Today has been very busy. I still have my cold but I am feeling much better than earlier in the week. Now to get rid of the cough. My babes run off when I cough too much! To be sure though, I am availing myself of Lona's cat naps. I hope I don't deplete her supply too much. Please keep TC in your prayers and thoughts as he heads back into surgery on Monday. For those who will out Trick or Treating, please be careful. For those partying, I hope the Great Pumpkin doesn't catch up to you. At least you get an extra hour of sleep tonight!
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:11 (average 6:08). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Short Takes
Politico — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid tore into Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday, calling on the Florida Republican and 2016 presidential contender to resign his Senate seat as he racks up no-shows on his voting record while campaigning for the White House.
Rubio seems to be drawing fire for his performance as a senator from various sources, not least of which is Jeb Bush. The Sun-Sentinel has called for his resignation too.
Think Progress — Sen. Ted Cruz, candidate for the highest office in the land, thinks that climate change — a phenomenon widely accepted by the scientists who study it — is a religious belief.
“Climate change is not science. It’s religion,” Cruz told Glenn Beck on Thursday.
To back up his claim, Cruz pointed to the way we talk about climate change.
Click through for the rest of Cruz's imbecilic nonsense.
Common Dreams — Texas politicians love to sprinkle their orations with words like liberty and freedom but even they must concede that all societies establish formal and informal rules governing individual behavior and virtually all interfere to some degree with someone’s freedom of action. No matter how extreme our libertarian bent, most of us accept the need for driving licenses and the restrictions one-way streets and stop signs impose. And however reluctantly we agree that the government can take our money even while profoundly disagreeing on how public money should be spent.
Most of us also accept that property rights are not absolute. Just because we own land doesn’t mean we can build a 30-story building or a slaughterhouse in an otherwise residential neighborhood.
Who should make the rules? Again I believe most of us prefer that decisions be made closest to those who will feel the impact of those decisions that is, by local government. More remote levels of government should defer to governance closer to the people except in rare circumstances.
Keeping this framework in mind, how did the tension between democracy and liberty play out in this year’s Texas legislative session?
Democracy came in a distant second.
Only in Texas can things get this screwed up.
My Universe —
And this one is especially for TomCat to honour one of his frequent sayings
h/t Carol B and Ted W (Care2)
Bears shit in the woods!
10 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 31/10/2015”
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Politico: From the Sun Sentinel: "You are paid $174,000 per year to represent us, to fight for us, to solve our problems. Plus you take a $10,000 federal subsidy — declined by some in the Senate — to participate in one of the Obamacare health plans, though you are a big critic of Obamacare," the board said. "You are ripping us off, senator." If I was getting paid that amount of money at my old school, I'd sure be doing my job. Or resign my seat/position. Unreal !!!
TP: Mr Cruz would be wise to look at his own state, and NOT be able to see the changes happening?? Geeze, I guess his religion is different than mine then. (as he starts the clown car…).
Common Dreams: 'In Texas liberty trumps the desire of a community to protect its residents health or to tackle discrimination in housing." Or gun control, or voting. Such as places as Austin (housing) or Denton (fracking). The housing market in Austin is atrocious, and people are looking for affordable housing and moving elsewhere. I'm living in a state where Halloween nightmares persist daily. Quite frankly, I'm embarrassed being a Texan. Not native though. (want to make that totally clear, y'all).
Cartoon: I needed a good laugh this morning. I just snorted my coffee!!
Have a good Halloween, if you celebrate. I don't. But I do give out candy to the little ones. TC, got you in my prayers, take good care. Thanks, Lynn. Enjoy your day. Thanks!
Ted Cruz:
Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Sean Hannity may moderate the next GOP per Ted Cruz. Reince Priebus and RNC will no longer have a say in the debate process. Watch this segment of Rachel Maddow:
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 10/30/15
Republican candidates reject party's role in debate set-up
Chris Jansing, NBC News senior White House correspondent, talks with Rachel Maddow about a planned meeting this Sunday between the Republican candidates to decide how to conduct future debates. Representatives from the Republican National Committee, which has been in charge of the debates so far, are not invited. Duration: 19:43
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/gop-candidates-reject-rnc-role-in-debates-556070979788
I would love to see the Republicans take Rachel up on her offer to moderate a debate. Most likely not as they are too afraid to take questions from her. lol.
Great Bear cartoon! lol!
3:51 ~ Scary monsters in the puzzle today.
I guess it is mine until Jerry or Joanne kick me out! 😀
More catnaps on their way yo you, Lynn. We can't have you scaring your fur babes away with your coughing. Halloween will be scary enough for them. Have a good sleep and repeat the process until you feel you feel your cold is completely under control, and then have one more to make absolutely sure.
Politico: Again, too many people want to have their cake and eat it too, but the opposition, in the person of Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, calling Rubio out on his terrible attendance record, isn't going to make much of an impressions. It'll need changing of some laws and would apply to all Congressmen, but that would in all fairness probably also mean that Bernie Sanders would have to resign and that would be the last person we'd want out of the senate, would we.
Think Progress: I don't think I've ever heard someone cram more lies and false assumptions in two minutes that Cruz did here. But I'm not going after them one by one – we all know the truth here – but I'm going to thank dear Ted and turn the tables on him. If "Climate Change" is a religion we're now all entitled to ram it down your throat just as you think it fit to ram your religion down ours. Don't forget to swallow, Ted, you might choke on it otherwise.
Common Dreams: Ah, yes, the sorry State of Texas. Funny how the welfare of a democratic majority in this state is so often made subordinate to liberty, meaning the liberty of a handful of individuals, individual Republicans to be precise. And the last section of the article describes exactly where the priorities of the Democrats in Texas should lie: with getting the disenfranchised in Texas registered and out to vote. Because all in all, they are the democratic majority as well as the Democratic majority which can overturn this liberty madness in Texas.
My Universe: 2 x LOL
Thanks for the cat nap supply. I intend to use them liberally, at least until the Puddy Tat is back at full steam.
I hope you feel better soon. Please keep us updated on TC's surgery.
Politico: From what I have been reading, Rubio all ready is bought and paid for by some millionnaire who wants control of Congress and the White House. He is probably feeling pretty safe.
Think Progress: I didn't need to watch this to know I would disagree with everything he said. If he was not all ready a nut in my opinion, appearing on the Glenn Beck show would have confirmed it.
Common Dreams: Abbott is starting to make Perry look like a liberal.
My Universe: The first one makes me glad I am retired, the only time Ihave to worry about the alarm clock is when Mom has a doctors appt. The second one was just plain funny.
I am glad you find the second one funny Edie. TC frequently says "Do bears shit in the woods?" so I could not resist. I hope he sees it!
Thanks all. I am up very late because I indulged in one of Lona's cat naps rather late, but now it is time to hug my pillow. Good night.