I felt tired and chilly, so I opened the Lona box and made a withdrawal. I ordered groceries from Store to Door for delivery tomorrow. I expect Lu to arrive in about an hour to help me with my shower. Hugs to all!! My thoughts and prayers go out to to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Brussels, that have killed at least 30 and wounded at least 230, and to all their loved ones. I am not covering it as a news item today, except to make this statement and condemn all political violence, especially when it hijacks religion.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:43 (average 7:24). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: I’m a Bernie supporter. I canvassed for him. I phone-banked for him. I have contributed $2,100 to his campaign so far, and plan to keep giving until either I hit the maximum or he is no longer in the race. Have I established my bonafides?
I am not, however, an absolutist. I recognize politics is a win or lose proposition and, in the end, we often have to support the better of the two options, even if they are not the options I would want. In other words, if Bernie loses, I will be canvassing for Hillary, phone banking for her, and shifting my contributions to her.
Here are a few numbers that explain why:
- 17 million: The number of people who will lose their health insurance if Hillary or Bernie is not elected.
- 2: The number of Supreme Court Justices who will likely be named in the next four years. That amount is high enough that it will lock SCOTUS in either a conservative or liberal position for decades.
- 4.75: The minimum amount per hour that people working for minimum wage will not receive for at least through 2021.
- 33: The percent of women who will seek an abortion sometime in their lives who will not be able to obtain one because Republicans will be in power in all three branches of government.
- 1: The minimum number of international accords on controlling climate change that the United States will abrogate
I don’t have the author’s bonafides, because I lack his time, mobility, and resources, but I fully agree with him. Click through for the rest of the list.
From NY Times: The Justice Department said on Monday that it might no longer need Apple’s assistance in opening an iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino, Calif., rampage last year.
The disclosure led a judge to postpone a court hearing over the issue and temporarily sidesteps what has become a bitter clash with the world’s most valuable company.
In a new court filing, the government said an outside party had demonstrated a way for the F.B.I. to possibly unlock the phone used by the gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook. The hearing in the contentious case — Apple has loudly opposed opening the iPhone, citing privacy concerns and igniting a heated debate — was originally set for Tuesday.
Donation requests have been going around, claiming to have forced the FBI back down. They forced nothing. Such scam requests should not be rewarded. Finding another way to hack the phone is not backing down. It isn’t even a win, unless their activity keeps our cell phone privacy secure. It clearly has not done so. Left wing organizations who use lies to solicit money are acting like Republicans. Boycott them.
From Crooks and Liars: Once again, we turn to the inimitable Samantha Bee to make sense out of the senseless Republicans’ need to obstruct President Obama’s Supreme Court nomination.
I may start calling her Samantha Bingo.
Cartoon:
18 Responses to “Open Thread–3/22/2016”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
5:57 (7:24) Another symmetry challenge. Possibly edible, though.
Je suis Bruxelles aussi. I hope this was not payback for their well-publicized use of cat memes to keep up morale to help law enforcement do its job after Paris.
DKos – Yes. All of these are right on.
NY Times – Good points.
Crooks and Liars – Samantha Bingo would be very accurate.
I personally suspect the Republicans are doing themselves no good by refusing to consider Chief Judge Garland. I do not think this behavior will in the long run benefit them at the polls in November, even though there is a substantial chunk of their base which does see toddler tantrums as a display of strength. I don't think that chunk is large enough to help them. They are expecting a Republican President to be elected. But their behavior is not IMO promoting that result. On the other hand, they do have a long history of winning elections. Does anyone know what they know – or think they know – that I don't?
Cartoon – I don't know why the elephant is so upset. Mistresses are still legal.
P.S. on Sam Bingo – Take Part is featuring a segment she did on untested rape kits. It ends, "Remember, local elections are a lot like rape kits. No one really wants to pay attention to them, but if you bother to open them up, you might just get rid of someone who’s been screwing everyone in town.”
Bingo Bingo!
Some hacks may be phone specific while others are not…I'm waiting for the FBI response on Apple's request related to the vulnerability they believe they found after they claimed they had tried everything. Most petitions these days include donation links or land you on a donation page when you've signed or when they notify you the petition effort has ended–no better or worse than Common Cause, AAUW, LWV, DFA, ACLU and all the other progressive organizations. To see it as unusual may be a sign of not having signed very many petitions over the past year than anything resembling a scam.
There 's a difference. This group said donate to us because we won.
DK: Depressing, vote Dem!!
NYT: I don't know much or am familiar about iphones,the scams you mention are intolerable.
C&L: Love her show!! She's the Bee !!
"Je Suis Bruxelles" !!
You had a busy day, hope you rest. The pollen is here, and I'm feeling it. Enjoy your evening, and Thanks, Tom.
4:20 Love the colour and can actually see and appreciate the picture today.
