I don’t know why, but something woke me up last night, and I could not get back to sleep. I feel very tired. Monday on Tuesday hugs to all.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:37 (average 4:41). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Short Takes:
From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Robert Reich: The 5 Biggest Corporate Lies About Unions
Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. Support labor! The Reich on the right, the Republican Reich and their super-rich corporate enablers, use the Pinocchio Principle to screw YOU for THEIR benefit. RESIST!!
From YouTube (Daily Kos Channel): Making Progress with Sara Nelson
She has some good ideas. Nay they fly high! RESIST!!
From Alternet: Since the FCC shockingly did the right thing last year, preventing Sinclair Broadcasting from taking over Tribune Media and with it control over the local broadcast airwaves reaching 72% of the nation’s households, the broadcaster has sort of flown under the radar. That doesn’t mean it’s not competing with Fox News to be Trump’s favorite propaganda machine, however.
Media Matters has detailed another “must-run” commentary, one of those segments Sinclair requires all of its stations to air. This one came in mid-August in response to ongoing pressure for Congress to do something, anything, about gun violence, after more than 30 people were killed in less than 24 hours in two mass shooting incidents, in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. It was another segment from chief political commentator Boris Epshteyn, coming straight out of the 1990s. In it, Epshteyn argued that children must not be exposed to the “gratuitous violence” of video games and movies, and that the “impact of violent media on the psyche of our youth” has to be a part of preventing mass shootings. Media Matters found that the segment has aired on at least 28 stations in 26 states. One of the cities it aired in: El Paso. There is zero evidence that video games or movies have anything to do with gun massacres. As opposed to, you know, guns.
August was chock-full of Sinclair spewing conservative gun nonsense into viewers’ homes, including another must-run segment from Epshteyn in which he called for “giving heavy consideration to mandating armed guards in schools.” Sebastian Gorka appeared earlier in the month on the weekly Sinclair show America This Week, on which he compared gun regulation to the Holocaust, because of course he did. And a gun violence “researcher” called John Lott appeared on a Sinclair station right after the shootings to lie about the one in El Paso, saying it occurred in a gun-free zone where “the victims weren’t allowed to defend themselves.”
Do you have a Sinclair station locally? Find out here. Boycott their news advertisers, and tell those advertisers why. RESIST!!
Vote Blue!!
19 Responses to “Open Thread – 9/3/2019”
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4:34 Two blacks (mostly) and a red, but no white and no pale. That’s a relief.
I had never heard of forensic architecture … which really isn’t surprising, since the entire field is younger than I am. Much younger, in fact.
That exhibition is closing, but this one is just getting ready to open, and – wow.
Cartoon – Really! 1895! I had no idea.
RR – This is pretty much common sense. The only way they managed to undermine unions in the first place was to use the useful idiots who believe (or are brainwashed into believing) that all taxes are a ripoff and convinced them that union dues are just like taxes (which in a way they are – almost everyone pays a little, and everyone gets a lot in return.) that’s why your video from yesterday (“What have unions ever done for us?”) is so effective.
Sara – Yes indeed. All very sound. Just one point – that climate change solutions will save jobs – does anyone think corporations have the slightest interest in saving jobs? Even to get positive public relations? I fear we are long past the point at which corporation needed to care what anyone thinks.
Sinclair – None in Colorado. None in New Mexico. None in Wyoming (surprisingly). One in Kansas, more than half way across it from my state line. Six in Nebraska, haven’t had time to check how close. Two in Utah, but those are across the Rockies from my side of Colorado. (Update – the closest one in Nebraska is Hayes Center, and it’s not that close, and very tiny.) I see Portland is infested – so sorry. Who are some of those advertisers?
“4:34 Two blacks (mostly) and a red, but no white and no pale. That’s a relief.”
Yeah, but Katherine wants to know: Was there a pale rider?
OK, you made me laugh. No, there were no riders at all, just the horses. Who is Katherine? Katherine Graham?
<p>Well, maybe I was reading too many tea leaves. </p>
<p>I thought you were referring to <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Horse,_Pale_Rider” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer nofollow”>Katherine Anne Porter’s <em>”Pale Horse, Pale Rider”</em></a>.</p>
<p>Chalk mine up as an <em>”OOPS!”</em></p>
No, just the boring Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And afterwards the well known Graham-Nixon enmity. So different from the current Graham-Trump sycophancy (whichever Graham you choose.)
Cartoon: WOW! Bet that was a good/fun game to watch, eh?
RR: Good informative lesson, I enjoy his videos, passing on too!
DK: Girl power! Great! points noted, and taken.
AN: Surprisingly, there’s only one in Austin…which is KEYE. I don’t watch that much tv, personally.
Get a good nap in this afternoon, and hopefully, you’ll feel better. Hope you have a good rest of your day, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: “What sins did we commit to deserve Trump’s punishment? ~ Scott D. ~
2. “Conservatives are more upset over black men taking a knee then white men committing mass murder.” ~Jan W. ~
3. “Veterans of WWI, WWII, and the Korean wars are buried in the historic Eli Jackson Cemetery in Texas, to be dug up for Trump’s border wall. ~ Carmen D.V. ~
RRC: Corporate giants, and GOPIGGIES, their best friends have spread the lies, and worked to destroy unions,and unionization. St. Reagan, gave their cause a humongous boost, and its never slowed down since then.
DK: Good stuff
Alternet: There are some of their radio stations in Florida, where we now live, but none close by. Our TV watching is limited, though my wife watches COZI. We virtually never pay much attention to TV, or radio ads.
