I’m writing for tomorrow, day 146. My day was thoroughly screwed up by another fire in the building at 4 AM. An idiot left his apartment with food cooking on the stove and it caught fire. It was actually on my floor, but I was never in any danger. A firefighter was about to carry my walker down the stars for me, while I walked, when another came up and and told us it was already out. I tried to go back to sleep, but could not, and I’ve been behind the eight ball all day. Tomorrow is a Holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. My Broncos are worshiping with the Chiefs and the service will be televised here, so I’ll be spending much of tomorrow in Holy meditation.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:42 (average 4:47). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Tired of seeing disgraced and discredited war hawks like John McCain and Dick Cheney dominate media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East? Then you’ve got to see Stephen’s segment last night.
Nostradumbass!! Perfect!! Let us remember that the agreement to withdraw US forces from Iraq, when we did, was negotiated by Bush, not by Obama.
From American Bridge PAC: American Bridge is releasing a new web ad today highlighting Scott Walker’s failed economic record.
The governor was once considered a frontrunner for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, and his reelect was supposed to be a walk through the park en route to bigger and better things. Nobody is looking past November now, with Walker locked in the political fight of his life, and desperately trying to create the narrative that he’s led a triumphant comeback in the Badger State.
But that story is undermined by reality. The truth is that Walker rammed through an extreme overhaul of the budget that slashed education funding, attacked public employees, and gave massive tax cuts to the wealthy, all under the promise of job creation and balancing budgets. Well Wisconsin is last in the midwest in job growth and facing a $2 billion budget shortfall.
They certainly have the Fartfuhrer of Fitzwalkerstan perfectly pegged. Click through for more.
From The New Yorker: Amid some confusion as to whether it had, in fact, declared war on ISIS, on Friday afternoon, the White House attempted to clarify matters by vowing to use “every synonym for war at our disposal.”
After the Secretary of State John Kerry asserted that the United States was not at war, only to be contradicted later by the White House’s statement that it was, the White House spokesman Josh Earnest held a press conference to state that “no synonyms for war have been taken off the table.”
“Yes, this is a war,” Earnest said. “But it is also a conflict, a campaign, a struggle, a fracas, and, if you will, a melee.”…
Andy is right. We should call it what it is.
Cartoon:
13 Responses to “Open Thread–9/14/2014”
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So sorry about your lousy night TC – it sounded awful – I do like the behavior of your firefighters though – they sound really good, and a comfort to have around.
Daily Kos – Stephen Colbert as acerbic and accurate as ever – I loved it!
American Bridge – yes, they got it in one. How Walker can airily dismiss a budget shortfall of $2 billion is quite beyond me!
GO CHIEFS!
And while the Star Spangled Banner was written 200 years ago, it wasn't recognized an a semi-official national anthem until 1916 by Woodrow Wilson's Executive Order – and made official when Congress passed a resolution so designating it as such in 1931.
6:03 It says pink. but he looks to me a little like the John Boehner of flamingos. Haven't I read that climate change has shrimp in trouble, BTW? I know there are a gazillion species, but I also know that flamingos' color somes from shrimp.
So glad you survived the fire!!! Was the smoke bad? Smoke s not healthful for living things, especially living things with COPD. As for today – I don't know about the timing of the broadcasts but I will also be worshiping today – with a High Priest and High Priestess of Sacred Coloratura (Rossini's Cinderalla). You can probably come up with a creative name for the church itself; I am drawing a blank.
Daily Kos – Nostradumbass indeed. You know, though, Republicans don't care that the agreement to withdraw US forces was set in concrete by Bush, because they don't believe in keeping promises when they can make excuses instead. A Republican President would have found a way around that.
American Bridge – I surely hope it is seen and heeded by a lot of people. I wish it could be on TV. Walker gives me the heebie-jeebies.
New Yorker – If we actually called it what it is, would it be printable?
Cartoon – As Pat B (Care2) says, Key wrote the lyrics. The tune is from an old drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven." This always amazes me, because it is more than challenging enough to sing sober.
Sorry to hear about your interrupted sleep. At least everyone is okay.
Daily Kos – Stephen Colbert was witty as ever.
America Bridge PAC – I'd like to see Walker dig himself out of this hole. NOT!
New Yorker – I guess we can call it Hell.
Cartoon – There were celebrations going on near where I live all week because Francis Scott Key was a native of Rome, NY. He is buried in a cemetery there too. 14 miles from my home.
3:30 I sure did not fly on this puzzle.
3:11 I'm in the pink just like the flamingo and for now, standing on one leg too!
2:47 TC is on his game.
KOS:
WAR – (Edwin Starr song)
The track’s direct message, summarized by its chorus (“War, what is it good for?
Absolutely nothin’!”), struck a chord with the American public and as a a blatant anti-Vietnam War protest song and resonated well with the protesters.
It’s good for the CEOs of the industries 🙁 and with many other war hawks like (graham, discredited McCan’t, cheney, rummysfeld) and corporations which manufacture weapons.
Maybe it is time to bring this song back… again… in numbers…
War – Edwin Starr (Original Vinyl) – YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpWmlRNfLck
Sorry the the link mess. I’m using a back-up, older, computer until my main computer gets repaired.
The YouTube link became “hot”. A surprise. lol.
War by Edwin Starr is one of my radio stations on Pandora.
I am glad to know you were not in any danger, sorry that you lost sleep, you can't afford that!
Daily Kos: Conveniently, the Republicans forget that this whole mess was engineered by Bush and Cheney, and Obama has been stuck trying to clean up their mess.
American Bridge PAC: We could all see this about Walker, why couldn't the Wisconsin voters?
The New Yorker" Politics as usual. The American public is sick of war, therefore, the politicians cannot use that word in an election year. Alison is still one point ahead of Mitch!
Cartoon: I read in the paper today that the tune was originally a britsh ditty dedicated to beer and sex> I surely was not taught about that in history class! I still love the song, though.
Puzzle — 3:11 I'm in the pink just like the flamingo and for now, standing on one leg too!
Daily Kos — Chickenhawk Cheney and Baby Bush committed the US to war in Iraq; Baby Bush negotiated the exit strategy; and Obama was left to clean up their mess. These idiot Republicanus/Teabaggers like McCain know full well that Obama had no choice but to pull the troops out. Baby Bush saw to that. But still they chew on that old chestnut. Anyone who believes a Republicanus/Teabagger needs their head read.
American Bridge PAC — And from The Wheel of Fortune, the answer to the next puzzle: Get Wisconsin out of the Ditch Walker
The New Yorker — Patty, War or Hell, it`s the same thing!
Thankas all. Exhausted.