Open Thread – 3/14/2019

Posted by TomCat at 10:10 am Blog News, Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 142019

WordPress installed an update from 5.1 to 5.1.1 and, in the process, screwed up compatibility with the ARK Comment Editor Plugin that we use. There is no trouble replying to articles. But here’s how we need to reply to comments, until they fix it. The comment form at the bottom for a reply to the article works. Make your reply to a reply there, but do not click the Submit Comment button. Then click the Reply link under the comment to which you are replying. When the fractured,. empty comment form opens, click its Submit Comment button and your comment will be posted in the right place. I’m sorry for the inconvenience and am getting pissed off at the WordPress folks.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:17 (average 6:23). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (NY Times Channel): Who Is Beto O’Rourke?

I listened to him this morning in Iowa. He knew his material. He related to people where they are. He answered questions with progressive solutions. I wish he had more seasoning, but he’s totally constipated. (He has his shit together :-)). RESIST!!

From YouTube (Trae Crowder Channel): Liberal Redneck – Rich Kids, Poor Parents, and the Least Surprising Scandal Ever

Stealing education was the next logical step for behavior typical of the Republican Reich. RESIST!!

From NY Times: After days of mounting pressure, the United States grounded Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft on Wednesday, reversing an earlier decision in which American regulators said the planes could keep flying after a deadly crash in Ethiopia.

The decision, announced by President Trump, followed determinations by safety regulators in some 42 countries to ban flights by the jets, which are now grounded worldwide. Pilots, flight attendants, consumers and politicians from both major parties had been agitating for the planes to be grounded in the United States. Despite the clamor, the Federal Aviation Administration had been resolute, saying on Tuesday that it had seen “no systemic performance issues” that would prompt it to halt flights of the jet.

That changed Wednesday when, in relatively quick succession, Canadian and American aviation authorities said they were grounding the planes after newly available satellite-tracking data suggested similarities between Sunday’s crash in Ethiopia and one involving a Boeing 737 Max 8 in Indonesia in October.

Finally! Normally this announcement would come from the FAA, which has the authority to ground those planes, but Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten claimed credit for it. He lied that they were grounded only because he had declared a so-called “national emergency” to do so. On the other hand, it’s more of a national emergency than his freaking wall. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

Colleen Has a BIG Mouth! ;-)

Posted by TomCat at 10:04 am Blog News, Politics

Mar 052019

106-Colleen

Colleen is a relative newcomer here, having made less than 300 comments total, so we don’t know as much about her as we’d like to learn. This is her first Big Mouth Award. A denizen of Care2, Coleen is interested in animal welfare, human rights, environmental protection women’s rights, health, and more.

The thing that stands out most about her is the kindness and compassion with which she treats others. She actuary found her way in, when the site was crashed to see if I was OK. That was the 106,000 comment. All her comments are heartfelt, and I look forward to reading many more of them.

Please join me in piling on Colleen with kudos and thanks. She knows how to:

RESIST!!

Poll Results – 3/1/2019

Posted by TomCat at 12:00 pm Blog News, Politics

Mar 012019

Here are the results of our “Preferred Democrat for 2000” Poll. Politics Plus Polls are not scientific, because those who respond are not balanced according to demographic categories. Therefore, we do not accurately reflect the makeup of the US population. Nevertheless, our polls are usually factually accurate, and more often than not, they reflect thinking of the majority of those who actually do think.

0301Poll

And here are your comments:

Showing comments 1–9 of 9.

Posted by Joanne D February 18, 2019 at 12:18 pm. From: CO (US)

Well, there are a couple I know nothing about, but the only one I would say a definite “NO!” on at this point is Tulsi Gabbard.But I can’t really pick right now … because the impossibility I want is for one of them to become President without having to go through being a candidate, and I can’t detach myself from the actual process well enough to make a choice.

Posted by Yvonne White February 13, 2019 at 9:57 am. From: IL (US)

I love Elizabeth Warren! I also like Kamala Harris & Bernie Sanders. I do hate that the “election cycle” is SO Soon after the mid-terms..it just gives the conservative Mainstream Media more time to do hit jobs on all the Liberal candidates! 🙁

Posted by dave c February 9, 2019 at 10:19 am. From: MN (US)

For those who’ve announced so far Kamala Harris is at the top……however, I think tomorrow I will be attending Amy Klobuchar’s announcement of a run for President……having said that it is way too early to be having this discussion still in my lone opinion

Posted by Nita L February 2, 2019 at 10:54 pm. From: TX (US)

I’m for Elizabeth Warren too.

Posted by SoINeedAName February 2, 2019 at 9:29 am. From: MO (US)

I’m hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) considers a run.

