What a day! When I was in the hospital I had to buy one thing online with my credit card, and it was hacked from the hospital guest network. US Bank caught the first bogus attempt to use it immediately, froze the card, and will have a replacement in my hands by Monday. Their service is great, but I charge so many things, that I shall have to update a bunch of vendors, and it’s a huge pain in the ass. Having to reschedule my surgery was a brain fart. I thought my preliminary appointment was next Thursday. I was wrong. It was tomorrow, and I’m not that far healed yet. So it’s on for Tuesday, 7/18. My bowels have still not settled down. I had three days or Republicitis, attacked per doctor’s orders with ever increasing doses of Dulcolax and stool softener. The breakthrough came this morning. Instant Republicosis! Who would have ever believed that so much shit could fit into one person!!! ARGH!! My friend Sandi, with whom I do volunteer work, will be here to visit in about fifteen minutes. Store to Door is coming with my grocery order. And Wendy comes this evening to de-stink the very stinky TomCat. This will be my only article today. What a day!! (Later: I had a good visit with my friend.)
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:42 (average 4:50). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube: Jeff Sessions DOES NOT RECALL!!!
Sorry about the Morning Joe pollution at the end. The rest of KKK Beauregard’s testimony can be summarized in three words: "I won’t say." RESIST!!
From Daily Kos: As a team composed of Republican Congressman and staffers were practicing baseball at a field near Alexandria, VA, a shooter fired into the field, wounding Congressman Steve Scalise, along with a Congressional staffer and two Capitol Police officers.
The shooter was apparently a white male. According to Congressman Jeff Flake, the shooter was “in his 40s, maybe 50,” white, with dark hair. Several observers noted that he was wearing a blue shirt.
At least two Congressman have reported that they spoke with the man they believed to be the shooter before the incident, with Congressman Jeff Duncan reporting that the man asked if the team practicing was Democrats or Republicans. However, Democrats practice at another field. Multiple Republicans had this morning’s practice, which is preparation for a charity game, noted on their calendars. So it’s likely the shooter would not have arrived on the field, armed, without knowing which team was present.
This is not the way to resist, so I trust this was not a Democrat. However, it was only a matter of time before disgruntled Republican Ammosexuals opened the season on their Congress critters. RESIST!!
From NY Times: In 2016, the Democratic Party lost the presidency to possibly the least popular candidate in American history. In recent years, Democrats have also lost the Senate and House to right-wing Republicans whose extremist agenda is far removed from where most Americans are politically. Republicans now control almost two-thirds of governor’s offices and have gained about 1,000 seats in state legislatures in the past nine years. In 24 states, Democrats have almost no political influence at all.
If these results are not a clear manifestation of a failed political strategy, I don’t know what is. For the sake of our country and the world, the Democratic Party, in a very fundamental way, must change direction. It has got to open its doors wide to working people and young people. It must become less dependent on wealthy contributors, and it must make clear to the working families of this country that, in these difficult times, it is prepared to stand up and fight for their rights. Without hesitation, it must take on the powerful corporate interests that dominate the economic and political life of the country.
There are lessons to be learned from the recent campaign in Britain. The Conservatives there called the snap election with the full expectation that they would win a landslide. They didn’t. Against all predictions they lost 13 seats in Parliament while Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party won 32. There is never one reason elections are won or lost, but there is widespread agreement that momentum shifted to Labour after it released a very progressive manifesto that generated much enthusiasm among young people and workers. One of the most interesting aspects of the election was the soaring turnout among voters 34 or younger.
The British elections should be a lesson for the Democratic Party. We already have among the lowest voter turnout of any major country on earth. Democrats will not win if the 2018 midterm election turnout resembles the unbelievably low 36.7 percent of eligible voters who cast ballots in 2014. The Democrats must develop an agenda that speaks to the pain of tens of millions of families who are working longer hours for lower wages and to the young people who, unless we turn the economy around, will have a lower standard of living than their parents.
Bernie Sanders makes several valid points here. RESIST!!
From Memes Happen: One that I made.
