As I write for day 49, It’s only 79° at my desk, but that will change, because the forecast is 85° (add 15° in my ‘breezeway’), and the humidity is 77%. This the first time I have ever seen a forecast for “dry thunderstorms”. I received what appears to be good news on my apartment. I’m approved and first on the list on the 17th, when the woman from county, supposedly with the rubber stamp, returns. I’ll believe it completely when I have a rent receipt in hand, but it looks good.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:14 (average 4:32). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Responding to Pope Francis’s suggestion that the Pope is not capable of judging gays, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia contacted the Vatican today to say that he would be “more than happy” to help the Pontiff do so.
“If he’s having trouble judging homosexuals, well, then I’m his man,” Scalia told reporters after making his offer. “I have over a quarter century of professional experience.”
I’m sure he would get lots of help from Teabag Thomas.
From Me (data from Wikipedia): Where does our money go. This is the longest Short Take (vertically) to date.
Most donor states are blue. Most moocher states are red.
From NY Times: A military judge on Tuesday found Pfc. Bradley Manning not guilty of “aiding the enemy” for his release of hundreds of thousands of military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks for publication on the Internet, rejecting the government’s unprecedented effort to bring such a charge in a leak case.
But the judge in the court-martial, Col. Denise R. Lind, convicted Private Manning of six counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and most of the other crimes he was charged with. He faces a theoretical maximum sentence of 136 years in prison, although legal experts said the actual term was likely to be much shorter.
It has always been my position, along with that of Henry David Thoreau, author of Civil Disobedience, that when one breaks the law in an act of civil disobedience, willingness to accept the punishment for so doing is what underlines the integrity of the act. That and more separates Manning’s heroism from Snowden’s behavior. I’m pleased that Bradley Manning was acquitted of the most serious charges against him, which were not justified in my opinion. I salute Bradley Manning and hope that the actual term of his sentence is short, the shorter the better, with full credit for time served.
Cartoon:
21 Responses to “Open Thread–8/1/2013”
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Congrats on day 49 – and I hope that the neighbour shuts up and stays quiet till you move – lots of prayers being said for the new place!
Thanks Pat!
2:57 The pieces of the puzzle were falling together like magic for me today.
Will Lynn's Size 9s stomp on my boat of will Critter crunch it?
3:43 There is no way that my ship will ever sail!
3:06 My ship is still in dry dock.
Mashed! 🙁
August 1 ~ May it be an auspicious day in your new, smoke-free life. I hope it's a NEW apartment! We will all attack that woman from county if she doesn't give you her stamp of approval on the 17th.
New Yorker ~ Scalia is probably really thinking that.
From You ~ No surprise that the moocher states go Red.
NY Times ~ I am also glad he was acquitted of the most serious charge against him. The judge was very fair so far. She is a wise woman.
Thanks patty!
I bet!
Thanks!
Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Remember that Pennsylvania clown of a police chief, Mark Kessler, TC just featured who hates "libtards"? Well, he didn't get fired, but at least he got suspended.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/mark-kessler-suspended_n_3685985.html
Could not have happened to a nicer guy! But look what it's for — using town equipment in the videos. And he claims he bought the equipment and donated it to the town. . . . as well as the ammunition. This is a one horse town. Why so many guns needed? Personally, I think he should have been suspended permanently. Unfortunately the video is not available in Canada but the story is.
It's always wonderful when a Repoblicans on Parade honoree goes down, albeit temporarily. It is also fortunate that I was here working on the Monthly Report, when your comment came in yesterday, so I could replace that news in today's Short Takes. 🙂
Excellent news about your next home. A smoke free home. My COPD stopped getting worse, and is even a little better then it was when I was smoking tobacco. Throw out your ash trays before the move.
Thanks Bill. What ashtrays?
Puzzle — 3:43 There is no way that my ship will ever sail!
New Yorker — Scalia wishes! Between he and Thomas, I'm not sure who the biggest Injustice is. The Pope has some integrity so I rather doubt he would accept help from such a low life! You have to love AB.
From You — 5 of the top 19 states, the donor states are red, the rest blue. Of the remaining 31 states, the recipient states, 19 are red states, 12 are blue. I don't count DC because that is the seat of government and guaranteed to be a recipient unit as their tax base is not broad enough. Hey, if we could find a way to tax the bribes of people working in DC, that might put them into a donor status!
NY Times — Amen!
Cartoon — . . . and then in 1990, the Berlin Wall came down, and 26/12/91, the USSR ceased to exist. Who would have guessed that in 1975? Things are so different now, but there are still old animosities.
We were Mashed!
There's little difference, bucause Scalia usually tells him what to think.
LOL! Put make it 11 blue, not 12, because Puerto Rico isn't a state.
Thanks!
Amen!
I still count 12 excluding DC. Puerta Rico is gray so I didn't count it.
Michigan, NH, Penn, Oregon, Florida, Iowa, Vt, Maryland, Maine, Hawaii, Virginia, New Mex.
Don't mess with a banker with size 9's. We may not know the numbers to fantasy football, but counting 1-12 is a no brainer! LOL!!!
OK! I know when I've neem Bigfooted! 😉
Thanks!
Scalia – “I have over a quarter century of professional experience.” And that would be what profession exactly?
Professionan mannequin for modelling sheets and hoods.
I really hope you get the new apartment.
Scalia's statement is another example of why Supreme Court Justices should have a limited term.
I thought all along that the southern states would vote for Romney as well as the Mormon states. I was surprised at some of the western and midwestern states that did. I knew that racists and bigots were going to have a hard time, deciding between a Mormon and a Black man, who knew that Mr. Obama would prevail over the racism that is still rampant in our country?
Thanks, Edie.
That's a Borowitz piece. He didn't really say that.
True!