She was masterful in handling Kavanaugh during his hearing.

I think a Warren or Harris/Klobuchar ticket would be fantastic!

Posted by Colleen L February 1, 2019 at 5:50 pm. From: CA (US)

Wow…see we all are shooting for the best. You go Elizabeth.

Posted by Mitch D. February 1, 2019 at 3:01 pm. From: NJ (US)

Such clarity of expression of such good ideas!

Posted by Lynn Squance February 1, 2019 at 1:40 pm. From: BC (CA)

OK, I am the someone who has not announced yet! I would like to see Bernie Sanders as POTUS (hey, I am a social democrat!) but I am equally comfortable with Elizabeth Warren. Both being senators, Democrat voters have to step up strong to replace either or both of them. A tag team???

Posted by Animae Chi February 1, 2019 at 10:20 am. From: (AU)

GO Liz!!!

I voted for Liz. Of course, that opinion may change. The important things are that we support our candidates without trashing other Democratic hopefuls, and that we support our nominee.

The new poll is up. Please vote. It’s a GOP executive beauty pageant, sort of.

RESIST!!

Monthly Report for January 2019

Posted by TomCat at 12:12 pm Blog News, Politics

Feb 022019

Due to being hospitalized and relocated, this is my first Monthly Report since October, but I was able to get some of last month’s stats. Compared to December, January results were down in every category. I’m not surprised, as I had to miss several days.

Stats1-2019

Reported period	Month Jan 2019
First visit	01 Jan 2019 – 00:01
Last visit	31 Jan 2019 – 23:59
	Unique visitors	Number of visits	Pages	Hits	Bandwidth
Viewed traffic *	4,694	35,228 (7.5 visits/visitor)	130,320 (3.69 Pages/Visit)	299,038 (8.48 Hits/Visit)	16.64 GB (495.32 KB/Visit)
Not viewed traffic *			466,171	558,908	13.67 GB

Reported period	Month Jan 2018
First visit	01 Jan 2018 – 00:00
Last visit	31 Jan 2018 – 23:59
	Unique visitors	Number of visits	Pages	Hits	Bandwidth
Viewed traffic *	7,214	29,484 (4.08 visits/visitor)	117,962 (4 Pages/Visit)	246,365 (8.35 Hits/Visit)	9.61 GB (341.7 KB/Visit)
Not viewed traffic *			560,849	634,221	14.90 GB

Compared with last January, we are down in Uniques and up in every other category. I’ll take it!

Here is our ClustrMap for 2019 YTD. This is one months of traffic.

ClustrMap misses a lot of visits, because many visits can’t be easily traced to a location. Do you see the widget on the left column of our pages? What browser are you using? I’m using Chrome, and I can’t see it.

Here are our top five articles:

Squatch’s Open Thread 16 January 2019 – 1/16/2019 708
Samantha Bee from 10/17 – 10/18/2018 – 704
Hate on Our Media? – 1/8/2019 – 615
Christmas 2018 – 12/25/2018 – 544
Fleecing the Sheeple – 1/9/2019 – 520

The count represents only the people who opened the page for that specific article. Three were from January. I wrote four. I would have been happier to see more of our other authors’ work represented here. JD and Nameless have written fine articles. Lona is still adjusting to living upside down in a heat wave. Congrats to Squatch for the month’s most popular article!

Here are our top non-blog/news referrers (100 referral minimum):

Care2 2,777
Google 2,621
Baidu 132

Here are our top blog/news referrers:

http://infidel753.blogspot.com/
http://alterx.blogspot.com/
http://bildungblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.davedubya.com/

We had 4 sites with 2 or more referrals. Putting blogs’ links here increases the ratings of their sites, so this “linkey love” is our thank you for their referral support. We still need to improve this.

As of midnight January 1, we had 8,774 articles and 105,184 comments.

JD won a another Big Mouth Award for the 103,000th comment on November 9. Animae won 2 in a row for the 104,000th and 105,000th comments on December 18 and January 25. We think she’s taking it over. More kudos for both, please. Big Mouth winners at 10,000 levels will have their choice of a PP mug or a PP T Shirt. Staff will remain eligible to be winners at the 1,000 levels. Winners at prize winning levels will be the first non-staff commenter at or above. If any staff member wants a mug or a T Shirt, let me know.

I recommend using your own avatar. Go to Gravatar. Sign up using the email address you use to post comments here and upload the image you want to use as your avatar. Whenever you comment under that email address here or on any WordPress blog (several others too), that image will become your avatar.

