First, I want to thank you all for your support regarding my volunteer work. I have decided to take a low key approach. First, getting certified as a volunteer, one gives them all the power. Second, I could have avoided it by staying home. Third, when the system has a problems with individuals, they tend to punish groups. Any lawsuit from me would engender retaliation against my guys, even though the people running volunteer services would oppose such action. That takes any disabled access complaint off the table. I plan to contact the head of volunteer services, with support from my group, and try to work out a compromise that keeps me in the saddle. I’ll keep you posted.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:25 (average 8:58). To do it click here. How did you do?
Religious Ecstasy:
Watching the Broncos win with less than 2:00 to go in the 4th quarter was far less exciting, because I already knew what happened the night before.
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: Wendy’s and Publix are the two biggest companies that haven’t signed on for ‘Fair Food.’ What is it?
I plan to call my local Wendy’s, where I have an occasional burger. Republicans have their own plan. Deport the workers.
From The New Yorker: Amid the growing debate over building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, a new poll shows that voters who strongly favor building such a wall cannot successfully identify the border on a map.
Additionally, the more enthusiastic voters are about building a wall, the less likely they are to know where the border is actually situated, the poll finds.
Voters who could not correctly identify the U.S.-Mexico border provided no fewer than fifteen alternative locations for it. Nearly twenty per cent of respondents located it along the United States’ border with Canada.
Being told that they had incorrectly identified the U.S.-Mexico border did not in any way dampen voters’ enthusiasm for building a wall there, however.
To the contrary, voters believed that it would be easier to locate the border once it had a twenty-foot wall.
From Daily Kos: On Thursday, Texas conservative Steven Hotze launched his "Faith, Family, Freedom Tour" with the aim of influencing Huston’s [sic] upcoming municipal elections and, of course, trying to fight their civil rights ordinance, which will be decided at the ballot box in November.
The launch was nothing short of disturbing and disgusting.
From the Texas Observer:
On Thursday, he launched a multi-city tour of Texas, “The Faith Family Freedom Tour,” at a nearly half-empty event at a hotel ballroom in Houston. Sponsored by Christian conservative notables such as Cathie Adams and Jonathan Saenz, speakers included former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who explained why he thought the judiciary could be effectively overruled by the people, a radio host named Terry Lowry who told the crowd that “Satan and his demons are seducing the people of Houston,” and a reparative therapist who warned the audience that the science of making kids un-gay could someday be banned.
But it was Hotze who stole the show. He began his time on stage by showing his audience a video that warned of the audacious plans of the gay rights movement. “Just like there was a communist manifesto, there’s a homosexual manifesto,” Hotze said. “The hackles will stand up on the back of your neck when you see what they have planned.”
The Gay Manifesto is, of course, a satirical essay from 1987, not an actual LGBT conspiracy. If someone said the same thing about Jews, they would rightly be condemned as anti-semitic. So, this is, in and of itself, homophobic.
Click through for more Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christian TEAbuggery, but even though there is no video, you’d better have a barf bag handy. He openly calls for violence
Cartoon:
21 Responses to “Open Thread–8/23/2015”
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Your plan sounds solid. You might consider eliciting the support of your state legislators, too, if dynamics of your efforts suggest that might be helpful in tipping the balance your way.
Sorry the game experience felt watered down.
I remember signing petitions to Wendy's on this at least three years ago. Love AB–geography deficits is also part of what is off with GOP foreign policy IMO
Sorry DeLay was a part of this–I'd been giving him a tad more credit than that despite his shortcomings. Do we infer that Holz has no humor and thus takes satire literally?
So many possible interpretations of the cartoon, all on target.
Really like your idea of trying to solicit the input & support of a local legislator.
LIke the late Speaker of the House, Rep. Tip O'Neill, famously said: "All politics is local."
Thanks–so often we forget part of their duties is representing us/helping us when we have problems with a State agency.
I planned to ask One state legislator to call, because. I've b een involved in his prison volunteerf work, beforte he became a state legislator.
3:04 I find myself wondering what other things could be seen from like windows over the centuries.
4:07 the clock kept on ticking.
Thwe clock said it was time to eat.
. . . but the pantry was bare!
This sounds like a great idea! I hope it works for you! I know your guys miss you and want you back, ASAP!
It figures, the least geographically knowledgeable are the first to be down-right appalled that there hasn’t been a wall built already and paid for by the Mexican government! Losers for Hump, most likely!
Puzzle — 3:04 I find myself wondering what other things could be seen from like windows over the centuries.
