Today has been a pretty good day. For a "late to bed, late to rise" person since I retired, I was up at 7:30 am. I checked into the computer for an hour and then I was off to my 10 am physio appointment which lasted until 12:15 pm. After that, I was teaching ESL for 3 hours. Now home at the computer, a grey squirrel just tried to come in the window but thought better of it. Good thing with 3 cats in the house!
There likely will be an update on TC today on SURROGATE– Updates, Questions, Concerns WRT TC Page 2
Puzzle — Today’s took me 4:56 (average 6:37). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes
Alternet — When Carlos Chaverst Jr. heard Sen. Bernie Sanders speak at the National Action Network’s national convention in New York City on April 8, he knew he was listening to a future presidential candidate he could get behind.
The senator’s message of making college affordable for all people struck a personal chord with Chaverst because he is currently taking a semester off from school, in part to figure out how he will pay off some of his student debt. A community activist who works with poor communities in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala., the 22-year-old said Sanders’ views on universal health care struck a chord with him. While he doesn’t remember the senator going into too many details, Chaverst says Sanders was frank about the need to address police brutality and holding abusive officers accountable.
As Chaverst says “He hasn’t gone to them. He has worked for black people but he hasn’t actually gone to black people. There’s a huge disconnect…. If he would meet with more black communities, go to more black events, more black people would know him.” And THAT is easy to remedy.
Huffington Post — During the second GOP presidential debate Wednesday night, Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) said they would be open to putting civil rights activist Rosa Parks on the $10 bill. But the Republican candidates might be surprised to learn that Parks sat on the national board of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, one of the GOP’s biggest political enemies. …
It seems that more than just Rick Perry is capable of having major "Oops" moments! Listen to the video. These Republican presidential candidates came across as condescending neanderthals and know nothings. Stupid is as stupid does!
The Guardian — … Felicia Maganwe, a lieutenant colonel in SANDF in the South African defence force, has an astonishing story to tell about how she has found her gender to impact her place in the field.
She was the company commander with a South African contingent with Monusco, one of a select number of females in such a senior position. “When I arrived, it took me a day to adjust. The second day I started setting up my base … The (rebel leader) said ‘But you’re a woman!’. He was surprised.”
Later in her tour, one of her operating bases was caught in dangerous crossfire between two rebel groups, and was being overrun by civilians seeking shelter. Maganwe took action: she phoned the rebel leader and demanded that he move the combat elsewhere. “It was easier because I was a women,” she said. The rebels did not feel threatened by her, and were thus more willing to negotiate. The rebels complied with her demands, and for her work in the Congo, Maganwe received a commendation as the best company commander on her mission. ,,,
Years ago, I wrote a poem about the war in Lebanon. "It is the tears of women that will wash the red hills of Lebanon and bring peace." There are so many qualities that women bring to the table. It is past time that women take their rightful places as leaders. Republicans sure wouldn't like that at all.
My Universe —
20 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 18/09/2015”
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HUff Post- these people are little other than buffoons parading their empty egos!
The Guardian- Felicia is one hell of a human!
My Universe-That's one hell of a cat! And one hellof a thought.
Friday flag 6:52 . Rednecks are descended from Scots and Irish. Perhaps thinking about this sabotaged me.
Alternet – yeah.
HuffPo – Much better choice than Margaret Thatcher, which is who Jeb! came up with (and which would not be legal)
Guardian – Yes indeed. I wish I had a hard reference for this off the top of my head, but I read somewhere (in a book, I remember that, so it was a while ago) that in one African culture the shame of nakedness is not felt by those who are naked but by those who see nakedness. So village women avoided killing and rape by taking all their clothes off. Soldiers retreated, blushing. I will look for it but i can't promise a schedule.
Universe – that little one looks like he would require a LOT of trying again to deal with him.
Joanne D – I would LOVE to know where that reference re nakedness stopping rape comes from – I would love it to be true but am so afraid that it wouldn't have happened – men wanting to rape are utterly consumed by evil and hatred, but I would so love them to have had that evil overwhelmed by embarrassment – everyone would have benefitted in the long run! Please let me know if it comes back to you….
I have found the story; it is the first two pages, roughly, of Part I of the book "Don't Forgive Too Soon – Extending the Two Hands that Heal" by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, and Matthew Linn. If you go to amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Forgive-Too-Soon-Extending/dp/0809137046) and use their "Look Inside" feature you can read it. Select the "first pages" section. It has more details than I gave, but not enough to make me 100% sure whether it was intended as literal truth or as allegory. The book is IMO fantastic and I'm pretty sure I still have it, but I own a lot of books and it was faster to look it up. Dennis, Sheila, and Matthew are pretty well known n their circles. but I don't think quite so busy as not to be able to answer the question.
Your gray squirrel sounds like the little chipmonk who tried to get into my house a long time ago. My yellow tabby was rooting for him to do it. Luckily, he never did.