That Trump was not aborted is the most valid support for abortion that has ever existed. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
15 Responses to “Open Thread – 6/14/2017”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I'm sorry to report that the shooter was not a Republican Ammosexual after all. He is a Bernie or Bust Bot. Needless to say, Bernie was apalled that such a thing had been done by one of his supporters.
YT: "I did not, I don't recall, I've racked my brain, I don't recall." As AG, 'recalling incidents, episodes, or information is vital in this job. Should have had a 'LieOMeter' on the desk there, it would have been dinging the whole time he was talking. A–Hat!! lol.
DK: Very sad news, violence is not the way to express your opposition with intent to kill.
NYT: I agree wholeheartly, and for those who can, join, and help with your Democrats on a local level. It does make a difference!!
Cartoon: 1. Great comment, TC! LOL!!! 2. ugh!
I've been fortunate to not have that happen w/my credit card. It's a mess though, from what I hear from others. Dulcolax is the way to go, when it 'happens', it gives a person a new outlook on life, doesn't it? YAY!
You sound like you are getting things in order, tell Wendy HI, have a good, good evening, and take care.
Thanks, Tom.
It has only happened to me on unsecured hospital networks.
4:31 Very colorful, but nothing to eat.
Thanks for the update, it's back on my calendar. Sorry about the craziness! My CC is through a local credit union, administered through Elan, and their service is also great. I've had to turn the number over maybe four or five times in the last 8-10 years, and they are always great. The last time, last September, the bogus charge was for the Hilton in Riyadh. Most amusing. And I charge things a lot too. It keeps good track, and I get cash back (rhyme accidental). say, I just had a great visit with a friend too! Are we on the same timeline? Spooky!
YT – There is a new petition to fire Jeff Sessions on the grounds that he has dangerous memory lapses. Don;t worry about Morning Joe – he's been on fire lately. Mika must finally be having a good influence. And did everyone see Kate on Seth channeling Sesh?
DKos – This was what I was reading about most of the morning until I left to meet my friend. Yeah, I saw that. You love Bernie, I love Bernie, and we LISTEN to Bernie, but it would be unintelligent to deny that some of the people he was attracting are no more like, and no closer to, Bernie than Trump. Of course Republicans will deny that. They are undoubtedly salivating over this. And I can just hear, the next time soome radicalized ammosexual shoots or even knifes someone, the cry of "Both sides do it!" I personally think those of us who do love and understand and support Bernie need to take it in hand to repudiate those people. But I am somewhat in the dark about how.
NY TImes – I can think of nothing "sexier" than a platform of strong social safety nets, good jobs, living wages, family related benefits (parental leave, child care, etc), no one hungry, no one homeless, justice, fairness, diversity – well, you get the idea. It is incomprehensible to me why ANYONE would think we can't run on that. It seems to me we MUST run on that.
Cartoon 1 – "If you are older than seven, if it's your birthday, shut up!"
Cartoon 2 – Yup. Darn it.
Update – good news – from the Washington Post –
It sure as shooting does, and I am extremely glad to see it in the open.
And his lawyer is yelling foul because this news was "illegally leaked". What a hoser!
Extreme absolute values on the right is a Republican. Extreme ansolute valies opn the left is a Bernie or Bust Bot. If they tgruly supported Bernie they would compromise like he does.
Of course.
Puzzle — 3:31 I wasmotivated by the colours and the peaceful landscape.
Youtube — "…KKK Beauregard’s testimony can be summarized in three words: "I won’t say." " — AMEN!!! He said he was protecting Drumpf's rights to invoke executive priviledge. Bull shit! He and Drumpf likely discussed his testimony beforehand. So is Drumpf throwing Sessions under the bus and Sessions does not realise this? Seems like a reasonable hypothesis, especially considering Drumpf has to be a winner and he is such an accomplished liar.
