Yesterday I was cleared to take a real human shower, with assistance and supervision. The drive in shower is in another unit, presenting scheduling difficulties, but I’m hoping to take one today. Today is a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. My Broncos’ service is with the Bears. I will not be able to see it, because the damn SeaChickewns are playing at the same time. My the Holy Orb bless your team, unless they shit in the woods.
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Just days after withdrawing from the 2016 Presidential race, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal said that he would return the seventy dollars raised by his campaign.
Speaking to reporters in Baton Rouge, Jindal said he was proud that his campaign war chest “came entirely from small donors.”
Dang, Andy!! Booby Butthead actually raised THAT MUCH?!!?
From Daily Kos: Since William Rehnquist joined the Supreme Court, it has made several rulings that have knocked the U.S. Constitution out of whack. Retired Justice John Paul Stevens, who deliberated on most of those rulings, has written six amendments to fix the damage and tune-up the Constitution. Stevens published his proposed amendments last year in the book “Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution.” The amendments are terse, surgical fixes, which seem to fit the Constitution’s style of saying much with few words. The book gives a good history and description of each problem. Here is a brief rundown with the text of each amendment:
1. The “Anti-Commandeering” Rule: In 1997, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court, created an “anti-commandeering” rule, which bans Congress from ordering state officials to carry out federal duties. The case was brought by two county sheriffs, who did not want to do background checks for firearm sales as ordered by the Brady Act. The new rule led to holes in the database that would allow persons prone to violence, like the killer in the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shooting, to get firearms. Stevens notes that the “anti-commandeering” rule could also cripple other Congressional acts, from routine administration of federal programs to emergency responses to national catastrophes or acts of terror. His fix adds four words (in bold below) to the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause:
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges and other public officials in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
I agree with virtually everything Justice Srevens has to say. I have shared one of six of his proposed Constitutional amendments. Click through for the other five.
From NY Times: Outside her two-story tract home in this working-class town, Debbie Alberts, a part-time food service worker, has torn out most of the lawn. She has given up daily showers and cut her family’s water use nearly in half, to just 178 gallons per person each day.
A little more than 100 miles west, a resident of the fashionable Los Angeles hills has been labeled “the Wet Prince of Bel Air” after drinking up more than 30,000 gallons of water each day — the equivalent of 400 toilet flushes each hour with two showers running constantly, with enough water left over to keep the lawn perfectly green.
Only one of them has been fined for excessive water use: Ms. Alberts.
Four years into the worst drought in California’s recorded history, the contrast between the strict enforcement on Californians struggling to conserve and the unchecked profligacy in places like Bel Air has unleashed anger and indignation — among both the recipients of the fines, who feel helpless to avoid them, and other Californians who see the biggest water hogs getting off scot-free.
What an Outrage! This injustice could not be more Californicated!!
Cartoon:
18 Responses to “On the Edge–11/22/2015”
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Normal showers are a huge step in recovery–kudos! Sorry it is that much of a scheduling issue with where you are, though.
Glad we will not see Jindal on the debate stage nor Vitter replacing him in LA.
Stevens is a jurist with an excellent grasp of the fundamentals of constitutional law that those who came later should learn from, but I'm not holding my breath. Hopefully future jurists will.
I give Albert much credit for all she did and am horrified that her community treated her as they did…makes me wonder whether Bel Air feels like they can ignore the State's reduction mandates that will later become our case law here.
And still we have unanswered questions about the events that unrolled that the public first knew about with the dreadful gunshot on this day in history.
New Yorker ~ Louisiana has a new governor and he is a Democrat! YAY!
NYer: LOL, Andy! Congratulations to LA for getting a Democrat in there, the Honorable John Edwards! WTG. *Patty, I'm tickled for you!
NY Times: Unbelievable. Ms. Alberts has been conserving water, while Bel Air is using up millions of gallons of water. I agree, I think newspapers should get the names out there to the public as to who uses massive amounts of water excessively. Let them know it won't be tolerated.
Cartoon: I remember exactly where I was 52 years ago, when JFK was assassinated. I heard the announcement over the school speakers, and we left school early. 3 days of mourning. It was, and still is, an unbelievably tragic part of our history.
Great news!! Hopefully, by the time you read this, you will have taken your shower. I know that you will feel better each passing day. My team, (Texans) won vs. the Jets 24-17. Gotta love JJ Watt. Good luck with your Broncos. Enjoy the rest of your day/evening, take care, and Thanks, TC.
You could have done without the assistance and supervision, I suppose, but a real shower must have been the highlight of your day, TomCat. I hope you didn't stay in too long and it made you feel almost human! Did your team put the cherrie on today's cake for you?
