I’m writing for tomorrow, and like most of us, waiting to see what comes of the Senate talk, and waiting to see if I can catch Patty, who is beating my butt! Out of respect for the folks who were already here, I am NOT celebrating Columbus Day.
Update: I’m taking a partial day off. I have been unable to sleep between noise in the building, worry over the impending default, the shame of having my fantasy football team Mashed by the Patty Monster, and guilt that some poor Canadian could not be thankful yesterday, being deprived of ownership by a fine fellow like me. I hope to be back to speed tomorrow, but back to bed for now.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:45 (average 4:50). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: So you have this neighbor who has been making your life hell. First he tied you up with a spurious lawsuit; you’re both suffering from huge legal bills. Then he threatened bodily harm to your family. Now, however, he says he’s willing to compromise: He’ll call off the lawsuit, which is to his advantage as well as yours. But in return you must give him your car. Oh, and he’ll stop threatening your family — but only for a week, after which the threats will resume.
Not much of an offer, is it? But here’s the kicker: Your neighbor’s relatives, who have been egging him on, are furious that he didn’t also demand that you kill your dog…
What can I say? Paul Krugman’s analogy is brilliant!
From MSN News: Ken Cuccinelli is running for governor, not Congress, but the Virginia Republican is still struggling to dodge the political fallout from Capitol Hill.
His campaign in this crucial battleground state is in danger of becoming the first political casualty of the federal government shutdown, which Americans largely blame on Republicans.
With the election just weeks away, Cuccinelli’s poll numbers have tumbled since federal agencies were shuttered Oct. 1. The conservative state attorney general was already lagging, but he went from within striking distance of a vulnerable Democrat to trailing by 8 to 10 percentage points in three independent polls.
The Republican shutdown is certainly a dark cloud, but this is a silver lining.
From Truthdig: America’s great minds of business and finance have reached a consensus on the government shutdown and worse, the prospect of a debt default: While the latter is worse, both are bad. Those same great minds are well aware how the shutdown came to pass and why default still looms on the horizon, whether next week, next month, or next year.
Yes, the frightened corporate leaders surely know how this happened—because their money funded the tea party candidates and organizations responsible for the crisis.
Vulture capitalists got so greedy that they forgot that karma is a bitch!
Cartoon:
21 Responses to “Open Thread–10/15/2013”
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OUCH! Paul Krugman's analogy is really accurate, isn't it! Oh my!
I do hope that Virginia elects a Democrat – what a joy that would be…
I also hope you get some sleep TC – to be constantly disturbed by a noisy neighbour is just awful. BTW – I didn't get any email from you about these news items – and neither did I get notification on C2 about one sent me by another C2 friend (but I was told about it on personal email, so I found it – but for some reason wasn't allowed to reply on it) – presumably C2 is having a little hiccup!
Spot-on.
I'm no fan of that particular Dem, BUT…
Thanks. I sent you one yesterday. 🙂
~ 5:33
My fingers and toes are crossed… 🙂
Mot much worse than my time. 🙂
Amen!
2:57 Does that bring back memories of bruised and bleeding knuckles! Horse chestnuts on a shoelace at a single pace, dueling to the death of the chestnut (splitting!) or the retreat of the kid warrior!
3:39 Nuts!
Bigfooted or Mashed?
Puzzle — 2:57 Does that bring back memories of bruised and bleeding knuckles! Horse chestnuts on a shoelace at a single pace, dueling to the death of the chestnut (splitting!) or the retreat of the kid warrior!
NY Times — Krugman, as usual, is spot on!
Mr Obama previously made mention of the requirement NOT to bend to these terrorist tactics for the sake of future presidents, no matter the party affiliation, and future generations. And I agree with him. It isn't just Paul Ryan who does not know the meaning of the word compromise. It is all the Teabagger fanatics who would rather dump the US economy and financial systems, along with worldwide economies, in the toilet.
With the idea that a compromise might provide a 6 week raising of the debt ceiling so that, ostensibly, legislators have more time to come to a compromise, is further proof of the "chronic disease" of dysfunction that eats away at effective government. They have not been able to come to an agreement so far, and I believe they never will. There has to be a desire by both parties to solve the problem, and to that end, there is no desire shown by the Teabaggers. Their idea of compromise is "I get everything I want, and you get what you want if you want what I want". The Teabagger fanatics are a cancer that must be excised from the government before it metastasises and kills the nation.
MSN News — The silver lining indeed!