Daily Kos — Unfortunately, the perp is a white male, age 66, who worked on Bernie's campaign. Bernie expressed his disgust with his actions, and rightfully so. Subsequently, he has a criminal record and has used violence previously. Actually, I am amazed that Drumpf has not tweeted about the perp being a Democrat ticked off about the results of the election, or something equally stupid. I am waiting for him to also bring in the gun argument. Tomorrow? Anything to deflect from the Mueller investigation into obstruction of justice by Drumpf. Drumpf must really have his knickers in a twist tonight.
NY Times — Bernie proved the effectiveness of this strategy in 2016, but the Democratic Party dismissed it. Bernie had wide grassroots support, but still the Democratic old guard stayed with what had worked to a degree in the past. But times have changed. Bernie recognised that and tapped that new energy.
"If the Democrats are prepared to rally grass-roots America in every state and to stand up to the greed of the billionaire class, the party will stop losing elections."
Memes Happen — Drumpf is thoroughly disgusting! The seed should never have been planted in the first place.
Cartoon — Republicare indeed! At best, a skeleton of Obamacare let alone universal Medicare.
Resist and Persist!!!
I'm a bit confused about your cataract operation schedule, TomCat. Tuesday 17/8 is your preliminary appointment now and after that you'll hear when your first cataract is going to be removed. Is that right?
YouTube: As someone commented on a New York Time's Op-Ed about Session's conspicuous lack of recollection: if Jeff Sessions has such a terrible recollection he's completely unfit for the demanding function of Attorney General…or something to that effect. Amen.
DK: Shooting people you disagree with (or more likely: who are indirectly harming you) is never the way, Democrat, Republican or otherwise, but given the extraordinary number of gun owners and the push to even more gun-ownership by the Republican NRA, it seems to be a part of American culture for which Republicans need to take some responsibility. But even before it became clear that the shooter was a Democrat very opposed to Drumpf and the way the country was going under his (and Republican) "leadership", Republicans were pointing the finger at Democrats, blaming their loud and active opposition to Drumpf as the cause for the shooting. Of course that was to be expected. Republicans are incapable of even the tiniest bit of self-reflection and couldn't possible imagine that their butchering of ObamaCare and keeping Drumpf in office no matter what may be part of the cause that flipped this man's switch.
NYT: I was preparing a As Seen From Afar on this, but after seeing Bernie's reaction in the New York Times, threw it out again. There's nothing for me to add, Bernie says it all and so much better than I could. Kudos to you, Bernie. Now get those Democrats to follow you before its too late! I really would like to see Drumpf's/Pence's picture next to this heading in 2018.
Cartoon: Both very good and very true indeed.
The preliminary appointment is now next Thursday. 8/17 is the first surgery.
TC: So what you are saying, in different words, is that at times you can be as full of shit as the GOPigs are at all times. TC,that is taking the idea of getting close to one's enemies too literally. They, however, are also emotionally, ethically and morally constipated!!
U-Tube: One way, presumably, to avoid perjuring onself is to claim forgetfullness (which might signal that one is unfit for office, in many cases). Sessions is nought but a POS! And now I read, thank you, JD, that there is a petition to that effect!
DK: A great shame that this clown could get his hands on guns. I see that there have been, and expect that there will be, many "Our thoughts, and prayers…" claims, while nothing useful is done to change gun laws. Given that at least some of the ball team were wearing "Republican" shirts, the shooter most certainly had to know who they were. Perhaps he was titillating himself by talking to those whom he knew were soon to be the targets of the sick idiocy he shared with so many other killers.
NY TImes – "I can think of nothing 'sexier' than a platform of strong social safety nets, good jobs, living wages, family related benefits (parental leave, child care, etc), no one hungry, no one homeless, justice, fairness, diversity – well, you get the idea. It is incomprehensible to me why ANYONE would think we can't run on that. It seems to me we MUST run on that." YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What, this is Rumpy's birthday? Not only is this an indication of the value of abortion, but, also, of masturbation! He was born? He did not emerge from the ooze of a long lost coprolite in some dank, left over mezozoic swamp somewhere in the depths of the Amazon? Wait!! Where are the birthers he encouraged when we need them?
Thanks, Mitch. Maybe I will.
Thanks all! Hugs!