I’m writing for tomorrow, day 167. I must have been pretty tired, because I slept a couple hours later than normal. Then, after doing my research, I basked in the sun for a half hour again. Tomorrow is a Holy Day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb. My Broncos will be worshiping with the Brewer Birds, and the service will be televised locally, so you know I’ll be meditating tomorrow afternoon.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 5:03 (average 5:13). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Demos.org (Hat-Tip: JL A from Care2): On Tuesday, Montgomery County [MD] Council unanimously enacted a public financing bill that will both encourage participation from small donors in the county and allow civic-minded individuals to run for county office without needing big contributions. Starting in 2015, the county will match small donations from in-county donors for candidates who opt in to the program, demonstrate local public support, and agree to accept only individual donations between $5 and $150.
The matching funds are stepped to encourage contributions from the greatest number of donors. For example, as the County explains:
Matching public dollars for County Executive candidates would be $6 for each dollar of the first $50 of a qualifying contribution received from a County resident, $4 for each dollar for the second $50 and $2 for each remaining dollar received up to the maximum contribution.
So, if an in-county donor contributed $150 to a participating candidate for the county executive office, the candidate would receive $600 in matching funds. But, if four donors each gave only $25, the candidate would still receive an additional $600.
I support 100% public financing for all elections. Money is NOT Speech!!
From Daily Kos: …I guess the thing that the family of the confirmed Ebola patient can be grateful about is that our modern health "experts" didn’t nail their door shut and position a wagon outside for body removal.
Please read then discuss:
Move Family From Ebola Patient’s Apartment, Says Judge
Okay, a quick summary – the domestic partner of the Dallas Ebola patient has been confined to her apartment, where the patient took ill, with one child and 2 nephews in their twenties. All right, seems reasonable, right?
Until you read the entire article and discover that health officials shut them all inside with contaminated linens and no provisions for them to have sustenance – like FOOD!…
Click through for more. The federal response to the Ebola virus is thoroughly efficient, because it is being managed by Democrats. On the other hand, Texas’ response exemplifies Republicans’ fitness to govern.
From Upworthy: We need to get big money out of politics. If you don’t know about the Citizens United case and why it should be overturned through a constitutional amendment, it’s time to become educated. The danger of giving so few people so much power can no longer be ignored. How few, you may ask? Hear the shocking figure in this speech by Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Our system is teetering, poisoned by corporate lobbyists armed with checkbooks from multimillionaires. We can either let it topple, or we can save it by acting.
While I concur with Elizabeth in supporting this Amendment, I say so with the caveat that that the chances of obtaining the required 67% supermajorities in the Senate and the House, and subsequent ratification by 3/4 of the state legislatures asymptotically approach zero. The only viable solution is to replace the fascist five Injustices of SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD).
Cartoon:
"Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are – perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever." – History Place An American Tragedy
16 Responses to “Open Thread–10/5/2014”
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Glad you got some rest TC.
I had no idea that the family of the Ebola patient had been treated so badly – and STUPIDLY!! They should have been given advice and help immediately and all the supplies and food they needed – as Nancy says why not leave supplies in bags at the front door?! Idiots! Callous and cruel idiots!
Demos.org – thanks JL A and TC – hooray for Montgomery County – but I hope they have taken precautions to avoid the Repugs flooding them with small donations – maybe making sure each donation comes from a registered voter in the county might help a bit.
Good for Elizabeth Warren for fighting injustice and corruption (with as you say no chance of passing a bill in the present climate there).
3:13 I got it in gear today.
3:25 And I thought I was rolling along pretty fast!
3:10 . . . me too!
Y'all can have it. Not edible.
Just finished Sen. Warren's book, "A Fighting Chance".
Didn't think I could love that woman more – but I was wrong! She's such a stellar woman, I hope I live long enough to see her become President.
FF ~ I wish you good luck in our match-up today. I wish all the FF team owners good luck! Enjoy your meditation.
Demos.org ~ What a wonderful approach to curbing big money. I wonder if the TeapublicanTs will be able to limit themselves or if their greed will win out since this is voluntary and not mandatory.
