believe or care, but there must be SOME sane people out there. Ted Cruz? Three families? Can you say "nepotism"?
Cartoon – Yeah, such an incentive to work hard and better oneself. (snark)
And Republicans actually think the Gray Lady is liberal! What a laugh!
Perhaps this Nixon history is why no current GOP politician claims anyone further back than Reagan.
I want to believe this election will defy the most money=winner.
Choosing who rules another country is good foreign policy?
In the 1960's we used to hear a lot about tree grafting to give us more different fruits in the trees that would fit on city and suburban small lots–but I never heard of one that got to 40 before.
I'm going to repeat about a petition I added to yesterdays post a short time ago for those who are done with yesterday:
A petition of likely interest to PP folks re: Fox:
https://www.change.org/p/the-federal-communications-commision-removal-of-the-broadcasting-license-issued-by-the-fcc?recruiter=10693393&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
Thanks Lynn and Joanne for signing
I signed this petition and shared it on FAcebook.
Good point on the trees. I would never recommend them for agriculture. They wiuld be interesting, however, for urban yards that had room for only one tree.
On the petitrion, been there, and signed that.
Thanks TC
3:06 No time today to stop and smell the flowers.
2:54 Jerry, you may not have stopped to smell the flowers today, but I still passed you. Sorry Puddy Tat (not really!) but no salad for your dinner tonight!
Dang! And I uncorked the Catnip salad dressing.
I thought JEB (John Ellis Bush) was supposed to be the smart one?
Dubya? Jebya? Who can tell the difference?
Well apparently not Hillary Clinton – and this is just TOO FUNNY not to share … even with a BONUS CHUCKLE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/14/hillary-clinton-ties-together-jeb-bush-and-george-w-bush-i-get-confused/
But a caring, compassionate soul over at PoliticalWire decided to help Hillary out in identifying the differences between Dubya and Jebya:
BONUS CHUCKLE (Scroll down in the Comments)
Someone said they didn’t want to say “LOL” because that’s now passé (we're apparently NOW supposed to say "HaHa" or "HeHe") & only oldsters use it. Which led to someone else noting the danger of using acronymns one is NOT familiar with:
To which I defiantly respond:
LOL!!!
LOL (couldn't resist)–thanks for the chuckles
PIMPROTFLMAO!!!!! Very funny Nameless!
haha, hehe
LOL! I qualify!
Ummm – do you mean "Lots Of Love" by that? Like the – ummm – elderly lady who added it to a sympathy card?
Given who used it the first couple of times I ever saw it, I guessed it meant little old lady…LOL
There's actually a recognized medical acronym for elderly women who've fractured a hip:
LOLLOL – Little Old Lady Lying On Linoleum
ARGH!!!
Yeay Broncos. Don't tell any Seattleans that I said that.
We'll keep that a secret between you and me.
Puzzle — 2:54 Jerry, you may not have stopped to smell the flowers today, but I still passed you. Sorry Puddy Tat (not really!) but no salad for your dinner tonight!
Upworthy — There are so many lessons in this over and above the horticulture ones. And the artist rendering of the flowering tree . . . magnificent!
Daily Kos — "Americans for Peace, Prosperity and Security (APPS)"? Whose? Certainly not the rest of the world's! Fits right in with your suggestion of "Americans for Conquest, Greed and Imperialism"!
NY Times — Until Citizens United is relegated to the trash heap in US history, and until campaign financing under goes significant reform, there will always be big money in politics along with the specter of buying politicians opening or covertly. Elizabeth Warren bucked the trend, but IMO, Hillary is no Elizabeth Warren. And national politics is far more intensive than runnung in one state.
Cartoon — "Republican small government at work!". . . un huh . . . corruption, lies, deceit! I think they would sanction politically motivated murder if they could.
BTW, too bad the Seahawks were sucker punched by the Busted Broncs! But the Seahawks will have their day in the regular season! Go Seahawks!!
Hey! I root for your Lions!
I root for Montréal, my home town! Same with hockey!
Now she tells me!
Upworthy: I loved this one and would love to see the 40 fruit tree in bloom. My dad grafted apple trees as long as he was able to garden. He loved having different varieties on one tree. Neat.
Daily Kos: We need a barf bag alert every time Strike Three speaks. He is essentially a parrot for Dubya. As bad as Hussein was, and we all know he was horrible, at least the people had electricity, homes, food, and no ISIS or Al Quaeda. Invading Iraq did not help them, and it has nearly destroyed our country. Good deal,,,,, for whom?
NY Times: NO, you can't blame Hilary for taking the donations, since it is legal, and the only way she can keep up with the Republicans. However, Citizens United destroyed our political process more than any other ruling in my lifetime. It is ridiculous how much money is being spent on campaigns by anonymous donors who all expect, and will receive favors for their money. This ruling hastened our becoming an oligarchy instead of a democracy.
Cartoon: I remember how well that worked out, not.
I stumbled upon this little bit in Crooks and Liars — http://crooksandliars.com/2015/08/conservatives-still-arguing-over-who-lost — and scroll down to Dave Z's comment. It is a cartoon about JEB and his foreign policy. Quite funny and accurate!
Ain't it the truth?
Can you believe Jebya hired Paul "Let's-Start-a-War" Wolfowitz as his "foreign policy" advisor?
Oh Geez!!
TY TC – good articles and (haha, Nameless) fascinating comments!
So much better to be pooped from staying up to long to watch your services in the Holy Orb rather than from battling the heat, isn't it, TomCat?! Although I'm sure I'd be out like a light in five minutes if you had me attend one of those services, no matter what time of day it was 😉
Upworthy: Too much interfering with nature, even for an art project, for my taste. There's hardly a commercially grown fruit grown from seed nowadays, almost all come from grafted trees and a tree with two types of fruit is rather common now for amateur growers, but 40 is just a but too much for my taste. I started to feel sorry for the poor tree, so many cuts and so many identities…I hope it retained an image of it's true self somewhere deep down between its roots.
Daily Kos: Of course Jeb was right from the point of view of defense contractors: America invading Iraq has been their direct road to wealth. Now they are looking to continue both the dynasty and its legacy: another Bush in the oval office willing to invade another country just to keep the CEOs of these companies and the weapons industry living the lifestyle they've grown accustomed to. Jeb's eagerness to please these unconscionable warmongers is sickening.
NY Times: The amounts per individual candidate are enormous, but added up they are absolutely revolting. More than $300 million by exempt organizations in 2015, and more to come in 2016. In a country where children may go hungry, many can't earn a living wage by working fulltime and pensioners and vets are in danger of becoming homeless, this is a display of pure decadence.
Amen to all!
Thanks all. More Heat Hugs!
A "GOOD DEAL"!.Try telling that to the 135,000 Iraqi citizens who died,and the 37,000 American service men and women,who were killed, and the many others who returned disabled.( and all because of his brothers lies!.)and Cheney,s GREED
Are these Bush,s for REAL?or unconscious?.and Jeb baby maybe YOU also should work longer hours and get some of the adipose tissue melting.
See today's Cartiin