It’s time to turn the page on another month. This morning I cooked an entire package of bacon to eat with breakfasts over the next two weeks. Standing up on George, every time something needs to be done, makes it a lot of work. To day is sort of a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. I may not even meditate. The league has ruined the Pro Bowl. Holding it before the Super Bowl prevents players from the league’s two best teams from participating. Making it a pick-up game instead of AFC against NFC eliminates conference pride as a motive to play harder. They should go back to the way it used to be. I hope your January was happy, memorable, and productive.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 5:15 (average 8:09). To do it, click here. n How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: One of the most important differences between Sanders and Clinton summarized in one image.
That one says it all!
From NY Times: For the past painful year, the Republican presidential contenders have been bombarding Americans with empty propaganda slogans and competing, bizarrely, to present themselves as the least experienced person for the most important elected job in the world. Democratic primary voters, on the other hand, after a substantive debate over real issues, have the chance to nominate one of the most broadly and deeply qualified presidential candidates in modern history.
Hillary Clinton would be the first woman nominated by a major party. She served as a senator from a major state (New York) and as secretary of state — not to mention her experience on the national stage as first lady with her brilliant and flawed husband, President Bill Clinton. The Times editorial board has endorsed her three times for federal office — twice for Senate and once in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary — and is doing so again with confidence and enthusiasm.
Mrs. Clinton’s main opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist, has proved to be more formidable than most people, including Mrs. Clinton, anticipated. He has brought income inequality and the lingering pain of the middle class to center stage and pushed Mrs. Clinton a bit more to the left than she might have gone on economic issues. Mr. Sanders has also surfaced important foreign policy questions, including the need for greater restraint in the use of military force.
In the end, though, Mr. Sanders does not have the breadth of experience or policy ideas that Mrs. Clinton offers. His boldest proposals — to break up the banks and to start all over on health care reform with a Medicare-for-all system — have earned him support among alienated middle-class voters and young people. But his plans for achieving them aren’t realistic, while Mrs. Clinton has very good, and achievable, proposals in both areas.
I think the Times’ endorsement of Hillary reflects their establishment view. In spite of Hillary’s greater breadth of experience, I consider Bernie the better candidate. But either is an infinite improvement over any Republican candidate.
From PBS (2006): …he [Walter Cronkite] went to Vietnam and reported that he had seen the lies, corruption, and stalemate in that war and that it was time for us to go.
President Lyndon Johnson listened to Cronkite’s verdict with dismay and real sadness. As he famously remarked to an aide, “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost America.” After all, this was not one of the young, brash reporters like Morley Safer or Jack Laurence pricking the president’s power. It was Cronkite, veteran of World War II, a man of unimpeachable patriotism… [emphasis added]
Many of you commented sadness over the Tet Offensive, portrayed in yesterday’s Cartoon. But, I think it was the best thing that could have happened. Up until that time, the peace movement, though able to field as many as 500,000 demonstrators, was relatively small, made up mostly of students. Most Americans believed the military that we were willing the war and it was almost over. Tet exposed the lies, and because of it, Walter Cronkite went to Vietnam to see for himself. His report, something we would never see today from a network anchor, turned the majority of Americans strongly against the war. Tet was the turning point that, eventually, brought the war to an end.
Cartoon:
A Republican day of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
15 Responses to “Open Thread–1/31/2016”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
9:21 (8:18 when I did it) which doesn't surprise me. It looked like a DAWG to do right up front.
DKos – Yes indeed. The Democratic primary is definitely issues-based. The Republican primary is a personality contest – and even that is throwing roses at it, because when I for one say "personality contest" I think junior high, and it's not on that high a level. I also think of a personality contest winner as being charming, but that doesn't seem to be the goal – the goal seems to be getting geemed the ugliest, nastiest possible.
NYTimes I can't say it any better than you just did, TC.
PBS – You are also correct about TET being the beginning of the end of the war. Please note the point being made that Crinkite WAS a man of integrity. So was Edward R Murrow. In those days we had people of integrity and real journalists invistigating and presenting television news. There have been unintended consequences of that. There are people in my age group (and over) who never quite stopped believing that newsdasters could be trusted. And so we have Fox. Of course that is only one influence among many pushing people to believe Fox, but it is one and it is often overlooked, including by me.
Cartoon – Yes, and thank God for it.
