I’ve had a busy day. Walgreens screwed up again. My Providence Medicare Advantage Plan had told them that it was too soon to refill my Prednisolone drops until September 2. That does me no good, when I need them for my 8/28 cataract surgery. The problem was that it is unusual to schedule both eyes so close together, which we did to accommodate Wendy’s schedule. I called Christine’s Assistant. She called the plan, and they approved it. Walgreens is sending it overnight delivery and paying the extra shipping, because they should have called me and let me know there was a problem. Later Christine’s Assistant called and changed Tuesday’s follow up appointment from mid-afternoon to early morning. I scheduled my Lift ride for that appointment. Store to Door called for my grocery order for delivery tomorrow. I called Providence Home Services to reorder diabetes test strips and lancets. I called my sharps container company to come exchange a two gallon container of used insulin syringes tomorrow. And I called my Providence prescription review for Thursday. I researched today’s articles, and since there was not enough time for my morning cat nap, I spent 45 minutes at the site trying to clean up our TAGS. I only got through G. It’s another 90° day. Tomorrow and Thursday will be cooler. After that, we have at least ten days on the 90°s. ARGH! Would you believe that I’m tired?
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:05 (average 8:58). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (GQ Channel): What Happened to Trump’s Beef With North Korea? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann
Small children have short attention spans. Being far less mature than a small child, Trump was easily distracted by bright shiny Nazis. While I agree with Keith about Trump, I reiterate: it’s a Republican problem! RESIST!!
From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): Trump is Fueling Hate
Barf Bag Alert!!
Long before Trump, using threats of violence had become just a normal part of politics: Republican politics. It’s a Republican problem! RESIST!!
From The New Yorker: Trump’s demonstrable inability to spell even the simplest words has reassured many that he lacks the aptitude to correctly enter the nuclear launch codes entrusted to the President of the United States.
While millions of Americans have lost sleep over the thought of Trump being anywhere near the nuclear codes, his failure to spell such words as “heal” and “tap” suggests that mastering a more complicated sequence of letters or numbers would be well above his grade level.
“Giving one person the power to launch the most destructive nuclear arsenal in the world has always been problematic,” Harland Dorrinson, the director of the Society for Nuclear Security, said. “In their infinite wisdom, the American people have solved that problem by electing someone whose brain would be utterly flummoxed by the task.”
Andy, that’s cute, but it’s actually much easier. For a nuclear attack, Trump need only read and recite two letters. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
22 Responses to “Open Thread – 8/22/2017”
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5:50 They did build to last back then.
The only one I hope you left in for my sake is “Furies.”
Keith # 109 – People on Daily Kos are starting to discuss Dolt.45’s mental state in terms of solipsism, or, to use a more mental health term instead of a philosophical one, derealization. Of course, any time you have racism or other forms of bigotry, you have a situation where those in the disfavored group do not seem to be as human – as real – as you (and your group, whatever that is). But Dolt.45 seems to be taking it to a point where nothing and no one is as real to him as he is. A non-professional like me is tempted to call solipsism “narcissism on steroids.”
YT/MM – Well put together. I think everyone has deep within themselves a desire that hurtful people be hurt themselves. Children see “hurtful people” as “anyone but me.” Grownups learn to control the desires and find non-violent ways of dealing with problems. Almost defines the difference between the parties, doesn’t it?
TNY – Here Andy is trying to reassure us and you come in and give us truth that will keep us all from sleeping!
Cartoon – Sigh. And that’s a real sign, isn’t it? I won’t ask from where.
I found it on Google Images when I originally made the Cartoon in 2011. I remember it was from a Southwest State, but forget where. I looked again and now it’s on hundreds of sites.
Were if from the Old South, it’s conceivable that the apostrophe could be taken to mean that they WOULD serve people of color, if they were descended from slavery and therefore “white’s.” Sort of like “Offred.” Punctuation can be important.
I figured it’s because Republicans can’t spull.
Well, so much for Walgreen’s being the next best thing to Perfectville.
In the cartoon, no surprise the Republicooks don’t understand the proper use of apostrophes.