Your Administrators are Lynn Squance, aka Sasquatch or Squatch, SoINeedAName, aka Nameless, and I, aka TomCat, the Founder. Your Editors are Joanne Dixon, aka JD the Erynator and Lona Goudswaard, aka Lona the Napster. I promoted them from Author in August 2017 to give them the ability to add graphics to comments and the ability to correct my innumerable typos.

This is our policy on links. We do not embed links to extreme Republican websites, like Faux Noise, Breitfart or World Nut Daily. However I leave notes in square brackets when I delete such links, (example: [faux noise delinked]) so readers, who wish to follow them can click through to the source article. I also remove topical links. Finally, I blank the target on all links, so they open in a new tab or window.

I’m so glad Democrats won the House. You and people like you are responsible for that.

Thank you for your support here, and kudos for all the good you do, everywhere you do it.

RESIST!!

Poll Results – 2/1/2019

Posted by TomCat at 12:42 pm Blog News, Politics

Feb 012019

Here are the results of our “What should Democrats do?” Poll. Politics Plus Polls are not scientific, because those who respond are not balanced according to demographic categories. Therefore, we do not accurately reflect the makeup of the US population. Nevertheless, our polls are usually factually accurate, and more often than not, they reflect thinking of the majority of those who actually do think.

0201Poll

And here are your comments.

Showing comments 1–9 of 9.

Posted by dave c January 12, 2019 at 9:37 am. From: MN (US)

I would say if they pass progressive bills they will cover many of the other options

Posted by SoINeedAName January 6, 2019 at 4:04 am. From: MO (US)

Since HR1 has already passed, I’ll say I think we all liked it.

It was a sweeping anti-corruption package covering voting rights, campaign finance reform & stronger regulations WRT lobbying.

A common sense Bill from a common sense Speaker.

GO NANCY!

Posted by Lona Goudswaard January 2, 2019 at 6:02 pm. From: (AU)

This time I had to let my foreign heart speak for the world. The clock is ticking, and there’s no time to lose, so Climate Change needs to come first, for ALL our sakes.

But I fear that as soon as Mueller comes out with a report, all common sense goes overboard and Drumpf-mania will overtake the country. We’ll then pas 1.5 degrees, and even 2.0 degrees temperature increase without having done anything significant to combat it.

Posted by Animae January 2, 2019 at 3:05 pm. From: (AU)

ALL of the above!!!

Seeing as i couldn’t do that, i voted stay in power!

Posted by Colleen L. January 2, 2019 at 2:01 pm. From: CA (US)

I have positive feeling that the Democrats will stay in power. I care about lots of the others, but I want them to investigate tRump ever inch that they can and hopefully get him out of office.

Posted by Nita L January 2, 2019 at 1:32 pm. From: TX (US)

I read the long list and was trying to decide what to pick because all of these are important. Then I saw stay in power. We can’t accomplish any of this unless we stay in power.

Posted by Mitch D. January 2, 2019 at 10:44 am. From: FL (US)

Staying in power will enable all the previous items!

Posted by P Bowen January 2, 2019 at 9:56 am. From: TX (US)

As I was reading through the long list of things that we, as concerned citizens are worried about,…I was reading down the list…thinking yes, we need that, we need that, until the very last line, and yes, I am all for that. Absolutely and 100%, ‘stay in power’. We must address all these issues head on too.

Posted by Joanne D January 2, 2019 at 9:48 am. From: CO (US)

Ordinarily I would go with Climate Change … because if we don’t but the brakes on that, we won’t have any human race to worry about voting rights or income inequality or anything else. But in this opposite world we are now living in, we have to confront a now deeply Republican establishment before we can effectively deal with even Climate Change – and some of those other things have to come first. So I am going to go, this time, with "Stay in Power" – with the caveat that we must address most of those other things in order to stay in power – and also that we need to not just STAY in power, but also to EXPAND our power in order to get this stuff done. (BTW, are health care and income inequality included under human rights, or was that an oversight?)

I intended this poll to teach a lesson. Many politicians take the attitude that they can do so much good, that they are justified in doing whatever it takes to stay in power. So I gave you a list of things that were so necessary that choosing between them was excessively difficult. And many of you chose to stay in power, without considering what you had to do to accomplish that. It’s an easy error. What if it’s doing corporate favors? What if it’s minor corruption? Eventually those things grow and overcome the good that politicians think they can do. So what’s the solution? Hidden in the list is ‘Pass Progressive Bills’. That’s how Democrats can accomplish everything else and stay in power too. That’s how I voted.

Please vote in the new poll.

RESIST!!

