It’s a tired Saturday here in the CatBox. I had a kink in my back last night that was so severe, that I finally gave up at around 2:00 AM and took an Oxycodone. The Republican war to retain power still dominates the news, and since I covered that yesterday, this is my only article today. Today and tomorrow are Holy Days in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, the Festival of Cards Gone Wild. Good luck, Pat! Tomorrow is also a WWWendy day to de-stink the rancid TomCat. We have lots of chores to do do, so please expect no more than a Personal Update from me. Have a peaceful weekend.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:03 (average 5:11). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Short Takes:
From Crooks and Liars: The reasons that Donald Trump would need a massive distraction at this point are numerous. Every day seems to produce fresh evidence that the White House was fully aware that Trump’s delay of military assistance to Ukraine was simply against the law, and that multiple officials engaged in a criminal conspiracy to cover up for Trump and retroactively create an excuse for an inexcusable act. Somewhere right now, Mitch McConnell is probably drafting a statement claiming that the Senate could not possibly consider an impeachment trial “during a time of war.”
But onto that stack of dog-wagging rationales add this one: According to Forensic News, Trump’s loans from Deutsche Bank were underwritten by a Russian state-owned bank. That news reportedly comes from a whistleblower with access to documents from both Deutsche Bank and Russia’s state-owned VTB Bank. VTB Bank was also the proposed lender on the never-completed Trump Tower Moscow project.
The question of why Deutsche Bank would extend a series of huge loans to Trump has been dangling since before he ever announced his candidacy for president on a golden escalator ride. When Trump first went to Deutsche Bank, he was worse than broke. He had just finished bankrupting multiple casinos in New Jersey, and then had convinced investors to back a takeover of those casinos at a fraction of the original value. Then Trump deliberately allowed the investment group to go bankrupt so he could grab the whole deal himself at a fraction of what his investors had paid. Then he went bankrupt. Again. And along the way he was socked with a massive fine for money laundering at his now bankrupt (again) casino.
Trump was so fiscally radioactive that no American bank would let him in the door. But Deutsche Bank turned around and gifted Trump with loans that gave him a fresh start and an apparently miracle turnaround of his New York real estate empire. Those loans have always been the subject of head-scratching over just what Deutsche Bank could have been thinking. But if Forensic News is right, what Deutsche Bank was thinking was that it wasn’t risking a damn thing, because the Russian government was actually vouching for Trump through VTB Bank. If Trump didn’t come through, Vladimir Putin was offering to make it good.
As I have said for over a year, Trump* is Putin’s Pet Pervert! RESIST!!
From YouTube (CNN Channel): Erin Burnett calls Trump’s 2011 video about Obama and Iran ‘unbelievable’
Is that projection or what? To be fair, if the Reich can show evidence that the “immanent threat” they claim is real, and that assassinating a leader of one sovereign nation in the territory of another sovereign nation can ameliorate that threat, I’ll be the first to say I am wrong. In the interim, the Republican track record for lying us into three wars, and the Trump* track record for lying about virtually everything, demand disbelief of every claim they make without proof. RESIST!!
From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Doors – Riders on the Storm (Official Audio)
I can’t stand the words to this song, but the music is incredible. Ah… the memories! RESIST!!
Vote Blue!!
16 Responses to “Open Thread – 1/4/2020”
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Cartoon: We all have value. Be who you are.
C&L: He’s (dt) so deep that he can’t see the bottom. Yet. Yes..he most definitely is a liar, & a crook too!!
CNN: He acts like a spoiled child, who is full of hot air, and knows nothing. Can’t even do an act for the People, instead of himself, or lying all the time.
BFTP: Didn’t mind the song, but I haven’t listened to it in a few years now.
Hope that your back will be all right…HI Wendy, hope that you have a good day/evening, take good care, and Thanks, Tom. We play the Bills at 3:30, I have high hopes.
Here’s a ‘did you know’ article about one of the Houston Texans All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and his touching touchdowns with his mom. https://www.today.com/parents/deandre-hopkins-has-tradition-mom-after-scoring-touchdown-t168095
*This just in: “Israel gets advance notice of the strike, but NOT Congress??” ~ Sam R. ~
2. “Give him a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and he will screw up the world.” (paraphrase Archimedies).