Pat’s “Just in” segment is very sad. But, we did not commit sins that brought us Dumpy’s reign. It is a result of the dumbing down of our culture. California got lucky with Mr. “Make my Day!” as governor, but we elected, well not really, a TV clown as president. I will not even go into the impact of the pseudo-Christians, who are in an intellectual category of their very own!
‘Toon: Still more evidence of the dangers of even non-concussive head hits is being shown.
Mitch, I completely understand your well perceived comment re: my ‘TJI’ segment today. Thank you.
I also don’t believe that it’s ‘punishment’, nor ‘sins’ per se, but rather a vacuum of sadness of how (most) people feel and the frustration, in seeing how our Country is today. The quote was written… for me to feel that I should feel guilty of this man’s callous actions (every day). I don’t feel guilty, but..rather, tired of him. Like sucking the breath out of me.
Your appraisal of Scott’s quote is spot on. There are a lot of folks who live around me that think he’s the best thing since sliced bread. He’s not, but then again, we know, and understand.
Here’s a HuffPo link that measures how we feel. Take good care!
A Zen Master’s Advice On Coping With Trump
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/zen-and-the-art-of-activism_n_58a118b6e4b094a129ec59af?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003&fbclid=IwAR1TbF4QIfyu63dVJZvJ_eYhmRvZr58yyItPPuwnJ9n3A1eAHcXyHCLP-Og
Reich surprised me with the rate of union membership by race.
Medical Update
Last night’s dressing and (dreaded) wick change was surprisingly easy-peasy.
Pulling the old wick from the wound was only a tiny bit uncomfortable. And the insertion of the new wick was only very mildly uncomfortable.
This is what the Hydrofera Blue wicks (impregnated with antibiotics) look like:
The only difference is I have a sheet of the Hydrofera, so I have to cut my own wicks (lots cheaper).
They are harder than cardboard to start with, so next you soak them in sterile saline, and then wring them out.
Since my wound has tunneled, I need to pack the wicks in w/ a sterile cotton tip applicator (like used to do a throat swab for Strep) to get to every corner & crevice. THAT’S what I was dreading because it’s always been quite painful to force them into the wound in the past – whether I do it or they do it.
You leave a little nubbin of the wick outside the wound so it can be pulled out for the next change. And the wick is designed to draw exudate out of the wound to the ABD surgical gauze pad covering it. There was very little drainage last night, and it’s been in for 3 days (that’s how long they recommend to leave it).
I hope that since it wasn’t painful last night (at least not like all the other times) that, that is a sign of healing.
The wound itself and the surrounding skin continue to look improved.
I have my next Wound Care Clinic visit tomorrow morning (Wednesday), so I’ll find out what the experts think.
Definitely sounds much better to me. But like Mitch, I’m not a doctor (and I don’t even play one on TV. But I do have a BFF who is an RN.) Will be awaiting further updates.
Sounds like you finally got on top of the infection, Nameless, although it’ll still require you to pack it with antibiotic-filled wicks for some time to come to make sure the infection is truly killed. It’s also good to hear this no longer is as painful as before, so there’s a good chance of you continuing to do it and as forcefully as need be.
Glad to read that you are on the road to recovery, Nameless.
Keep us posted, and take good care!!
Good!
Nameless: It does sound like things are getting better, but you are the doc.
This just in:
The North Carolina State Supreme Court has ruled on the Common Cause Redistricting Case.
The unconstitutional gerrymandered maps have been struck down by the court.
The Courts have ruled the maps be redrawn immediately.
Not that the GOPIGGIES will not try to manipulate things, anyway!
Excellent news, Mitch. Gerrymandering needs to banned everywhere. I hope NC’s Republicans can’t/won’t take it to SCOTUS.
3:43 I know one can eat like a horse, but can you eat three horses, TomCat. I’m sure the bellyache will keep you up another night.
RR: Robert is spot on, as always. To be fair, there have been problems with unions, but that mainly was with union executives who started to behave like Republican CEOs as their unions grew in size and importance. With the exception of union leaders who are just in it for themselves, the concept of a union is a good one for workers in general. If more people joined a union the growing inequality would certainly be brought to a halt if not diminished. So for those who work: vote blue no matter who and join a union if you haven’t yet.
DK: Kudos to Sarah, a leader now and in the future. One thing, though, aeroplanes are huge contributors to global warming and as yet there’s little research done on how to let them fly on other fuels than kerosene. For now, the focus seems to be on flying less and taking the train (= electrical) for shorter distances, which will undoubtedly lead to job losses. It’s a choice between a rock and a hard place, but is that what the unions would dare to advocate?
Alternet: Sinclair is really scary and I had a look on Wikipedia to see if it had taken root in other countries yet. It appears it is focussing on ruining America right now, leaving Australia to the Murdochs for now. For the largest television station operator in the US to take over from Fox as Trump’s and Republican’s propaganda machine is really worrisome. Or as Dan Rather was quoted on Wikipedia
Support labor indeed! And of course corporate fat cats (sorry, cats, it’s an established idiom) are going to spread lies and propaganda to demonize unions. Maybe what we need is a new kind of corporation, one that can make management and labor allies rather than enemies, one in which it is in the interest of management to take good care of workers while it is in the interest of workers to take good care of their employer. We could have a win-win. I am no economic or business genius, so I leave it up to those who know more about how companies work to concoct solutions.
Thanks, and pooped Hump Day Hugs to All. 🐪