It has poured rain all day and tonight/tomorrow is supposed to be very heavy rain and wind. Time to button up under the blankets with the fur babes. I was teaching today and had the most delightful surprise . . . as I was leaving, my little Simon, who is 18 moths old, grabbed my legs in a big hug and said "I love you". Oh my, didn't that just bring tears to my eyes! I guess this is what it feels like to be a grandma! (I never had childrren of my own) Tomorrow, their mother is going to a dinner at the church so I volunteered to watch the kids. We're having pizza for dinner which I know they all like. Sure beats cooking!
Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:13 (average 4:54). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Short Takes
Alternet — John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" is far and away the most refreshing thing on late-night TV. While other shows center around round-table chats and celebrity interviews, Oliver uses his massive platform to highlight overlooked but important political issues. Recently, he told CBS that his focus was "absurd public policies."
By highlighting the absurdities of American institutions, he milks the injustice for a laugh while drawing the attention of millions of viewers to the issue. It's a brilliant combination that, when it fires on all cylinders, makes for great comedy and sometimes even triggers reforms.
Here are his seven best segments.
1. Net Neutrality
Arguably Oliver's breakout hit, this segment masterfully dissected the knotty issue of net neutrality and its effect on free speech. Oliver explained why creating a two-tiered Internet was unfair, and even recruited the Internet's "vile commenters" to spam the FCC's website, which was taking public comment at the time. As a result, the website crashed and FCC Chair Tom Wheeler had to hilariously insist to the public that he "wasn't a dingo."
Click through for the other 6 videos of John Oliver monologues which average 15 minutes each. But each one is focused on different aspects of American life. John is funny as usual.
The New Yorker — New reports indicating that Ben Carson might not have actually stabbed anyone during his youth have sent the retired neurosurgeon plummeting in the latest Republican Presidential polls.
Carson supporters, reeling from the news that their candidate’s past might have been devoid of stabbing, have deserted his candidacy in droves, suggesting that Republican voters viewed Carson’s stabbing as a key part of his résumé.
Indeed, a recent University of Minnesota poll showed that a full third of Carson supporters singled out “his stabbing experience” as a top reason for supporting him for the nation’s highest office.
But Andy, on the other hand, he tried to redeem himself by lying about being offered a scholarship to West Point. Click through for the rest.
Mother Jones — On Friday, President Obama announced his administration's decision to reject the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, after seven years of intense deliberation over the pipeline's potential environmental risks. The announcement is widely viewed as a major victory for environmentalists and is sure to further burnish the president's legacy in combating climate change.
Click through to read Obama's speech. And here is the Canadian government reaction as reported by the CBC. As noted, the federal NDP were against the Keystone XL, but the Alberta NDP government of course was for it. Personally, I was not in favour of the pipeline, particularly the route that could affect the Ogallala Aquifer. Oil companies do not have a good record with spills, on both sides of the border.
My Universe — Chillin'!
18 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 07/11/2015”
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4:52 Guess I didn't see enough light.
AlterNet – And be sure to read the fine print. Some of them have actually become agents of change.
New Yorker – OMFG, isn't that funny. You know the West Point one was really funny – there are no scholarships to West Point because there is no tuition; you pay for the education by enlisting and serving in the Army. Ditto room and board. Guess the military expert didn't know that.
MoJo – Here are only two of I don't know how many petitions you can sign if you want to thank him for this.
http://www.care2.com/news/member/193692282/3925270
http://act.gerryconnolly.com/keystone
Follow up on the Marco Rubio-Malala brouhaha – Now here's a geuine interview-article with Malala which I find very encouraging:
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/11/05/malala-emma-watson
Universe – Honey, if you can shill while some uptight professional photographer (who is in constant competition with every other photographer in the world) takes your glamour shots, you are doing just great!
Also, one Care2 member posted a petition there to welcome him back. I'm posting it here because you do not have to be a Care2 member, or in the US, or over 18, or anything else, to sign:
http://http://www.thepetitionsite.com/482/744/673/tomcat-welcome-back-to-c2-and-politics-plus/
You will likely get a thank you from "Dadforthe future;" you can see at the petition site that that is Dave C, the petition owner. If you're a member, I suspect he will send green stars.
I thought this was a neat way to get all of our names (or usernames) all in one place for him to see.
Please send him green stars too.
I gladly signed this one! Welcome back, TC, we missed you.
I am very surprised that there are only 20 signatures so far . . . I just checked. I think we need to get this out. I'll try to remember to include it tomorrow when I send out my links.