3. “Russia private passenger plane landed in Ft. Lauderdale last night, and that it is a Sberbank plane” ~Scott S.~
https://twitter.com/ScottMStedman/status/1213377151606484992?fbclid=IwAR2t9L1y9QsPFmfWm1SFFgcA4rtVUSW_TS6Of3EzhEZzJp5HM07pfrQ5Nks
4. Another one: “Looks like the Saudis came to play.”
https://twitter.com/ScottMStedman/status/1213377151606484992?fbclid=IwAR2t9L1y9QsPFmfWm1SFFgcA4rtVUSW_TS6Of3EzhEZzJp5HM07pfrQ5Nks
#4. oops, sorry about that.
https://twitter.com/soychicka/status/1213211794518487042?s=21&fbclid=IwAR1Fi0qmo6QlEtT2-MF5qM928JPFzk12PwRrxlqpgKq7GjQIB2BVkCRpuUQ
Ad #1: My first thought after the strike was that the US got the intelligence on Soleimani whereabouts from the Israeli Mossad. They’ve had a lot of practice taking out a number of Hezbollah leaders last year. So the revelation that the Israeli were notified before Congress (before the Democrats could leak, ha!) is no surprise at all.
I think they already knew, as he never covered up his movement. However, I would not be surprised to learn that his murder was Butcher Bibi’s idea.
5:06 It doesn’t look tasty.
Sorry I’m so late. I had this all ready to post 2 hours ago except for the graphic, and a friend came to visit. And we had a great visit. (I’ll just use yesterday’s graphic.)
Cartoon – Your money can say this too, legally (or something similar.)
C&L – You and I (and a lot of other people) have actually been saying the same for over three years – closer to three and a half. It’s not like it hasn’t been in plain sight. But – to be trite – there are none so blind as thise who will not see. And I don’t doubt they are capable of staying blind now.
CNN – Projection indeed. It’s ironic that the people in the world ewho are the most impossible to negotiate with – are Republicans. And it’s not because those who have tried and failed have “no ability to negotiate.” It’s because Republicans will not negotiate.
Past = Don.t remember this one, sorry
This just in –
Poor Hitler!
Bet you never thought you would say that in a thousand lifetimes.
Cool!
You have to be an incredibly incompetent business person to bankrupt a casino. No wonder U.S. banks wouldn’t touch him with a 3-meter C-note! On top of that, he took the money and ran, which is totally unscrupulous. There must have been some criminal activity in all that! The more I learn about this creep, the more I realize what a ginormous mistake it was to even contemplate electing him POTUS. We need to vote him and his GOP stooges out this year if we want to save our country from ruin.
3:48 – I’m getting better.
C&L – The evidence mounts up and Moscow Mitch etal continue to support the Criminal In Chief.
CNN – Most of what he said while we had a good man (OBAMA) in the WH was pure projection/ I truly believe he is trying to instigate a war with anyone he can.
We have different taste in music. I love this one!
Glad to hear you got through your carpal-tunnel surgery OK, Pat. Typing with your other hand now, are you? 😊
I’m glad you’re improving, Patty Monster!
Hope the kink in your back will ease off soon, TomCat.
3:02 I doubt it was edible, to begin with.
C&L: “Trump was so fiscally radioactive that no American bank would let him in the door.” I can’t believe that this wasn’t common knowledge among his peers when Trump announced his candidacy for the Presidency. I can’t believe his business fraternity didn’t know that the “the greatest deal maker” was, in fact, the greatest con in the business. Like die Deutsche Bank, his rich sponsors must have known that he had some important backing from outside the US. Like die Deutsche Bank they must have known their “investment” in Trump’s campaign would be guaranteed and would pay off. Follow the money has always been the best way to get insight into Trump’s dealings, but it may also be the best way to understand what motivated his buddies and investors.
CNN: I have nothing to add to your comment on this video and Trump’s efforts to invoke a war with Iran. If any “proof” of imminent threat should surface over time, it needs to be scrutinized very carefully as the White House in all its aspects is little more than a cover-up machine these days and a bad one at that.
BFTP: I know the song very well, though I never was much of a Doors fan. I could do with just the jazzy instrumental version too.
I fully agree!
Thanks and Ellipsoid Orb Hugs to all! 🏈