Yesterday I had a bad air day, with severe coughing and bronchial congestion. The Super Bowl cut into my sleep time. so I overslept. I don’t want to push myself too hard, although I do have an extra article for you. I’m current with replies. I plan to go back to posting our articles on other sites tomorrow instead of today.
Church of the Ellipsoid Orb:
Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens for out-meditating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. Their achievement is particularly noteworthy, because they were considered the weakest team to make the playoffs, and were the underdogs in every game they played. To get to the AFC championship, they had to defeat the best team in football. Then to get to the Super Bowl, they had to defeat the second best team in football. By consistently playing above the capabilities their record reflects, they have earned high praise.
Now the great mourning has begun, because the mighty orb has gone dark. Except for a brief glimmer in April for the Selection of Future Acolytes, we will have none of it’s divine light until late Summer, if we are indeed blessed with it’s return. Now is the time for wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:32 (average 4:31). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From MoveOn: FLASHBACK: What The NRA Sounded Like Back When It Was Sane
Back then, the NRA represented gun owners, and their intent was to promote the best interests of responsible shooters. Today the NRA represents corporate criminals, and their intent is to represent the most profit for irresponsible manufacturers, regardless of how many innocents die to sate their greed. By their strong NRA support, Republicans demonstrate, once again, that they certainly are the pro-death party.
From NY Times: President Obama said in a televised interview on Sunday that he could foresee a budget deal in Congress that did not include further increases in tax rates but instead focused on eliminating loopholes and deductions.
Although I think that rates are still too low on those making over $1 million per year, I can support reform limited to eliminating loopholes, such as allowing Vulture Capitalists to have their income taxed at the lower capital gains rate and the many tax credits lavished on Big Oil.
From Crooks and Liars: Millionaire Pundit Laura Ingraham Doesn’t Like Paying Americans a Living Wage
Callahan is spot on. We have a demand problem. Producers have no incentive to hire, as long as consumers don’t have the money to pay for those products. Smith’s statement that union membership is low, because unions don’t work, is pure propaganda. Union membership is low, because Republicans have outsourced so many union jobs, and because Republicans have legislated away union rights. Note that. at the end of the segment, Ingraham thanked the goose-stepper, but not the Democrat. After all, this is the Republican Ministry of Propaganda.
Cartoon: We’re trying something a little different today to demonstrate how ethnic bias can literally distort our world view. The first image is a Mercator Projection of the world map, the map with which we are all most familiar.
Note how the area north of the equator takes up 2/3 of the map, making nations in the northern hemisphere appear larger, and therefore, more important.
The second image is a Peters Projection of the world map.
It divides the area equally between the northern and southern hemisphere, thus showing the sizes of different features more accurately with respect to each other. It changes your perspective, doesn’t it?
28 Responses to “Open Thread–2/4/2013”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
3:21 I barely sailed past you today.
3:11 Do I have enough wind in my sail to stay ahead of Jerry?
3:55 I fell off the board and it sailed away without me. I had to swim…against the wind and the current. Good thing I had my water wings on.
… and up hill too, right?!?
A very steep hill!
I guess 3rd is better than last!
Poor TC – I was worried about your lungs and the fumigation – and I did NOT want to be right, but I know how sensitive my lungs are to these chemicals and thought yours would be too – or more so! Poor TomCat!
Only for you would I watch a piece of Pox News!! I am still feeling bilious at that blonde's 'brilliant' ideas – I had to turn off after she nearly gagged at the idea of more union membership and said 'Oh how are we to compete with China then….' (or words to that effect) – patently her idea of competing with China is to have everyone in the world paid on Chinese wages (except her and the TP of course).
I'm OK, Luv.
Exactly right.
Sorry your SF 49er's were out-meditated by my Baltimore Ravens. I can't help but feel glorious today though.
MoveOn ~ The times they are a changin'.
NY Times ~ I'm all in favor of closing a whole lot of loop holes. Mostly they favor the rich. How many of you here have offshore accounts?
Crooks and Liars ~ It must be nice to live in Laura's LA LA Land. Although I would rather stay right where I am.
Cartoon ~ Just like everything else in life ~ it's all a matter of perspective.
Patty, I'm a Broncos fan, not a Niners fan. 🙂
Yes.
Exactly.
No InsaniTEA for you, huh? 🙂
Bingo!
I need to return and read thoroughly.
All I know for sure is the NRA guy is bought and paid for and I am keeping my gun. And Congress needs a good ass kicking.
