Yesterday was a zoo. I planned my fast so I would hit the ten hour mark when I arrived at 9:00 AM. By the time they got the doctor’s order straight, and I got done, my blood sugar was down to 60, and I was feeling light headed. Fortunately I had the foresight to pack a PB&J to as as soon as I was done. T took the regular bus both ways, because the weather was nice. On the way home, I stopped at my bank’s ATM in the mall near where I live. Both machines were Reduplicated, so I had to power chair to the branch a quarter mile away. It was my longest trip in the chair do date, but without money to pay Julie, I’d soon start to stink as bad as a Republican budget. Today Julie came a bit late, because, she lost her phone. I’m fluffed and buffed. Safeway is delivering groceries, between now and 2:00, and I’ll need to put them away. Tomorrow I have to go for an MRI on my hand, and Friday I have PT, so I may have nothing more that a Personal Update each day. Later: Groceries’R’Stowed. I’R’Pooped!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:23 (average 5:20). To do it. click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: President Obama handed the Republican Party a gift for the general election by making a series of offensive pro-knowledge remarks at Rutgers University over the weekend, a leading Republican official said on Monday.
According to Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, the President’s inflammatory comments, in which he offered full-throated praise for such controversial fields of knowledge as math and science, are sure to come back to haunt the Democrats in November.
“If President Obama was trying to alienate millions of Americans in one speech, mission accomplished,” Priebus told Fox News. “When I watched him speak, I said to myself, ‘Well, Christmas came early this year.’ ”
While many Republicans expected Obama to walk back his ill-advised praise of knowledge, facts, and evidence, the White House as of Monday morning had refused to do so.
Dang Andy! Barack had better be careful!! They might Republicate on him!!
From Daily Kos: One of the most talented and outspoken young actors in Hollywood today, Jennifer Lawrence, did not hold back when talking about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on The Graham Norton Show this past week. When asked if she had met “the Trump,” Lawrence said no, but the 25-year-old Oscar-winner admitted to trying to get up close and personal with Trump at a concert.
There’s a gal who knows how to deal with Rump Dump!
From PRWatch: Recent articles in the national media, such as yesterday’s piece in the National Review, suggest that Charles and David Koch are less interested and less involved in national politics in the 2016 election cycle than in previous years.
This latest PR effort comes despite the fact that $400 million of the $889 pledge by the Kochs through their "Freedom Partners" network has already been invested in the outcome of the 2016 elections, with more money to be spent.
A close examination of recent campaign finance disclosures and other data reveals that Team Koch has already identified some of their candidates for 2016 and in many cases has already started spending big on behalf of candidates in races for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, state Governorships and state Attorney General races–as the presidential tickets remain unsettled and controversial.
Click through for a list of dozens of certified Koch suckers.
Cartoon:
11 Responses to “Open Thread – 5/18/2016”
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AB does such accurate straight reporting. Lawrence does deserve kudos. Wish the Kochs would sink in their tarsands investments.
Kudos on your longer venture!
4:39 Closed and open, it almost looks like two different flowers, doesn't it?
New Yorker – It is a constituency that is not known for coming out in droves to vote, that is for sure. Maybe if the REpublicans can make the learned among us mad enough, a few more will come out to vote. I hope.
DKos – Seeing as she made her name acting in a dystopian world, much like the one Trump would create for us (so she probably knows better than most how awful it would really be), and also that she has a reputation for being bright, I would expect nothing less.
PRWatch – Yes, the Kochs can definitely screw us in Congressional and Senate races. But it's STATE legislators where they can REALLY screw us. Whatever state you live in, be sure to find out who represents you in the State Senate and House, if your state legislature is bicameral, or just in the House if there is only one chamber. Find out if they are any good, who is running against them, who SHOULD be elected – then do whatever you can to help the right side.
Cartoon – You probably had ash from it. I didn't, though Minnesota did, and it is farther, but the little town I was in at the time was probably out of the prevailing wind path.
NYer: Our President has more intelligence than the Repugs have all together. LOL, Andy!
DK: What I think and say about Drumpf (in my head), anyways. Seriously.
PRWatch: WOW! They have been busy, haven't they? ugh!
