I was hoping to sleep-in, but Grand Floral Parade goers started staking out their spots and blowing their air horns at about 5:00 AM. I’d guess that the parade will get here between 11:00 AM and 12:00 N. Julie and I rescheduled shower day to tomorrow, so I’m a stinky puddy tat!! I’ll scoot down and take a few pictures, if it isn’t raining. Rain is bad for my chair.
My first surgery is a week from Monday. The radioactive plaque they will be inserting behind my right eye is about the size of an old pop bottle cap.
Mine will have a notch in one side to fit around the optic nerve. The second surgery, a week from Friday, will be to remove it.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:49 (average 4:58). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Politico has an excellent piece of reporting from within the Sanders campaign on their future efforts. A great read and very encouraging for those of us who are anticipating unity within the party. It appears that staff within the Sanders group are already starting to shift their focus toward assisting Clinton in the general.
Sanders’ tech team is already expressing interest in working on Clinton’s behalf to drum up enthusiasm among young voters — a critical demographic for Democrats that Sanders dominated and Clinton struggled with during the primaries.
“Getting a bunch of kids stoked on the process is very important to ensure a Trump presidency is not possible,” said Arun Chaudhary, the Sanders videographer who joined the senator’s team at the White House on Thursday to take pictures surrounding his meeting with Obama.
As I said, the problem is not and never was Bernie. It’s the bots, who say they support him, but act at cross-purposes to what he is doing.
From Think Progress: Texas, so fond of seeing the environmental regulators in court that it has sued the Environmental Protection Agency dozens of times, wants to take the EPA to court for a brand new reason.
The Texas Railroad Commission recommended that the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, file another lawsuit targeting new EPA regulations seeking to limit methane emissions. Texas would be the first state to do so.
I don’t know why the Railroad Commission is doing this, when the Texas Republican Party is the biggest source of methane in the Southwest US.
From Alternet: A potentially massive fine levied against three telemarketing companies could finally force others in the industry to comply with federal rules—and stop nuisance calls.
Local news station KSL.com reports that the three companies—Feature Films for Families, Corporations for Character and Family Films of Utah—made more than 117 million illegal calls to consumers who had signed up with the “Do Not Call” registry. If the court assigns the regular fine amount for all of the 117 million illegal calls, the firms could end up paying over $1 trillion.
It goes without saying that the companies would not be able to afford such high fines and would be financially ground into dust by such a verdict, although the companies are still waiting for the judge’s decision on whether the full fines will be enforced. Eric Allen, an attorney for the law firm that is representing the companies, said a $1 trillion fine could have a chilling effect on other telemarketers.
Frankly, I hope the judge puts them out of business. Companies with such a Republican lack of respect don’t deserve to operate, and it would put other telemarketers on notice to respect the Do Not Call list, OR ELSE!! Enough don’t that it’s a rare day that I don’t get at least one scam robocall, usually for timeshare scams or loans
Cartoon:
18 Responses to “Open Thread – 6/11/2016”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
4:34 I do miss railroads being for passengers instead of crude oil.
DKos – Trust me, you don't want to get me started on the bots. I will say, and do say, this article does hit the nail on the head: http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/5-things-hillary-clinton-can-do-win-over-bernie-sanders-supporters There is not going to be a way to win all the bots, but these techniques may win some – and will be GREATLY appreciated by those of us who aren't bots.
TP – Ah, Texas! Though to be fair, there are several states which will jump on this bandwagon. Delusional.
AlterNet – When Caller ID was first being bruited, my immediate response was, "Who would want that?" But that soon changed to "I WOULD!" I manage to avoid almost all scam calls that way.
Cartoon – Betty Bowers is such a cartoon herself, I'm surprised she can be quoted with a sentiment this Christian. But, of course, glad.
I have so many medical calls, that it doesn't help me
Thanks for the picture, TomCat, that really clarified things for me. The plaque isn't place in the eye fluid next to the tumor, but on the outside, radiating in and has a metal backing to protect the bone and tissue behind and around it. Now I understand why the optic nerve will be damaged by the radiation, but your sight will only be impaired as its cells die off. Very ingenious, but definitely nothing to look forward to and unfortunately causing you to lose sight in that eye. Crossing my fingers, toes and legs to make sure that everything will go smoothly and you'll sail through another ordeal.
In the meantime, enjoy the parade and take a lot of rest.
DK: It's only natural people need some time to adjust to a new reality and regroup and knowing Bernie for the realist he is and confident that he'll put the future of your nation above self interest, he shift into a new mode soon enough as will his team. Give them some time, they've earned that at least after their incredible fight against all odds.
