The past few days have been somewhat boring as I stayed off the snow covered streets — my concern is other drivers because I know my driving abilities, but too many others don't understand driving to conditions. I finally went out late Sunday afternoon only to have a man tell me I'd never get out of the parking slot, let alone the lot. He watched as I backed out and was amazed. Silly man didn't like a woman showing him how it's done no doubt. Today was a beautiful day, clear skies and lots of sunshine. Temperatures are low with day's high -2 C (28 F). Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same with overnight plunging to -10 C (14 F). Ah, retirement!
Short Takes
CBC — For Angela Keizer, there's more than one Santa Claus — and they all wear steel-toed boots.
Last month the Dartmouth, N.S., woman was running out of options, out of money and fearing her family would soon be without a home.
Attempts to rebuild after a house fire came to a halt after problems with Keizer's contractor, but the unexpected generosity of strangers from as far away as Ontario has put the project back on track.
"Three weeks ago … I thought I was going to have to walk away," Keizer said Tuesday. …
"I was always a trusting person before, and then when this disaster happened, that died. But there's so many people that have restored that faith. There's a lot of good people out there."
I could start off my comment with how these contractors are helping Keizer so that they get free advertising and more contracting jobs etc, and in so doing, wouldn't I be the "Grinch who stole Christmas"! But that's not me. This is a "feel good" story that has no other meaning than to celebrate that people can be compassionate and love their neighbours no matter how far away they live.
TIME — For nearly 17 months on the campaign trail, Trump did what no American politician had attempted in a generation, with defiant flair. Instead of painting a bright vision for a unified future, he magnified the divisions of the present, inspiring new levels of anger and fear within his country. Whatever you think of the man, this much is undeniable: he uncovered an opportunity others didn’t believe existed, the last, greatest deal for a 21st century salesman. The national press, the late-night comics, the elected leaders, the donors, the corporate chiefs and a sitting President who prematurely dropped his mic—they all believed he was just taking the country for a ride.
Now it’s difficult to count all the ways Trump remade the game: the huckster came off more real than the scripted political pros. The cable-news addict made pollsters look like chumps. The fabulist out-shouted journalists fighting to separate fact from falsehood. The demagogue won more Latino and black votes than the 2012 Republican nominee.
I was astonished that Trump was made Time's Person of the Year, but then I remembered the criteria. As Jim Kelly, a Chief Editor of Time, put it in 2001: "Well, the classic definition of TIME's Person of the Year is the person who most affected the events of the year, for better or for worse. I think what has happened over the years is that the Man of the Year title, Person of the Year title, has become non-honorific. It was never meant to be solely that." To no one's surprise, Trump sees it only as an honourific. But then, narcissist that he is, that is the only way he is capable of seeing it. There is no doubt that Trump has had an immense affect on the politics of the US, but unfortunately, IMO, it is all negative. He is a demogogue, a narcissist, a liar, he is mendacious and arrogant. He is not fit to be POTUS. BTW, I heard Drumpf at a rally comment on being Time's Person of the Year, he called out "It should be Man of the Year. What do you think ladies?" Is there any doubt he is a misogynist!
Washington Post — The simmering distrust between Donald Trump and U.S. intelligence agencies escalated into open antagonism Saturday after the president-elect mocked a CIA report that Russian operatives had intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help him win.
The growing tensions set up a potential showdown between Trump and the nation’s top intelligence officials during what some of those officials describe as the most complex threat environment in decades.
The Washington Post reported Friday that the Central Intelligence Agency had determined that Russia had intervened in the presidential election not just to make mischief but to boost Trump’s chances.
Trump’s reaction will probably deepen an existing rift between Trump and the agencies and raised questions about how the government’s 16 spying agencies will function in his administration on matters such as counterterrorism and cyberwarfare. On Friday, members of Trump’s transition team dismissed the CIA’s assessments about Iraq’s stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.
“Given his proclivity for revenge combined with his notorious thin skin, this threatens to result in a lasting relationship of distrust and ill will between the president and the intelligence community,” said Paul Pillar, former deputy director of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center.
President-elect Donald Trump as well as Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Dec. 11 reacted to the CIA’s assessment that Russia intervened to help Trump win the election.
The CIA's report into Russian activities related to the US election was leaked to the public last Friday, although top congressional leaders had seen it behind closed doors in September. Trump is still denying the report as the work of the Democrats. He says there is no evidence. He puts no stock in the advice of the intelligence community, a community that historically has credence with conservatives. He's smarter than them . . . just ask him! It is going to be a long four years if the Electoral College doesn't do it's constitutional duty.
CBC — We went looking for them as part of a report on the proliferation of extreme-right, xenophobic and anti-Semitic groups in Hungary, clothing themselves as nationalist defenders of the land. It didn't go well.
The bikers' leader, Imre Meszaros, demands the right to veto the work of journalists who interview him, even presents them with a legal document to sign right off the bat.