Extremism does not cut it. The minority Teabaggers in Washington are holding the majority of the country hostage, and voters in Virginia might just be saying "Go to hell Teabaggers!".
Truthdig — Well if the "great minds" of business are getting jittery, or downright scared, because of the shutdown and pending default, it is time for them to step to the plate and exert some significant pressure on the idiots that they financed. I note that Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway supported Ted Cruz in the last election. Was that the board's decision, or Buffet's? Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing?
This is just too funny . . . well if it weren't so damn sad. The prime reason for the credit rating downgrade the last time was the fractiousness of the federal government. That has only become worse over time. The fanatical conservative ideologues will be the ruination of the US.
Cartoon — 130 years later and SCOTUS is the same, albeit, not exclusively, thanks to the four liberal Justices.
Great time!
RepubliSpeak Dictionary – Compromise: What's mine is mine. What's yours is mine.
Would that they say so in more foul terms.
It will cost us $millions in interest, as you well know!
There is obne difference. Back then, Democrats were the racists.
"…guilt that some poor Canadian could not be thankful yesterday, being deprived of ownership by a fine fellow like me. "
I hear that ownership of Ted Cruz is up for grabs, and there are many who think he is a Canuck. Put a leash and muzzle on him and you would have the gratitude of the entire nation!
BARF!!
No Cruz, No Harper,m No Harlot. On the other hans, a gourgeous blonde might be acceptible.
Don't be fooled by the title of this article in the Daily Kos "GOP congressman offers solution to debt limit crisis: Impeach Obama if government defaults" . There is a petition entitled "Tell Congress: Don’t play politics with the debt ceiling" on the page. If you haven't already signed, please do so now.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/14/1247109/-GOP-congressman-offers-solution-to-debt-limit-crisis-Impeach-Obama-if-government-defaults
"…it would allow House Republicans to save face, because instead of caving into extortionist Democratic demands that they prevent a default by raising the debt limit (which, coincidentally, is the only thing that can prevent a default), they could sit on their asses and do nothing.
Then, when the government defaults because Republicans sat around and did nothing instead of raising the debt ceiling, they could impeach President Obama for obeying the law that they refused to change. Sure, they would be blaming him for a crisis that they created,…"
Goh-merde, Guano Girl, Cantaloupe Calves King and the many others are so crazy . . . they are extortionists, domestic terrorists . . . pick your descriptive.
People remember Timothy McVeigh, the domestic terrorist that bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 killing 168 people. He was convicted of the use of a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, destruction with the use of explosives, and
8 counts of first-degree murder, and sentenced to die by lethal injection, which he did 11/06/01.
The same should be applied to the Teabagger fanatics including, Goh-merde, Bachmann, King, Cruz etc. The weapon of mass destruction: government shutdown and debt default. Conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction: look at their own rhetoric that has being going on, and look at the 2011 shutdown and credit downgrade as proof of continuing conspiracy. Destruction with the use of explosives: define shutdown and debt default as explosives and you have your smoking gun! Charges of first degree murder: how many will die is yet to be determined, but with no SNAP programme, no WIC programme, no food inspections, no children getting life saving cancer treatments at the NIH, and on and on . . . well that is murder. The Republicanus/Teabaggers should be tried and convicted and sentenced to death by lethal voting.
2014 midterms are coming. That should be, will be the date of death of the Republicanus/Teabaggers and their sedition!
Lynn, I wish half our population were as informed about our government as you are. We might not be in this mess if they were.
I've said the same, but all I assked for was for half the population to be 10% as informed. That woild be a BIG improvement.
No, this is what you said "If 10% of US citizens had half the knowledge of and insight into US politics …"
10% is easier to manage! ROTFLMAO!
I'll take it either way!
Thanks Edie! I learned it all from TC!
… and you guys!
Been theie. Signed that. Giviong the Republican Party a chance to save face invites more of the same
TC, I hope you got some sleep.
I shared the Krugman piece on Facebook, I will probably be unfriended by a few. He "gets it"
Love the silver lining. Bye, bye, Cuccinelli!
The corporate leaders have been living on tea and honey while the rest of us have been looking for chaff. It is about time they got bit in the butt.
Cartoon" that scotus looks vaguely like the one we have now.
Care 2 must be on the fritz, nothing I send by their e mail goes through. I got nothing regarding your message tonight, either, but as usual, I hunted you down.
Thanks Edie. Some, but not emough.
An excellent way to get unfriended.
Amen!
Doesn't it?
I didn't send out C2 links yesterday. Too Pooped.