Cartoon: My family drove up there to visit my BIL and his family a couple months after this happened. Those dikes along the Columbia River are now covered in grass and trees, but if a person was to dig down a few feet they would find the ash.
You've had a very busy day. Glad your power chair got you to the bank, and Julie showed up. I get in & out from the grocery store which I like, but I'm not crazy about stowing bought items. My spouse usually puts things away in the pantry for me. Good thoughts to you, as you get through the rest of the week, medically wise. Rest up, relax, and take care. Thanks, Tom.
Jennifer Lawrence says it all in a very few succinct and forceful words which most of us have thought, said of Drumpf and the GOP. lol. 34 seconds. (CC)
Wow, what a day! You have come a long way, baby!
The New Yorker: Obama better be careful, somebody might learn a thing or two if he keeps up this reckless behavior!
Daily Kos: I admire Jennifer Lawrence. She is a true Kentucky woman!
PR Watch: The Kochs have determined that getting the politicians at local and state levels will be more beneficial to them. Probably cheaper, too.
cartoon: That was scary.
Puzzle — 9:30 on my laptop with no mouse.
The New Yorker — Andy's doing straight reporting again! Although, I am surprised that Priebus recognises knowledge, facts, and evidence.
Daily Kos — Succinct and to the point! No misunderstanding where she stands!
PR Watch — A few days ago in Alternet, there was an article about the Kochs' involvement in education, specifically K – 12 common sense economics. The Kochs are investing in the future they want by widening their scope and going long term. So they may not invest as much in the presidential campaign in favour of deepening their reach.
Cartoon — I remember that Sunday very well. I was up, getting ready for church. As I was ironing a shirt, a great gust of warm wind blew in the curtains. It was very unusual. I turned on the news to find that Mount St Helens had flipped her lid and the heat and wind was a result of that eruption.
Busy people get things done – you are amazing, TC!
Other than here, taking a break from the nauseating news…. a body can only take so much aggravation…
I sure hope the next days are a bit more relaxed than this zoo day you just got through, TomCat. Look on the bright side, your power chair made got through its longest test run yet and it didn't die on you at the furthest cash point. But you would have liked to pick a better day for the test, I'm sure. Powdered and coiffed now get all the rest you can for two more busy and tiring days ahead. I hope the administration of your new doctor has the paperwork up to scratch this time; you can really do without waiting another 2 hours before getting the MRI done.
TNY: Andy came up with an unlikely scenario for his satire this time as I doubt very much that Reince Priebus, or any other Republican for that matter, would even understand what Obama was talking about, let alone grasp that he was actually praizing maths, science, research and fact-finding. They wouldn't recognise a scientific piece of evidence if it hit them in the face, they refuse to acknowledge it even when bombarded with it. Anything to do with knowledge has been stripped from their vocabulary and world view.
DK: Saw this last week on the BBC where the anti-Drumpf current is running very strong indeed. The BBC used to bleep f-words out, but has stopped doing that for shows like Graham Norton's, so anyone can get his message accross very clearly and especially American gusets seem to take the opportunity to express themselves freely.
PRWatch: If your a Koch and you can't buy yourself the next president, just try to buy as many out of the next tier as your money will allow. And it's even more effective as the candidates are cheaper there, you get more value for money and, as the past two terms of Obama have shown, you can block a hardworking Democratic president very efficiently and run the country from behind the screens just as well.
Thirty-six years I actually flew through (well, more like "close by") the smoke from Mount St. Helens' eruption.
Our group of hiking buddies was returning from a trip to Hawaii on a non-stop flight from Maui to Chicago. Most mainland returning flights tend to leave Hawaii fairly late in the evening to get you back stateside in the morning hours. And our flight path was close enough to Mount St. Helens so that when it erupted at 8:32 AM PDT we weren't that far south of it.
We could see a haze of the smoke/ash to the norrth, and definitely could SMELL the smoke in the cabin.
One of the few times I've actually ever experienced first-hand, if tangentially, a pretty major historical event!
Sounds like quite the trip you took to the Dr.! Motorolling had to a strange one! You haven't been out that much since you went in the hospital, huh? Glad you had the foresight to pack a PB&J! I would have forgotten it on the counter! Good luck!
Have a good day, TC. Fingers not working today.