I was so happy to watch President Obama's speech on denying the KXL! I was never so proud of ANYONE as I was of him in that moment!!! FINALLY, someone listened to the clamor and petitions that were against the Keystone XL!!
John Oliver is our time's "dictionary" on politics and things of that ilk! He is so funny and it makes the bad news go down much easier! I loved him when he filled in for Jon Stewart while he was away on the film shoot!
I hear, or read, where Jon Stewart will be having a show of some kind of program on HBO soon! That will be GREAT! Just hope it is not on Friday night opposite of Bill Maher! They would never do THAT!
Glad you get a chance to play with the kids! Sounds like fun!!!!
Totally exhausting!!! I'm not 10 years old anymore! But I did get lots of cuddles and "I love you"s from the two youngest.
Love the sound of your plans! We may get some rain starting tomorrow night.
Yup–plenty of absurd policies and proposed policies to make your meat and potatoes. Sadly, trying to erode net neutrality is not yet history with a variety of back door approaches still being tried so we must remain vigilent. I may watch the rest of the videos in lieu of SNL which apparently still intends to let Trump be host despite our best efforts….sigh
I didn't know lying was on the list of permitted in BC's church…
I do celebrate the XL victory–not often the people beat a corporation (or slow Koch profits)…and I heard that many cities and some states are stepping up to defend the EPA rules against the states that filed agin them.
Beautiful kitty–worth staring at for hours. Thanks Lynn
Np kidding! Don't you know that BC thinks lying is a serious sin! I wonder what he thinks he is doing if it is not lying?
John Oliver is great, video on KXL is great, too
AlterNet: I try and watch his show when I can. Love how John explains issues. He's so good!!
NYorker: He's a liar and a Repug. Why anyone in their right mind, would listen or vote for this guy is beyond me.
MJ: Kudos to our President for rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline!! YAY!
My Universe: Adorable picture.
The love of a little one is one of the greatest loves of all. So sweet of you to volunteer to watch the kids. Pizza sounds delicious, I know they w/enjoy being with you. Take care, enjoy your evening. Thanks, Lynn.
3:34 the light went out on me.
3:31 I think Lynn blew the lights out when she got to the top of the lamp post.
Yup! So 😥 me a river!
Have fun with those kids!
Alternet: We need more like John Oliver. He spares no one, but shows the inequities and injustices that exist here today.
The New Yorker: Love Andy, he goes straight for the jugular.
Mother Jones: I am so glad he vetoed this one. The only thing the USA was getting out of this was more pollution and the possiblity of horrific spills.
MY Universe: I wish I could get a pic like this of my cats. I saw lots of this artists pics on the Animal Rescue site. Love them.
Thanks,Lynn, for all your hard work.
Storm and rain is one thing, Lynn, and putting a new thread together quite another, but taking care of 5 young kids not your own is heavy duty, I should think, even when their favorite pizza is at hand. I hoped you managed well. The mum will be so grateful for her church night off!
Alternet: I love John Oliver exactly for the reasons mentioned by Alternet: his great ability to draw attention to sensitive political issues with an appropriated doses of humor and make people think and laugh at the same time. I watched the first video on Net Neutrality as I hadn't seen that one before, and save the others to savor video by video when I have time. This particular one on Net Neutrality was a master piece, but as a habitual commenter on this site and Care2 I'm not sure I can comment much on it now 😉
The New Yorker: Andy hits the soft spot again. As most of us have argues here one time or another, the Republican rabid base wants to hear lies; not facts or truths, but plain old lies, the worse the better, as any Republican debate or campaign speech shows without fail. Ben Carson is so high up in the polls because he's a habitual liar, in my opinion a pathological liar even. I'd never heard of Doctor Carson before he announced himself candidate, but since then I've read nothing but how good a brain surgeon he was, as in the almost standard phrase "eminent brain surgeon". But has anyone really bothered to do some research on his surgical abilities? Because I find it quite unthinkable that a man with any medical degree could utter such anti-scientific drivel. Unless he's a pathological liar who wants to please his base of course.
Mother Jones: When the first news came in here in the Netherlands on the demise of the Keystone XL under the Obama administration, the main reasons to stop its development were the lack of jobs the project would bring and its lower cost-effectiveness, i.e. both much lower than predicted. I think this was put forward in the first press releases to undermine Republican outrage as much as possible. Obama could then personally go into detail on the environmental risks in his speech, an issue he's committed himself to as part of his legacy.
It was only 4 kids ages 10, 8, 4 and 18 months, Lona. Better still, I put the 8 year old in charge of diaper changes. She does a wonderful doing that often for her mum. The kids were rowdy to the extreme, but they listened well.
Thanks everyone!