It’s a crazy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy did not co to Crater Lake, because between the wildfires and Trump* virus, virtually everything there is closed. She arrived late, because the visibility is terrible. She cut my hair and is now gooping, while I write. This is my only article today. Have a great weekend.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:05 (average 4:57). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Vintage 2013
Trump* Virus Update:
US Cases:6,639,386
US Deaths: 197,473
Plus thousands of Trump’s* GOP murder victims Republicans are hiding from us
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Well before his move to the Department of Homeland Security, Brian Murphy had become known as an ambitious counterterrorism investigator at the F.B.I., determined and relentless. At times, though, colleagues chafed at what some saw as an overzealous disregard for bureaucratic rules.
All of those traits may have been at play this week when Mr. Murphy, a career law enforcement officer, became a whistle-blower.
The Department of Homeland Security was built after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, 19 years ago Friday, to keep federal, state and local governments coordinated on national security threats. But in his whistle-blower complaint, Mr. Murphy, the department’s former intelligence chief, said its senior leaders directed him to do the opposite: play down the primary national security threats of white supremacy and Russian election interference, thus distorting intelligence to mirror President Trump’s messaging.
The allegations, coming less than two months before Election Day, add to the growing evidence that Mr. Trump has prioritized his own political goals over the word of his intelligence officials, and that the Homeland Security Department has become an instrument of his personal will. Mr. Murphy’s complaint reflects the current turmoil at homeland security and is another front in Mr. Trump’s battle with the government’s intelligence agencies.
Barrf strikes again! That is far worse than acting as Trump’s* personal lawyer! RESIST!!
From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Sen. Merkley On West Coast Wildfires: It ‘Puts On Exclamation Point’ On Climate Catastrophe
Criminal Fuhrer Trump* is happy to help kill Oregonians with his storm troopers, the GOP Gestapo, and he loves it when wildfires or Trump* virus kills Oregonians. Could that be because Oregon leads the way? RESIST!!
From YouTube (a blast of past protest): JOAN BAEZ ~ What Have They Done To The Rain ~
Ah… the memories! Protest like the 60s! RESIST!!
Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!
14 Responses to “Open Thread – 9/12/2020”
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I guess we now know what happened to the dinosaurs. God told an angel to “make them meatier.” And the angel heard it wrong.
Not to denigrate mental health experts who are doing valuable work in warning us about Trump*’s mental and psychological health (or lack thereof), but we have all been thinking about his mental state so long, we may be failing to pay enough attention to our own. Here’s a professional look at things that may be happening to us while we look away. (And you may want to read up on PTSD in general.)
Cartoon – He’s getting to the age where one loses instead of gains mental abilities.
Map – I guess it isn’t really moving westward, just getting brighter. Sigh. And fall is almost here, and we can expect an uptick (to put it mildly).
DHS – Brian Murphy is a hero now. It would appear he managed to overcome his ambition, which I applaud – and it’s not that easy. “Mr. Trump has prioritized his own political goals over the word of his intelligence officials” – you could just take out “the word of his intelligence officials” and substitute “everything else in the world.”
Jeff – Yes indeed. My heart goes out to you – and yet I am so proud of you for having Senators who take this personally and actually work for the people. I have one. I hope to add to that soon.
BOPP – I remember acid rain. Changes were made which relieved the situation, and then everyone stopped talking about it. And now there are people who think human actions cann affect world climate. Of course, there is so much noise right now that no one can hear anything – but when we can get attention again, we need to hammer at this. We know we can not only change it, but, with resolute action, change it back (at least somewhat.)
Incidentally, I know everyone is aware I listen to radio opera broadcasts on Saturday mornings. What everyone probably does not know is that the opera scheduled to be broadcast on Saturday, November 7, is entitled “Scalia/Ginsburg.” Regulars, you have my email if you want more information. Many great new operas are being written and premiered (the one this morning was “Bless Me, Ultima”), and unfortunately, as has been true throughout history, most disappear, so this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Many of us are undoubtedly aware that RBG & Scalia were very good friends, from their years serving together on the DC Circuit before both were elevated to SCOTUS.
And many, no doubt, are aware they shared a great love of opera. But what I didn’t know was that they actually appeared together as supernumeraries in the Washington National Opera production of “Ariadne auf Naxos” back in 1994.
I did not know that! Thank you! I did know, of course, that she appeared as the Duchess of Crackenthorpe in La Fille du Regiment (probably in English), which is a speaking role. The character is exceedingly stuck up; she must have had a great deal of fun with it. I have been in the chorus of student productions of Trial by Jury (technically operetta) and Amahl and the Night Visitors, but costuming is more my speed. I’ve dressed Cosi Fan Tutti and Die Fledermaus and Cadlisle Floyd’s Susannah (and too many musicals to mention. Ariadne auf Naxos would be a witch to stage, I’d think. Not for professionals, but amateur – not only finding the voices which is a project in and of itself, but the costumes and sets. It was among the recordings which were broadcast on line due to the coronavirus, and I watched it, with Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, and Tatiana Troyanos as the main characters. Wow, Just wow.
