It’s another muggy day here at the CatBox. Tomorrow I may have no more than a Personal Update or an Open Thread. It’s a grocery delivery day, and WWWendy has a baby shower, so she’s coming to de-stink the sticky TomCat in the morning, instead of tomorrow evening. That will thoroughly flummox my writing schedule, and I’ll need to see how it goes, before I know what I can do.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:25 (average 6:15). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): WHAT DOES THE GUN SAY (parody of) What Does the Fox Say
Apologies for letting this slip by a few days ago. RESIST!!
From YouTube (Full Frontal Channel): Full Frontal At The March For Our Lives
Sam feels it’s important to publicize her support. So should we. RESIST!!
From NY Times: President Trump ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian officials on Monday, joining a coordinated campaign by two dozen countries to retaliate for the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain in a Cold War-style escalation that again highlighted the disparity between the president’s words and actions.
The mass expulsion of Russian personnel stationed in the United States was the largest ever, eclipsing even the darkest days of the global showdown with the Soviet Union. But Mr. Trump avoided any public condemnation of Russia’s role in the attack just days after phoning President Vladimir V. Putin to congratulate him on a re-election widely considered a sham.
In approving the expulsions and ordering the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle, Mr. Trump followed the lead of Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, who rallied a multinational coalition to respond to the poisoning. With London pressing for action, Mr. Trump called foreign counterparts to see if they would join, too. Aides said he encouraged them to take part, but he also knew that failure to go along would have left the United States isolated.
In addition to the United States, at least 22 other nations backed Britain by expelling about 57 more Russian diplomats and intelligence officers as of Monday evening, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Poland and Canada. Mrs. May originally expelled 23 Russians shortly after British authorities determined that Moscow was likely responsible for the nerve agent that left Sergei V. Skripal, the former Russian spy, and his daughter in a coma.
I’m surprised Trump did this. He should have done far more. Why did he do it? Maybe he and Putin are putting on a show to try to hide their partnership. Or maybe Stormy threatened to pank Donnie Piddle on his widdle Twump wump. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
11 Responses to “Open Thread – 3/27/2018”
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5:09 (6:15) Every cat who ever owned me would barf after eating insects, so I’d advise caution.
PP – Another bullseye, if he will forgive me for the metaphor.
FF – Yes. She’s right, it is.
NYT – I too was surprised Trump did this. And a little scared – though reassured by the number of other nations joining in on the action – sort of.Hope Russia doesn’t bomb us.
Cartoon – Yup.
PP: Word.
FF: “If you don’t know who to vote for,…just ask a 16 year old. They know everything!” Just ask Matthew McConaughey, who said at the rally on Saturday in Austin…”Alright, Alright, Alright !!
NYT: He’s been awfully quiet on this subject on the Twitter thingie about this. Yo no sé!!
Cartoon: Of course, with a loaded cocktail in hand. lol
Saw this on a page as a comment, “NRA ~ National Russian Association. h/t Tony Romo.
Hope you have a relaxing evening. Take good care, and Thanks, Tom.
PP: Saw that the other day, quite to the point!
Sam: I m partial to the Ayn Rand was an ass, and so is Ryan, sign! Oh, did I get that wrong? Silly me, imagine.
NYT: More, and more, Russian agents are being sent home. Why did tDump do it? Part of a sham, probably. He can’t be seen licking Putin’s ass in public, you know.
‘Toon: I think the viagra that the GOPIGS took went to hardening their attitude, their resolve to be hard-asses!
Puzzle — 4:14 Have no fear JD. The Puddy Tat won’t get that beautiful butterfly!
Parody Project — I have never heard of “What does the fox say?” but Parody has done a stellar job yet again of highlighting an important issue through music.
Full Frontal — “If you don’t know who to vote for, ask a 16 year old. They know everything!” — In my day, my mother would have taken umbrage with that statement. However, these kids are demonstrating a maturity and fire that gives me hope.
NY Times — “Aides said he encouraged them to take part, but he also knew that failure to go along would have left the United States isolated.” — Drumpf has already isolated the US through his incompetence, arrogance and stupidity. But it took him long enough. I find myself wondering if he advised Putin ahead of time. I would not put it past him. Some men make midnight booty calls. Drumpf likely makes midnight Pooty calls.
Cartoon — And women have suffered ever since. Viagra for men is legal, but contraception for women is treated like a crime. A double standard?
It has been raining the past few days — so what’s new about that? — but then this afternoon the rain stopped and the sun emerged from hibernation. What a glorious spring afternoon! Good thing as it gave me a chance to dry out. I was soaked to the skin because it was raining so hard when I went to the doctor’s. Unlike you Puddy Tat, I am on the shit list . . . but improving! Maybe in 3 months I’ll be off of it. We’ll see.
Sorry to hear you’re still on the shit list, Lynn. Please do take good care of yourself. Don’t overdo your helping/teaching, shorten your days a bit and make room to wind down in the evenings and make sure you get enough sleep, dear friend. Make sure you continue to improve and are off it in three months time.
What are your numbers, luv?
9.4 down from 10.6
Mine translates to an average mg/dl of 154. Your 223, is not that much worse. Have you been eating too much of the wrong things? Hugs!
PP: “What greater tyranny could there be to battle than murders of children?“, combined with the awful rhetoric of the NRA. I tip my hat to you, Don.
Sam ?: Sam gives her inimitable support to these marches for gun control. You kids, and Sam, rule!
NYT: Reading about this on many sides of several oceans is funny in a way. After most countries in the EU had joined the UK in expelling a few Russian officials, including Hungary to the surprise of all here, the media reported that the US had joined in and expelled a great number (60) of them. In the meantime, in the US it is reported as “In addition to the United States, at least 22 other nations backed Britain …“. Australia has now joined the UK too, but has taken a more aggressive approach than others. The Australian Federal Government had just declared that two Russian spies would be booted from the country. Note not just any “officials”, but two actual “spies”. So each country is using the expulsion to its own advantage. Some in solidarity, some to get rid of some unwanted Russians and some not to be left out.
For some reason I don’t think Drumpf has called too many foreign counterparts “to see if they would join, too.” If any at all, he’s called them to see if he again would isolate the US from the rest of the western world if he didn’t join, not the other way around. And Mueller would do well to check if any of the 60 expelled Russians were not on his “to be questioned” list.
Cartoon: It’s about time for an in-depth study of the psychological and/or brain-damaging side-effects of Viagra, don’t you think?
A baby shower? Does WWWendy help to de-stink stinky little kittens too, TomCat? ???
PP: Would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
FF: Those kids, I hope, are totally motivated to vote once they are old enough. At last the general public – and youth in general – have had it with the NRA dictating policy. The March For Our Lives is decades of frustration and rage that has finally boiled over.
NYT: I suspect this is the Orange Ogre’s attempt to throw us off the scent. “See? I’m kicking Russian officials out – that proves there was no collusion!” Yeah, right.
Cartoon: Because Rethuglicans are a bag of d**ks.
Thanks all! Hugs!