I’m writing for Saturday, day 50. Yesterday (Thursday) I got better sleep, but collecting the data for and writing the Monthly Report took most of the day. Today is the last cool day. Tomorrow will be hot, but not unbearably so. Then on Sunday, the heat wave returns full force and is forecast to last until at least a week from Monday. ARGH!!!
Update: Our HSP crashed so the blog was intermittent, mostly offline, most of the day.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:09 (average 5:29). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From CREW: Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Jr. for lying to Congress. Contrary to what Director Clapper told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the National Security Agency (NSA) does, in fact, collect data on Americans, as documents disclosed by former NSA contractor Edward J. Snowden demonstrate.
Read the letter to the Department of Justice and supporting exhibits
CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan stated, “The Obama administration has been extremely aggressive in prosecuting leaks. It is only reasonable to expect DOJ to be at least as diligent in investigating high government officials who deliberately lie to Congress.”
At a March 12, 2013 Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) asked Director Clapper, “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?” Director Clapper responded, “No, sir … Not wittingly. There are cases where they could inadvertently perhaps, collect, but not, not wittingly.”
I fully agree and support CREW’s efforts.
From MSNBC: Bought Bitch Mitch in trouble!
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Nothing would please me more to see Lundergan Grimes beat either the Bagger that beat Bought Bitch Mitch, or Bought Bitch Mitch himself. He’s the nation’s most unpopular senator, because America is beginning to see him as the lying seditionist traitor he is.
From TPM: Senate Republicans are standing firm by their threat to block every one of President Obama’s nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, insisting on eliminating all three vacant seats on the country’s second most powerful court.
If they follow through, it could spark yet another nuclear showdown over filibuster rules.
The first of Obama’s three picks, Patricia Millett, was narrowly approved Thursday by the Judiciary Committee on a party line vote of 10-8. Every Republican voted against her, although they didn’t criticize her or take issue with her qualifications. They merely argued that the court is under-worked and that nobody ought to fill those seats.
The DC Circuit is the Court of Appeals that has the most responsibility of them all, because they have jurisdiction over all federal regulations. They also have a temporary Republican majority, because of the three vacancies. NUKE the FILIBASTARDS!!!!!
Cartoon:
23 Responses to “Open Thread–8/3/2013”
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TomCat – do CREW really exist? Do they? Or is is only my fevered imaginings and desperate hope that they do?! I looked at that letter and it was wonderful! I really hope they can get that lying b*stard prosecuted and imprisoned for lying under oath. (He was 'confused'? As if!).
Sorry your HSP crashed – but this is day 50 and if you can survive that AND the weather surely you can survive anything! Well done TC!
CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) had BETTER exist, because I've been claiming my annual contributions to them as a 501(c)3 tax-deductible donation for years now.
Nameless, my friend, because I am a poor man, the list of organizations te whom I donate is a very short one. But I find it uncanny that almost every time you mention donating to an organization, you pick one on that short list.
Thanks Pat.
Nameless beat me to your question. 🙂
4:26 I was drowning.
4:19 I felt like I was swimming belly up!
4:32 Today I was just the shadow.
Wooo hooo ❓ Dang! I ecpected to be 4th, because of the two minute rule.
Forgot to comment yesterday on the relatively good news on your hunt for a new domicile. I'm sure you're anxiously looking forward to August 17th – and I've got my fingers crossed for you!
Thanks Nameless. You bet I am ❗
How did you do? 5:43
Sounds like a worthwhile organization…
Good one!
It is.
Darn – image didn't post again.
Here's the URL:
http://www.pfaw.org/sites/default/files/images/DC-Circ-cases-per-judge-elephant2.jpg
It is a great image. When I saw it on Care2 I also posted it below but I forgot to attribute it to you. One of my cat's had me badly distracted and in a hurry.
Great graphic!
The graphic insertion tool in our graphic editor does not work, except foir the blogger only. WordPress made it so, because access to it without security openss the site to hackers.
Puzzle — 4:19 I felt like I was swimming belly up!
Crew — As the old TV programme used to say "You do the crime, you do the time." Tap dancing does not work, nor should it! A non partisan, unbiased investigation is definitely warranted.
MSNBC — McTurtle is nothing more than a self aggrandising dishonourable fool who cares nothing for the people. His only interest is in preserving his senate seat. I would love to see Lundergan Grimes kick his sorry Republicanus/Teabagger ass back into the last century where I am sure he would be much more comfortable.
TPM — Underworked? My ass their underworked! If they could get at what they should be doing, they would not be underworked! Get some Democratic leaning justices in there to balance the tilt, or better, some fair non partisan justices.
Cartoon — I had always heard that Jesse Owens was snubbed by Hitler, but if Wikipedia is correct, which I think it is, it was the US that snubbed him. Isn't it interesting the power politics has over people. This from Wikipedia:
Owens said,
Hitler sent Owens a commemorative inscribed cabinet photograph of himself. Honors were not bestowed upon Jesse Owens by either President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) or his successor Harry S. Truman during their terms. In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (himself an athlete of note) honored Owens by naming him an "Ambassador of Sports."
Here's a graphic of the "under worked" DC Court:
http://www.pfaw.org/sites/default/files/images/DC-Circ-cases-per-judge-elephant2.jpg
I was surprised to win the day.
Indeed!
BIG AMEN!
Bigger AMEN!
Racism in America was the norm then. But the 1% mostly supported Hitler, especially Prescott Bush.
Grimes put McConnell away at Fancy Farms today. I hope her momentum continues. He usually gets the votes in Louisville, our largest city, so waiting to see which way they are going before I get too hopeful.
Is anyone besides me suspicious of these latest Al Quaeda warnings? The NSA got caught with their hands in the cookie jar for spying on all of us, and now we have this serious threat. Maybe I am becoming paranoid.
How so Edie? {TC is drooling for the dirt!} 😈
She pointed out that he has been on the dole for 30 years, and has done little for Ky, then said if his doctor told him he was passing a kidney stone, he would refuse to do it. There was more, but my pitiful brain can't retrieve it right now. I think she has the best chance of anyone who has run against him in a long time. She is from a political family and knows the ropes.
Love the kidney stone analogy!