I’m writing for tomorrow. First, I wish to express my sorrow over the death of Maya Angelou today, and wish condolences to all who loved her. Tomorrow I have to go for physical therapy for arthritis in my spine and hips and for a blown out shoulder. Because of that, please expect little or nothing on Friday, especially since I’ll be taking my walker onto regular public transit for the first time and walking over a mile. Day 38.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:38 (average 4:28). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) drew audible gasps Thursday when he told gathering of Christian conservatives that Democrats intended to amend the Constitution to limit free speech.
“When you think it can’t get any worse, it does,” Cruz warned at the Watchmen on the Wall gathering of pastors sponsored by the Family Research Council.
“This year, I’m sorry to tell you, the United States Senate is going to be voting on a constitutional amendment to repeal the First Amendment,” Cruz said, to the audible shock of the crowd.
We still need to drive with the Cruz control engaged!
From NY Times: A teenage girl was inspired after dropping her cellphone to create concussion-reducing cushions for football helmets. A team of Girl Scout Brownies designed a bridge that could withstand flooding. And an adolescent boy in a suit and tie told President Obama about his pending patents.
They were just a few of the more than a hundred students demonstrating their inventions and research on Tuesday for what Mr. Obama said was one of his favorite events: the White House Science Fair, now in its fourth year.
Republicans will likely consider this cause for yet another Congressional investigation and scandal. They hate it when ‘libruls do skience’.
From Think Progress: If Florida’s voters evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, the state’s Republicans could still expect to hold 58 percent of the state’s congressional seats. Indeed, according to California Institute of Technology statistics professor Jonathan Katz, a leading expert on redistricting who testified in a trial challenging these maps as an illegal gerrymander, Florida’s maps are the most biased districts he has ever examined.
Although Florida has some of the most biased congressional districts in the country — in 2012, President Obama narrowly won the state but Republicans captured 17 of the state’s 27 congressional districts — the League of Women Voters and other plaintiffs challenging Florida’s maps face an uphill battle in their lawsuit. Under a state constitutional amendment enacted in 2010, “[n]o apportionment plan or district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.” Thus, the plaintiffs in this lawsuit do not just have to prove that the maps are biased, they have to prove that they were drawn with the intent of favoring Republicans. As neither the plaintiffs nor their lawyers have ESP, that’s a difficult bar to clear.
In several of the states that Republicans have Gerrymandered to assist them in election theft, they have openly bragged about their intent to favor Republican candidates. What other reason could there possibly be for stacking the deck?
Cartoon:
14 Responses to “Open Thread–5/29/2014”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
2:51 Okay, TC. Did you bite that dog's ear?
2:51 I'm beginning to think that that puddy tat is getting too big for his britches!
3:08 OK, maybe this was an easy puzzle, but you all are insane. I can't even move the pieces around fast enough to get your times. And don't even mention TomCat!
I'm not insane Jerry. I just have to move fast here in order to stay warm. Don't forget, I live in Canada, the permanently frozen part of the continent . . . assome people think.
RIP Maya Angelou.Thank you for all you did for everyone. The world was blessed with your life.
Daily Kos ~ Must be he hasn't read the bill menat to repeal the Citizen's United ruling. I couldn't believe he actually said this.
NY Times ~ Some of the inventions are amazing. These children have defied the odds and actually learned some things. Bless their teachers!
Think Progress ~ The Geryymandering has got to stop. This is real voter fraud.
Cartoon ~ Must be they were dancing with Democrats.
4:33 I'd look sad too if my ear was chipped. Actually, with a sinus headache, I do look sad this morning.
Daily Kos – Can you say PRO – JEC – TION? (Of course we all know what he thinks the Fir$t Amendment means.)
NY Times – Great kids, great project, hope it helps.
Think Progress – Well, good luck to the plaintiffs. The verbiage of the state's Constitutional Amendment is itself a gerrymander. It was deliberately written to withstand lrgal challenges while sounding good to the sheeple. So the plaintiffs will need some serious good luck. Not just one judge with common sense, but consistent judges with common sense as it goes through endless appeals.
Cartoon – plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Daily Kos – as so often when I hear the nonsense talked by the Repuglicons, I think 'Is it April the First again?'. Joanne is right – he is projecting again!
