Today has thankfully not been super busy. It was raining hard and the next few days will be much worse. Physio was good but I was in significant pain from my knees, likely because of the rain. I don't expect it to get any better for the next few days so it is 'grin and bear it' time and take tylenol. I have acquired another ESL student, the wife of my physiotherapist. She is at a high school level so this will be a very different space from my other student.
Short Takes
CBC — If, as Christians believe, Jesus Christ someday reappears, strolling down from Bethany toward Jerusalem's Golden Gate, conservative Americans would probably hail him as a Republican, but on reflection, not really fit to serve on the Supreme Court.
He might not be enthusiastic enough about guns, his ideas on wealth redistribution are just plain socialism, he likely wouldn't be keen on injecting criminals with lethal chemicals, he'd no doubt urge clemency for all the millions of illegal immigrants doing America's scut work and, as a Jew, he might even have a compromise view of abortion.
As a matter of fact, the replacement of Justice Scalia, who was found dead Saturday at a hunting resort in Texas, is already becoming a big, bitterly disputed political issue in the presidential election, exactly what you'd think such an appointment should not be. …
But that is America: nothing, not even a tribunal at the pinnacle of a system that is supposed to dispense blind, apolitical justice, is exempt from the left/right, Democrat/Republican, conservative/liberal binary that suffuses every aspect of the nation's life.
In Canada, one rarely hears anything from the Supreme Court of Canada other than their decisions, which is so different to SCOTUS. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin did have a dustup with ex-PM Stephen Harper but that was Harper's doing as he tried to push the appointment of a judge that did not meet the requirements for a justice. Harper made it very public and he was wrong. So to hear a retired justice's comments comparing the two top courts was very interesting. Click through for the rest.
Daily Kos — I took this picture from an article in Daily Kos because it made me laugh.
Starting from left is Ted "Meh!" Cruz (sanctimonious bastard isn't he?!), Donald "Ollie!" Trump (doing an excellent impersonation of Stan Laurel), and lastly, Marco (I think I peed my pants) Rubio. Together they are the 3 Stooges of the Republican Party.
Right Wing Watch — In an “emergency transmission” to his Facebook fans today, conspiracy theorist radio host Alex Jones floated his suspicions that the late Justice Antonin Scalia was “murdered,” just like conservative activist Andrew Breitbart.
While accusing Obama of a litany crimes, including secretly funding ISIS and blackmailing Supreme Court justices, Jones said that “this is the season of treason, this is the time of betrayal and we would be fools not to ask the question” if Scalia was assassinated, suggesting that bad actors may have slipped something into the justice’s drink to trigger a heart attack.
MAJOR BARF BAG ALERT! MAJOR BARF BAG ALERT! MAJOR BARF BAG ALERT!
Click through for more including a video. It is interesting to note that of the 5 most popular posts, 4 are conspiracy theories about the death of Scalia: Rick Wiles: Obama Killed Scalia As A Pagan Human Sacrifice, Glenn Beck: God Allowed Scalia To Die In Order To Highlight The Importance Of Electing Ted Cruz, Donald Trump Raises Suspicions About Justice Scalia's Death, and this hit piece from Alex Jones.
Huffington Post — Social media users lamented the "ridiculous" sky-high price on such a lowly looking home — but turns out it wasn't that ludicrous after all.
The property ended up selling for more than $80,000 over its asking price …
This is not the kind of article I would normally post here, but it is indicative of the economics of Vancouver and just how unaffordable it is for residents. Although the article indicates it is in Vancouver's West End, actually it is on the Westside, a very different area. The house sold for approximately $2.5 million. I am grateful that I bought my place 25 years ago in Port Moody which is a small city east of Vancouver, but still about 45 minutes driving time from downtown Vancouver.
My Universe —
4 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 17/02/2016”
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CBC: The boxing gloves are on with BB in the front, for denouncing Obama in doing what he does best. His job. Our President will make a decision to nominate a replacement for Justice Scalia. Hopefully, it won't go the full 12 rounds…!!!
DK: Heard a little bit of the debate with these 3 ID's…ugh!!