We didn't agree, but met with him at his apartment in a well-to-do suburb of the Hungarian capital in the hopes of changing his mind.
Meszaros was soon raising his voice, pointing fingers in our faces and railing about the fickle media.
After a brief off-the-record chat, we ended the conversation and said goodbye. But not before Meszaros stepped into the elevator with us to warn there would be "consequences" if the conversation was reported anywhere.
It wasn't a threat, he said, just "information," and he has friends in Canada, the Hells Angels.
I told him I know a threat when I hear one, and the non-interview was over.
Later he emailed our translator, making the same threat. Intimidation of the media is a hallmark of the extreme right in Hungary.
We have Hungary reverting to its fascist past when it worked in league with the Nazis to eliminate Jews and Roma. How many times will we ignore this resurgence of fascism before we take action as a global community?
Politico — On a presidential debate stage five years ago, Rick Perry blanked on the Energy Department's name when trying to include it in a list of agencies he promised to abolish — memorably concluding with "oops."
Now Donald Trump has chosen the former Texas governor to lead the sprawling department, which oversees the security of the nation's nuclear weapons and has played major roles in President Barack Obama's climate agenda and nuclear deal with Iran. Three sources close to the transition confirmed the choice Tuesday.
Conservatives had favored the former Texas governor for the job, viewing him as someone with management experience who would be willing to question the agency’s status quo. They believe Perry might bring serious reform to the agency because he isn't wedded to energy programs, such as DOE's fossil and efficiency offices, that conservatives have criticized as unnecessary, market-distorting schemes.
There is only one thing to say to Drumpf's announcement — OOPS!!!!
My Universe — They can get along. Why can't humans?
"Momma" Peppa
Peppa's kittens
8 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 13/12/2016”
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Research has shown that when people are asked to assess themselves on performance, abilities, traits and so forth, they are generally more critical of themselves than others are when asked the same questions about them. With one exception: over 70% of people think they are excellent drivers, and better drivers than most. 🙂 🙂 Just teasing, Lynn. I'm sure you know exactly how capable you are behind the wheel; getting out of the parking slot in the snow and showing that man how prejudiced he was is proof of it. Kudos to you.
CBC: Thanks for this real, compassionate, Christmas story. At times like these we need more of them to be able to hold on to our belief that most people are good people.
TIME: By definition: the person who most affected the events of the year, for better or for worse. We can be certain this year's choice was a forced hand, purely based on "worse". Drumpf had been whining for almost a year that he should have been made Man of the Year last year, and now he's got it, he's still whining about it being politically correct and 'Person of the year'. He's still campaigning – which he of course needs to as there are very dark clouds above his inauguration and his voters need to fed their maintenance dose of lies to prevent them from reacting to what he's really doing – and is using this "title" to show how great he is. And, as you say, Lynn, want to have it turned to 'Man of the Year' again, adding: "Wouldn't it be fun to have all those women trying to be Man of the Year". Wake up, ladies!
WP: Excellent comment, Lynn. What isn't mentioned often enough is that the CIA briefed a bipartisan commission of Congress about these findings in September. Republicans just want us to forget that Mitch McConnell had the information of the briefing buried as "partisan". Democrats, including Obama, let him do that, probably because they wrongly thought Hillary would win. The Republicans then could finish the coup with FBI man Comey insinuating new Clinton email finding. Both were used by Drumpf in his campaign, so he was in on it. When Republicans start accusing Democrats of raising false flags, i.e. having hacked the DNC's email and distributing it, undermining Clinton to make it appear as if the Russians were doing it, we can be sure they were in on it. When Drumpf attacks the CIA and the other intelligence agencies, on which his own safety and that of his family depends too, we know he's getting a bit desperate.
CBC: Hungary, and many of the former Balkan states, but also in France, Belgium, The Netherlands, the UK… fascism is rearing it's ugly head everywhere, often still in its infant form of populism, but getting more extreme rapidly. Hungary has never really shed its past and their PM Orbán was one of the first to congratulate Drumpf on his victory. Obán is causing a lot of problems in the EU because of his extreme right-wing policies, and many members are very sorry Hungary was allowed to join the EU in 2004. But France's Marine Le Pen, UK's Nigel Farage and Dutch Geert Wilders were on the phone next, so I think it is safe to conclude that both the Brexit and Drumpf's election is paving the way for fascism in Europe.
CBC: Personally I'd rather use another word for Drumpf's choice of Rick Perry to lead…uhm…abolish the department of Energy: FRACK. Perry to abolish the DOE, Pruitt to eviscerate EPA, secretary of state Tillerson leading Exxon to drill in the Arctic with Russia…Anyone see a pattern? When is Drumpf going to announce the launch of his Elysium, called Drumpf world or something? Even if you don't like SF, you should have a look at this rather prophetic movie. It could be your future.
