Jan 162016
 

Today is a relatively lazy day, and I’ve needed one for a while.  My helper friend may come to sort clothes.  Today and tomorrow are high holy cays in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  Today the Chiefs visit the Patriots,and the Packers visit the Cardinals.  Tomorrow the Seachickens visit the Panthers, and the Steelers visit my Broncos.  May the holy Orb shine its blessed light on your team,, except the Steelers.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:27 (average 6:00).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Americans who watched Thursday night’s Republican debate on the Fox Business Network expressed deep disappointment that the billionaire Donald J. Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz did not actually punch each other’s faces in the course of the contest.

In interviews with voters across the country, those who viewed the debate complained that their hopes had been “unfairly raised” that the two candidates’ fists would come into contact with each other’s faces, and said that they were extremely irritated when that did not occur.

And Andy gets a big Amen!!

From Daily Kos: Politico has a new piece up last night discussing Elizabeth Warren and the role her endorsement could play in the Democratic primaries.

Most striking among everything that was said is the sense that seems universal in Washington- Elizabeth Warren supports Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, but has some difficult political calculations to go through as to when to make that public.

Democrats in Washington and New Hampshire — especially the ones supporting Hillary Clinton — want Elizabeth Warren to end the wait and endorse a candidate soon

New Hampshire Democrats know that Warren’s support could be a boon for Clinton in the state where polls show a neck and neck race.

Sanders and Clinton supporters are both hoping to get the endorsement, but no one wants to push Warren on the timing.

If true, this will be the first time I’ve ever disagreed with Liz.

From NY Times: Even if he defeats Hillary Clinton in both Iowa and New Hampshire next month, Senator Bernie Sanders faces a daunting problem when the presidential race moves on to bigger, more diverse states: winning over black voters.

Starting this weekend in South Carolina, he is trying to solve it.

With a blitz of appearances, ads on black-oriented radio stations, a tour of historically black colleges and the help of well-known and not-so-well-known African-Americans, Mr. Sanders is racing to get the word out: He is a lifelong civil rights advocate who marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He talks substantively about issues vital to many blacks, like “radically rethinking police procedures,” even in front of all-white crowds. And the economic policies that he relentlessly argues would combat income inequality and injustice across the board, he says, apply all the more to persistent racial disparities in American life.

The BLM activists who took over Bernie’s stage to gain publicity did a disservice to the African American community, because they left an impression that Bernie is not a viable candidate for black voters. When I worked on Vietnam Summer, Dr. King told us over and over that policies, like the war, that increased economic inequality, were most racist, because they effected the black community worst of all. Bernie’s stand for economic equality for all reflects his commitment to racial equality and Bernie is the best choice black people have.

Cartoon:

0116Cartoon

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  18 Responses to “Open Thread–1/16/2016”

  1. It is always the most important to hear what the voices of the vulnerable and minorities say themselves instead of viewing them through the lens of white priviledge.  I'm glad Bernie has taken the time to hear from them and listen instead of mistakenly assuming MLK's words of the past are all it takes in the present, which today's voices and leaders all tell us are totally insufficient if we are listening.

    I'm not sure Warren has actually decided to support Hilary since Bernie's economic policies are closer to her own.

    AB is always welcome.

  2. 5:50 (average 8:29 when I did it – maybe 3-4 hours ago?)  I thought that took a long time until I looked at the average.  Is there a coffee shortage today?

    New Yorker – You bet.

    DKos – Me too (on disageeing with Liz), but not IMO totally unforgiveable.

    NY Times – Heck, income inequality affects everyone, even while males – see Judi's "Saturday Snippets" on this blog today.  What is your source for the statement that the BLM left an impression that Bernie is not a viable candidate for blacks?  I only ask because that is not my impression.  I do see people stating that black voters will go for Hillary in droves, but they all seem to be basing that on her "long term relationships" with blacks, as if Bernie has none.  Many black voters large and small are endorsing Bernie.

    Cartoon – Aw, the GOP must have found out that under that (actually clear and transparent) fur, polar bears are really black.  Damn.

