Politics Plus

The weather here was good today, sunny and windy, but it was about 8 C (46 F) warm enough for mid November. Tonight or early tomorrow morning we are expecting rain.  Current temperature is 0 C (32 F).  I hope this does not mean icy streets in the morning when I have to go to physio. I'd hate to miss the opportunity to be chastised by my therapist for falling on my face. I have enjoyed several of Lona's cat naps this afternoon/evening, but the rest of the week is looking quite busy.

Puzzle — Today’s took me 2:57 (average 5:18). To do it, click here. How did you do? 

Short Takes

NY Times — Ali Awad, 14, was chopping vegetables when the first bomb struck. Adel Tormous, who would die tackling the second bomber, was sitting at a nearby coffee stand. Khodr Alaa Deen, a registered nurse, was on his way to work his night shift at the teaching hospital of the American University at Beirut, inLebanon.

All three lost their lives in a double suicide attack in Beirut on Thursday, along with 40 others, and much like the scores who died a day later in Paris, they were killed at random, in a bustling urban area, while going about their normal evening business.

Around the crime scenes in south Beirut and central Paris alike, a sense of shock and sadness lingered into the weekend, with cafes and markets quieter than usual. The consecutive rampages, both claimed by the Islamic State, inspired feelings of shared, even global vulnerability — especially in Lebanon, where many expressed shock that such chaos had reached France, a country they regarded as far safer than their own.

But for some in Beirut, that solidarity was mixed with anguish over the fact that just one of the stricken cities — Paris — received a global outpouring of sympathy akin to the one lavished on the United States after the 9/11 attacks.

Click through for the rest of the article.  High on my mind, like so many others, has been the Friday terrorist attacks in Paris.  I had read about the Beirut bombings and I was sad for the people, like I am sad for the people of Syria and Iraq who endure so much death and uncertainty daily.  But what makes Paris so different to Beirut?  In reality, nothing.  In both cases, innocent lives were broken apart by the same group, Daesh.  The people in Beirut ask a valid question, do Arab lives matter less.

“When my people died, no country bothered to light up its landmarks in the colors of their flag,” Elie Fares, a Lebanese doctor, wrote on his blog. “When my people died, they did not send the world into mourning. Their death was but an irrelevant fleck along the international news cycle, something that happens in those parts of the world.”

Do we in the west have a double standard?  Do some lives matter more than others.  This is a question we all should be wrestling with.  All lives matter equally!

Mother Jones — "The Court now has the opportunity to decide whether we will continue to allow elected officials to play politics with women's health," wrote Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America,in a statement. "This case represents the greatest threat to women's reproductive freedom since the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade over 40 years ago. Laws like the ones being challenged in Texas are designed to subvert the Constitution and end the right to a safe and legal abortion."

Click through for the rest of the article.  With the decision expected in early 2016, this issue, no matter which way it goes, will likely be an election issue.  It is time for women to stand up forcefully for their reproductive health.  Women and their doctors should be making these decisions, not politicians.

Raw Story — Following Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris that claimed 129 lives, prospective 2016 GOP presidential candidates were quick to find fault and assign blame by going after Democrats and slamming Syrian refugees before French authorities even began their investigation.

Republicans flooded the airwaves Sunday morning, variously criticizing their Democratic counterparts for failing to use the term “radical Islam,” and faulting the administration for not putting “boots on the ground” in Syria while warning of another 9/11 attack in the U.S.

Responding to all three Democratic nominees using “radical jihadists” in their debate instead of blaming Islam, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee claimed Democrats are more invested in defending Islam than protecting Americans.

“It’s become apparent on the Democratic side, whether it is the current president or the one who wishes to be president, they’re more interested in protecting the image of Islam than they are protecting Americans,” Huckabee told Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Click through for the rest of the article.  Is there anyone of sound mind in the Republican Party?  Here is Jeb Bush on the subject (from Raw Story).

And Ted Cruz of course has plenty to say (from Raw Story).

