OK, it has been a very long day. I started by doing some research for the blog and then I went to get some things like 18 kg (40 lbs) of cat food out of my car when my 2 boys dashed out the door for a frolic. Fortunately, they stay very close to the front door. Unfortunately, they are not want to come in the house when called. So I waited outside with them until they finally came in. That however made me 15 minutes late picking up my student, Lucia. We went to Costco for her very big shop. Fortunately, that is now done and I am at home with my leg up for a bit and back to working on the blog.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:26 (average 5:14). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Short Takes
PoliticusUSA — Lawmakers had agreed not to reach out for handshakes from Pope Francis as he entered the House chamber, so it was a pointed and deliberate move when the Pope saved his only handshake for Secretary of State John Kerry.
Read the rest of this very short article using the link above.
Huffington Post — With the bang of a gavel, international leaders approved an ambitious 15-year plan Friday to tackle the world's biggest problems, from eradicating poverty to preserving the planet to reducing inequality. Now comes the tough part: Drumming up support and money to achieve the goals and transform the world.
Pope Francis gave his backing to the new development agenda in an address to the U.N. General Assembly before the summit to adopt the 17-point plan opened, calling it "an important sign of hope'' at a very troubled time in the Middle East and Africa. …
The document, titled "Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,'' not only outlines 17 broad goals but sets 169 specific targets.
The non-binding goals succeed the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted by world leaders 15 years ago. Only one of those has been achieved: halving the number of people living in extreme poverty, due primarily to economic growth in China. At least one other is close – cutting in half the proportion of people without access to clean water – and there are still three months until the goals expire.
In my opinion, the primary goal must be the cessation of ALL hostilities in the world. That does not mean that we wait until that happens, otherwise nothing will be done. But there needs to be respect . . . respect for people and culture; respect for religions or atheism; respect for the planet; and respect for the fruits of the planet.
Raw Story — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested over the weekend that the Republican presidential candidates were so “laughable” that “the people of Iran look at them as a form of entertainment.”
“Sometimes when I would have time some of [the Republican presidential debates were] broadcast live and I would watch it,” Rouhani told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “Some of it was quite laughable. It was very strange, the things that they spoke of.”
“Some of them wouldn’t even know where Tehran was in relation to Iran,” the president said with a smile. “Some of them wouldn’t know where Iran was geographically, not distinguishing that one is the capital of the other. What they spoke of was quite far away from the truth.”
Read the rest. I think we would agree that the Republcan presidential candidates are quite laughable if the prospects of a Republican POTUS weren't so dire.
The New Yorker — As Pope Francis makes his historic first visit to the United States, millions of Americans are turning out to thank the Pontiff for temporarily displacing Donald Trump from the news.
As the Pope visits Washington, New York, and Philadelphia, people from every walk of life are expressing profound gratitude that the news media is offering non-stop coverage of Francis’s every move instead of Trump’s, if only for five days.
I swear, Andy is straight reporting yet again!
My Universe — "How undignified! Put me down this second you brute . . . there are people watching!"
12 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 28/09/2015”
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sounds as if Rhohani is keeping up with US politics way too closely.
You speak the truth! LOL
4:52 Guess I won't get in.
Politicus – And very nice, too.
HuffPo – True that it's ambitious – but it's important to have a plan. If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else, after all.
Raw Story – I like a good joke as well as anyone, but I doubt if Rouhani will be laughing if one of them is elected. I'm reminded of people who think they shouldn't have to pay taxes for public schools if they don't have kids, not grasping that the schools shape the people they will be dealing with for the rest of their lives. I'm not exactly sure what emotions I am greeting Republican statements with, but laughter it isn't. I am happy that some can, though, since mockery is definitely needed. (Over to Andy.)
New Yorker – Straight reporting indeed.
Universe – Oh, poor doggy! I don't oftrn sympathize with dogs as opposed to cats, but cats wreak vengeance on those who embarrass them, especially in public. Impending doom here.