Daily Kos ~ It was wrong to confine them to contaminated quarters but the local Food Bank delivered a 3 day supply of food on the first day. Small consolation. They have since been removed from that apartment and it was difficult to find a place for them because of FEAR generated by MSM. HAZMAT cleaned the place out now too. Everything was done half-assed backward though. Do you think slashed funds had anything to do with the screw ups?
Upworthy ~ The People are listening. Are the Politicians? Vote!
Cartoon ~ Chief Joseph was a good man and was treated poorly after his surrender.
5:31 average unchanged. I thought it was tough.
Demos – Not a bad model. Good for Maryland.
Daily Kos – I'm not sure where the spin is coming from, but NPR news is reporting that the family is under guard because they refused to cooperate. Not too surprising with no food and poor hygiene. More victim blaming.
Upworthy – In Citizens United: The Movie there's a line which I though of in connection with Elizabeth Warren stumping for this Constitutional Amendment: "To fight when the odds are against you, that takes courage. To continue to fight when it appears there is no way you can prevail . . . all that takes is integrity." (It is almost ready; I guess everything except the music now.)
Cartoon – This statement by Chief Joseph never fails to bring me to tears. I'm sure one reason for that is that the evil continues.
Patty – "Do you think slashed funds had anything to do with the screw ups?" Do bears shit in the woods?
It will probably be easier to elect Democratic presidents and change the court that way. Political patterns are cyclical and I hope it's time for a liberal shift. I'm depressed that I have had to live most of my life under conservitive political leadership. They have wrecked the country in many ways, but I won't be around to face the serious consequences. What's happened so far is nothing compared to what will happen with continued conservative majorities.
Hey, TC!! Just watched Julius Thomas catch The Great Peyton make his 500th TD pass completion!!
Just had to post that!
Yeah, that didn’t come out right cause I was jumpin around!! The Great Peyton made his 500th TD pass to Julius Thomas!! Right ON!!
Damn dude, I just noticed that you were really tardy with the monthly report . . . like a thousand years late!
Monthly Report for September 1014 posted on 02 Oct 2014.
Are you just trying to prove that you're a man before your time? ROTFLMAO!
Great catch! (And God, that makes me REALLY old!)
Puzzle — 3:10 . . . me too!
FF — Well today, I am 109.62 against Mitts Magic Jock 89.04 which I am quite happy about since Mitt is the top dog. These boots were made for walkin' . . . er. . . stompin'!
Demos — "Residents of Montgomery County took an important step towards a more inclusive democracy that privileges the voices of all of its citizens, not just those of wealthy interests." — Kudos to the people of Montgomery County.
In Canada, we have public and private funding of elections. Here is a link to that funding model. It certainly isn't perfect but we don't have the big money in politics as does the US. We certainly have work to do to close loopholes biut we can't count on the Conservatives to support the necessary changes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_political_financing_in_Canada
Daily Kos — Looks like the Texas Republicanus/Teabagger health plan is in full force . . the death plan! What a bunch of jack asses. Gnats have more compassion . . . and this is the work of self described "Christians"? It certainly is not the work of authentic Christians.
Upworthy — I agree with Warren, but unless the voters get off their collective asses and vote out the purveyors of big money in politics, the Republicanus/Teabaggers, nothing is going to happen. They won't allow it.
Cartoon — The treatment of First Nations people in both Canada and the US is appalling, to say the least. For the second time today, I make reference to yesterday's Daily Kos article, the thrust of which was, as Jim put it, “NO ONE DESERVES TO BE OPPRESSED, PERIOD.”
Demos.org: I wish we had public financing period. The likes of the Koch brothers would not be in the process of buying our country if we had public financing.
Daily Kos: That is mind boggling. What idiot thought that was a good idea? Those people are going through enough without being treated so badly.
Upworthy: I agree with Senator Warren, " when 32 millionaires can out spend 3.2 million ordinary citizens in and election, this country is in trouble: We are bought and sold. TC, you are right, it will be hard to get a majority vote for this amendment because too many of our politicans on both sides of the aisle are benefiting from Citizens United.
Cartoon: A day of infamy for our country. The Native Americans were and still are treated abominably. My husband watches the reruns of the cowboy tv series that ran in the fifties and sixties, and it is appalling to listen to some of the dialogue regarding the "Indians". I hope conditions have improved some by this century. Still not enough is being done for the people who owned this country.
Thanks all./ Pit stop