Cruz made the case that the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night proved that Christians are under siege, even though the attacks were on nightlife hot spots and not religious targets. Before the rally, Cruz told to reporters and said Christians need constitutional protections because they are most ostracized today, according to CNN…

Do I think Christians are under siege as Cruz says?  No!  Do I think that Christians need constitutional prtections? They already have 1st amendment rights.  What these pseudo Christians are wanting is the right to discriminate and the right to turn the US into a Christian theocracy.

My Universe — 

Thank goodness for Lona's cat naps.  I availed myself of one this afternoon having not slept particularly well last night, and it seemed to help with my sore body.  I have church tomorrow morning and then I will return home to the comfort of warm, soft and purring felines.  Can life get any better!

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:24 (average 5:13). To do it, click here. How did you do? 

Short Takes

Alternet — When we think of climate refugees, we tend to think of cyclones, floods and storms forcing people from their homes. But emerging research indicates that we are missing a bigger picture — and that the overall population of concern may be much larger than we currently think.

According to a recent study, rising temperatures are a significant driver of permanent migration among poor farmers in Indonesia. The study found that temperature increases were far more likely to induce migration than rapid-onset hazards such as floods, due to their long-term and cumulative effects on household income. Based on the results, the researchers estimated that an additional 2°C rise in temperatures could force up to five percent of Indonesia’s population (12.4 million people) to migrate by the end of the century — that’s an amount just under the size of Zimbabwe’s entire population.

Click through for this important article and sign the petition Tell U.N. Climate Chief to Sign and Implement a Meaningful Climate Treaty in Paris at the end.  You do not have to be part of FB to sign.  Think climate change won't affect you?  Think again!  It already is affecting you.

Mother Jones — "Absolutely," replied Sanders. He added that "of course international terrorism is a major issue that we have go to address today," but argued that "climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism." Sanders warned that global warming could cause international conflicts "over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to…grow crops." 

Click through for the rest of this short piece.

The Nation — For the first time since he came into the room he smiles—in surprise—and finally tells us what really motivated him, without any prompting. He knows there is an American in the room, and can perhaps guess, from his demeanor and his questions, that this American is ex-military, and directs his “question,” in the form of an enraged statement, straight at him. “The Americans came,” he said. “They took away Saddam, but they also took away our security. I didn’t like Saddam, we were starving then, but at least we didn’t have war. When you came here, the civil war started.”

How often have we heard that the US is responsible for the growth of ISIS?  How often do we hear denunciations of Muslims, all Muslims, because they want a worldwide caliphate?  According to the author, the motivation for fighting with ISIS is not related to religion, but rather to economics.  Click through for the rest of the article.

My Universe — 

Well yesterday started out fine but by the end of physio I had a size 9 problem!  As I was putting on my shoes, I tripped over my own feet and went down hard on my bad knee, hit my good knee, ending up on the floor on my stomach.  I jarred my right arm and shoulder, and later on, I noticed that my toes on the right foot are sore.  I may have sprained my big toe. So here I sit with a headache and sore body finishing my posts.  As TomCat said when I told him "Sounds like we need a wheelchair built for two.​" LOL dude!!!  So now you know why TC calls me Bigfoot!  Unfortunately, the fall did not scare the cough away.

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:16 (average 4:25). To do it, click here. How did you do? 

Short Takes

The Atlantic — Saudi Arabia produces much of its electricity by burning oil, a practice that most countries abandoned long ago, reasoning that they could use coal and natural gas instead and save oil for transportation, an application for which there is no mainstream alternative. Most of Saudi Arabia’s power plants are colossally inefficient, as are its air conditioners, which consumed 70 percent of the kingdom’s electricity in 2013. Although the kingdom has just 30 million people, it is the world’s sixth-largest consumer of oil.

Now, Saudi rulers say, things must change. Their motivation isn’t concern about global warming; the last thing they want is an end to the fossil-fuel era. Quite the contrary: they see investing in solar energy as a way to remain a global oil power.

As noted in the article above, Saudi Arabia's use of oil is very inefficient — it is used to generate electricity for example.  By "getting into" renewables, they stand to extend their fossil fuel business.  Earlier this year, the following appeared in Al Arabiya.