Sam Bee is AWESOME! She has them pegged right to the teeth!!! She's pulled the REAL reason they are blocking the SCOTUS nominee! They want to make sure who the next President will be before they vote on a nominee! They want to be sure that they can WIN the election before they vote on him! If they don't win, then they WILL vote on him. It's the election. They don't want to go back to their home states and get beat because they cooperated with President Obama! If they do vote on him, the Koch-machine may ABSOLUTELY shut the money faucet OFF! LOL!
The killings in Belgium are way beyond the pail!!! I am sick of this! I guess Daesh doesn't give a rat's ads what I think, tho. Keep vigilant and safe, PEOPLE! We have to NOW!
TC, hope you get to feeling better soon. Sounds like winter isn't over up your way. I have Irises that have already bloomed and the blooms are fading!! It's not even the end of March and some of my flowers are ALREADY GONE!! Unfrigginbelievable !!!
How prescient of Chief Justice Roberts …
How sad his fellow Rethuglicans have NO intention of following his sage advice.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is a hypocrite. He says to "…leave politics out of it.” Roberts himself has been a "political" activist in many of the recent Supreme Court decisions ever since he became Chief Justice courtesy of bushy's "Dubya", GOP administration.
Well, of course you're correct.
But Robers was just telling the SENATE what they should do.
We are all sad and reeling that yet another attack has occurred. Our world is in disorder for sure.
Daily Kos: I totally agree with this article. I have Hillary supporters on FB who are maligning bernie supporters, and vice versa. We need to support the one who gets the nomination. We cannot afford a Republican in the White House right now. Just watching the clown car running for the GOP nomination ought to alarm anyone with a brain.
NY Times: Our privacy no longer exists. I am glad Apple has resisted, but sure the government will find a way to hack the cell phones.
Crooks and Liars: I watched this episode, and she gored them!
Cartoon: Yep!
"…thoughts and prayers go out to to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Brussels, that have killed at least 30 and wounded at least 230, and to all their loved ones." — Amen!
Arrggghhhh!!!!! I just clicked refresh instead of paste and in the process lost my complete response.
Puzzle — 4:20 Love the colour and can actually see and appreciate the picture today.
Daily Kos — To the absolitists — Get over it! All you will do is give your vote to Republicans! That is a sign of a real loser!
NY Times — I guess the answer to the "donation" button is "jusy say no!" I do. As to thr privacy question, there is an extremely fine line that should not be crossed normally. When it is necessary, it should only be done on an exception basis, under warrant, but the technology should not be exposed to law enforcement.
Cartoon — Is this when Republicans started to try to make family values their rally cry?
Hope you're improving.
Catnap top-up will be delivered shortly, so indulge yourself as much as you like, TomCat
DK: I hope Democratic supporters on BOTH sides will keep in mind that ANY Democratic president is always better than a Republican, from the Clown Car or not. Yes, Democrats may need to compromise a little and not all points on this list may be met met by whomever gets the nomination, but anything is better than not voting and leaving the country in the hands of people whose mental health and IQ should have been checked by the GOP before they took a seat in the car. Another Democrat as head of state after two terms of a Democratic president is virtually unheard off, I believe, and the GOP is still counting on that, but with Drumpf or Cruz as an alternative a Democrat once again is not only possible but absolutely necessary.
NYT: Is the FBI just bluffing, or saving face for backing down, or do they really have an outside party helping them to break the code? And could that possibly be an Israeli company? I'm not implying this as a jest, but because we had a scandal here too with telephone tapping and a recording gone wrong because of a 'local power-out' at a crucial moment. It then turned out that managing all the data gathering and storage was left to an Israeli company who now refuses to give insight into the happenings of that day. The fact that all this private information is in the hands of an Israeli company who refuses to give our government insight into what they are doing, hit here like a bomb.
C&L"Samantha Bee just nailed it again in a very enjoyable way. Thanks, Sam.
Cartoon: If it is banned, then why do we get these terrible reality-TV shows from America of men with lots of wives dumped on our TVs? We'd like to see one of a woman with lots of husbands for a change.
Thanks! Need more!
2016 Delegate Count and Primary Results
By WILSON ANDREWS, KITTY BENNETT and ALICIA PARLAPIANO UPDATED MARCH 23, 2016
The 2016 primaries and caucuses have begun. Candidates will seek to win delegates in each state’s contest to capture their party’s nomination for the presidency.
Republican Delegates
1,237 to win nomination
Donald J. Trump
738
Ted Cruz
463
Marco Rubio
166
John Kasich
143
Democratic Delegates
2,383 to win nomination
Hillary Clinton
1,222
Bernie Sanders
918
Superdelegates Clinton 467, Sanders 26
Unpledged Democratic party leaders who are free to support any candidate. The majority of the 712 superdelegates have declared support for Mrs. Clinton, though they could switch candidates if she were to lose the lead in pledged delegates, which are awarded based on election results.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/primary-calendar-and-results.html
Thanks all. Hugs!!