Well it has been a quiet day. I decided my cold was not sufficiently gone to risk going to see my mother. I have been hacking all day. I did get 2 bags of clothes I no longer wear ready for pick up tomorrow by the Diabetes Assc. Hurray! More room in my closet! This week will be my final pastoral care class and then comes the criminal records check for working in hospitals and hospice venues.
Short Takes
MSNBC — A petition for the open carry of firearms at the Republican National Convention has amassed over 32,000 signatures as of Sunday morning.
The convention is scheduled to take place in Cleveland from July 18 to 21 at the Quicken Loans Arena, which bans all weapons on property. While Ohio allows open-carry, the venue’s ban is permitted by state law.
People listen to speakers at the 1 Million Moms Against Gun Control rally outside the NRA's Annual Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 26, 2014. Photo by Mark Peterson/Redux for MSNBC
… finds fault with the policy, calling it “a direct affront to the Second Amendment.” Pointing to an article that ranks Cleveland among the United States’ most dangerous cities and mentioning “the possibility of an ISIS terrorist attack,” the author said the Republican National Committee and the Quicken Loans Arena are putting people at risk.
In my view, the 2nd amendment is stretched to the max with its current iterations. Guns at a highly charged political convention where one candidate routinely and continually incites violence? Drumpf has already said there will be violence if he does not win the nomination. An ISIS attack? Just a little paranoid!
Politico — This is not a joke. Senator Al Franken should be the Democratic Party’s choice for vice president.
If I had said that 10 years ago, or even six months ago, the notion would have been preposterous: a former Saturday Night Live writer, perhaps best known as the mock self-help guru Stuart Smalley, Franken became synonymous with left-wing bombast thanks to his best-selling book Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. He took the presidency itself as a joke, writing a satirical campaign memoir, Why Not Me, in which Franken wins the White House on a platform of eliminating ATM fees, only to be quickly chased out by the “Joint Congressional Committee on the President's Mood Swings.”
But for a 2016 presidential race that’s already stranger than fiction, his party truly needs someone like Franken if it’s going to win the presidency.
The primaries and caucuses aren't even over; the party nominees not yet decided. But talk is surfacing in some quarters about potential VP running mates. I find it rather presumptive that Clinton is the nominee, but whatever. This isn't about her but about a possible running mate.
Alternet — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is defending Bernie Sanders’ decision to keep campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination and calling out Donald Trump for being the worst kind of predatory capitalist.
Warren spoke to reporters after visiting a community health center in suburban Boston and made the following six points about Sanders and Trump, which were quickly picked up by Associated Press.
1. Sanders is good for Democrats and the country. “He’s out there. He fights from the heart. This is who Bernie is,” Warren said. “He has put the right issues on the table both for the Democratic Party and for the country in general, so I’m still cheering Bernie on.”
click through for the other five ways Elizabeth Warren trashed Drumpf and stood by Bernie. Lizzie is spot on in my view.
YouTube — This is a little humour for you from John Oliver.
My Universe — from Care2 — Meet Nutz, a pet squirrel . . . a rather hyperactive pet squirrel.
4 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 27/03/2016”
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Guns at the Rethuglican Convention populated by a bunch of crazed NRA nuts with violence-inciting Herr Drumpf at the podium …
What could possibly go wrong?
(While it's totally hypocritical for them to whine against "gun-free zones" – and then hold their convention in one, I really do NOT want to see anyone get injured. Guns and bat$hit crazy loons are just a bad mix.)
Sorry to hear that your cold is still keeping you from visiting your mother, Lynn. I hope you'll feel better soon so you can enjoy your last Pastoral care class.
MSNBC: 32,000 signatures petition for the open carry of firearms at the Republican National Convention because Da'esh may attack the gathering? OK, then I have some bridges over here in Holland I'd like to sell to you. It'll be hard to prove, I guess, but I think it is safe to assume these are all Drumpf supporters who want to make sure that Drumpf gets the nomination. I'm really glad I'm so far away from it all so I can laugh out loud at the new pickle the GOP has gotten itself into by catering to the NRA and the ammosexual fringe all these years. They've created another lose-lose situation for themselves. If the convention center won't bow to open carry they'll lose another portion of their voters or face a complete boycott; if they push the convention center into allowing open carry, another portion will rightfully fear for their lives and stay away, handing the nomination to Drumpf on a platter. The center is in a pickle too: if they don't allow open carry, they may lose the convention, if they allow it and people get shot, they'll be sued silly. My money is on the first option, because I think the RNC has picked this venue precisely for this reason.
Politico: Discussing who would be the best running mate for Hillary as if she's already won the primaries is not only premature, but divisive and rude.
Alternet: Good to see Elizabeth Warren is still cheering Bernie Sanders on and taking Drumpf down a few notches at the same time. Both Bernie and Elizabeth are aware of how important it is to get their progressive message out there; its now or never and they know it. And her warnings to Democrats not to be complacent about Drumpf's chances of winning the election, are right on the mark too. While she's still rooting for Bernie, like most of us here, she's also warning Democrats to go out and vote even if Bernie doesn't get the Democratic nomination, which I also hope all Democrats feel obliged to do to prevent Drumpf from taking over the White House and destroying the country.
My Universe: Gotta feel sorry for those cats that have to live with this squirrel gone berserk with all those belly rubs.
MSNBC – The signers of the petition may be serious, but there is reason to belive the originator(s) may not be – http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/03/26/1506259/-Wizard-level-trolling-on-display-with-Guns-at-the-RNC-petition There are certainly enough taking it seriously, including Raw Story, that anyone falling for it is excusable..
Politico – Al Franken had me from the first months of his first term. He is no lightweight but a real stateman. Which maybe should have been expected. Everyone even peripherally involved in theatre (I was a costumer) quickly learns that while any fool can do well in tragedy, it takes a giant to handle comedy well. However – and this applies to Liz Warren as well – whoever the nominee is should select an excellent progressive – but should also attempt not to impoverish the Senate in doing so. We are going to need a strong Senate regardless who is President.
AlterNet – And, thank God, when she speaks, people listen.
You Tube – Didn't he leave out the part about both Mozart and Washington being Masons? I'm almost sure that had something to do with it. (snark)
Universe – Adorable.
N A, the petitioner, is probably really the NRA, which seems hell bent on running the country via its whoring puppets, like Mitch McConnell, who recently said that a certain piece of legislation would not pass because the NRA would not support it! WTF????
Somehow, I like the Franken idea!
Liz continues to rock. I hope she stays vocal throughout the campaign!
John Oliver! Damn, that's what I get for not being a full, card carrying member of the society, though i've heard of him…I never saw him before. Marvellous!!