Animae Has Another BIG MOUTH! ;-)

Posted by TomCat at 11:37 am Blog News, Politics

Jan 282019

105-Animae

Slightly over one month ago, Animae won her very first Big Mouth Award. Now I suspect that she’s plotting to take the place over, because she already won another one!

Animae is a denizen of Care2, where she has followed us for over two years. She made a single comment here in the summer of 2016. After that, she was gone until April, 2018. Then she jumped in with both feet, started commenting every day, became a valuable member of our community, and won her first award in 12/18/2018. This new one came so fast that I have nothing new to say about her.

Animae lives upside down, as her feet are anchored in the land of Oz. She is a Buddhist, and believes in unconditional goodwill. She is an animal lover, and is also passionate about human rights. I thoroughly enjoy her sense of humor. She can’t stand the evils of the Republican Reich. Her comments are compassionate and insightful.

Please join me in offering Animae thanks and kudos for making Politics Plus a kinder place to be and for her determination to…

RESIST!!

Poll Results – 1/2/2019

Posted by TomCat at 12:36 pm Blog News, Politics

Jan 022019

0103Poll

Here are the results of our “What I’m Getting for Christmas” Poll. Politics Plus Polls are not scientific, because those who respond are not balanced according to demographic categories. Therefore, we do not accurately reflect the makeup of the US population. Nevertheless, our polls are usually factually accurate, and more often than not, they reflect thinking of the majority of those who actually do think.

And here on your comments:

Showing comments 1–10 of 10.

Posted by Vivian Birdwell December 30, 2018 at 12:58 pm. From: OK (US)

I’ve been so very good. But the presents are few and far between. But what I got was so FINE thanks to my sons!!

Posted by SoINeedAName December 18, 2018 at 10:23 am. From: MO (US)

I’ve been nice, but no presents for me. Decades ago our family decided we were just exchanging shopping lists. So now, instead, we just donate to a charity of choice. Well, except if there were little ones (there aren’t anymore.)

We all like it much better. So now it’s like Thanksgiving, but with flashier decorations.

Posted by Barb K. December 17, 2018 at 8:22 am. From: NC (US)

My Santa Sisters always get my presents from the animal rescue site. We end up giving over $100 every year. About my stocking; I have a purple stocking that almost never gets full. Maybe Santa doesn’t like purple! Tough luck, Santa! LOL

Posted by Nita L December 11, 2018 at 10:40 am. From: TX (US)

I’ve been nice but no presents for me but my kitty will get a present.

Posted by Barb K. in reply to Nita L December 17, 2018 at 8:28 am. From: NC (US)

Awe….how sweet!

Posted by fotini H. December 6, 2018 at 7:14 am. From: (GR)

I’ve been very, very nice too but I won’t get any present at all as no friends or relatives left for me in Greece. As Joanne D said “better luck in next life”!

Posted by Lona Goudswaard December 5, 2018 at 6:01 pm. From: (AU)

No option applicable, because no stockings in the middle of summer.

And I wouldn’t dare to admit to being naughty for fear of getting coal. ARGH. Isn’t it time to drop that option for PP devotees?

Posted by Barb K. in reply to Lona Goudswaard December 17, 2018 at 8:35 am. From: NC (US)

I’d give anything to be in Aussie Land with you, Lona! xxoo

Posted by Pat B December 5, 2018 at 10:55 am. From: TX (US)

We’re pinching pennies here, (after necessary home improvements), and we’ve decided one present for each other. But a wonderful Christmas dinner with all the fixin’s, as we’ve both been fairly well behaved, according to Santa’s long list. lol

Posted by Joanne D December 5, 2018 at 8:53 am. From: CO (US)

I’ve been very, very nice but I don’t expect anything in my stocking (except maybe my foot,) I’m allergic to wood smoke … so I have no chimney. Oh, well. Better luck in the next life.

I think I’ve been robbed. I was VERY naughty! Where was my silver? My gold? My jewels? My trophy mistress? Scheeeeesch!

On a serious note, the new poll is designed to make you think. You will want to say ‘all’ or ‘most’ of the choices, but I want you to pick just one, not as the only thing, but the single most important thing. Vote and enjoy!

RESIST!!

Animae Has a BIG Mouth! ;-)

Posted by TomCat at 12:02 pm Blog News, Politics

Dec 212018

104-Animae

It’s a very rare pleasure for me to bestow someone’s very first award. Animae is a denizen of Care2, where she has followed us for over two years. She made a single comment here in the summer of 2016. After that, she was gone until April, 2018. Then she jumped in with both feet, started commenting every day, and became a valuable member of our community.

Please join me in offering Animae thanks and kudos for making Politics Plus a kinder place to be and for her determination to…

RESIST!!

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