  3. The Donks are gonna bite the big one again TC – sorryo.

  4. NYer: If only. I wish!

    DK: I hope that Ms. Warren endorses Bernie! imo.

    Cartoon: How awfully sad!! But…the ID's don't care.

    Hope to see a good game here in a few hours…got my dip/chips ready. Take good care, and Thanks, Tom.

  5. PETITION TO SIGN AND EMAIL FROM MICHAEL MOORE (HAT TIP BARBARA K.)

    http://michaelmoore.com/ObamaComeToFlint

    "

    Dear President Obama,

    I am writing this to you from the place where I was born — Flint, Michigan. Please consider this personal appeal from me and the 102,000 citizens of the city of Flint who have been poisoned — not by a mistake, not by a natural disaster, but by a governor and his administration who, to "cut costs," took over the city of Flint from its duly elected leaders, unhooked the city from its fresh water supply of Lake Huron, and then made the people drink the toxic water from the Flint River. This was nearly two years ago.

    This week it was revealed that at least 10 people in Flint have now been killed by these premeditated actions of the Governor of Michigan. This governor, Rick Snyder, nullified the democratic election of this mostly African-American city — where 41% of the people live below the "official" poverty line — and replaced the elected Mayor and city council with a crony who was instructed to take all his orders from the governor's office.

    One of those orders from the State of Michigan was this: "It costs too much money to supply Flint with clean drinking water from Lake Huron (the 3rd largest body of fresh water in the world). We can save a lot of money doing this differently. So unhook the city from that source and let them drink the water known as 'General Motors' Sewer' — the Flint River."

    And, lo and behold, the Governor was right. It was a lot cheaper! Fifteen million dollars cheaper! And for saving all that money, it is now estimated that to repair the damaged water system in Flint, it will cost at least $1.5 billion. Someone had suggested to the governor, before he did this, that the river contained many toxins. He ignored that. One of his own people said maybe they should add a safe-to-drink "corrosive protector" to the water so that the toxins in said water wouldn't leach the lead off the aging water pipe infrastructure and into the drinking water. "How much will that cost?" asked the governor's office.

    "Just $100 a day for only 3 months," the governor was told. Oh, $100 a day?! THAT'S TOO MUCH!, came the reply from the governor. Don't worry about the lead. "Lead is a seasonal thing," he would later explain to the public. "Heck, there's lead in everything!" Just let them drink the river water.

    This is a city full of poor black people, a city where half the population (including myself) found a way to escape the misery and the madness (the crime rate is so bad, we've lead the country in murders for most years — and just to get an idea of what that means, if NYC had the same murder rate as Flint last year, over 4,000 New Yorkers would have been killed, instead of the 340 who actually were).

    My city has been pummeled by General Motors, Wall Street and the State and Federal governments. It's no surprise that the Republicans who control our State Capitol in Michigan didn't have to worry about any push-back from the residents of Flint because, to them, that's just a bunch of eviscerated black people who have absolutely no power, "don't vote for us any way," and have NO means to fight back.

    And now, after every single child in Flint has been poisoned with lead-filled water that the State knew a year ago was in that water, we learn that the governor's office sought to cover it up, hiding it not just from the defenseless African Americans they secretly fear and despise, but also hiding it from YOU and the federal government! (Link)

    And, as if things couldn't get any worse, the news of 87 people with Legionnaires Disease happened this week. Ten Flint residents have been KILLED by this disease which is caused by tainted water. Not by gun violence, not in Afghanistan, but by an act of racism and violence perpetrated by the — I'm sorry to say — white, Republican governor of Michigan who knew months ago the water was toxic.

    All fingers from the doctors and scientists point to the filthy, toxic Flint River as the cause of this Legionnaires Disease outbreak. 10 human souls deceased. In an average year, Flint already had an astounding 8 cases (and rarely a death) of people contracting Legionnaires Disease. Since the citizens of Flint were forced to use the water from the Flint River, EIGHTY-SEVEN CASES OF LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE have happened! AND TEN DEATHS! And the number is expected to rise.