At least Walgreens atoned (I’m sure after being well and truly reamed).
I noticed the stray apostrophe too.
KO: Terrifying words, Keith. I wish dt would ‘move on’ (in a hole). I didn’t watch or listen to his speech, but I think he feels emboldened by his words, with the repugs nodding their heads in agreement, and being silent. He’s dangerous (dt), and needs to go! OUT! Lord help us.
MM: She said everything that I think of every day. Sad, and very worrisome with the political climate, now that Voldemort has been in the WH.
NYer: Gulp!!!!
Cartoon: Very, very sad.
WOW, you’ve had a really busy day! Being on the phone like can wear a person out. Hope that you get your much needed rest, take care, and Thanks, Tom.
A Cat Question
I’ve mentioned that I got a very feral cat from the animal shelter now ~ 5 years ago.
We’ve come to an understanding, and although he doesn’t climb up on my lap – he does rub up against my legs and sleeps w/ me.
What has me totally flummoxed is his reaction when I go down to the basement. On coming up he’s like the Hulk … LITERALLY!
He hisses, snarls, growls, bites, bat and literally attacks me – head on. He’s even willing to take a couple facial squirts from the water bottle – and still keeps coming.
You may have seen the flooding in the KCMO metro from the torrential rain we got last night – so I went down this afternoon to make sure I didn’t have any water in the basement. (I’m fine)
And when I came up there he was – full-fanged!
He has NEVER been put down in the basement for punishment or ANY reason.
The door is usually closed, but occasionally he’ll be insistent that he wasn’t to go down – so I let him. And he seems fine – snoops around for a bit, then comes up & acts no different.
There’s really nothing down there, although for my previous cat the basement is where I put his litter box. But that’s > 10 YEARS ago.
I have NO idea why my going down to the basement sets him off – but it’s to the point I avoid it at all costs.
If I need to go down to sharpen my mower blade – he comes down and growls, but is not quite so aggressive as when I come up.
Any thoughts?
Perhaps there is still a lingering smell of your previous cat (their smell receptors are legend!) so when you go down by yourself, he thinks you’re going down to see the other cat. He thinks you are two-timing him and registering his displeasure.
Maybe … but the previous cat’s odor would be all over the house – not just in the basement. He only gets ferocious when I go down to the basement.
And if I need to stay down there for a while (like sharpening the mower blade), he’ll come down and growl and hiss. So he’s right there by me.
I think he’s just a very strange cat.
Let me clarify for myself – he only gets into full attack mode when you come up from having been in the basement without him.
When he goes to the basement with you, he shows some distress, but not full attack mode.
When he goes down and comes back by himself he is fine.
If that’s correct, I would say it is not the basement so much as the coming up that bothers him. But all I can come up with is maybe when he was feral, it was in a place where some animal (a bear? a badger? hard to visualize a human) might come up out of the ground and be dangerous.
I’ll bet Stephen King could make something of it, though.
Not a bad theory, except …
I describe him as “feral” in his nature. But I got him from the shelter at 6 weeks of age, where he had been since birth. So he’s never spent anytime outside (other than in his carrier for trips).
When he does come down to the basement w/ me for long durations, he’s pretty aggressive. Maybe not quite as much as when I come up, but still growling, hissing, batting.
I’m going with “He’s just odd.”
OK, I’ll go with odd too, then. But I still think it’s one for Stephen King. Not that he needs help finding horror stories. He’s another keeping an eye on Twitler.
On the one hand, the cat might just be a good judge of character.
On a serious note, you only know he was wild when you found him. It could be that hed was abused in a basement before he was abandoned.
Oooh – or that he was abused with some tool that was kept in a basement and brought up only to torture him.
I could definitely go w/ the “judge of character” – but I don’t think I morph that much just going down to the basement.
See my above note to Joanne – he’s only lived the shelter since birth for the 1st six weeks, and then I took. He’s never lived outside nor had anyone else as a caretaker.
Hmmmm… it’s a mystery. Enen the dumbest cat is too smart to be a Republican, so that’s not it.