You would have loved Sylvia’s, a restaurant in Portland. They used to have a dinner theatre in which the waiters and waitresses were opera singers. It was one of my favorite eateries.
😽
There was one like that in DC when I was stationed there, and I certainly DID love it. Very small, great food, great music, no nonsense about treating any guests any differently from any other guests either. Ah, the memories!
That sounds like Sylvia’s. It changed management in 2005 and reopened without the Opera.
Cartoon: A new pair of reading glasses?
TVU: Same. Not going anywhere except up though.
DHS: Mr. Murphy is a hero in our midst, and a very brave man. dt wants to get things done on his terms, and to his satisfaction(s), his way or the highway.
MSNBC: Kudos to Mr. Merkley, the volunteers, and responders to hopefully weaken and lessen the fire/flames. Thinking and praying for all affected by this devastation. CA, OR, WA.
BOP: Major changes must be made to help and keep the ecosystems healthy for future generations. This administration doesn’t care, but we must be aware and improve our environment and care for our earth, plants, and ecosystems to keep it wholesome, for our next generation(s).
HI, WWWendy! Glad that she got back home safely. Hope that you have a great rest of your day, take good care, rest/nap, and enjoy your day, evening. Thanks, Tom.
This just in: “Imagine a doctor hiding your cancer diagnosis because he didn’t want to panic you, and then you died, even though you could have lived with proper treatment. That’s exactly what dt did to covid. ~ RwB ~
2. “Americans overwhelmingly favor sending dt back to school in the fall.” ~ Andy Borowitz ~
3. “Mike Pence was head of the Corona Virus Task Force. He had the same information that trump did.”
~ Stephanie R. ~
4. “When I was basically directed to do something that I thought went beyond stupid, to felony stupid, strategically jeopardizing our place in the world, and everything else, that’s when I quit. ”
~ re: General James Mattis to Bob Woodward ~
5. “Donald Trump said he didn’t want to tell the truth and create a panic. So he did nothing and created a disaster.” (pandemic). ~ Joe Biden ~
*Homemade sign on a neighbor’s lawn: BIDEN and the lady who made Brett Kavanaugh cry. 2020 !!
#1 Most excellent analogy.
#3 Pence is just as guilty! We keep forgetting about that because Trump keeps grabbing attention on centre stage all the time.
LOVE the sign!
Tell WWWendy I’m sorry her outing to Crater Lake fell through, but she can rest assured that its beauty will still be there when the fires and the virus have passed.
2:50 Nothing much to goop: all feathers, legs and a big beak.
Cartoon: Knowing how to read apparently is no prerequisite for becoming President.
Update: Is it me, or is there more area filled in?
NYT: The article paints a picture of Murphy as someone with “what some saw as an overzealous disregard for bureaucratic rules” and a career law enforcement officer who “wasn’t always the most politically correct in his actions.” Yet this conservative Republican, who supported President Trump in 2016, apparently had enough and drew the line at having to distort the primary national security threats of white supremacy and Russian election interference because Trump prioritized his own political goals over the word of his intelligence officials. If someone with Murphy’s background now blows the whistle, just imagine how bad it really is.
MSNBC: The images of the raging fires and people being evacuated are all too familiar to me, but Antifa – or Alt-Right for that matter – getting blamed for igniting the fires and coming to loot is unthinkable here and something I never want to see.
es, arsonists were mentioned here too during the similarly large and devastating wildfires here, and there had been a few incidents of arson, but 95% of the fires were lit by lightning strikes, as are yours, and together with the extremely high temperatures and extremely strong wind propelled the fires through the drought-dried woods and grasslands, that is by all the effects of Climate Change.
The climate-change deniers in our government in Republican fashion tried to draw attention away from that by going after the arsonists. Republicans in America seem to have the same purpose.
BOP: Very apt, though now because the rains no longer fall.
Duration of smoke exposure a main factor determining health impacts. A friend tells me there is an inexpensive air purifier available at Costco that is small in size–health experts here have been recommending for all with added vulnerability to smoke impacts. Staples has KN95 masks and hardware store particulate masks are even being used indoors by people without electricity or without an air purifier.
One weekend report was that ND and SD were leading the nation in growth of COVID cases (no mask mandates and probably Sturgis event as contributing factors).
DT is supposed to visit CA fires tomorrow–will he promise federal agencies responsible for 57% of our forests will get them all raked for us?
My AC includes air purifier.
Thanks and Ellipsoid Orb Hugs to all! 🏈