Before you had met George, you probably never even thought about the way you moved about in your kitchen, TomCat. Now you learn to appreciate free and unencumbered movement without having to think about it all the more. But your Home Care angels are working you so hard that soon you'll be able to do these new "steps" without much thought and effort too. It just takes a bit more training. Sorry to hear about not meditating…I think, because to be honest I've absolutely no idea what you're on about. 🙂
Daily Kos: Yes, that's the long and short of it and nothing has really changed since September 2015. Hillary has been made to move further to the left, but she'll probably forget all about it as soon as she's back in the White House.
NY Times: So funny: my husband came up with a summary of this article at the breakfast table this morning. I think my interest in American Politics is contagious after all. While hubby agrees with their analysis that Bernie lacks experience and his plans aren't realistic enough, I think Bernie has more than enough political experience to make an excellent president and that his plans lack only in one aspect: they need more Democrats in Congress to back them up. Hillary may have positioned herself more to the left now Bernie is doing so well, but – and I repeat myself often on this – she'll shift back as soon as she wins. That will make it easier for her to find common ground with the few sane conservatives left in Congress, but I doubt if the outcome of that is all good for the majority of Americans (the 99%). But even a corporate Hillary is better than a religious fanatic like Cruz or a megalomaniac like Trump.
Cartoon: If Americans do not make the right choice in who they're voting for, it'll be a sad day soon when you can make a cartoon about the last security check issued, TomCat.
DK: That's why it's Bernie all the way for me!!!
PBS: Yes, it was. Mr. Cronkite was most respected, I'll never forget his announcement of JFK's death, and of watching the 'Twentieth Century' every Sunday night. He reported the news with professionalism, and integrity.
Cartoon: Miss Fuller lived to the age of 100. She received $22.54.
*What Lona said*.
It will take time to adjust, I hope you have a kitchen you can get around in with navigating. We're not watching any games either, today. Enjoying the day, it's 73 here! Enjoy the rest of your day/evening, take care, Thanks, Tom.
Either Clinton or Sanders is just fine w/ me. Helll, I could tolerate Bloomberg!
ABAR – ANYBODY But a republican!
6:57 Never was much of a checkers player.
4:43 The checkers look like pieces of fudge to me! Or is it that I am hallucinating again? Hey Jerry, I've missed you! Where've you been . . . chasing girls again?
No more girl chasing! My wife keeps me on a very short lease.
That was suppose to be leash, but perhaps lease works too.
Is she going to evict you?
I didn't see them as food.
Puzzle — 4:43 The checkers look like pieces of fudge to me! Or is it that I am hallucinating again? Hey Jerry, I've missed you! Where've you been . . . chasing girls again?
Daily Kos — Go Bernie!!!
NY Times — IMO, Clinton is a retread! . . . better than a Republican, but she's no Bernie! Bernie has that fire in the belly passion!
PBS — I remember my mother's stepfather sitting watching the news at dinner time and it was always Cronkite. My grandfather was paralysed from polio and didn't get out much. His world was 100% occupied by Cronkite. Can't say that about any of the news anchors today! The closest I can think of is Lloyd Robertson, now semi retired from CTV, and Peter Mansbridge from CBC.
Cartoon — Continued social security leaves Republicans feeling insecure because it is less for the 1% and corporations!
Pro Bowl – The owners do not care about the fans. They only care about the money. Their whole purpose is to maximize profits…which they share! Support the billionaires club all you want. Just realize that they do not give a sh/t about you or the team you support.
I agree with Lona that Hillary's moves in response to Bernie (and most voters) to be more economically progressive will not actually be a priority or something she leads on if she is elected (massive pressure even more than we've seen of late on environmental issues will be required and that may not be enough).
That is a smart idea, now you won't have to stand so long to make breakfast because your bacon is all ready.
Daily Kos: I am pro Bernie, but will vote for Hillary if she is nominated. I don't understand why O Malley is still running. The Republican candidates are either clowns, idiots or bigots.
PBS: That whole war was a disaster for the USA. Too many lives lost, too much money spent, and a country torn apart. I lost several very good friends in this war and still miss them. I was against the war from the beginning. The majority of those who served were drafted and had no choice, yet they were treated horribly when they returned. This should never happen again. My brother in law served two tours and still has nightmares. He was part of a helicopter crew that rescued the wounded and recovered bodies. The only good thing that came out of this war is the draft was ended.
Cartoon: If the Republicans have their way there will soon be a meme that shows Social Security no longer exists.
Thanks all. Hugs!! Buried today.
I think Hillary will get more accomplished than Bernie would, but we wint like a lot of it. Of course, we woulde not like anything a Republican woud accomplish.