I’m writing for tomorrow, day 30. My COPD is still acting up. Tomorrow is a grocery delivery day and an O2 delivery day. I may be scarce.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:18 (average 5:17). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos:
One can only imagine Hooks Independent School District board member Chris Harris won’t be working for the district much longer after he posted the image above. The image has rightfully garnered a lot of attention, not the kind Mr. Harris was likely hoping for when he posted it.
He’s since apologized, but it may be too late:
Harris posted messages saying in part that he realizes what he posted was inappropriate and offended people. He went on to say he’s deeply sorry and not a racist.
According to Superintendent Thompson, Harris’ future with the school district will be up to the school board members.
"They govern me. That is who I answer to," said Thompson. "They govern each other. It is in their hands."
That Republican is not a racist. The Pope is not Catholic. Bears never, ever shit in the woods.
From The New Yorker: On the heels of an initiative to provide police departments with body cameras, there is growing support for a plan to supply grand-jury members with eyes, advocates for the plan said on Wednesday.
“Body cameras are an important part of the solution,” said Harland Dorrinson, who is lobbying Washington to equip grand juries with the sense of sight. “But I strongly believe that if you take video evidence and add eyes, the combination would be unstoppable.”
Some critics of Dorrinson’s proposal say that it does not go far enough, and that in order to process information sent from their eyes grand juries would also need to be fitted with working brains.
For once I disagree with Andy. When Grand Jurors make garbage decisions, it’s because prosecutors feed them garbage.
From NY Times: A federal appeals court on Wednesday struck down a 2011 Florida law requiring drug tests for people seeking welfare benefits even if they are not suspected of drug use, a measure pushed by Gov. Rick Scott in his first term in office.
The three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, ruled that the law, one of the strictest in the country, was an unreasonable search because Florida officials had failed to show a “substantial need” to test all people who applied for welfare benefits. Applicants were required to submit to urine tests, a measure that Mr. Scott said would protect children of welfare applicants by ensuring that their parents were not buying and using drugs.
“The state has not demonstrated a more prevalent, unique or different drug problem among TANF applicants than in the general population,” the panel said in its unanimous decision, using an acronym for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Rick Scott is going to hate this because he founded the company getting rich off of doing the drug testing. He claims he no longer owns it, which is true. Now, his wife does.
Cartoon:
13 Responses to “Open Thread–12/5/2014”
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Daily Kos – he says he's 'not a racist' – the ONLY reason someone would post such a vile thing is BECAUSE they ARE a racist! (Is he stupid as well as racist? Oh, of course.)
New Yorker "Some critics of Dorrinson’s proposal say that it does not go far enough, and that in order to process information sent from their eyes grand juries would also need to be fitted with working brains." – Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen and again I say Amen! Whilst you are right TC in that prosecutors do feed them garbage – have they filtered everyone with at least a partially functioning brain off those Grand Juries?
NY Times – I am so glad that that iniquitous law has been struck down – what about all the potliticians on drugs (that may account for some of their weirder decisions) – and the hedge fund managers and stock brokers…. Interesting to know that Mrs Scott now owns the company doing the testing and getting rich from that iniquitous law – thanks for that TC.
I am sure the "christians" on the School Board will forgive him since he's seen the light and apologized. When Mr. Thomson is given a pass we can expect him to post: "I'm a repent bigot…yea ROTFLMAO"
The good news is that Chris "I-Luvs-Me-Some-White-Sheets" Harris has resigned from the school board!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/04/1349408/-Texas-KKK-White-Christmas-school-board-member-resigns
Well at least he still has his day job . . . for now. Now I know this is in Texas, so blow back sufficient to lose the day job is not likely to happen, but one can always hope.
5:25 average unchanged. OMG ponies !!1!1!!! I think they mean a "bridle," though, not a "bridal." I haven't heard anything about ponies wanting marriage equality
Daily Kos – Pace Gloria P (Care2), even posting pictures of food home-baked from scratch might get you in troble if you bake those "special brownies." Of course in my opinion you wouldn't deserve to be in trouble for that, but Harris deserves to be in trouble. Deep, deep trouble.
New Yorker – Of course when prosecutors feed garbage, and the Grand Jury can't tell it's being fed garbage, garbage decisions will probably made. But it helps if you seek out jurors who have no brains to begin with. And a little hypnosis never hurt.
NY Times – I was shocked to see common sense from Florida, but it isn't; although common sense from Georgia is at least as rare. You can pretty well bet that when Republicans push something obviously punitive against the poor they are making money from it. Speaking of which, I don't hear much any more about the big banks getting rich from transaction fees on SNAP cards, but I cannot believe they have stopped doing it.
Cartoon – My doctor (one of yesterday's errends) thinks that Cleveland is going to throw the officer under the bus and eat the wrongful death lawsuit. I think he's dreaming.
I hope the 20 minutes of fame with the KKK post renders Harris unhirable in any school position.
The garbage prosecutors are feeding grand jurors appear to be obsolete state statutes not updated to comply with a 1994 SCOTUS ruling.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/04/1349421/-Missouri-AG-Confirms-Michael-Brown-Grand-Jury-Misled-by-St-Louis-DA?detail=email
I think a prior court ruled against Walker's waste of taxpayer funds and appealing it wasted more.
Hope all deliveries are as the customer ordered.
I watch Lawrence everynight.
Daily Kos: He needs to find a new line of work, ASAP!
New Yorker: Andy has to realize that if the prosecutors give them the crap they have been giving them, there will be no different results!
NY Times: You only have to follow the money to see why they want UA’s to see why they are so all fired anxious to have all welfare recipients to pee in a cup!!!
3:29 Giddy up little horsie!
Puzzle — 3:29 Giddy up little horsie!
Daily Kos — For some reason I could not get Daily Kos but I did get the link in the article for Hooks TV. Inappropriate? That's an understatement! "… he’s deeply sorry and not a racist." No he isn't and yes he most definitely is! Harris should be fired forthwith.
The New Yorker — As I started reading about eyes, my first reaction was to give them brains capable of critical thinking. Then I saw that Andy beat me to it. It might also help if they wore signs that said "Do not feed the jurors."
NY Times — Good on the federal appeals court. Scott and his ilk definitely have no scruples! I think there is a woodshed with his name on it.
Cartoon — There's that right wing evangelical supply side pseudo Jesus cranking up the hate again!
Daily Kos: I certainly would not want him teaching my children!
The New Yorker: Yes, the prosecutors feed them garbage, but they should still be using their brains.
NY Times: I am glad the courts struck down that law. The many who applauded it do not realize that they may be only a pay check from needing welfare themselves. I am sure Scott has made a fortune while governor of Florida.
Cartoon: Yep.
Thanks all. Just woke up. Feeling ill.
Horse – 4:57 – just lucky.