    President Obama — the people of Flint are crying out to you for help. Our Congressman, Dan Kildee, has called the federal government for assistance. But he's been told that it's a "State issue" and that "the State of Michigan has to be the one asking the feds for the help."

    NO! The STATE is the one who CAUSED THIS! That's like asking the fox if he could repair the chicken coop. No, Mr. President, we need YOUR help — TODAY. 100,000 people have no water to drink, to cook with or to bathe in.

    This week, you are coming to Michigan to attend the Detroit Auto Show. We implore you to come to Flint, less than an hour's drive north of Detroit. Do not ignore this tragedy taking place every day. This may be Gov. Snyder's Katrina, but it will become your Bush-Flying-Over-New Orleans Moment if you come to Michigan and then just fly away. I know you don't want that image of flying over us as you "fake-sad" look down on Flint just as Bush did in that never-to-be-forgotten photo-op over New Orleans. I know you are going to come to the rescue here in Flint. I can't imagine any other scenario.

    We need:

    The CDC here at once to truly assess all of the disease and damage that has been forced upon the people of Flint.

    FEMA has to supply large water containers in every home in Flint — and they must be filled by water trucks until the new infrastructure is resolved.

    The EPA must take over matters from the State (can the governor be removed and replaced like he did to the mayor of Flint?). Immediately.

    You must send in the Army Corps of Engineers to build that new water infrastructure. Otherwise, you might as well just evacuate all the people from Flint and move them to a white city that has clean drinking water — and where this would never happen.

    President Obama, I'm counting on you to give us a response. Can we expect to see you, in Flint, in the next few days?

    Yours,
    Michael Moore
    Filmmaker
    Flint native"

    P.S. – Everyone please sign our petition and share this! http://michaelmoore.com/ObamaComeToFlint

  6. The game between the Chiefs and the Patriots is fixing to start in a few minutes. I want to watch it, but I gotta go to the store and pick up stuff for tonight's game. Hopefull the Chiefs win. Sick of seeing Pats in the playoffs. Plus they have an injury list! The seachickens and Panthers should be a good game. May the steelers have to keep Rapethlisberger on the bench! Ya know, when the Vikings were playing last week, the talking heads never missed a chance to take a dig at Adrian Peterson for they way he disciplined his boy. But they NEVER mention the rape charges on Rapethlisberger when he was accused of raping a woman! Wonder why??

    Oh, Andy!!! You devil! I didn't pollute my brain with watching that cluster$μ#¥!!!!! There is NO WAY I was gonna watch that! But the Dems debates always fall on a football night!!! Why the heck would Wasserman-Shultz schedule debates when most of the whole country is watching the playoffs??? Is she trying to keep the debates under wraps to make sure that Hillary gets the nomination?? Why are there not more debates?? You can't watch a week of tv without the RepukkklicanTs having a debate!!

    Elizabeth Warren hasn't decided yet. I hope she leans toward #FeelTheBern!!!

  7. 3:07  Phew!  At least for now, I control the mallets and Puddy Tat can't wack me with one!

  8. Andy is soooo cool!

    Liz has a problem here, and I like the idea (Gene atC2) that she hold off until the nominee is chosen, and then get out to the hustings.  

    I have signed Moore's petition, would like to see Snyder in jail for this situation!

    Vivian has a "Very, very interesting"  point about the Dem debates and Football, makes me wonder.

  9. You needed a slow day.

    The New Yorker:  I agree with Andy.

    Daily Kos:  I will disagree with her, too.  But if Hillary gets the nomination, I will vote for her.  I prefer Bernie.

    NY Times:  I agree with you, the BLM made it look as though Bernie had no interest in civil rights are helping the Black community.  His record clearly shows that is not the case.

    Cartoon:  This polar bear knows what is happening.

    Signing Moore's petition.

    I am stillhaving trouble with Care 2, can't send cards, have trouble replying to email, and a really hard time making a comment on articles there.  They apparently don't care.

  10. Thanks all!  Hugs!

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