TP: Hoe backward are they in Texas; is the Texas Railroad Commission still running steam engines fueled by coal so they can't possibly get their methane emissions down?
Alternet: There seems to be no alternative to fining them out of existence to make telemarketing companies understand that a name in the "Do not call" registry means exactly that: "Stop petering me with your calls". By all means, fine them out of business and perhaps the bloody annoying telemarketing firms over here will get the message too.
Cartoon: I'm afraid this one is going to keep fresh for another couple of years.
After Frustrating Primary, Millions of Ballots in California Remain Uncounted
The uncounted ballots would put the total number of voters at around 8.5 million, or around 47 percent of all registered voters
http://commondreams.org/news/2016/06/10/after-frustrating-primary-millions-ballots-california-remain-uncounted
enough to change the results given the added numbers so far at SOS and the %change they generated
As Establishment Lines Up Behind Clinton, Calls Resound to 'Let it Bern'
"The Bernie campaign didn't get this far by deferring to the powerful, and there's no good reason to start now," says Norman Solomon of RootsAction
http://commondreams.org/news/2016/06/10/establishment-lines-behind-clinton-calls-resound-let-it-bern
Daily Kos has been biased for Clinton throughout the campaign and thus is a poor source to rely on…including her preferred memes like blue no matter who…and those who parrot her talking points like robots, including accusing progressives of being bots
A nice comparison of Clinton and Trump from nonbot perspectives:
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=16516
Maybe I am brain dead because it is so late but this one sounded farcical to me.
Some of your points are well taken, but acting as theogh TRNN isn't knee-jerk extreme is like calling Faux Noise "Fair and Balanced".
The Commondreams article makes sense to me. Thanks, Judi.
The problem is that it's working against what Bernie is saying.
TP: More, more!! Methane!! Texas spews more methane emissions into the air than any other state.Obviously, Paxton/Abbott is proud of that, and boy, how he twists the truth too, to sue. Lots of hot air coming from Austin!!
AN: Thank the Lord. Finally. We are on the 'Do Not Call' registry too. I only have 40 spaces for blocked calls on my landline, and I rotate them each week…for the new calls coming in.
Cartoon: Sadly, the truth.
Thank you for your picture, I can see the plaque behind the eye there. Hope that your operation will go well. Enjoy your parade, get some rest, and enjoy your evening. Take care, and Thanks, Tom.
So, that's not you posing for the picture? BEST OF LUCK!
DK: I belive Bernie is doing the right thing.
TP: Think progress is looking at the wrong place, Texas, if they are looking for reasonable thinking! Texas Railroad Commission, Texas Education Whatever, the clowns who decided that creatinism is a valid alternative to reality? It seems that Texas is divided into separate entities for the express purose of expressing stupidity from a plethora of angles.
Common Cause and others' voter fraud lawsuits:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/967140289/3992086
http://hubpages.com/politics/California-Landslide-Possible-for-Sanders-After-All-Votes-Counted-Election-Activists-Sue-Media-for-Fraud-Complicity
Is the radio active bottle cap supposed to take care of the malignancy?
Daily Kos: Kudos to Bernie, he has shown more class than anyone else in this election. Both Sanders and Clinton fans have shown tendencies to deride the other. We cannot act like Republicans.
Think Progress: Half of us are complaining the EPA doesn't do enough, the other half is complaining they do too much.
Alternet: I have no respect for these companies, we are on the so called "no call" list. We are bombarded with unwanted calls. I have been telling them to remove our number. A few of them have even called our cell phones.
Cartoon: One of your best. Ammosexuals have a fetish for their guns, as do right wingers.
Yes Edie. As it kills the cancer cells the tumor should be gone when the plaque is removed. Then we keep a close eye on it. (Pun accidental)
Puzzle — 3:13 Well at least there is nothing to eat in this one!
Daily Kos — As I said yesterday, the Bernie or Bust kids need to seriously listen to Bernie. If they truly believe in Bernie and what he stands for, they need to get behind Clinton, the presumed Democratic nominee. The alternative to a Democratic president is unacceptable!
Think Progress — Texas is on the fast track back to the primordial ooze and will take a bunch of other red states for support with it.
Alternet — I hate robocalls and I get at least one every day, sometimes more. I hope these telemarketing firms get nailed big time.
Cartoon — Yup!!
Interesting info about the surgery. We're pulling for you!
Thanks all!! Hugs!!