Al Arabiya — The energy arm of Saudi-based conglomerate Abdul Latif Jameel has acquired Spanish-based solar developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, (FRV) the largest such firm in the Gulf.  …

“We will continue to pursue further acquisitions in the renewables sector in support of the MENAT [Middle East, North Africa and Turkey] region’s growing power demand,” said the conglomerate’s chairman Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel.

Whatever we think of Saudi Arabia's motivation for upping the ante on solar and other renewables, the time has come for everyone to embrace renewables.  Cick through for the rest of these two articles . . . The Atlantic and Al Arabiya.

Alternet — On Thursday evening, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gave a speech launched a 95-minute rant to the faithful in Iowa and it was … something else.

He threw insults at Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina, said Marco Rubio is “weak like a baby,” he promised to “bomb the shit out of” oil fields in Iraq and Syria, and called the media “scum” and “garbage.” But he directed most of his venom at—go figure, his closest rival in the race—Ben Carson. 

Click through for the rest of Trump's diatribe.  I am totally incredulous that any sane person could support Trump. Absolute insaniTEA!

Huffington Post — When Alex Malloy caught a cab in Manhattan just after 11 p.m. on Friday, he did not expect anything out of the ordinary.

After he stepped inside, the driver immediately said, “Thank you.” Malloy, 23, told The Huffington Post he wasn't sure what to make of it at the time, but would later write that the conversation that followed was “one of the most heartbreaking moments I’ve ever experienced in my whole life.”

I was moved by this story like so many others who retweeted Alex Malloy's tweet.  We all occupy this earth; if we are cut, we bleed; if we are thirsty or hungry, we each need water and food to survive; if we are hurt, we reach out for solace.  Click through foe Alex's story.

My Universe — h/t Joanne Dixon — Now normally, I don't comment here but today is an exception.  There is a story that goes with this video.

Pet 360 — A tiny, weeks-old cat is being heralded as the "Miracle Kitten," and with good reason. Cassidy was found abandoned in the woods of British Columbia, missing his back legs and fighting to stay alive in the wilderness. Thankfully, someone found poor Cassidy and alerted the non-profit rescue organization TinyKittens in Fort Langley, British Columbia. Charlotte Roche, the operator of TinyKittens, helped capture him and his brother Topper and brought the badly injured cat to the Mountain View Veterinary Hospital. But, as reported by the local paper theLangley Advance, the odds of survival were stacked against him because of his major injuries and the fact that he was emaciated and suffering from a septic E. Coli infection. 

Dr. Renee Ferguson of Mountain View Veterinary Hospital tells Pet360, "Cassidy is a sweet little guy with a giant spirit.  He is a pleasure to exam and he has been so patient with his many rechecks and procedures.  When we met Cassidy, he was so weak from his infected, partially amputated back legs and starvation, that he it was difficult to assess the severity of the problems that he had.  We had to treat the infections, hydrate him and give him nutritional support.  If Shelly hadn’t taken Cassidy in that day, I don’t know how much longer he would have survived.  We felt more confident about his health after about a week.  We are now just consulting with specialists to determine what is the best plan for Cassidy and his legs for  the longterm."

Click through for the rest of the story.  I know the vet in the story, Dr Renee Ferguson. She is excellent and was great with my Scooter who was so very sick. She was doctoring in Port Coquitlam at the clinic I've gone to for 20+ years.  A week before Scooter died (age 17 years), Dr Ferguson gave him a spa day.  She could not believe how he perked up.  He loved having baths and was a very mellow boy in his dotage.

Well it poured rain last night, pinging off the rain spout at a ferocious rate.  I was very glad to be inside!  The rain continues this morning but not hard like last night.  Thanks to Lona who sent me a fresh supply of cat naps.  I availed myself of two yesterday which was good for the cold/cough.  Today is scheduled to be a low key day with laundry a prime concern.  Can't have a "furless" sasquatch!

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:51 (average 6:11). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.

Short Takes

The New Yorker — To winnow the field of candidates who would hold the main stage in the second G.O.P. debate, in September, CNN had intended to use the average of national polls conducted over the summer. But after Carly Fiorina’s campaign complained that the method was unfair CNN changed its formula. The decision had very little to do with American democracy or social science. It had to do with the practice of American journalism. It would make better television if Fiorina was on the same stage as Trump, since he’d made comments about her appearance. (“Look at that face!” he said.)