Keith Olbermann #109: Keith is spot on, of course he is, and it’s actually demoralizing that he always is. Because Republicans just won’t take responsibility for the little monster they’ve allowed to grow in this huge demented monster that terrorizes the nation; they rather let America go bust, or see a new civil war come about (and then go bust) or be blown to pieces, taking the rest of the world with them, than admit to their mistakes and do something about it, and then dissolve the party.
MM: Excellent, but very depressing video. Sadly those that need to watch it won’t. They’re fine with a president fueling hate; it gives them a license to act on it. Charlottesville is only the beginning if the rest of us do not resist.
TNY: For those who got real worried again after TomCat’s remark on Andy’s appeasing message: Drumpf will do more than read two letters. First he’ll hear two phonetic letters from the military alphabet called out, such as “Delta-Echo.” He then has to find these two letters on the “biscuit,” a laminated card he or military aide carries at all times, finds the matching response to the challenge code, translate them to the military alphabet and call that out, as “Charlie-Zulu,” for instance. If Drumpf keeps the “biscuit” on his person, we can rest assured by the fact that it’ll be in his other jacket when he needs it. If his aid has it, we can rest assured again, because there’s no way he’ll have his reading glasses with him or that he can translate the military alphabet to letters, then find the corresponding letters and read them back in the military alphabet. No way!
Cartoon: What is most unnerving about this racist sign is its incredible stupidity. White’s? Spanish?
Make sure you make time for cat naps when you’re so busy and it is so hot. You’ve gone through all that trouble to make sure nothing stands in the way of your second cataract operation, so please take care of yourself too.
That’s not a busy day, that’s two busy days!
Joanne, as a professional, I’d have to say that you hit it right on the head! His brand of Malignant Narcissism might be seen as saying “There is nothing in the world but that which I conjure up in my head, but since that seems to have a mysterious existence beyond me, I’ll crap all over it, just in case.”
“Trump Fuels Hate:” So, tonight he is having a Hitler like rally in Phoenix, with non other than Dr. Ben sharing a few ill chosen words. Pence did the intros. Bozos loving it up with Bozos!
New Yorker: Funny …and sad.
Why, thank you! I’ve been familiar with it as a philosophical concept, but had never considered it as a mental condition until now. It must be darned difficult to treat, because there is no effective philosophical way to refute it (pace Dr. Sam Johnson).
Puzzle — 3:41 Nobody in that castle cares about the time.
YouTube — If I may use a hockey analogy — keep the puck moving and don’t telegraph your opponent as to your plan of action. I don’t think Drumpf is smart enough to understand the analogy, but that sure is what his actions look like to me. Keep everybody off balance by moving the puck, or moving from situation to situation and not understanding any of it. Drumpf is playing with fire (or maybe fire and fury) when he fails to appreciate the situations he is creating. Or is it all just a short attention span and an even shorter memory? Drumpf is off leash and needs to be reined in NOW!
Media Matters — This is 100% correct IMO. Republicans may have promoted violence prior to Drumpf, but Drumpf kicked it up more than just a few notches. For someone who aspired to the presidency and then took it, Drumpf is not presidential at all. During the campaign he talked about being the great uniter of people, but in fact he is the most divisive of people.
The New Yorker — Drumpf would probably use the letters “F” and “O” in dealing with the process and in so doing, start a nuclear war.
Cartoon — Disgusting!!! . . . but I too noticed the spelling error or grammatical error, whichever one choses to call it.
My day sounds a lot like yours . . . doctor appointment, prescriptions filled most of which I’ll pick up tomorrow, appointment made to have a bone density scan, fresh fruit and vegetable shopping at Costco, to the vet’s to pick up baby food (20 kg which will last 2 months), bottled water pickup (Perrier) and finally home where I had to unpack the car. The rest of the week is brutally busy too! Temps today 34 C (93 F) so I am thoroughly done in. Fortunately, tomorrow should be about 23 C (73 F) with rain and/or thunder storms in the afternoon.
Thanks all! Sweaty hugs!