It’s a busy, tired, painful day, here in the CatBox. My infusion yesterday went well, and I’ve had no side-effects, so far. However, except for an hour in the infusion recliner, I had to be in my wheelchair from 9:30 AM until 8:30 PM, and that’s so hard on my back that maximum pain killers barely takes the edge off the pain. Store to Door delivered groceries today so I had to unpack them and put them away. In addition, I spent over an hour on the phone on medical mayhem. JD, would you please cover Sam Bee, as I’m doing something else. Have a great day, everyone!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:18 (average 6:24). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Trump* Virus Update:
US Cases: 5,702,837
US Deaths: 176,396
Plus all the GOP plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us.
Long Take:
Watch: Democratic National Convention: Day 3
Kamala was magnificent. Barack Obama actually called criminal Fuhrer Trump* a threat to democracy. Such a statement by a former precedent. That and the nomination of the first African American and Asian American for VP make this a historic event! RESIST!!
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Sen. Susan Collins has, of course, expressed her concern about the sabotage of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) at the hands of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. What Collins doesn’t want all of her constituents—the people for whom she calls the USPS “a lifeline,” the “seniors, veterans, and those in rural areas who are depending on reliable mail delivery for essential goods and services”—to find out is that she’s the person most responsible for this mess.
DeJoy can say he’s making all of the cuts to services because of the dire financial situation of the USPS. Yes, we know he’s doing it to try to right the election for Trump, but the financial crisis at the post office has given him the opportunity to do so. And Collins, more than anyone else, is responsible for that. She’s the one who engineered this crisis. In 2005, Collins introduced the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), which required the USPS to prepay the next 50 years’ worth of health and retirement benefits for every postal service employee. It is the only federal agency that is saddled with this requirement. At the time, she was the chair of the Senate government oversight panel, and she got the bill through her committee and onto the floor in 2006. It passed on a voice vote on Dec. 20, 2006 in the lame duck session before Democrats took back control of the Senate.
What the legislation required of the USPS was to calculate the entirety of its pension costs for the next three-quarters of a century—75 years—and spend the next decade putting away enough money to cover the majority of them. Which is insane. And has accounted for nearly 90% of the service’s red ink in the past decade. Right now, the USPS is $160.9 billion in debt for what it owes to prepay retirees, and has years’ worth of operating deficits because it can’t generate revenue under the restrictions placed by the law.
Collins is great at pretending she’s a center-left moderate, but she’s more like Goose Step Gordon Smith, the Senator I worked to help Jeff Merkley [D-OR] defeat. She’s always with us, when we don’t need her, but against us, when we do. RESIST!!
From YouTube (Raw Story Channel): Sandra Smith grills Kayleigh McEnany about Trump’s praise of QAnon
Once again Kayleigh Lie-a-Lot proves she is a Republican with a PhD (piled higher and deeper) in Bullshitology. RESIST!!
From YouTube (a blast of protest): Family Guy – Republican Town Song
Is this great satire or what? Kudos to left-wing protestors! RESIST!!
Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!
9 Responses to “Open Thread – 8/20/2020”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Yeah. I do know about having to exert oneself extraordinarily when the pain is already extraordinary. So sorry. I hope you at least got your order complete. Sam’s back? Yup – I’ll get there.
Meidas Touch
Really American
RVAT
Lincoln Project
Cartoon – Even Dems wish that – for different reasons.
Map – 6 million and 180 thousand before we know it.
DNC – Not finished watching. I did read a transcript of Warren’s speech. Choked me up.
Collins – Yeah. But she had help. Including from Democrats who should have known better. Almost no one is innocent here.
Kayleigh Mac-INANE-y – Of course he’s supporting this conspiracy theory. He has pretty well said so. Anyone who praises him he’ll praise. And oh, boy, do they praise him!
BOP – Well, it IS parody – sort of – but still could use a BBA.
Thanks for the videos, Joanne.
All spot on!
Great Vids, JD! Thanks!
Cartoon: Oh Lordt!
TVU: Same as yesterday….
DNC: Watched parts of it. Kamala was and is going to make an excellent VP…and Mr. Obama spoke so eloquently, truthfully, and so passionantly, about how we are now, where we should be, and to get out and VOTE BLUE! Ms. Giffords spoke and she was amazing, and forceful. Kudos to her, for her speech.
DK: I d/n know the behind the scenes w/Collins and the USPS. WOW! She needs to go!
RSC: Lies, lies, lies. ugh. lol
BOP: Saw this a while back, well done.
Glad to read that your infusion went well. I don’t know how you managed to be in your wheelchair that long…I know that I would have had problems sitting in a chair that long. Hope that you got your phone issues with medical got straightened out too. Hope that you get a nap/rest in, enjoy the rest of your day. Take care, and Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: “Putin poisons his opponents, (Alexei Navalny), while trump poisons American Democracy.
~ Rep Lloyd Doggett ~
2. “Keep in mind, People…President Obama still receives intelligence reports, so he really knows what’s going on and it showed on his face last night.” ~ Janice D.W.~
3. “dt proved Michelle Obama 100% right, by the way he reacted. She really struck a nerve.” ~ John P. ~
4. “Obama renews lease inside dt’s head. ‘It’s really the only trump property I’d ever consider staying in.”
~ Andy Borowitz ~
5. “Thank you, Mr. Obama for your great speech and for reminding us what a real President looks and sounds
like.” ~ Dick S. ~
TJI #5 – Yes, that cracked me up too. What’s more, it’s rent-free.
Cartoon: Not too sure about that????
TVU: Some improvement here. We’re off the State’s watch list. Just hope people don’t get wild again, that we are placed back on it.
DNC: Excellent. Did watch it. Really enjoyed all of the speeches by Elizabeth Warren, President Obama and Kamala Harris’ speeches.
DK: Agree with you. She’s not for the USPS or the people. Hope she’s out too.
RSC: Heard about this on the news last night. tRump praises all of evil ones. Sick minded fool.
BOP: Nice one.
Sorry to hear that you were so uncomfortable having to sit in your wheel chair for so long. With my osteoporosis it can be a real pain after having to be in a certain position for a long at the dentist, etc. I hope it’s gotten better
Glad to hear that your infusion went well with no side effects.
Take care. Thanks TomCat
Good to hear that the infusion went well!!
‘Toon: Who would have thunk?
TVU: Reportedly, and that’s the operative word, cases in Fl. have slacked off a bit.
LT: Watched the whole thing, was impressed, Obama referred to “conspiracy” fools, and called Trump out! Hillary was good. Kamala was wonderful!
DK: Colin’s venal presence again!
BOP: Such creativity!
So sorry you’re in so much pain, TomCat. Luckily it wasn’t aggravated further by side effects of the infusion, but that’s small comfort if you’re in so much pain. Please don’t overdo your PP research and get as much rest as you need.
Thanks everyone for your kindness and concern. TGIF Hugs!