I’m running quite late, as today was a long day for Wendy. Dang!! She certainly is a good worker. I let her go a half hour early, as I couldn’t find anything else for her to do. She polished and shined the TomCat, did the dreaded task, changed the sheets, cleaned the countertops, swept and mopped the floors, dusted, and reorganized the kitchen drawers and cabinets. The place is so clean I’m afraid to pass gas!! 
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:37 (average 6:12). To do it, click here. How did you do?
In the Mail:
Yesterday I received a gift from a friend, who shall remain nameless. Here it is.
Here it is again in a more appealing environment.
Thanks Nameless!!
Short Takes:
From The Southern Illonoisan: U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth outraised Illinois Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk for the sixth consecutive quarter, giving her a multimillion-dollar cash advantage in a race that could help determine whether Democrats retake control of the Senate.
Kirk’s campaign said late Friday he raised more than $1 million between April and June, finishing with $3.1 million in his campaign fund.
Duckworth raised $2.7 million during the same period and ended the second quarter with $5.5 million cash on hand, her campaign said earlier this week.
Sad as this is, fundraising is more predictive that polling this early in the race. Go Tammy Go!!
From Vox: On Saturday morning, Hillary Clinton released a new health care policy proposal that emphasized several major progressive priorities, including a public option and increased funding for community health centers.
In the proposal, Clinton pledged:
- To give Americans in every state a "public option" health insurance plan
- To let Americans as young as 55 years old opt in to Medicare
- And to double funding for primary care services at community health centers
Now, these aren’t really new ideas for Clinton. She said at a campaign event in May that she supported "the public option, so that people can buy into Medicare at a certain age." And she’s long supported community health centers.
But the fact that she’s formally backing these progressive priorities at this moment — rather than pivoting to more centrist ideas as the general election contest approaches — is a testament to the influence of Bernie Sanders’s campaign. And it may be a prelude to an endorsement from Sanders as soon as next week.
Sanders: "The Clinton campaign and our campaign are coming closer and closer together"
That’s encouraging. All three are steps in the right direction.
From PoliticusUSA: Megyn Kelly, sometimes the voice of reason on Fox News, switched into full-blown stupid mode again Friday by saying that “Especially in the days of iPhones…and social media where, you know, every encounter gets caught on camera. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s happening more.”
She appeared with racist Ex-LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman, who is frequently trotted out by Fox News to cover racially-charged events, like when Freddie Gray was shot in Baltimore and Fuhrman (again appearing with Kelly) called blacks “these people,” and was told by liberal guest Richard Fowler that “I really think you live in an alternate universe.”
Well, hello, Fox News.
Watch the most recent alternate reality segment from Friday’s The Kelly File, courtesy of Media Matters for America:
Barf Bag Alert!!
Not all people that support Black Lives Matter think that all cops are racist. I for one have said many times that the majority of police are professionals just doing their jobs. Here, these racists from the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, are conflating all Black Lives Matter protestors with the Dallas murderer. How vile!
Cartoon:
17 Responses to “Open Thread – 7/10/2016”
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BTW: Sanders' people got the committee to progress on some environmental issues beyond what Clinton has ever supported :
In platform draft, Sanders wins on climate, loses on trade
http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/Sanders-stalls-in-effort-to-oppose-trade-deal-in-8349828.php
Actually, Clinton has come out against TPP also. The reason the DNC wants to keep it out of the platform is to avoid embarrassing Obama.
TSI: Good news for Ms. Duckworth!! Keep going!!
VOX: I'm all for this, it's good to see her pledge these needs for all of us.
Politicus: How sick! Definitely a BBA bigtime! Nothing better with their time than to spread their lies. Yes, Mr. Fowler, they do live and speak in a hateful alternate universe than we do.
Glad that Wendy is a plus in your life! Sounds like a very busy day for you both. LOVE the pictures, and the saying!! How funny! Hope that you have an enjoyable evening, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
5:49 (6:12) JigZone needs an influx of new pictures.
Great T-shirt!
IL – Go Tammy Go indeed! We desperately need her in Congress, and if we don't get her into the Senate, won't we lose her in the house?
Vox – Yes. And Bernie was quoted as enthusiastic about her statement. I can see why. Super.
PoliticusUSA – When I watch alternate reality, I want it to be fictional. That way there ia chance of a happy ending. Happy endings are not the stuff of Fox News. And – the Dallas BLM protest was HUGE, and with the exception of one shooter, it was 100% peaceful. How come we are not being told the shooter is mentally ill? After all, he is.
Cartoon – you bet.
You know, the "NUTS" should be in big letters, and the "TRUMP" should be in small, lower case letters. Let's keep things n their proper perspective.
You both look great in the t-shirt! (Well, no offense – but Wendy looks a LOT greater)
Just in case folks can't make out the inscription …
(First I'll try it using some HTML – but not sure it HTML works in Comments, and there's no "Preview" option.)
<div style="border: 10px solid blue; padding: 5px; margin: 5px;">
TRUMP
In Your Guts You Know He's Nuts
</div>
TRUMP
In Your Guts You Know He's Nuts
PS – I'm remiss in not first saying:
You're More than Welcome!