Upworthy — There is a phrase that I, as a manager, used at work: Inspect what you expect! I am pleased to see that the Fair Foods Standards Council is doing this in auditing the farms and enforcing change. And Publix's statement that in essence says "Not my problem" is reprehensible (obviously Republicanus/Teabaggerum). This is a similar idea to Fair Trade products.
The New Yorker — The thought of so many people not able to identify the US-Mexico border is mind boggling to me. And 20% confusing it with the Canada-US border even worse! I'm not sure that this is much of an exaggeration on Andy's part, unfortunately. Your Republicanus/Teabaggerum dollars at work!
Daily Kos — Without doubt, the "Satanic cult" is the pseudo Christian cult that does not believe in the teachings of Christ but rather panders to hate and bigotry. Hotze is a charlatan at best, but more likely a disciple of Satan.
Cartoon — Most of their ideas are old and battered, deserving of being in a garbage dump!
5:44 (8:58[!])
In retrospect, is the game any more exciting if you remember that your team took out Steven Hotze's town?
Upworthy – Like JL, I have signed petitions on this issue. I think I have signed more for supermarkets than for restaurants, but that might just be that the chains near me are worse actors than the ones near her.
New Yorker – I would love to know where some of those borders are drawn. I would be willing to bet a goodly chunk of them put ALL of New Mixico on the Mexico side. And what would you bet on South Florida? And Texas?
Daily Kos – Absolutely this is incitement to violence. I don't know whether the suggested violence itself is more scary, or the fact that he clearly thinks he can get away with it because gays are marginalized.
Cartoon – Yes. Republicans can wreck ANYTHING.
As I recall, the earliest ones I signed to Wendy's focused on tomato prices to marginally increase farmworker compensation…
But we do have a better than average on ethics local family-owned grocery chain influencing things locally.
And grocery workers are mostly union, too, in CA
Mostly in OR too. Except Wal-fart.
That sounds like a sensible approach, I am keeping you in my thoughts and wishing you the best results.
Upworthy: I don't eat at Wendy's. but I signed the petition and shared it on Facebook. I plan to contact our local grocery chain and ask if they are participating in Fair Food. I grow my own tomatoes in the summer, but I buy them in the winter. I will be taking note of what I buy from now on.
The New Yorker: That is a very sad commentary on our educational system.
Texas Observer: The worst thing about this is that there are so many people in this country, not just Texas, who are equally ignorant and prejudiced.
Cartoon: Yes, for so many reasons.
Excellent approach, TomCat. So glad you took the time to look at at from all sides and with a clear head decide what's good for you. Compromise is the best way forward, attacking – which you're not, but that's the way it is perceived – will make those responsible in large institutions always persist and never admit they're in the wrong. Compromising and trying to find a solution through which everyone saves face are your best option. Ask John Kerry for advise, he seems to be a master at that in negotiations with the most difficult partners 😉
Upworthy: Learned something new again today. I wasn't familiar with Fair Food, although I have heard about the battle the tomato pickers fought against the farmers. I hope those workers , activists and unions win their battle and all companies sign up for Fair Food.
The New Yorker: Ouch, Andy, you're not portraying Republicans as uneducated and very dumb, are you? I think it's rather smart to ask for a twenty foot wall all along the border so they can finally identify it as such. What possible use could it have otherwise? ;-{
Daily Kos: Disgusted by this rally and its speakers but most of all by the blatant begging for money, instructing the elderly to get to their website to donate and the appalling, naked greediness. “Where are the buckets? We’ll take everything,” he [Hotze] said.
Cartoon: Pity Republicans got out in time…
re. Finding the borders.
and these people are SMART enough to VOTE! Holy Cow America is in DEEP Do-Do.
Finding the Canadian border is easier. Go north until you run into folks that used to be polite.
I'm very glad you decided to lay low about the prison's decision. You will win out in the end because your guys tryly need and love you. The prison officials will recognize eventually.
Upworthy ~ There is no Publix around here and I don't patronize Wendy's or any other fast food restaurants.
New Yorker ~ I think that those who want a wall built on the Mexican USA border should pay for it and build it themselves. That way they can make it as long and high as they want it to be. Maybe put a moat alongside it stocked with gators?
Daily Kos ~ Could we please move forward and stop with the homophobia already? These people have to stop living in the Dark Ages.
Thanks all.
The matter is settled. Security, not Volunteer Services were the sourse of the problem. See tody's Open Thread.