The New Yorker: Tsssk, Andy, you shouldn't have let the cat out of the bag. Now we all know for sure that he only had Mom and Pop donors…literally.
Daily Kos: Justice Stevens is a brilliant Justice who can "heal" the Constitution by adding or changing just a few words. He closes a major loophole brought on by the anti-Commandeering rule, by adding just "and other public officials". His suggestions date from the beginning of this year, but the SCOTUS isn't planning on having a look at them. Not surprising with five Republicans on board; those are never willing to learn from past mistakes, let alone correct any mistakes the have made if they have a chance. That would be admitting to having made mistakes, wouldn't it, and since they think they are infallible, that's an absolute no-no. Every one of his six suggested amendments could significantly change the political playing field that jurisdiction has become.
NY Times: This is made up, isn't it? It can't be true that Ms Alberts get's fined for using 178 gallons of water each day while “the Wet Prince of Bel Air” isn't even reprimanded for using 30,000 gallons of water each day. How could he possibly use that much water, is he running a water bottle filling plant out of his garage in Bel Air?
The Great Divide is at work everywhere.
Cartoon: Their identities may still not be known, but the ones behind JFK 's murder were right wingers, far right wingers even, in my opinion.
actually, I did need the help,
New Yorker – A good day for you, except for the difficulty with attending services. A bad day for ex-governors and gubernatorial candidates in Louisiana – and that means a good day for the people of the US. Yay!
DKos – I am afraid that to get these corrections passed as Constitutional Amendments will be an overwhelming project. Of course it should be done. But I think it requires more progressive mojo than their is in the country right now. I think our best hope for speed is a Democratic President and Democratic Court appointees. The Amendments would not be speedy, but would (if passed) be permanent at least.
NY Times – The Gray Lady doesn't always have her head screwed on just so straight. I'm glad it is straight enough today for her to notice and print that it is not just people slapped personally with unjust fines who are angry and indignant – that other Californians are furious as well. Who or what administers this crap? Can they be called out? Calling out the actual offenders doesn't help; they just laugh.
Cartoon – The Bush family had something to do with it.
Well, if you’re going to withhold blessings from teams that “shit in the woods” – not only would your Denver Broncos potentially qualify, but also …
Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Why, I suppose it could even include the MINNESOTA VIKINGS and DALLAS COWBOYS
😉
(Not much typing – just C/P)
But the Broncos are using their backup quarterback for now which has people a wee bit antsy…
DK: I especially like # 6!!
NYT: the "Wet Prince of Bel Air" needs to be fined and PUBLICLY SPANKED! Then someone needs to find out why this clown has gone unpunished so far.
Andy: Jindal said that "It was not my time." I'd be tempted to give him $75 to say "It will never be my time." Is Christie's empty self ever going to throw in his useless towel?
JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATED – NOV 22, 1963
It’s one of those indelible “Where Were You When…?” moments – at least for the most part.
I was in my sophomore English class taught by a 6’ 4” All-State basketball player just a few years older than we were from one of our top rivals in the Metro.
He was reading a book to us (forgot the title) when the all classes were interrupted by the announcement that came through the PA system that Pres. Kennedy had been assassinated.
The utter shock and horror was overwhelming.
Mr. Hobbs simply dismissed us, put down his head on his desk, and wept like a baby – as did we all.
I have NO idea how I got home – that part is just a fog.
I was a passenger in a car in a left turn lane waiting for the light en route to an orthodontist appt. when the announcement interrupted on the radio. One of those moments frozen in time for most all who were alive at the time.
I was a college freshman, trying to type a term paper that was due that day. Needless to say, it was not turned in on time.
I was a sophomore in college,living at home, and was home, working on silk-screening Christmas cards. I had the radio on so got bulletins. I actually missed a lot of classes that quarter, due to not feeling well; I was tested for everything from mononucleosis to pernicious anemia, with negative results. I was about ready to get a referral to a psychiatrist when my uncle, aunt and cousins came for Christmas and my aunt said she smelled gas. The light went on, we got the leak fixed, and I recovered. But I don't think I have ever recovered from the loss of President Kennedy.
Wow! Your aunt smelled GAS!
There goes at least one of your nine lives!
(And keep that aunt around … and happy!)
Nothing feels better than a good shower. I hope you get to have another one tomorrow.
The New Yorker: Andy is so funny, love this.
Daily Kos: These six amendments are long over due. If they pass, which we all know is unlikely, they will go a long way to improving some of the injustices we have today.
NY Times: This is yet another example of how differently the rich are treated than the rest of us. Shame on California!
Cartoon: And the world has never been the same since!
Well, there may be a FEW things that feel better …
LOL!
Rushing. Hugs!