Alternet: This young man is probably giving Bernie good advice. We all know he has worked for black people, but living in Vermont, probably hasn't met a lot of them.
Huff Post: I agree, they are ignorant, and while I am not fond of Fiorino, she made a statement that I can agree with, we are half or more of the population and every woman should be able to live the life she chooses.
The Guardian: I agree with you Lynn, but I also agree with the man who said that saying a woman would be more effective by virtue of her sex is misleading. Women do listen better than men, in general and most of us have been brought up to care for others, but there are women out there who are just a agressive and cruel as some men. My hubby always says that I am meaner than he is.
My Universe: I love this one. My sister exhibits this every day. Her husband has been disabled due to a brain anuerysm for seven years. She works every day with him, doing four different kinds of therapy, and always says, maybe if I try harder tomorrow.
Update on Cousin Phillip: He is still in ICU, but he was able to speak out loud today, even with the trachea tube installed. The hand surgeon visited him today and told him he would lose many of his fingers and showed him the prosthetics. Phillip replied " At least I am alive". I love this guy. Thanks for all your prayers, and please, keep remembering him.
Thanks for your most encouraging update on Cousin Phillip. Sounds like he's progressing admirably, and no doubt with the help of an excellent support team – so take a bow!
Thanks, Nameless, but no bows here. That goes to his wife and my dear friend, BEcky. She has been at the hospital everyday that he has.
God bless you Edie and all those you love – especially Cousin Phillip – thanks for the update (gosh he is SO brave!!). I'm sure his recovery is in no small part due to those round him who love him so dearly – well done all of you! (Still praying of course).
Thanks, Pat. Appreciate those prayers.
Sorry Edie – I missed this first time round "My Universe: I love this one. My sister exhibits this every day. Her husband has been disabled due to a brain anuerysm for seven years. She works every day with him, doing four different kinds of therapy, and always says, maybe if I try harder tomorrow." – goodness me – courage, love, and determination to succeed helping others, really runs in your family doesn't it!
In my sister's case, yes. She is an amazing woman.
Glad to hear that Phillip is coming along Edie. It would be so easy for Phillip to be bitter over what has happened . . . not that he is not upset, but it seems he has his head screwed on correctly. There will be a time and a place for him to gain some justice from this tragedy. Phillip continues to be in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks for the prayers, Lynn. Phillip has always been a brave person. Becky, his wife, is amazing. She goes in every day with a big smile and tells him how well he is doing. She won't permit anyone to go in with a sad face and depressing comments, either. I sincerely hope Phillip will get justice. This whole thing is almost surreal.
You're keeping yourself quite busy, Lynn, thanks for the time and effort and a great blog. Glad the squirrel thought better of coming in. It would have been chaos with three cats around.
Alternet: Good to see that Bernie Sanders is reaching out to the black communities now and that he's heard. I'm sure he'll visit more of them in the future, but Bernie want's to be the president for ALL people and is old and wise enough in both the literal and the political sense to know that it's a difficult balance he must maintain between majorities and minorities. If he goes to too many black communities, white voters and those of other minorities may feel he's becoming the "black man's candidate", while the black voters may feel it is a false and affected interest. A very difficult balance to maintain and I'm sure Bernie is very well aware of.
Huffington Post: Obviously Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz were trying to suck up to the black voter without knowing the first thing about Rosa Parks. Too bad all this background information given here by the Huffington Post is not repeated by Faux News, so they will never know how ridiculous their praise of this woman was, and sadly, neither will their voters.
The Guardian: Of course women can and do bring so much more to the table, but sadly we may only hear of it when they excel in very manly things, like a leading military unit, leading a country or a company, mostly in a male way. It's when we open our eyes for the good females and female leaders do in more peaceful, non aggressive, non-competitive and less egotistical but more caring ways, that mankind can truly benefit from female contribution.
My Universe: Love the picture and love the thought.
Lynn – Another stellar post.
I like how you have followed a format that is familiar to us, and so makes us all comfortable. BUT also have added your own personal touches that clearly say "Lynn".
Ditto!
Thanks Lynn for these, and thanks for the news about TC – still praying of course several times a day.
Huff Post – nothing the GOP do would surprise me. Thanks Lynn for the photo of Rosa Parks, I had never seen that before – her beauty shines from her eyes, doesn't it!
The Guardian " Maganwe took action: she phoned the rebel leader and demanded that he move the combat elsewhere. " – I am a great reader of history, but never in all my life have I read such a thing – that woman has initiative, and in vast quantities too – utterly amazing! (I would never have thought of such a thing in a month of Sundays!).
My Universe – PrrrRRrrrRRR!!
Puzzle ~ 3:54 when I tried it yesterday. My retry today is 3:49.
Love that BEAUTIFUL picture of the lioness and her baby! I hope there are more of them close by!
Thanks everybody. I posted and Open Thread earlier and have almost finished one for the 20th.