It’s a tired day, here in the CatBox. It reached 92° here yesterday. While the A/C kept it bearable, it was too muggy to facilitate sleeping well. WWWendy, who thanks you all for your good wishes, left town this morning. When I texted her, she had just passed Pendleton, so she probably is in Idaho by now. Updating you on my medical mayhem, on Tuesday I have a video conference with Megan, my PCP. My PET Scan is on Tuesday 6/9, and my follow up with Evelyn, my Oncologist, is Tuesday 6/16. TGIF!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:30 (average 5:41). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Trump* Virus Update:
Cases: 1,771,614
Deaths: 103,417
Recovered: 499,109
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Servers belonging to the social-media platform Twitter burst into flames on Thursday, after the company attempted to fact-check all of Donald Trump’s tweets.
“We knew that fact-checking Trump’s tweets was going to put a strain on our system,” Jack Dorsey, the C.E.O. of Twitter, said. “We had no idea that it would result in columns of fire shooting forty feet into the air.”
Reportedly, an explosion in the server fact-checking Trump’s tweets about Joe Scarborough ignited a blaze that quickly spread to a server furiously vetting his tweets about Barack Obama.
Dang Andy! Aren’t the folks that run the Twitter shitter bright enough to store all Trump’s* tweets on asbestos servers, only? RESIST!!
From NY Times: The Trump administration is preparing an executive order intended to curtail the legal protections that shield social media companies from liability for what gets posted on their platforms, two senior administration officials said early Thursday.
Such an order, which officials said was still being drafted and was subject to change, would make it easier for federal regulators to argue that companies like Facebook, Google, YouTube and Twitter are suppressing free speech when they move to suspend users or delete posts, among other examples.
The move is almost certain to face a court challenge and is the latest salvo by President Trump in his repeated threats to crack down on online platforms. Twitter this week attached fact-checking notices to two of the president’s tweets after he made false claims about voter fraud, and Mr. Trump and his supporters have long accused social media companies of silencing conservative voices.
The concept of free speech to the Republican Reich means Republicans are free to muzzle Democrats and stifle everything we say . Also, Republicans are free to lie continually with impunity and without oversight. RESIST!!
From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): It’s Time to Send Trump and McConnell Packing
Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. The Reich in the right, the Republican Reich needs to be obliterated. From top to bottom, every Republican in power is one Republican too many! RESIST!!
From YouTube (a blast from the past): Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing
I love the guitar playing! Ah… the memories! RESIST!!
Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!
21 Responses to “Open Thread–5/29/2020”
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‘Toon: Neighbors of ours, in Florida, left just yesterday, to return to Wisconsin, for the summer. They are nice folks, but fans of Fox, and Trump. Trying to be polite, I have not pushed the idea of their being Gaslighted by Faux.
TVU: Look at those red states burning!
New Yorker: I have to give Twitter some credit, but they should have roasted Trump’s empty sac in those flames.
NYT: Trump can stomach no pushback to his delusional, sick venom!
RRC: Trump, and McConnell’s world must follow the lead of the rolling Stones’ newest song, “Living in a Ghost Town.” Bye, now, boys. Speaking of Minneapolis, and the universe of Trump:
“With all the perversions of American democracy that we have witnessed, few rival the dystopian spectacle of a U.S. journalist calmly reporting the news and repeatedly offering to reposition his crew at the police’s request, only to be arrested, cuffed and hauled away alongside his crew,” said Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, advocacy group that fights for press freedom.
She added: “For us at PEN America, where we routinely document the arrest and imprisonment of writers and journalists worldwide, the action was eerily familiar, but something we expect to see in authoritarian states: Turkey, Hong Kong, Egypt. To see it in the United States of America is appalling.”
BFTP: I just heard this on the local Tampa 107.3 station. Nice!
Another opera last night … I couldn’t help but think how much Dr. Fauci has in common with Cassandra: “[I see] the spectacle of a people drunk with hope … rushing to their destruction.”
