It’s 84° at my desk, as I write for day 47 and the last day of July. We have a couple hotter days forecast followed by a couple more moderate days. The down side is that in the past, August and September have been our hottest months.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:56 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: For generations, homosexuality has largely been a taboo topic for the Vatican, ignored altogether or treated as “an intrinsic moral evil,” in the words of the previous pope.
In that context, brief remarks by Pope Francis suggesting that he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation, made aboard the papal airplane on the way back from his first foreign trip, to Brazil, resonated through the church. Never veering from church doctrine opposing homosexuality, Francis did strike a more compassionate tone than that of his predecessors, some of whom had largely avoided even saying the more colloquial “gay.”
“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis told reporters, speaking in Italian but using the English word “gay.”
What a surprise that is!! What will the Republican homophobes, who have used their Catholicism to bolster their TEAbuggery, do to justify spewing hate now?
From Truthdig: Illinois state Rep. Mike Bost is running for Congress. Apparently, he’s very loud.
This is a video put together by liberal fundraising group ActBlue, which, it should be noted, would prefer to keep all Republicans out of Congress
I agree with Act Blue. Republicans are bad for everywhere.
From TPM: A bipartisan road map to avoiding a government shutdown is emerging that involves Senate Republicans partnering with Democrats and the White House to corner the House GOP to continue the current funding levels until a broader budget accord is reached.
For it to succeed, the plan will require a handful of Senate Republicans to side with Democrats to break a filibuster and pass annual spending legislation making its way through the upper chamber. That part of the plan is already in motion — although some obstacles remain. If and when it passes, those close to the process say, the Senate and White House would have to stand firm against the House GOP’s strategy to slash domestic and poverty programs to protect the Pentagon in the hope that House Republican leaders would eventually give in and accept the framework as the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline approaches.
The big question is whether united pressure from Democrats and some Senate Republicans will be enough to force the House GOP’s hand. Given the last three years of budget brinksmanship, it’s not clear whether the House GOP will blink, although there are few tell-tale signs that some House Republicans are tiring of the politically damaging standoffs.
As long as Democrats do not cave in, House Republicans will, because the political cost to them will be so high, otherwise. The question is, will we be able to stomach what comes out of the Senate? Lets not react, based on assumptions. Lets wait and see what actually happens.
Cartoon:
18 Responses to “Open Thread–7/31/2013”
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Well done on day 47! Hooray for willpower!
I agree with you about Pope Francis – it seems hopeful – if he can survive the entrenched Right Wing and the Curia (remember John Paul 1 only lasted just over a month!).
Thanks Pat.
I trust the Pope will surive this, but will the Theocons?
Jig Zone Puzzle: 6:29
Pat A – Congrats on day 47 – One day at a time… 🙂
Wish I could have seen the video.
Good going Richard!
Thanks
3:12 Ouch! I got stung.
3:21 I stayed to smell the flower.
3:48 I was royally stung!
Wooo Hooo!! 🙂
Day 47 – Good for you! Before you know it, you'll be counting months and then years. Keep it up!
NY Times ~ It's about time we had a decent Christian man as Pope. Lyin' Ryan and the rest who hide behind Religion will have to find another hiding place.
Truthdig ~ Copyright infringement? Hah! Truthdig's site had one audio available. Bost is the one who should be ashamed of himself. And you thought I had a big mouth. LOL
TPM ~ "For it to succeed, the plan will require a handful of Senate Republicans to side with Democrats to break a filibuster and pass annual spending legislation making its way through the upper chamber." I have no trust in them to do the
rightcorrect thing.Cartoon ~ I wonder how they do decide. Is it a dartboard?
Tkanks Patty!
Bingo!
See nelow.
I have no trust in them eitrher, but the public is seeing through their sedition, and they are becoming fearful.
…. with black brown, red, yellow, rainbow, old, working, learning, and femaie targets.
I was surprised, but encouraged to hear the Pope make these remarks. A poll on local tv here showed people favoring his remarks by 46% of the votes. Believe me, that is huge in this area.
Could not access the video due to trademark violations.
If we actually have a bipartisan plan emerge from the house, Mitch will hop on it and ruin it in the senate.
Loved the graphic!
It surprises me to see that in the land of Bought Bitch Mitch.
See below.
If a bipartisan plan emerges, it will be in the Senate. Senators do not run in gerrymandered districts. They represent whole states and they fear of the voters.
Thanks!
Puzzle — 3:48 I was royally stung!
NY Times — I had read about this, but will it change anything? Yes it is a step forward. Priests by vow are celibate, so for them it means escaping the judgements that previous leadership had imposed. But what does it do for non priests gays? Non judgement, yes. But are they free to persue a sexual relationship? No. Does it advance the cause of marriage equality? No. For what it does, I am glad but it does not go far enough. LGBT are still not included in full life.
As to the Republicanus/Teabaggers who hide behind a façade of religious propriety all the while screwing anyone who disagrees with them, I paraphrase Shakespeare in 'Romeo and Juliet' and say a pox upon their houses.
Truthdig — I went to the site and viewed 2 other videos of Bost. WOW! Somebody needs to put out his fire! He was positively apoplectic. This guy is even bad for Republicanus/Teabaggers!
TPM — Wait and see for now, but I must saw, I do not trust any Republicanus/Teabagger. McTurtle has shown that they can't abide by an agreement (how many gentlemen's agreements have they broken so far?).
Cartoon — Maybe they can do it like I pick horses and football players — by the sound of the name.
Fantasy Football — I'm having a problem getting a QB off the BN and onto my team. What am I doing wrong?
And royally Catboxed! 🙂
It ends the justification for condemnation.
Amen!
If they do anything good, it will be out of fear, not goodness.
LMAO!
There is a square button to the left of every player on your roster. Click the button to the left of the QB in the BN. Then click the button to the left of your starting QB. Thed places shoud switch. Then clicl the save button at the bottom. Let me know if you still have trouble and I'll go look,
Hey, couldn't be worse than washing my cat's butt and applying epsom salts compresses! BTW, I think he finally had a poop this evening! With three in the house, hard to know for sure, but when I felt his tummy, it wasn't as hard. Good thing though, he loves his medicine! The anti-biotics are chewable and he eats it and the laxatives from my hand. The others want some meds too so they get a taste of the furball stuff to feel included.
Thanks for the FF help. It worked. I was clicking on the one to move but not the space to move to.
My sisters' was worse, believe me. After all three of us realizd we had given the cat his medicine, he goy to spend the night in the laundry room, because there is no carpet there. My sister's husband snuck out early. She woke up before me, woke me up and opened the door. To quote her scream, "Tommy, the cat blew up!" He was fine, but I never will understand how that much shot could have fit into one cat. I goes a long wayt toward explaining Congress, though.
It's not intuitive, but once you understand it, it mnakes it easier than having to drag the one to move, which is the old way.
ROTFLMAO!!! I can just see the laundry room!
Sorry about that video. It was good when posted. Usually video production companies love it when one of teir clips goes viral. I'm guessing Bost started screaming at them and they pulled it to shut him up.