3:48 The palm fronds got in my eyes.
3:33 Me too, but only one eye.
One thing you can never expect from a cat and that is gratitude, Lynn. You do your back out carrying their food into the house and they make you wait and 15 minutes late for an appointment, that's all they have to offer. And purring, and cuteness, and head butting and all those little things you can't do without. And while we're on that subject: any news of our most favorite feline?
PoliticusUSA: Congress finally met their match: the master politician, Pope Francis. The gesture of his one handshake and his choice was formidable.
Huffington Post: These goals the UN agreed on to try and reach in the next fifteen years are far more detailed and ambitious than the previous millennium goals, yet most of these weren't met even though the times were more positive and economically stable than they are now, at least in the first half. These new goals are again non-binding and with theworld shifting further to the right each year, chances are that this plan will remain a paper tiger, a feel-good-about-ourselves plan that above all will serve to calm the masses who are rising. A pity, because the goals in themselves are good and need to be met if there is going to be a third plan after 2030.
Raw Story: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani may have been laughing extra hard because of the Iranian content in the debates and campaigns of the Republican hopefuls, but I think he speaks for almost every one outside America when he says that these candidates are nothing more than entertainment for a good doses of mirth. But that laughter will die on all our lips if one of those clowns makes it into the White House. As they say: "anything is possible in America".
New Yorker: Yup, Andy is just reporting what is out there again. Pope Francis has visited many countries in the past months and nowhere was the media coverage as extensive as it was in America, not even in countries that still are almost 100% Catholic. And this was evidently because people couldn't get enough of listening to someone who was sane, rational and sensible and who talked of compassion and love for fellow man. Not all is lost yet.
My Universe: If I were that dog, I wouldn't count on that reflex to go limp to hold very long.
Love the My Universe pic! Wonder where that dog was taking the cat? Looks like it was liking the ride!
Andy is SPOT ON with his observation there!!!! He has the media pegged to a "T"!!! Trump was the least of the media's coverage when The Pope landed and I was ecstatic, even though I am not Catholic, let alone the religious type!!
And Lona has an excellent question. Any news of our Puddy-Tat?
The Pope: sanity instead of inanity and love instead of rapacious greed. Just the rest we all needed!
Kerry deserved that handshake for several reasons…That is a remarkable agreement worthy of praise and celebrations given how hard it is to get international agreement … given how poor the geography scores in this country were soon after these guys graduated highschool I don't wonder that every educated person elsewhere in the world might find them laughable and AB is straight again yet I welcomed the changed media focus to on promising news and ideas to make this world better.
Politicus: Very well intented, and gracious too.
New Yorker: I'm sure that he will make up for his 'lost time', in playing catch up. I really enjoyed watching this Pope, and almost cried, when he stopped the car to go talk to the young man who has CP, in talking and kissing his head, and blessing him. How wonderful.
My Universe: I kind of like a dog that takes charge, maybe he was rescuing the kitty from something/someone?
Hope you get some rest, and I echo Lona's/Vivian's question, any news of our head Kitty cat? Take care, and Thanks!
PoliticusUSA! Good for Kerry, he has always been underestimated and would probablyhave been our President had not the Republicans pulled every dirty trick in the book.
Huffpo: These are lofty goals that wil probably never be funded. Your wish won't either because there is too much money to be made by the war machines to ever have peace in this world.
Raw Story: Yes, most of the Republican candidates are laughable to us, but they know to use sound bytes to make it seem they are not to those who pay little attention to what is actually happening in this country and get their news from Faux noise.
The New Yorker: He is telling the truth so far as I am concerned. We usually watch the network news at 6:30pm. EVery channel had Trump on tonight. He is so full of bombast he can almost sound convincing.
My Universe: My cats would have been clawing and kicking the dog's face!
Thanks for all you are doing here, we all appreciate it.