This is so weird. It feels like Sunday, because WWWendy just left. In a few minutes, she’ll be headed South for the country music festival in Brownsville, OR. It’s a little cooler today and tomorrow, and the wind came up to blow the smoke away. I hope you’re having a great Sunday, even if it is Thursday.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:31 (average 4:40). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Unlike Nixon, President Donald Trump Admin Pursues Enemies List In Public
By revoking John Brennan’s security clearance without due cause, Little Donnie Dipshit, aka Putin’s Piddle Puppet, is making the US and the world more dangerous. Brennan was so knowledgeable that he was in the room with Obama when Osama bin Laden (R-SA) was killed. He can no longer be a valuable source of advice, since he may not be read-in on classified crises. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!
From Alternet: In interviews with Politico, an assortment of Republicans admit they are willing to concede the House to the Democrats in the 2018 midterms based on the belief that a move to impeach President Donald Trump would backfire on them
According to the report, Republican believe they will hold their majority in the Senate and would rebuff any attempt by a Democratic-majority House to dump Trump and that voters will want to move on, with Trump’s base becoming even more solidified.
As Politico reports, “more than a dozen Republican politicians, activists and consultants — including some current and former Trump campaign aides with direct lines to the president — said they are increasingly convinced a Democratic victory and subsequent impeachment push would backfire and ultimately help the president in 2020.”
I tend to agree. As much as my soul cries out for impeachment, until we have a DINO-proof super-majority in both branches of the legislature, we will fail. And unless we can impeach Pence simultaneously, we’ll be even worse off than we are today. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!
From TPM: Aretha Franklin, the undisputed “Queen of Soul” who sang with matchless style on such classics as “Think,” ”I Say a Little Prayer” and her signature song, “Respect,” and stood as a cultural icon around the globe, has died at age 76 from advanced pancreatic cancer.
Publicist Gwendolyn Quinn tells The Associated Press through a family statement that Franklin died Thursday at 9:50 a.m. at her home in Detroit. The statement said “Franklin’s official cause of death was due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklin’s oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute” in Detroit.
The family added: “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.”
RIP, Hero! Thoughts and prayers, please, for all the survivors that love her. RESIST!! VOTE BLUE!!
Cartoon:
12 Responses to “Open Thread – 8/16/2018”
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5:43 Well, down to fish again. Sigh.
Brennan – The best thing I’ve read so far today is that the retired Admiral who oversaw the Navy SEAL raid that took out Osama bin Laden has written an open letter saying, “Take mine too. I want to go on record as having spoken up against your “presidency.” You will not silence criticism. The criticism will continue until the presidency becomes a real one.” (That’s in my words, not his – the letter is in the Washington Post – but it’s just as devastating.)
AlterNet – Yes, I saw this. On one hand I think they’re delusional, but on the other, we need to be absolutely sure we can win this fight before we pick it. I also note that a lot of things can change between now and January, not just the composition of Congress.
TP – RIP, Queen Aretha. “Advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type” is one of the most painful things a person can die from. Coincidentally, Luciano Pavarotti, who was a friend of hers, died from the same illness. She has earned her rest in every possible way … but I don’t think this trivial event will stop her from singing. We just won’t be hearing it here.
Cartoon – Brand new. But that eraser is not long for this world, with Republicans changing their promises all the time.
MSNBC: Love Rachel, good video. dt wants to get rid of anyone who criticizes him. Scary! From Vox: Brennan’s op-ed homes in on both on the chilling precedent Trump is setting by retaliating against critics and perhaps part of the president’s motivation: to distract from and discredit Mueller’s Russia investigation.
https://www.vox.com/2018/8/16/17698228/john-brennan-security-clearance-op-ed-trump
*Joanne, good comment.
AN: I gotta agree with you, as much as I want this ID gone, we must make sure we have all our cakes lined up in a row…..
TP: RIP, so sad, I miss her. Listening to her music, with her soulful voice, Aretha was legendary, and incomparable in so many ways. Your music lives on, Aretha. Sing it !! to the Angels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=93&v=3gCuyrKVDCs
Cartoon: lol
Yeah, I get that. Anything out of the ordinary messes up my day here. Like going to the dentist this lovely morning. (ugh). Hope WWWendy has a fun time. Glad it’s cooler for you, it’s hot as Hades here. My little Shih Tzu found a fat, sassy Hognose snake in the back yard…I hope he stays, as he feeds on vermin. (shame we can’t gift it to the WH, eh?)