RWW: Gag!!! Where do 'they' come up with this stuff??? Unreal !!!
HP: This is going on up in Austin TX., too! Property with homes are going at an outrageous price, I don't know who can afford the prices! It's not so much the house, imho, it's the land that's valuable. They'll probably put a condo on it. LOL. We've been in our house 22 years, and have a lot and a half. I'm not going anywhere, as everything is expensive nowadays.
My Universe: Aww….he/she got scared. Mine doesn't like loud noises, and oddly…when I put on my winter jacket, she runs to hide in or under the bed. As a rescue, she has a bad memory of that, so I minimize her experience by putting my coat on in the garage now.
I enjoy the MS/HS level of education. I am sure that you find your time with your students very rewarding. I wish I would have kept a diary of my experiences. Hope your knees hold up with your weather too. Take care, enjoy your day, and Thanks, Lynn.
CBC – No, conservative Republicans would not hail him – they would not even recognize him – his clothing, skin color, and beard would mark him as a Muslim. WRT Supreme Court fights, there have been some bitter ones, believe me, both ways. But I don't remember any Democrat questioning any President's right OR DUTY to nominate. http://images.dailykos.com/images/210116/story_image/scotus-scandal800.png?1455582471
DKos – I need eye bleach! STAT!
RWW – Can this possibly surprise anyone? The fact that the autoposy was waived (and I believe the request of the family had a little to do with that, even if just to bloster it) is making even some sane people wonder. The bottom line is that crazies murder sane people, not the other way around. And crazies don't generally murder their own. Plus the fact he has been a heart attack waiting to happen for so long, it's amazing he made it as long as he did.
HuffPo – Anyone who has that kind of money to spend on a home will probably have enough to tear it down and rebuild. Scary, I agree. This Old House magazine used to feature a dirt-cheap fixer-upper every mont – maybe they still do, but I haven't subscribed for so long I wouldn't know.
Universe – At least it wasn't a cucumber.
You're getting more and more busy after retirement, Lynn. However, taking on this student won't be so time consuming, I gather, as she's on a higher level already and you're not taking on all of her kids either 😉 Good luck with diversifying.
CBC: Excellent analysis that could only be made from outside of America, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way but as a fact. To truly be objective about something one needs to be divorced from political influence and emotional or religious baggage, something no one can be completely, but should aspire to be as much as possible. As Neil McDonald observes: "In other democracies, supreme court judges are more apt to have minds of their own," something that will at least let them try to be judicially objective. In America, "Nobody is even pretending anymore [] that they are just all good, impartial lawyers." McDonald's got that right too.
DK: Creepy, repulsive and fake. Now take that out of my sight!
RWW: There was a point in time when it had been the right moment to do an autopsy on Scalia and that was right after he died. Not to establish what caused his death – I'm sure that was either a heart attack or stroke, the most common causes of death in a man his age – but at that point his brain hadn't literally turned to mush yet and any tell-tale signs of degenerative brain disease like Alzheimer would be detectable. I gather that it was is family who opposed a doctor brought in to establish cause of death or an autopsy to be performed which would have been normal procedure if such a high profile man died in a bed not his own. So how's this for a conspiracy theory: Scalia's family, like many others, had noted his increasingly erratic behavior and reasoning and feared that some form of dementia would show up in an autopsy, so they did all to avoid the scandal that would follow it. Republicans were also afraid of the consequences of such findings (Saint Ronnie had also died of Alzheimer's) and didn't pursue ä suspicious death". They can do so now if his brain has liquefied before embalming. How am I doing so far?
HuPo: Real estate is the bane of all major cities. You have to be a millionaire to buy a studio-flat (1-2 room apartment) in London or Sydney.
My Universe: I think even the human making the video didn't realize it had such an effect on the poor cat.
I hope your pain improves. The rain here is playing hell with my hands, so I really appreciate how you feel.
That's why Republicans had to invent Republican Supply-side Jesus.
Are the orignals still alive? If so, they will sue you.
Great minds fall in the same ditch!
A bit to the south of you here, it would probablt go for $100,000 or more.
Not fair!!