I’m off to another late start today, because, before doing my research, I planned my grocery list for the week. Then I made a five day batch of my infamous γέεννα chili. I’ll eat a bunch tonight, and tomorrow, I’ll look for Republicans to stand in front of. I’m about to take a break for lunch, and I’m just starting to write.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:55 (average 5:21). To do it, click here. How did you do?
From Daily Kos: Ted Koppel and Bill O’Reilly are apparently friendly. They seem to have a professional relationship that extends into cocktail parties and other events that I think can be described as “swanky.” Koppel will have civil conversations with O’Reilly on The O’Reilly Factor—it usually coincides with promoting a book. Bill, feeling the pressure of last night’s [3/3] debate coming up and the interview with Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in his future, wanted to get some pointers from the veteran Koppel.
And Koppel accurately describing the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, is nothing new, as you shall see.
From YouTube: Ted Koppel: Fox News ‘Bad for America’
Kudos to Koppel. Honest unbiased journalism is usually categorized as "liberal", because the center of the media spectrum is so far right-biased. What O’Lielly calls noble, I call evil.
From NY Times: Shouts of “U.S.A.!” and “Obama!” echoed over the stone plazas as President Obama and his family made their way around rain-slicked courtyards in Old Havana on Sunday evening, savoring the adulation of Cubans welcoming him warmly despite a driving rain as he began a history-making visit.
“Welcome to Cuba! We like you!” a man shouted as Mr. Obama’s entourage passed. Above, a woman applauded and hooted from her wrought-iron balcony.
Later, a motorcade including the presidential limousine, adorned for the first time with Cuban and American flags, snaked through narrow streets where elated residents, their clothing soaked from waiting in the rain, hoisted cellphones and cheered the first sitting American leader to set foot on Cuban soil in 88 years.
Mr. Obama himself marveled aloud at the significance of his trip.
“It’s a historic opportunity to engage directly with the Cuban people and to forge new agreements and commercial deals,” he told employees of the United States Embassy, his first stop in the country, “and build new ties between our two peoples, and for me to lay out my vision for a future that’s brighter than our past.”
Kudos to Obama. Kudos to Cuba. Pffffffft!! to the Republican Party for trying to sabotage peace.
Cartoon:
14 Responses to “Open Thread–3/21/2016”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
An anniversary we should all remember and consider what else we can do to help enact his vision in this day and age.
Koppel remains true to the ethics of his chosen profession…sad that simple ethical adherence is now the high standard that goes with kudos.
I'm glad we had Chinese instead of chili.
5:18 and not even anything to eat, just a place to sit while (not) eating it.
DKos – Oh, yeah, it is possible to have a decent relationship with someone whose personal beliefs you despise. I'm really surprised O'Lielly wasn't more tantrum-y in the first one. In the second one, I didn't get far enough to hear O'Lielly use the word "noble." I didn't think I could handle it. Retch.
NY Times – I'm very glad Cuba is insisting relations cannot be normal while the US is still in Gitmo. We need to get out of there. As far as the Cuban people, they are not stupid. Show them something attractive, like Obama, and they will be attracted.
Cartoon – And you were there. I just in the last day or so read an article that Alternet reprinted from The Nation (which I get emails from, but now that they have a paywall, I am sparing what I read there, especially if I can find it elsewhere) by Dr. Barber. The byline bio indicated that Dr. Barber is now doing for The Nation something like Dr. King's dispatches for The Nation in the day.
JD, I was there on bloody Sunday and when the march began, but I had to return to school before they reached Montgomery.
I'm so glad Pres. Obama went to Cuba. Normalizing relations with Cuba is LONG over-due! I would think that as Commander-in-Chief, Obama could close GITMO without anybody else's consent! We housed Noriega, after Reagun kidnapped him, in a max. prison in Illinois. I heard he was moved later, but the point is that maximum security prisons in the United States have & can continue to hold mass-murderers, political prisoners, and probably innocent "suspected terrorists". There is NO reason to Keep GITMO open except to violate human rights & ignore the UN.
Sorry Ted Koppel, but OReilly & FAUX News aren't the entire reason we have NO Journalists any more…All the "news" outlets (including newspapers) gave Bu$h the Le$$er full reign to manipulate all Media. Dan Rather fell for the trap that Bu$h (and Cheney, I'm sure) caught him in. And that was just for Le$$er's magic National Guard absentee-ism..nobody of note has Ever Really investigated 9/11. Mainstream Media is afraid to do an actual Crime Scene Investigation about Everything that was "special" about that day.