Enjoy your evening, take good care, and Thanks, Tom.
OUCH! Hope you survived the dentist!
MSNBC: Little Donny Dipshit is doing what Little Donny Dipshit has done for decades, going after anyone who so much as mildly displeases him. No! Sorry, no one can mildly displease him, he is so insecure, and thin skinned and fearful of ANYTHING negative, that ANYTHING negative feels like a major attack on the empty self inside his orange skin.
Alternet- I also agree. An impeachment that does not succeed, all the way, will just play into his sick strength!
RIP Aretha!!!!
Pat: There are so many snakes at the WH, that the little hog nosed one would not stand a chance, even if I sent the garter snake I saw in our garden for backup.
It would take a swarm of oversized pythons (and they’d have to be bright enough not to swallow porcupines) to make a dent there.
IMHO, the tRump regime started coming apart even before the Cheat-oh plopped his orange arse in the Oval Office. The next few years are going to be interesting – very interesting. Hang on tight and try to enjoy – and survive – the ride.
Actually, the cartoon should depict a crayon.
RIP Queen of Soul. At least you will live on in your music.
Good point, Freya. I made that cartoon in 2011.
MSNBC: Brennan not giving advise any longer is obviously no skin of Drumpf’s nose, as he never listens to advise anyway and certainly not to sound advise going against his imbecilic “hunches”. That he’s depriving the country of sound advise doesn’t even occur to him; Brennan and others are critical of Drumpf’s “decisions” and that needs to be stopped, preferably as blunt as possible, no matter the cost. Another step towards dictatorship.
Politico: Democrats either get full power in congress, and are able no prevent Drumpf from doing much except by executive order, or there’s two more years of further destruction and the possibility that Drumpf is re-elected in 2020 because Democrats have been not been able to keep him in check by a House majority alone. As we’ve seen with the security clearances, Drumpf is setting things up to rule unhindered in the next two years. Imagine what havoc he can wreak in the rest of the world, destroying every possible relationship with other nations and groups and perhaps even starting another war. I shudder to think about the consequences.
You will not like me saying this, but with Pence as president the problem will be more confined to the US; Pence is far less likely to destroy relationships between allies, continue trade wars just for the heck of it or start a war because he’s about to be impeached. From an outsider’s perspective, snake-in-the grass Pence is preferable to six more years of demented Drumpf. Drumpf has destroyed the standing of the US as world leader; the rest of the world will find a new equilibrium while Pence destroys America further with his creepy talibangelism.
TPM: Queen of soul Aretha and her unique voice will be sorely missed.
Cartoon: At first glance I thought this cartoon was to promote voting on paper 🙂
That cartoon actually made me chortle.
(And we could all use a good chortle today.)
I love the nicknames for Trump, they are so fitting.
YouTube: Trump is not bright enough to realize how invaluable John Brennan is, not will any of his “advisors” be able to convince him. He is like a five year old that gets mad and takes home the ball they were using to play.
AlterNet: There are not enough Republicans with the nerve to vote for impeachment. I would rather see him prosecuted for treason than impeached anyway.
TPM: Aretha Franklin will be missed. Putin’s piddler clamed she had worked for him.
Cartoon: I agree with Freya, a crayon would better fit the current group.
Puzzle — 4:29 I am a little seasick!
MSNBC — Rachel’s comparison to the Nixon related events is interesting. Nixon resigned before he was taken to task and if I remember correctly, Gerald Ford pardoned him. Diaper Don sees himself as omniscient aka a god! To ask him to think critically about what he is doing is beyond, way beyond his capabilities. If he had any brains, he would resign as Nixon did. And Pence, don’t pardon the fool! His narcissism and paranoia is getting in everybody’s way, especially the country’s. With Diaper Don at the helm the USS USA is sinking fast . . . screwed . . . FUBAR!!!
AlterNet — I don’t like Diaper Don or Pence, but perhaps criminal obstruction of justice can be proven against Diaper Don (and Pence too???) and thus remove him from office, thus freeing up the extreme effect on Democrats! Wouldn’t that be grand!!!
TPM — RIP Aretha Franklin. A great lady gone too soon. Probably my all time favourite song is Respect. My oldest stepbrother died a number of years ago from pancreatic cancer. Very, very painful! May her family be blessed with a lifetime of memories and comforted in the knowledge that many people are standing with them.
Cartoon — That’s a sharpened pencil! I didn’t think Republicans knew how to do that!
Thanks all. Late hugs!