NY Times – excellent!
Think Progress – people have got to get themselves involved in democracy and stand up to these gerrymandering weasels or lose everthing!
HI TC. Stay cool. it is hotter tha h— here in NC.
re. Repugs VERY nasty comments re. Michelle Obama and healthy eating and exercise for kids. Anyone read the article in the "Lancet" (UK).re worldwide obesity and the projected effect on life expectancy for future generations.
Nothing good, huge incidence of Diabetes.(due to huge amounts of sugar in products. )
Obesity in the USA. terrible but edged out by Chinese who have succumbed to fast food. "McSomeone ",it is rumored!!!,
Michelle Obama dead on correct. USA needs to change eating /exercise habits. particularly for the younger generation,(You will NOT hear these facts from Rush,Faux News etc! (suprise ,suprise.)
Loved the dance picture, WHAT DECADENCE !!!.
TC, I hope you made it to your appt. with little difficulty. Just found out I have arthritis in both hips, yuck.
Daily Kos: Can you spell idiot, Cruz? OMG where does he get this stuff. Does he still have dual citizenship? Maybe we can send him to Canada and Lynn can straighten him out.
NY Times: I am gratified that enough of our schools are still producing students like these despite the "No Child Left Behind" bull from Dubya.
Think Progress: This practice is only going to get worse with the money the Koch Bros. are outlaying to keep Republicans in office.
Cartoon: I suppose their male partners were not employed there and if they were, did not get fired.
Lynn's very, very good, but I doubt if even she could straighten out Cruz. He's too far gone. I know what he is talking about. Dem's want to remove First Amendment rights from corporation$, which never should have had any in the first place, and return them to the people, as the founders intended. Since he identifie$ with corporation$, to him that is gutting it. He is wrong.
Puzzle — 2:51 I'm beginning to think that that puddy tat is getting too big for his britches!
Daily Kos — Just like a Republicanus/Teabagger to fire up a crowd with lies and deceptions so that they no longer listen. As you have said so many times TC, they have their PhD's in Bullshitology and graduated suma cum laude. If they didn't have bullshit to spew, they'd have nothing to say!
NY Times — The Republicanus/Teabaggers will no doubt say that the kids have been brain-washed or indoctrinated in false science. Heaven forbid that a young mind would come up with successful ideas to combat climate change! That should be good for a trip to the Republicanus/Teabagger gulag!
Think Progress — It gets worser and worser!
I don't know how they will prove this, but it would seem that a comparison of pre and post changes would help. Then stir in the bragging etc, and maybe get lucky with an e-mail or two, . . . that might do it. This is going on in Canada now under Mr Harper. Ever the Republican that sot!
Cartoon — And the men that danced the Turkey Trot? A holdover of Victorian morays! This from Wikipedia:
BTW, there is a petition on Care2 that I hope people will sign. I am outraged that this has happened. Although I have no proof, it would not surprise me if the federal government, or at least some bureaucrat, was complicit in this theft. It is bad enough that the flood essentially claimed their homes and possessions, but the raping of their memories and dignity is further unacceptable damage to these First Nations people.
"Canada's federal government paid nearly $2 million to demolish homes following a 2011 flood on Manitoba Lake St. Martin First Nation Reserve, and natives were told their houses and the belongings inside were condemned as too damaged for them to return to and use.
CTV News recently learned that as many as 40 of these homes have been moved from their foundations and sold for an average of $20,000 each. Some of the homes still contained their original belongings, while other belongings have been found for sale in thrift and antique shops. Native man Noel Beardy was one who lost his home and belongings in the flood, only to find his antique cabinet for sale in a Value Village.
Monetary reimbursement cannot replace the sentimental value of homes and belongings that are shared with family and friends and perhaps passed down through the generations. Every effort should have been made to salvage these properties and return everything possible to the original owners. Please sign the petition to convince Ottawa's government to investigate the situation and punish all responsible parties for theft and/or fraud."
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/845/342/737/investigate-theft-and-resale-of-native-american-homes/
Thanks everyone. Your signatures are much appreciated.
I signed the petition and shared it on FAcebook.
Pit stop. Good night.