I suppose one needs to be careful in picking the venue where one can wear it. No doubt a lot MORE so in KC-Missouri than in Portland-OR.
I would think it has the potential to be quite a conversation starter just about anywhere. (I have one that says "Is that true or did you hear it on Fox News?" and I'm nervous wearing it in my neighborhood. But I wear it in the house.)
I fully Agree!! It looks MUCH better on Wendy!!
It works, but you have to put it in in source mode.
Ahhh! When one posts a "New Post" it provides the option of "HTML" or "Visual" in the upper right corner – so it's easy to select.
I looked for the "HTML" option in Comments – but didn't see it.
So apparently the "Source" functions in a similar way. Thanks!
Puzzle — 3:28 I can see clearly now . . .
I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
The Southern Illonosian — I am so hoping that Matt Kirk is burned toast! Go Tammy!!!ists and swindlers.
Vox — You have said before that Clinton is left leaning when it comes to social issues and centrist when it comes to the economy. Here we have a left leaning Clinton, although not as left as Bernie. I think that Bernie has helped to push policy a little further left. But it must be a united Democratic Party to defeat the Drumpfians and the Republicans. They are nothing but conartists and swindlers.
Politicususa — BIG Barf Bag Alert indeed! Fuhrran, Kelly and Thor are not reporting . . . they are fanning the flames of division and racism. What a pitiful bunch.
Cartoon — So right you are!
NICE T-shirt!
"The place is so clean I’m afraid to pass gas!!
" — Cleanliness might be next to Godliness, but if you don't pass gas as needed, you'll come face-to-face with the Almighty! Your pick! 
Wendy is getting off to a good start! I doubt anyone one will be able to outdo Nameless after that shirt!
The Southern Illinoisan: I hope Duckworth is very successful!
Vox: This is good news, and I agree, Bernie has pushed her in this direction. This is good for all of us.
Politics USA: I don't expect anything else from Faux news. I signed a petition months ago to force them to change their name to Fox Entertainment instead of news. I don't know what happened to the petition as I got no updates. The fact is that if you are black and are stopped by the police, or arrested, you are far more likely to be shot or convicted than any white person. I wish our country had really changed the way we hoped it would in the sixties.
Cartoon: So true!
You were already very enthusiastic about Julie's work ethos, so singing such high praise of Wendy must mean she's something of a whirlwind when she goes through your apartment, TomCat. I'm glad she's doing such a fine job for you and seeing she's willing to pose in Nameless' T-shirt (a very fine addition to your wardrobe) and have her picture on the internet for ever more, you get along fine too.
TSI: I can barely get my fingers to type it, but when it comes to Congress I hope that in this case money does the trick. I also hope Tammy Duckworth uses it wisely and spends it on getting as many people as possible to register Democrat and get themselves to the polling booths. After all, counting campaign money is useless if you don't get voters to take the trouble to vote for you.
Vox: Keep pushing Bernie and make it clear to all Democrats what Hillary has taken on board from your campaign and which has given you reason you endorse her when you do so in the coming weeks. Show your supporters that Hillary is willing to go where you and your supporters want to go and many will be willing to vote for her too.
PoliticusUSA: I found this video really chilling and I just couldn't listen to the last minute of it. This talking down of escalating police violence against black people, calling them micro-moments now all caught on camera, and no grounds to protest and certainly calling not all cops bad cops while at the same time calling everything the Black Lives Matter stands for bull shit and dangerous (Brad Thor?) and again linking BLM firmly to the lone wolf shooter who had no ties to them; it's all deeply disturbing.
The article doesn't pick up on the remarks made just before that with regard to the family and friends who have not snitched on family members who they thought had violent tendencies, and put the blame on them for the authorities not being aware this attack was going to happen. Typical Republican Faux News tactics they've picked up from other/earlier repressive governments. But also devoid of any sense of reality: black family members who'd allert the police to another member who might be planning something, might just as well end that persons life in a more merciful way themselves than the police is going to do. They know what would happen, possibly with some collateral damage too, and so do we.
All in all this type of "news program" is dangerous racist propaganda and completely irresponsible as it only makes matters worse and further divides American society.
Cartoon: You've nailed that one, TomCat.
Thanks all!! Hugs!!
Awesome T-Shirt and models.
The Southern Illonoisan: GO U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth for US Senate! Let's get Mark Dirk out of office. We need Tammy in the Senate.
Vox: Hillary has long championed health issues. Glad that Bernie has had influence of his progressive ideas to Hillary.
PoliticusUSA: Megyn Kelly. Too bad that Megyn Kelly plays stupid every so often but one has to remember that she is part of the "Faux Noise" organization. Yes, this organization is in a different reality and stupidity is part of its "charming" norm. This video is just another propaganda tool as used by Faux Noise to discredit the BLM movement. Ex-LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman as an "expert", phooey. Mark is a racist.
Cartoon: RED! As in Faux Noise Propaganda. Yup.
.