This is my only article today. I have not slept well and am very tired. It’s a high holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb with Conference Final meditations to watch. I wonder if someone deflated Brady’s balls. WWWendy is going to a temporary bartending job today, so she’s coming an hour early to destink the smelly TomCat and help with chores. She will probably arrive before I finish this. I hope you are having a great second day of the Republican shutdown.
WWWendy just left. It feels so good to be clean again!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:37 (average 5:10). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): Song for Donald – Parody of Song of Roland
AMEN!! RESIST!!
From YouTube (SNL Channel): Trump Doctor Press Conference Cold Open
That exam was almost as phony as the real one was. RESIST!!
From Bloomberg: President Donald Trump says on Twitter that if the shutdown stalemate continues, Republicans should consider the so-called “nuclear option” in the Senate, which would allow them to vote on a long-term budget with a simple majority and no more continuing resolutions. “The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked,” Trump says to kick off a day seen as the final chance for a rapid end to the shutdown.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they did it. I am surprised they haven’t done it sooner. RESIST!!
From The New Yorker: Calling it “the least I can do for my country,” the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said on Saturday morning that she would lie for free during the government shutdown.
“Now more than ever it’s important that the stream of falsehoods and distortions from this White House continues to flow in a steady and uninterrupted fashion,” Sanders said. “To achieve that, for the duration of the government shutdown I will be lying on a pro-bono basis.”
Sanders said that Donald Trump had asked that she keep a full accounting of the lies she told during the shutdown so that she could be reimbursed for them later, but she turned down that offer. “I’ve often said that I like to lie so much I would do it for free,” she said. “This is a chance to put my money where my mouth is.”
Dang Andy! For Upchuckabee-Sanders, lying for free is like a bear shitting in the woods for free. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
I bet most wish they had stayed in Canada!
15 Responses to “Open Thread – 1/21/2018”
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The “nuclear” option AGAIN? Maybe the Orange Ogre is thinking, If I can’t nuke North Korea, I’ll nuke D.C.!
YT: Word.
SNL: So funny, and so true!! LOL
Bloomberg: dt would throw his monkey wrench into anything that doesn’t suit him. I do hope that this is resolved soon though.
NYer: This is hilarious, as she lies every.single.day and gets paid for it. “Pro-bono”. lol.
Do hope that you get some much needed rest! HI, WWWendy! Enjoy your evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
5:39 All for a teeny tiny snail.
New (copyrighted) cartoons
PP – Priceless!
SNL – It just burns me (“berns” me) that Sarah Huckleberry married someone named Sanders. It runs my emotions up and down the gamut every time I hear the name “Sanders” now.
Bloomberg – Wouldn’t surprise me either. My best hope is that, if (when) they do it, they can convince the idiot that the US has already done a nuclear strike now, so he can stop worrying about North Korea. I see Freya feels the same.
TNY – There’s that emotional roller coaster again.
Cartoon – Some did stay in Canada. One who did contributed to Ken Burns’ “The Vietnam War.” Ken is nothing if not thorough.
Update on My Mom
Mom has been admitted to the hospital twice now for heart failure (HF) – once on 12/12/17 and again on 1/17/18.
Mom had asked we explore Hospice Care ~ 18 months ago, even though she had no major medical problems other than old age. Her PCP at that time told her he couldn’t, in good faith, sign a Hospice Certificate.
But during this last hospitalization we spoke to the Palliative Care nurse for over two hours on one day, and the Hospice Care nurse for over two hours the next. It was our decision that Hospice would best meet her needs, so on 1/17/18 while still in the hospital we got her signed up for Hospice.
Not an easy decision – but I definitely think it’s the right decision.
She’s back at her assisted living (not really – but hopefully only temporarily) on 2 L of oxygen, her diuretic and her beta blocker (along w/ other older meds).
But the Hospice nurse did make an appointment w/ Mom’s cardiologist for Tuesday so I can get some clarification on her medical regimen, because the hospitalist at the hospital (they have to take to the nearest ER from the assisted living site, but her PCP doesn’t go to that hospital so we got assigned the on-call doctor the first time who was awful, so the second time I demanded the hospitalist, who was a little better – but still … ) is substantially different.
So I’m going back up to IL tomorrow.
But ~ 2 hours ago I got a call from the assisted living nurse that they had taken Mom back to the ER because she tripped over her oxygen tubing when she was in the bathroom, fell and bumped her head and got a cut.
When she came home w/ oxygen the first time in December, they changed her to the “Full Service” category of care (extra cost) so one of the aides would be with her WHENEVER SHE GOT UP to be sure she DIDN’T TRIP ON THE TUBING.
I’ve tripped on it myself a couple of times, and I don’t have macular degeneration.
The nurse was very vague WRT how it happened – not sure if she just didn’t know or if it was a CYA, because Mom is not really able to get to the bathroom by herself w/out help.
…
Just got a call from the Hospice nurse who is w/ her in the ER. (Boy – is THAT a relief) The CT of her head & neck were normal. VS & O2 saturations were good, but did put in 4 stitches & will have a goose egg on her forehead. And they’ll be taking her back to her apartment shortly.
WHEW!!!
(I’m getting the impression that Mom may have “asserted herself” – and got to the bathroom by herself. Good that at 101 y/o she’s still feisty. Just going to have to find another outlet for that feistiness.)
