I’m writing for tomorrow, working on the apartment, and getting ready to go out and run a couple errands. Nothing really exciting is happening on the home front, and that’s a good thing, because this space used to be filled with heat failures, power failures, and raving idiots roaming the halls. I Like the change.
Late update: Later in the day I came down with a cold/flu and feel just awful Today’s articles are already written, but expect a lull for a day or three.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:35 (average 4:35). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: The so-called polar vortex caused hundreds of injuries across the Midwest today, as people who said “so much for global warming” and similar comments were punched in the face.
Authorities in several states said that residents who had made ignorant comments erroneously citing the brutally cold temperatures as proof that climate change did not exist were reporting a sharp increase in injuries to the face and head regions.
In an emergency room in St. Paul, Harland Dorrinson, forty-one, was waiting to be treated for bruising to the facial area after he made a crack about how the below-freezing temperatures meant that climate-change activists were full of shit.
What an excellent parody Andy has made of how dishonest Republicans claim that every winter day negates the vast body of evidence supporting global increases in mean temperature and the more frequent catastrophic freak-weather that results from it.
From NY Times: Representative Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania, a perennial target for Democrats who covet his suburban district, announced on Monday that he will retire from the House after six terms.
Mr. Gerlach joined a steady trickle of Republican retirements and resignations, including Representatives Jon Runyan of New Jersey, Tom Latham of Iowa, Frank R. Wolf of Virginia and Tim Griffin of Arkansas, whose seats could now be in play. In all, 12 House Republicans have announced that they are stepping down, either immediately or at the end of the year. Democrats have seen just one, Jim Matheson of Utah, announce his retirement; Mr. Matheson’s district is so Republican, his departure is tantamount to ceding a seat.
In a midterm election where the battlefield was expected to be extremely narrow, the fight for control of the House is opening up slightly.
Here is one more Republican from the so-called "moderate" wing (lightly less insane than TEAbaggers) that has come to realize there is no place for serious politicians in today’s Republican Party.
From Daily Kos: The Federal Reserve officially has a new chair. The Senate, slightly diminished by the polar vortex, voted to confirm Janet Yellen Monday evening, 56-26.
It’s about time! It would never have happened, had Democrats not nuked the Republican filibastards. I’m yellin’ for Yellen!!
Cartoon:
This is the best thing any Republican President has done since IKE left office. 🙂
13 Responses to “Open Thread–1/8/2014”
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TC – with all my multitude of health problems I used to come down with every bug under the sun, around an extra 12 a year, till I saw one of the few doctors I have any time for on tv, Dr Phil Hammond – who said 'Don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth unless you have just washed your hands' or you are just transferring germs straight to pathways into your body (its obvious when you think about it but I didn't have sufficient brain power to think about it at the time as I was already so ill) – anyway it worked and cut down any additional bugs I got to less than 5% of what I got before – and working on getting natural thyroid extract and adrenal extract* has helped me stay flu free for a few years (and about time too!).
Of course if someone sneezes on you and you feel yourself starting to come down with something – then lots of fluid, rest, Vit C and Zinc and Magnesium, and whatever flu remedy makes you feel better and comforted!
Seriously I am very glad that you are going to rest and not risk it turning into pneumonia again – am praying for you!
Love the New Yorker article – Andy at his best!
Hooray Janet Yellen was confirmed – a miracle to start 2014!
*adrenal extract is for adrenal exhaustion and some doctors have come to realise it exists, most don't as the drug companies don't have anything to plug. Those disbelieving doctors only believe in Graves disease and Addisons Disease – which is rather like a mathematician only believing in the numbers 1 and 100 but nothing in between!
3:52 Get your motors runnin'. Head on to the barroom.
3:00 Hot Dog!
Feel better soon. I pray your bout of flu disappears as fast as it came on you. I will be MIA for at least a few days starting Friday. My leg surgery is scheduled for 11:45AM tomorrow I hope they solve the problem once and for all this time. Please remember me in your prayers.
New Yorker ~ Andy has read my mind. I only wish it were true that the jerky climate change deniers were getting hit in the face the way he wrote. They surely deserve it. They were also claiming that "polar vortex" was a phrase made up by the climate change proponents to further our "agenda". Al Roker, who I really don't care much for, put them in their place this AM. He had a Meteorology textbook printed in 1959 defining "Polar Vortex". I suppose we planned all this while still in grammar school and started writing textbooks then. Daily Kos had an excellent article this AM. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/05/1267312/-Why-Cold-Weather-Does-Not-Disprove-Global-Warming?detail=email
NY Times ~ More open seats expand our chances of gaining seats. Vote Democrat in November 2014!
Daily Kos ~ A wonderful bit of good news out of Washington for a change. Congrats Ms. Yellen on becoming the first woman to head the Federal Reserve. Now show those men how it's done.
Cartoon ~ It was the butt of many jokes for a long time. Still is occasionally'
Patty, I will be thinking about you tomorrow. May your recovery be swift and complete.
I will be sending good thoughts your way tomorrow, Patty.
Oh my sanity – 5:18 and now wondering if I need to go back to bed.
I love Andy Borowitz, but we all know that if there is cold weather with snow fall, even if is in say – Egypt; that must be solid proof of no climatic change. I so wish we could invent a cure for stupid. Life would be so much easier. Jon Stewart had some equally funny comments about this.
If you were a moderate republican and did not believe the crack pots in your party were walking the best path, you too might chose resignation over constant bickering and pressure for a vote against your principles.
The flu is every where, here we have some deaths. Fortunately, my flu is mild – had the shot.
Get some chicken soup, lots of water and Vitamin C. Please take care of you, TC.
I recommend "emergen C" – like a cup of tea with lots of vitamin C.
Get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Hope you are better soon.
The New Yorker: Too bad this can't happen at Fox News every day.
NY Times: I wish at least 50 of them would retire.
Daily Kos: Good for all of us!
Cartoon: I remember this, sadly.
Thanks everyone.
Prayers, or wahtever you do, for patty, please.
Lynn sends greetings.
4:19 – Yeah, the old 1957 Chevy… 😆
I worked for George H.W. Bush in the 80's when he was V.P. under Regan. He was a nice man that I admit I voted for and Regan too… My bad but college changed my views and now I wage the "War on Error"… 😆