Nice to see something this positive from Tennessee, of all places (and I’ll bet Trae is proud.
Great minds: Lincoln Project gets around to #Moc=scowMidnightBoughtBitchMitch (If, like me, you see a photo and wonder who it is – it’s Mitch 35 years ago. Wow. Just Wow.)
I could not find this in embeddable form, so took a picture instead.
Cartoon – We’re finally starting to get it back … but we’re not out of the woods yet.
Map – Apparently, of all places, South Carolina has it right, or closest to right. How the heck did that happen? It’s good to see different maps, because there are so many aspects of a pandemic that no one map can show them all. This one has information we haven’t seen before.
TNY – Is that really just a server overload? Or is it an attack by a malicious supernatural power protecting the lies?
NYT – It comes back to the old “fire in a crowded theater.” Democrats don’t make statements like that. Democrats are aware of, and do not want, the chaos such a statement can cause. Republicans – are Republicans. If they just wouldn’t publicly lie (and publicly call for violence), there would be no call, and no need to suppress their statements. See how easy that is?
Reich – When you, I, Robert, and the Lincoln Project are all in the same ditch – it’s time to pay attention.
Past – Don’t remember them, but yes, those are some good riffs.
I understand Fakebook banned that and other Lincoln Project videos. They offended Mark Fuckerber’s love for his beloved Fuhrer Trump* and love for the filthy lucre Republicans provide him.
Cartoon: Yep!
TVU: Unfortunately, we are at 9 cases here, 196 total. We don’t need this.. or to go any higher, either.
NYer: Shame twitter can’t kick him off. Or can they? idk. It would be cool if they could though…
NYT: Good Lordt. Talk about a thin skinned individual. He can dish out his venom, lies, and crap out, but oh! look out if someone says something he doesn’t like…Good Grief!! Hope that the courts hold this up.
RRC: Excellent, and so well said. Great video. We appreciate you too, Mr. Reich!
BFTP: Great song…
Hope that Wendy has a safe and happy visit for her reunion. You’ve got a very busy schedule there too, and I sure hope that as the days get closer,…that all goes well for you. Hope you get a chance to nap. Take good, good care and Thanks, Tom.
This just in: (K.Conway recently voted by mail herself.)”If people are willing to stand in line to get a cupcake, they should be willing to stand in line to vote, and therefore, nation-wide vote-by-mail is not needed.” ~Kellyanne Conway ~ “Another pearl of wisdom from the cupcake queen.” ~ Jill G. ~
2. “Covid endorses dt for President. Provided a ‘Sanctuary country for Covid. Created new hot spots by encouraging large gatherings. Helped Covid population grow by limiting testing and calling it ‘a hoax’. ~ Robert G. ~
3. “dt has no plan for dealing with the Covid19, because if he can’t cheat it, slander it, sue it, rape it, or lie to it..he has no idea what to do with it. ~ mar ~
4. “Twitter should have held dt to the same standards everyone else must follow. In reality, he should have been kicked off years ago.” ~ L & D ~
5. “Wear a Mask. Vets are dying. Being killed by people they fought for.” “Ironic.” ~ Don H. ~
TJI #1 – Every time I have seen that idiotic remark, my thought has been “I (along with others with arthritis or other disabilities involving pain and/or mobility) am not willing to stand in line for anything, becaise IT HURTS. So I doeverything by delivery, and if I do have to go into a store and be in line, I sit in line.” But seeing it here, it also occurred to me that if someone wants a cupcake and the line is daunting, that person can come back another day. That is not true of voting. The two situations are not remotely comparable.
#5 – Sadly, that is nothing new. People have been lionizing the miitary when threatened with war (or in a war), then spurning them in times of peace for centuries. Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about it. (He wasn’t always correct in his opinions, but he nailed this.)
That guitar riffing after the lyrics are finished is, indeed, marvelous.
