Yesterday the heat wave continued, but seven degrees hotter than forecast. I got a few hours sleep in the early AM when the inside temp dropped to the low 80s. Running continuously, my little AC kept it out of the 90s all day, but just barely. I’m still heat exhausted. I’m current on replies to yesterday’s articles only. Tomorrow it should be even hotter.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today it took me 4:20 (average 5:30). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Op Ed News: President-Elect Obama’s advisers feared in 2008 that authorities would oust him in a coup and that Republicans would block his policy agenda if he prosecuted Bush-era war crimes, according to a law school dean who served as one of Obama’s top transition advisers.
Given the level of hatred Republicans have expressed against Obama, and given the high number of activist Republican political appointees that burrowed into “nonpartisan” permanent positions at DoD, DOJ and the CIA, the fear was justified. This is the first explanation I have heard that makes sense.
From The Examiner: In a move that might cause some conservatives to think the law of gravity was just repealed, Current TV’s Keith Olbermann called for a boycott of Starvingeyes Advergaming over their new online video game "Tea Party Zombies Must Die!"
The game is a first person shooter where one enters a post-apocalyptic Fox News and kills various Fox News personalities like Brit Hume and Bill O’Reilly and characters recognized as Tea Party leaders. A Glenn Beck zombie is included, as well as Sean Hannity, Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin.
I looked at this game earlier today, and I agree completely with Keith. To play at killing Republicans is hateful behavior. The way to oppose Republicans is NOT to imitate them. I urge you to boycott this game.
From Think Progress: Republican leadership has continually blocked efforts by Obama and Congressional Democrats to invest in infrastructure improvements, and as a result, bridges and roadways in their states are crumbling. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, about 12 percent of the nation’s bridges are considered “structurally deficient,” the same rating given to the Minneapolis bridge that collapsed in 2007, killing 13 people.
There is no reason to expect that it will be any different now.
Cartoon:
10 Responses to “Open Thread–9/10/2011”
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I disagree with that game boycott. Since it involves Fox News personalities AND guns, the t-bagers are the only ones that would play with it anyway. It’s kinda like when they vote against their own best interests.
Johnny, I can’t imaging Baggers playing with it. It seems to be attracting the extreme left fringe.
4:17 Squeeze through with 3 seconds to spare. I am 79 out of 253 (312).
Who needs a game? Certainly not Rick Perry. He does it for real in Texas.
You get a nice window today.
Amen!
I have wondered why Mr Obama did not investigate and prosecute Baby Bush and his dark puppet master, Cheney, and all their little minions. I can accept that he wanted to move forward which is consistent with his more collegial ‘work together’ approach. But as the article says, you have to “Probe the Past to Protect the Future.” I know all too well from my business career that there are times when you have to be the ‘dictator’ in order to move forward and prevent further crisis.
Asked why they didn’t prosecute Baby Bush et al, Edley, a senior advisor to Mr Obama on his transitional team, gave two reasons:
1) it was thought that the CIA, NSA, and military would revolt; and
2) it was thought the Republicans would retaliate by blocking every piece of legislation they tried to move.
Given that the CIA, NSA, DOJ and maybe the DOD were likely stacked with Republican thugs, and in hindsight, seeing some of the tactics used by the Republicans in the Congress i.e. blocking the President at all times, even when it didn’t make sense, I think that it is a distinct possibility that there would have been a ‘revolt’ of some sorts. Would it have been an assassination or would it have been tanks rolling up Pennsylvania Avenue, I don’t know but neither is acceptable in a democracy. In a democracy, reasoned discourse is the only way to solve differences. The problem is that the Repubican obstructionists don’t understand this — they only comprehend underhanded tactics and subterfuge.
Long timeCaliforniapeace advocate Susan Harman appreciated that Obama might have been in danger but felt that he “bent over backwards” to protect lawbreakers within the Bush administration. When she asked why, she said: “He {Edley] shrugged and said they will never be prosecuted, and that sometimes politics trumps [the] rule of law.”
Andrew Kreig, the article’s author says that he is more comfortable with a few basic rules:
TomCat, this is a great piece.
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I agree with the boycott. By accepting the premise of the game, kill Republicans or anyone esle you don’t like, the US is reduced to a third world country where often violence is the norm used to eliminate your political enemies. It suplants the rule of law.
There are enough ‘whack jobs’ out there that they don’t need any help in, or prompting to carry out their ideas. Case in point, the attempted assassination of Gaby Giffords.
All games like this, especially in the wrong hands, are dangerous to the good order of society.
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The puzzle — well at least, after 4 attempts, I was down to 45 seconds longer than the average. I still like them and will continue to do them. If, no when I get down to the average time, I think I’ll throw a party!
The cartoon — cool. I take it that is Cantor country! I’d love to see that deceitful little worm get his comeuppance.
Thanks Lynn, bit please don;t cut and paste the whole thing. We could get a copyright infringement problem.
Yes.
Hang in there.
That it is.
Just learned that tomorrow night CBS will repeat their airing of the documentary “9/11” which they had shown on the first anniversary of 9/11. I viewed it on Netflix a year or so ago (I need SDH, Subtitles for Deaf & Hard of Hearing – which is better than just CC because they include noting significant sounds – like a door creaking open, etc.) and it was one of the most haunting, intense movies I’ve ever seen.
Filmed by two French brothers who actually were doing a documentary about a rookie firefighter in training from Ladder 1 and Engine 7 Station located at 100 Duane St. – just a few blocks from the WTC – they happen to capture the first plane striking the North Tower, and are believed to have the only film of the very first of the First Responders entering and deploying in the lobby of the WTC.
But be forewarned that it’s an extremely intense movie (I actually had to take breaks from watching it). You will occasionally hear the crash of suicide jumpers as they land outside the lobby – so harrowing that one firefighter remarks, “If jumping is the better option, how bad is it up there?”
Thanks Nameless. I remember it.
4:11
Beat me. 🙁
😉