And I love love loved that ballgame—-thought the Ravens had forgotten to take their energy pill after the lights came on again——–but it was great——-I love all that bickering and fighting too. I am Irish and though I don't drink beer—sometimes a good fight is good for the soul. My beloved Momma would have loved that game——-she actually preferred the Ice Hockey as they really go at it.
You take care of you, TC.
I went to the fights the other night, and a hockey game broke out.
(Rimshot)
The best hockey game I ever did see was at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto between the New York Rangers and the Leafs back in 1970. There were 2 penalties for the entire game, the action was up and down the ice — fast, fast, fast, and the final score was 1-1. I used to love hockey, and I played hockey on a neighbourhood team with all boys. I rarely watch anymore because of the fights etc.
Picture this, a goalie in figure skates with pillows tied on her shins with binder twine, no mouth piece, no helmet, and a bunch of boys that were so full of bravado that even my own team mates, including my younger brother, fired shots at me.
Of Course. The NRA is a shill for the gun industry.
It was a good game.
When it comes to hockey, a prefer a game where theires a little hockey between fights.
To those of you who missed the Super Bowl ads, Time magazine reviewed & rated all 52 of them:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/04/the-best-and-worst-super-bowl-commercials-of-2013/slide/all/#./?&_suid=13600039481910661463204769537
[NOTE: These are only the ones that happened DURING the actual game – NOT pre- or post-game ones]
And USA Today apparently had some market audience rate them in real-time by an ad meter:
http://admeter.usatoday.com/articles/view/the-results
It does not surprise me to know that the Go Daddy ad was last. Stupid is as stupid does.
I
GoDaddy's was by far the worst commercial. Do people really make all those smaking noises while kissing? YUCK!
Beats me. I nly kiss my 3 cats!
When I used to kiss my cat on the nose, I did so very noisily, bdecause he would give me the most disgsted look
Thanks Nameless.
GoDaddy is am major supporter of extreme Republicans.
The CEO of Godaddy loves to go to Africa to shoot endangered and threatened species – namely elephants.
As a human being, he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever – so, yes, he is a republican.
Thanks for the info, Angie.
Puzzle — 3:11 Do I have enough wind in my sail to stay ahead of Jerry?
MoveOn — The NRA is not like a fine wine . . . it did not get better with age! It is a whine that soured with corporate greed.
NY Times — I hope the Democrats don't get backed into a corner.
Please just leave SS off the table, and leave Medicare and Medicaid alone.
Since these deductions will also hit middle income people, perhaps it is worth looking at income thresholds similar to that when tax rates were raised. For example, if the family income was less than $450,000/year, then there would be no change; but if the family income is between $459 K and $1 million, then you claim 50% of the interest or charitable donation; and if the family income is over $1million, you cannot claim the deductions. To me, that might work but then I don't have sufficient information to properly crunch the numbers.
Crooks and Liars — First before I forget, Ingram said "David, Gary thanks so much." right at the very end so she did thank both guests.
Ingraham and Smith both should have heeded this proverb "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt."
How anyone can sit there with a straight face and say that the bad economic news is not a result of the Congress but of Mr Obama is beyond belief. Ingram is obviously not in touch with reality. The recession caused by the financial crisis of 2008 was deeper than most realised, and the Republican/Teabagger Congress has done everything possible to obstruct the business of the country, and specifically Mr Obama.
Further, to insist that the job creators are the 1%, and to say that unions don't work is the height of stupidity. As I said, "speak and remove all doubt."
Cartoon — Notice how on the first map, the space between 60 and 80 is 2.5 times larger in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere. I must admit that I had never noticed this before, but I also know that I had never thought of one place being better than another in the grand scheme of things. I think of the spinning blue planet that does not have lines on it.
Anotrher win for you.
Amen!
I agree. Republicans will target deductions that benefit the poor and middle classes.
Mea culpa. I missed that.
I'm not surrprised, but you's be amazed how many do.
TC, I watched that Fox video, and really got an upset stomach. I come from a strong union background and it makes me ill to hear people bashing unions. Ronnie Reagan started the union busting and it has not stopped. Meanwhile we proletarians are lucky if we have a minimum wage job. I wish I had money to put in the stock market, don't you?
I hope you are feeling better soon.
I hear you Edie. Whebever I watch Faux Noise, I always have a trash can handy, in case I lose lunch.
Didn’t Laura I. get the memo that she’s supposed to pretend to be a caring human being now? Tsk, tsk. Uncle Karl Rove is slipping, isn’t he?
On Faux Noise, InsaniTEA always comes before caring.