Thank goodness for My Universe. At the moment I favor most of the animal kingdom above too many of the human species.
TIME: TIME should have retitled "Person of the Year" for Drumpf as the "Demagogue of the Year". Do you really think TIME would ever have the cajones to come right out and say it! Me thinks "No". lol.
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Lynn and "Showing them How!"- Marvelous!
CBC: Santa Claus- NICE!
WP: Hey, we don't need cooperation between POTUS and the Intelligence agencies, we have Putin on our side, right? It's the year of the amateur, with no experience-Orange-Putzface in office, generals and corporate plutocrats running the show for him! Such fun, it's going to be, right?
CBC-Hungary: Can you just see Rumpy trying to get approval for Hungary to be the next U.S.state?
Politico- I guess Perry can do the Texas 2 Step, but much more than that….nah! He will do the GOPig dance, no more than that. This is also going to be the year of otherwise washed up politcoes, who ae no threat to Putzface. Notice how Romney, Christie, and the like have been maneuvered to the fringes, and beyond.
CBC: Great story, shows how one family's problem, is helped by many others. During the Holidays, most feel & are generous, but,… I only can hope and pray that those positive feelings continue through the whole year.
Time: "TIME's choices for Person of the Year are often politicians and statesmen. Eleven U.S. presidents, from FDR to George W. Bush, have graced the Person of the Year cover, many of them more than once. As commander in chief of one of the world's greatest nations, it's hard not to be a newsmaker." *quote from Time. Well, not in my book, nor does he deserve this. However…1936-Hitler 1939,1942-Stalin 1957-Khruschchev 1979-Ayatullah Khomeini graced the front cover of Time throughout the history of Time.
WP: Please, Electoral College, get the facts, and vote accordingly. Ryan (two-faced), Bolton (extreme militant in his comments and Conway…well, in denial. Actually all of them are deplorable. imho
CBC: Very frightening!! Hungary 'Forgetting it's own past." The Shoes Memorial along the Danube is so sad.
Politicio: Good God, we're screwed. I'm also concerned about the fact that "last week, Trump's transition team asked DOE to supply the names of all agency employees who had worked on Obama's climate initiatives, a request that Democrats and former staffers denounced as a "witch hunt." Not good. At.All.
My Universe: Ahhhhhhhh…..so very sweet! I too, have decided to mingle with animals, vs. people. Color me four-legged.
I have found that men (older men) are just as flighty at the wheel of a car. A man almost hit my car, last week, as he failed to stop at a stop sign at my local shopping center. I have also found, that I can be just as aggressive in the cursing department, as this man was to me. I immediately labeled him, (as TomCat would say), in offering him a peace offering of a saguaro suppository.
Thank you, Lynn for post.
Saguaro Suppository: I decided to look up, out of curiosity, the meaning of these two words together. I do know about saguaro & suppository separately but not combined together. I used google and the top four hits referred to Politics Plus about the use of saguaro suppository. Just so you know. lol.
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That is priceless!
Well, you have been getting snow. We haven't yet in my part of the Rockies. I expect we will eventually, but when is anybody's guess.
CBC – This is indeed a feel-good story. And I do not begrudge anyone participating any publicity they may receive from it.
TIME – Way back in the day, while I was on active duty in the USMC, a male Marine asked me, when I thought of myself, did I think of being a human being first, or a woman first. I thought it was an odd questions, and I'm pretty sure I said, "A human being first, of course." He said, "I don't. I think of myself as a man first and a human being second." I didn't say how pathetic I thought that, but I certainy thought it. I thought it must be like living in prison – a psychological prison of one's own making. But I look a Trump in this anecdote, and I think, "Well, I know what he thinks of himself as first."
WaPo – Of all the petitions I am signing on this subject, it seems to me that the first thing, the most important thing, the thing that is needed first of all, is that the members of the Electoral College should IMMEDIATELY be formally and thoroughly briefed on the investigations, which of course are and will be ongoing. The briefings should include distinctions on exactly what we now KNOW, and exactly what we now still SUSPECT. There are 320,000,000 lives which depend on it NOW.
CBC2 – Without the United States, Europe in WWII would have fallen to Hitler. Guys, you need to do something about this yourselves, now, because it sure doesn't look like the United States will be available to help.
Politico – Another hit man.
Universe – There's a clickbait article I see from time to time, about a little boy who surprised everyone with his response when his beloved dog had to be euthanized. He took it much more in stride than his parents (or anyone else) had expected. He explained that his parents were raising him to believe that humans were put here on earth to learn to love each other and take care of each other. But "dogs already know all that." So of course they don't have to stay on earth as long as we do.
Date format please.
Brrrr here too!!
If helping benefits them too, more power to them.
TIME just made my forever shit list.
It's going to be a long four years.
We have ignores it too many times.
Great minds fall in the same ditch!!
YUCK!! Dawg germs!!