But, if those boys in the corner don’t like a trumpet playing band, Blood,Sweat, and Tears, as well as Chicago, are all mine!
The Lincoln Project rocks it! I hope they keep some focus on the bastard!
Pat, the TJI is great!
I believe the Lincoln Project plans to keeo hitting McConnell. They did some polling as to who they should go after and McConnell’s votes were overwhelming.
PSA
No “Friday Fun” today.
We’ve had rain off & on (more on than off, if you’ve seen the video of flooding in KCMO) for a week now and I’m just about in need of a machete to get through the yard.
Plus I got to pick up and install some new rear drive wheels on the mower before I go out and make windrows (for you city-folks: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windrow ).
Hopefully my hip bursitis will let me get it done. It flared up so bad on Tuesday I literally couldn’t walk without my grandma’s old wooden cane that I use to turn on the Surge Protector strip under my desk.
I had it once before a year ago – almost to the day – so I had a Medrol Dose Pack on hand, & it’s helped substantially. But I don’t think mowing is going to help it any.
Gee, I’m sorry about the bursitis. I had an arthritis flareup in my knee in late January – early February and that was bad enough – I believe bursitis is worse – and you can at least take weight off your knee by sitting, but that wo’t help with a hip. Glad you have something anyway, but do take care of yourself.
😿
I hope you feel MUCH better FAST!
Thanks all, and I agree with y’all comments re: TJI’s.
The Lincoln Project ROCKS!!
Oops..Nameless, sure hope that you feel better…be careful out there.
Also overnight the WH guidance for churches was removed…
May get thunderstorms tomorrow–muggy today here, too.
Great comments all.
Joanne, that makes me feel rather more hopeful, thanks.
Hey, all! Hope your med appts. go well, TC & WWWendy has a nice, safe trip and return. Glad to see Lincoln project aiming 4 Moscow’s Bitch, wonder if Susan Collins is concerned?!—-LOL Polls looking good for blue wave. Mitch, we have similar tastes in music as well as politics. Yes, there was looting in Minneapolis,w/out forming private equity fund! Be safe and keep rockin’.
Cartoon: Yes we sure do.
TVU: Keeps growing…Another 140 more cases here. Hope they can come up with a vaccine soon.
TNY: With all of the lies that tRump tweets out, no wonder the servers crashed. Too much sh*t to check/take in all at once.
NYT: tRump thinks he can say all of his evil words about others, yet when it comes back at him he can’t stand it. He’s like a rotten brat that will never grow up since he’s well past that stage.
Reich: Good one. Spot on as usual.
BFTP: Great tune.
Glad they have your next PET Scan scheduled for the early part of June.
Hope you’re doing well and stay well especially while Wendy is gone.
Take care. Thanks TomCat
Medical mayhem is sure keeping you busy, TomCat.
3:59 Nice outlook.
Cartoon: Any time soon, I hope.
Update: 16 states with the number of new cases each week still on the rise 👎👎
TNY: This is what happens when they procrastinate doing their civic duty.
NYT: Perhaps I’m really stupid for asking, but won’t making social media liable for what gets posted on their platforms make them even more likely to put warnings up or even delete posts out of fear of getting dragged into court because someone has taken the post literally and drank the bleach or injected it in their veins or any other lie that put them in harm’s way? I don’t think Twitter would want to be the only ones with liability for the toxic waste Trump puts in his Tweets while he hasn’t any ay all.
RR: Spot on, as always.
BFTP: By the time this album came out, it was on CD so I can’t say I’ve played the record until it was grey (as the Dutch say) but I can assure you the laser has left precious little coating on the CD. Mark Knopfler still plays his guitar like the best of them.
Is this really a good time for a family reunion?
Jerry, I don’t think so, but she’s going stir crazy, and if she has to go, Wyoming and Montana are the safest states. See today’s Trump* Virus Map!
Thanks and painful Hugs to all!
I don’t like Mc Connell so much I cannot express how much