“No one tells me what to say,” Trump had said in August. By September, on the defensive about Fiorina, he insisted—he knew—that he had the will of the people behind him. “If you look at the polls,” he said, “a lot of people like the way I talk.”

Donald Trump is a creature of the polls. He is his numbers. But he is only a sign of the times. Turning the press into pollsters has made American political culture Trumpian: frantic, volatile, shortsighted, sales-driven, and anti-democratic.

He kept his lead nearly till the end of October. “Do we love these polls?” he called out to a crowd in Iowa. “Somebody said, ‘You love polls.’ I said that’s only because I’ve been winning every single one of them. Right? Right? Every single poll.” Two days later, when he lost his lead in Iowa to Ben Carson, he’d grown doubtful: “I honestly think those polls are wrong.” By the week of the third G.O.P. debate, he’d fallen behind in a national CBS/NYT poll. “The thing with these polls, they’re all so different,” Trump said, mournfully. “It’s not very scientific.” 

This is a long but interesting article about polling and the reliance on and influence of polls in the electoral process. The uneducated mind may rely on polls too much as politicians may rely on them to inform their policy positions rather than listening to their constituents.  Click through for the rest of this article.

Think Progress — In August, New York-based Amalgamated Bank announced it would immediately raise its minimum pay to at least $15 an hour.

At the time, the bank noted that it was the first to make such an announcement. But it’s also committed to making sure more follow its lead.

The bank, which is owned by the union OPEIU, came to the $15 wage floor in the midst of contract negotiations with the union. The contract also specifies automatic 3 percent increases each year, ensuring annual raises for its workforce. “It’s a bold move,” said CEO Keith Mestrich. “We need to be bold like that.”

This is great news!  When I started as a teller, I was paid about $1.55 per hour.  That was 45 years ago.  But even then, I could not afford to share an apartment with rent of $250 per month.  Click through for the rest of the story.

Huffington Post — Republican presidential candidates debated once again on economic issues and offered some misleading takes on jobs, tax plans, immigrants and state budgets.

• Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said that “welders make more money than philosophers.” Actually, those with undergraduate degrees in philosophy earn a higher median income than welders.
• Businessman Donald Trump said that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had forced out 1.5 million immigrants who were in the country illegally. The federal government claimed it was 1.3 million, but historians say that’s exaggerated.
• Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the Tax Foundation calculated that his tax plan “costs less than virtually every other plan people have put up here, and yet it produces more growth.” But the foundation said Bobby Jindal’s and Rubio’s plans both would lead to higher gross domestic product growth over a decade.
• Cruz also repeated the years-long falsehood that there’s a “congressional exemption” from Obamacare. Members of Congress and their staffs face additional requirements than other Americans, not fewer.
• Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said that his state has had “eight credit upgrades,” but two credit rating agencies moved the state to a “negative” outlook in February. And it faces a $117 million deficit in its most recent budget.
• Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said he had cut his state budget by 11 percent during the 2001-2003 recession. Over his entire tenure, however, spending went up by 50 percent.
• Jindal claimed that there were “more people working in Louisiana than ever before.” That’s wrong. There were fewer Louisianans working in September than there were in December 2014.
• Huckabee said that Syrians make up only 20 percent of the refugees arriving in Europe. The figure is actually 52 percent for 2015.

Click through for the analysis of these claims.  I was very surprised when I didn't see statements from Fiorini reported. But then I saw the following article.

Think Progress — “We need to pass the REINS Act so Congress is in charge of regulation,” Fiorina told the debate audience, referring to an obscure bill intended to hobble federal agency action. Though it is unlikely that many people in the audience know what the REINS Act is, this bill has long been one of the top priorities of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — the primary lobbying group representing big business as a whole. Moreover, the bill has a fairly high chance of becoming law if Republicans gain control over both houses of Congress and the presidency. The bill passed the GOP-controlled House on multiple occasions.

The Congress is already known as the "do nothing Congress" and this would only make it worse.  This is an asinine suggestion from a business person who was a complete failure!  Click through for the remainder of the article about a bill that few know about.

My Universe —