My mother-in-law is 102 1/2, and in a nursing home, so I can not only imagine what it must be like for you, but share your concerns. We brought her up from Florida a week before her 99th b’day. She’d been living on her own, but fell one too many times. She went into assisted living in a place that once had a good rep. but that has been lost. In the NH she lost the edema that the idiot Gerontologist could not get a handle on, at the AL. It turned out to be due to the salt content in the food they served!
He big mistake, upon getting to the AL place was the decision to allow herself to get into a wheel chair, (so convenient, she thought) and not continue to walk with her walker, never had followed up on PT exercises, now is unable to stand for more than a couple of seconds.
Feisty is good, unless it hurts you. My best wishes to your Mom, and you.
My Mom was feisty too – with her it presented as never using a wheelchair or any other walking aids but a walker after breaking both hips (one at a time). And she pushed herself some – I found it hard to keep up with her and I was 39 years younger and no broken bones, just some old sprains. I’m so glad you can trust the hospice nurse. I also had a contact I could trust. If one doesn’t, it’s easy to make oneself increasingly crazy worrying and/or second guessing oneself. You don’t need to be doing that. Prayers heading your way in a steady stream.
I am so relieved that your mum is alright, albeit suffering some of the ravages of old age. I lit several candles at church this morning, one of which was for your mum and you. Enjoy your time with her. That is most important. Have a safe trip my friend.
So sorry to hear of your mother’s troubles and your worries, Nameless. It’s sad that your Mom has to experience what it is to be a high spirited woman with the body of a 101-year-old, but the clear mind of a much younger person, in a health system doesn’t meet the demands of a growing geriatric population and, alas too often running on insufficiently trained staff, or just people who do not care enough. I’m glad you found some exceptions to that rule and hope you can establish better care for her when you go back up.
Take good care of yourself too, Nameless and have a safe trip.
My mom hung herself when I was thirteen, so I never experienced eldercare. However, I know how frustrating it is to be in a hospital bathroom and enduring a too long wait for a nurse that never seems to come. In that circumstance, I have taken matters into my own hands against orders and gotten tangled in my O2 and IV. Fortunately, the nurse arrived while I was extricating myself.
I do hope and pray that you can work out her care issues. Thank you for the update.
PP: Marvelous! So much for our supposed American Exceptionalism!
Bloomberg: Anything that the Empty One puts his hand on will hurt the rest of us!
New Yorker: Like Father, like Daughter, both are “s**holes.” Andy has her pegged perfectly, though this is probably easier than it ought to be.
January 21, 1907- My father was born! Kudos to him, and kudos to REAL president Carter!
Puzzle — 4:06 I moved at a snail’s pace on purpose. The escargot is all yours Puddy Tat!
Parody Project — AMEN!!! Absolutely perfect!!! It is very apparent that Drumpf has been very good for the entertainment business . . . just not in the way he would like!
Bloomberg — ““The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked,” Trump says…” — Total bullshit as usual from the Orange Ogre! Drumpf would not know the truth if it bit him in the ass, and is totally incapable of acknowledging and speaking the truth. Truth is totally anathema to him. And as to the nuclear option, I am surprised that McTurtle has not used it already at the behest of Drumpf. After all, North Korea or Washington . . . what’s the difference?
The New Yorker — ““Now more than ever it’s important that the stream of falsehoods and distortions from this White House continues to flow in a steady and uninterrupted fashion,” Sanders said.” — Well they are and they will continue as long as Drumpf is the Liar-in-Chief. Andy, I think you’re back to straight reporting. Sean Spicer outright said he was paid to say what the Orange Ogre wanted (ie paid to lie!) and Huckabee Sanders, not to be confused with America’s sweetheart, Bernie Sanders, is Spicer’s successor.
Cartoon — Some did stay in Canada, many of them in British Columbia. Sure glad Drumpf got a medical deferment for non existent heel bone spurs so that he did not have to bugout to Canada!!!
What a difference my new glasses made at church today. We project hymns etc on the wall rather than print them out on paper. I could clearly see the words for the first time in a long while. My reading glasses just were not cutting it for that distance.
I forgot to mention this the other day . . . could everybody keep Silvano and his family in their thoughts and/or prayers. Silvano has colon cancer and a very large inoperable tumour pressing on his spine. He and his wife, Mary, were friends of my parents in Powell River. Their son, Rick, is my neighbour here (6 degrees of separation and all!) and a really sweet fellow. It will be the 1st anniversary of my mother’s passing in about 2 weeks so Silvano’s up coming journey is bringing up a lot of things. He is only 2 weeks older than my mother. Not fun times.
Of course. {{{{{{{{{{ Squatch and Silvano }}}}}}}}}}
Sadly happy to do so!
PP: Spot on, one of them must have some Norwegian roots and must have asked his family for some tips after they stopped rolling about on the floor.
SNL: Doesn’t give a very good impression of the medical profession, does it. Apparently some are for sale, including the White House Doctor, but then we already knew that…remember those bone spurs?
Bloomberg: Mitch McConnell was very swift to denounce that idea, showing once more that Drumpf at this point of the negotiations is a pain in the butt for Republicans. But that doesn’t mean that McConnell won’t embrace the idea when plans he’s been cooking in the Senate kitchen fall through.
TNY: It’s hard to laugh or even giggle when satire turns into simply laying bare the cold hard truth.
I hope you sleep a little better now your all buffed and polished again, TomCat. Give it a try this afternoon.
Thanks all. Muggy hugs!