Thanks,
1. I didn't even try tjhe puzzle because I'm totally intimidated by people who can complete it in under 5 minutes.
2. I like the civil conversation between Kopple and O'Reilly. Kopple did an excellent job of blowing O'Reilly off in the end.
3. President Obama's trip may be historic but I fear looking the gift horse in the mouth. (renewed US relations).
4. What would Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. say about the current state of affaires dealing with police killings of unarmed people and the economic condition of the average Black family in this country? Peace.
DK: O'Reilly is a narcissistic liar. I don't watch Fox. Did Koppel blow him a kiss at the end?? ugh!!
NYT: How wonderful for our President and First Lady to be there after 88 years.
Cartoon: Our Repugs would do well to understand this significant day…and remember it with respect.
"The historic march, and King’s participation in it, greatly helped raise awareness of the difficulty faced by black voters in the South, and the need for a Voting Rights Act, passed later that year." *History
We had chili cheese fries, yesterday for lunch. We have plenty of Republicans here. LOL. Enjoy the rest of your evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
Pfffft is not strong enough for the GOP always trying to avoid peace
Sadly Ted is on the money.
From the get go, when Fox News daily, I guess, puts out it banner proclaiming "Fair and Balanced," they are aready full of BS!
More Kudos to Pres. Obama! If he were a Caucasian, GOP President, they would be sanctifying him for the positive changes he has brought about, no thanks to them.
Sad that the scum took MLK out! The Civil war has not really ended.
Sounds like you should eat that chili sparingly!
Daily Kos: I am still having sound problems so I couldn't hear either video, but thanks.
NY Times: Yes, kudos to Obama. This action was long over due.
Cartoon: And here we are 51 years later, with many of the same problems.
Puzzle — 3:33 May I have a pillow so I can rest on the bench!
NY Times — I'm surprised that a Republican hitman didn't try to take Obama out in Cuba so the Republicans could retaliate against Cuba. I am very glad the visit went well! I wonder, would Putin get a similarly warm reception from the people of Cuba?
Sorry, but I have to go. My face and eyes are swollen from the cold which precludes me from seeing well and thinking straight. I may be gone for a few days.
I hope and pray you recover quickly and fully!
Good to see you busy as usual, you seem to be back fully in the (new) rhythm of things, TomCat.
It's Tuesday 1 PM here, and I've been keeping an eye on the news in between chores since I heard about the suicide bombings in Brussels, Belgium, at the airport and a metro station right in the heart of the EU center that is based in Brussels around 8 o'clock this morning. The death toll is around 28, but the numbers for the metro station vary greatly. There were talks about different metro stations being hit, but news now focusses on the airport and one station only. To American standards, Brussels is right around the corner (120 km) from us and The Netherlands and Belgium have always been very close indeed – Flanders speaks Dutch – so you can imagine I'll be spending most of my time following the news and will have little time to comment.
DK and YouTube: Another sane voice rises above the insane multitude, and amazingly objective too! Kudos to Ted Koppel. Marvelous how he led O'Reilly by the nose twice, making O'Reilly underscore everything he objected to in Faux News and let O'Reilly undermine his own excuses by asking the right questions. O'Reilly's defense: "But I still think I'm doing something noble" was weak and utterly ridiculous and deserved the kiss Koppel blew him, telling O'Reilly to kiss his…
NYT: It has taken America far too long to normalize relationships with Cuba, so this first step made by Obama is a good start. I'm sure there are enough Cuban immigrants, who have fled Cuba years ago and who have remained embittered with the regime as it was then, who feel betrayed by two countries now. Those who have seen the change Cuba's regime has gone through, with Fidel Castro even admitting he regrets some things he's done in the past, will welcome the chance for more reforms. However what Cubans in general also fear is that it'll become a part of the US again and that fear is valid given America's track record.
Cartoon: Time for a new march?
If something hasn't worked for 50 years, a new plan is in order – so the President has done well creating a new plan for Cuba.
I'm thinking of sending Mitch McConnell a letter that says, 'nyah, nyah, even with your stupid attitude, the President has managed to accomplish a great deal and leave a terrific legacy…and he's done it with grace and dignity which is a great deal more than we can say for you."
Thanks all. Hugs!! Hurrying!!