I’m waiting for Julie to come fore my first appointment with her. My appointment yesterday went poorly. In less than five tears my nevus has grown from nothing to 3.6mm and thick, so the Retinal Ophthalmologist thinks that I have a 75% chance that it’s a choroidal melanoma, and is referring me to the two specialists at Casey Eye Institute that do nothing else. You’ll know more when I do. tomorrow my articles may be late or missing, because I can’t do anything else before my taxes are done. Later: Julie came. She’s fantastic.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:55 (average 4:51). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: The Senate Republicans’ most vulnerable member is running awfully hard away from his party, as he runs for reelection. Illinois’ Mark Kirk is running furiously from his party, now that voters are actually paying attention in race against Democrat Tammy Duckworth.
Kirk is one of just two outliers in the Senate GOP Conference on whether the chamber should vote on Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court this year and has bent over backward to show he disagrees with his fellow Republicans. Aside from telling other Republicans to "man up" and vote on President Barack Obama’s nominee, Kirk has circulated memos to Republicans touting Garland and boasted about a personal note from Obama thanking Kirk for advocating for his nominee.
Just this week, Kirk co-sponsored a criminal justice reform bill that would loosen some mandatory minimum sentences, despite complaints within the GOP that it would unwittingly release violent criminals early from prison. And he joined with five of the most liberal senators to urge the NBA to move its 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina, in response to the state’s controversial new law that bans anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people. […]
He’s so full of Republican, that his eyes are brown. Before election season, Kirk was goose-stepping with the Reich, and if elected, he will be again. Yay Tammy Duckworth!!
From NY Times: It was the sort of question — Does Israel have a right to defend itself as it sees fit? — that had often caused candidates, especially those with designs on winning a primary in New York, to produce paeans to the strength of the Israeli-American relationship and a stream of pro-Israel orthodoxy.
But Senator Bernie Sanders dug in.
“There comes a time when if we pursue justice and peace, we are going to have to say that Netanyahu is not right all of the time,” Mr. Sanders said, referring to the Israeli prime minister, amid cheers from the crowd at Thursday’s Democratic debate in Brooklyn. He added: “All that I am saying is we cannot continue to be one-sided. There are two sides to the issue.”
I agree with Bernie 100%. Sadly, Most liberal US Jews, are ultra-conservative on maintaining an "Israel. Right or wrong" stance. J Street supporters, Jews who recognize Bibi as the butcher he is, are far too few and far between. Sadly, Bernie’s integrity will cost him dearly in NY, but I admire and commend him for it.
From TPM: Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders enjoyed a visit with Pope Francis Saturday during his trip to the Vatican.
According to NBC News, Sanders met with the pope just outside the Vatican’s breakfast room at 6 a.m. The New York Times reported the meeting lasted just five minutes.
"In terms of economic justice, the need to combat climate change — nobody in the world has been more profound and articulate than the pope, and I’m delighted to go forward with him on those issues," Sanders told NBC News.
So, is Francis feeling the BERN?
Cartoon:
12 Responses to “Open Thread–4/16/2016”
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4:24 Well, presumably there are fish.
Thank goodness, Julie was a bright spot in the day. Heaven knows you needed one. I surely hope the taxes go as smoothly as possible.
DKos – Kirk has already insulted Tammy by stating bluntly she doesn't care about veterans. As if she weren't one, a decorated combat vet, with prosthesis to prove it. He is definitely on my s**t list. (Not that he went as far as her last opponent in her representative race, who said before a debate that probably the most pressing thing on her mind going into the debate was what dress to wear.)
NY Times – More and more American Jews are seeing the light, per JVP (Jewish Voices for Peace). That "Doesn't Israel have a right to defend itself?" line has been pulled enough times, over a long enough period, that by now I would think the clear answer is "Every nation has a right to defend itself. No nation has a right to commit war crimes. If war crimes is what you mean by 'as it sees fit,' then the answer is NO."
TPM – Well, five minutes was more than expected. Bernie and Francis probably agree on a lot more than they disagree on. I strongly doubt if the Pope is going to endorse anyone, period.
Cartoon – The NRA and the GOP. They go together like a horse and carriege (or is it like a horse's a$$ and carriage?)
PS – I was getting worried about JL, not having posted for a day and a half, and I remembered I have her cell#, so I called, and she's fine, it's just that her computer died. TC, I told her what was in your personal update above, knowing she'd want to both know and pray for you (I definitely got that right, and of course I will too). She said you can't do any better than the place you've been referred to, which was reassuring to me.
Sorry, Joann, that went in whaere it did not belong. I was going to comment on the sudden visibility of horses a$$es.
Thanks for the update on JL>
Thanks JD!
Damn! I do not like the sound of that, Mr.Tom! Neither do I like green eggs and ham, but this is much, much more!
Duckworth all the way! KIrk is demonstrating the capacity to dissimulate that all too many politicians must learn in BS 101. And, I am sure that you are right, TC, that should he win he will revert to base-line idiocy!
I have a new posting- http://www.care2.com/news/member/565542931/3975374 that describes the inner life of these horse's asses, and yes, I apologize to the nice horses.
NYT: I sooo agree with Bernie on this issue, and it reminds me of the lack of chracter demonstrated by Boehner upon inviting Netanyahu to congress!
DK: I sure hope Ms. Duckworth wins over this jerk.
TPM: How wonderful ! Love the Pope, and Bernie. Go Bernie!
Cartoon: I remember this well. Has it been that long ago? How sad!
Glad Julie is there for you. Sorry about your eye appointment. Hope you got your taxes done too. Take good care, Tom. Thanks.
Sorry to learn of the changes WRT your ocular nevus.
Please keep us updated.
I hope you get better news soon, you are due a break! So glad you like Julie.
Daily Kos: Sounds like Duckworth has Kirk on the run! He needs a Dr. Spock to rescue him!
NY Times: I so agree with Bernie on this one, but you are right, he will lose a lot of votes for his honesty. Bibi needs to go, and he probably would have if the United States Congress, aka Boehner, had not aided him by letting him address our Congress..
TPM: Good for Bernie, but the Clinton campaign is using this against him, too, due to the cost of going to Rome. They really are getting nervous. I like this Pope.
Cartoon: I remember this day so well, it still makes me sad. Yes, the NRA and those who support it, bear the burden of guilt for this and other massacres.
I am truly sorry that the outcome of your eye specialist appointment was not more positive. Prayers of course.
Puzzle — 2:48 See that sign on the dock — Puddy Tat … NO Fishing!
Daily Kos — Another bloody chameleon! He changes colour to protect himself . . . from the political unemployment line!
NY Times — Would I want a fickle POTUS or a person of integrity in the big chair? I'll go with Mr Integrity, Bernie, every time.
TPM — Although Pope Francis won't come out in support of any political figure, I believe Bernie is another Jew that the Pope could get behind. Go Bernie!!!
Cartoon — I would prefer to remember more pleasant things today . . . like the birthday of my 2 boys. They turned 8 years old today!
Thanks all Hugs!! The Casey Eye Institute will call next week to set an appointment, I'll keep you posted.
I'm so sorry to hear about the outcome of your ophthalmologist's examination of your eyes. I'm hoping for a more positive diagnosis once you've seen the specialists, and I hope you do too, TomCat. But the uncertainty now is something you could really do without. So meeting with your new help Julie, who turned out to be fantastic (and on time, I assume), must have brightened your day somewhat. I hope she comes often to pamper you a bit.
And then my guests walked in and I have to leave it at this.