Open Thread–12/28/2011

 Posted by at 12:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Plus, Politics
Dec 282011
 

Yesterday I caught up my email, did some paperwork, and set up  couple improvements here that I shall announce over the weekend.  I’m current with replies.  Today is another catch up day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:20 (average 4:27).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Fantasy Football Report:

Here are the results of the playoff semifinals in Lefty Blog Friends.

28LBF

I think Dusty’s score is the highest of the year.  Next week is the finals, and I will be playing for 5th place. 🙁

Short Takes:

From Current: Keith and Chris Harris, a reporter with The Record (Bergen County, N.J.), discuss conservative blogger Nadia Naffe’s civil claim against O’Keefe. She is accusing the controversial journalist of sexual harassment — including intimidating calls and messages — after an incident at his parents’ home in New Jersey when she refused to be involved in an upcoming hidden-camera sting on Occupy Wall Street for his “To Catch a Journalist” series.

 

It’s a shame they could not get this creep on criminal charges.

From The Nation: In short, you don’t even need to think about Paul’s bizarre right-wing economic views to find him unacceptable.

You can watch the John Birch video from 1990 here:

 

That’s right.  The feature performer in this insane Bircher documentary was Ron Paul.

From NY Times: Iran issued a blunt warning on Tuesday that it would block the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit point, if Western powers attempt to impose an embargo on Iranian petroleum exports in their campaign to isolate the country over its suspect nuclear energy program.

I would hope this is an empty threat, but if Iran actually moves to block the Strait of Hormuz, I see no alternative to stopping it militarily.

Cartoon:

28Cartoon

Share

Can You Pass a Citizenship Test?

 Posted by at 12:01 am  Plus
Nov 282011
 

 

28US-Citizenship-Test

Because it’s a slow-news holiday weekend, I can bring you another plus that would normally fall through the cracks, due to more pressing news.  To pass the test to become a US citizen, applicants must answer at least six of ten questions, chosen at random from a base of 96 questions.  I’m, confident that few, if any, of the Republican candidates for President could pass. Here are the 64 questions.  Taking the test will take a while, because it explains the correct answer after each question.  I took it and answered 95 correctly.  Have fun!!

You can take the test at Christian Science Monitor.

On that 96th question, I actually knew the answer, but chose that Canadians, not Africans, were the group enslaved prior to the Civil War.  I couldn’t help myself.  I’ve always wanted to own a Canadian. 😉

Share

Charlie Brown ala GOP

 Posted by at 12:03 am  Plus, Politics
Nov 262011
 

One of the good things about slow news holiday weekends is that I get an opportunity to share some humor that would normally be crowded out by more important matters, like this clip from Jimmy Kimmel.

26charliebrownGOPdebate-screen

…So finding a clip that simultaneously hits notes of spirited political discourse and Thanksgiving cheer (basted with a healthy dose of pastiche nostalgia) is something of a holiday miracle…

Inserted from <Mediaite>

 

It’s amazing how much like cartoon characters they really are.

Share

Thanksgiving: A Time to be Humble

 Posted by at 12:23 am  Holiday, Personal, Plus
Nov 242011
 

Thanksgiving2

Thanksgiving may be a uniquely American holiday, but it is not without controversy, because the mythology I learned as a child has little to do with the real history of the day and the genocide of Native American people that followed.  I have several Native American friends and respect both those who celebrate the day and those who do not.   I think at least we should explore the true history with humility and recognition of the contributions of Native American people and the terrible price they paid for their generosity, without which the US may have never existed.

24thanks…The decision to celebrate Thanksgiving divides even Native Americans. Nearly 10 years ago, Jacqueline Keeler wrote a widely circulated editorial about why she, a member of the Dineh Nation and Yankton Dakota Sioux, celebrates the holiday. For one, Keeler views herself as “a very select group of survivors.” The fact that Natives managed to survive mass murder, forced relocation, theft of land and other injustices “with our ability to share and to give intact” gives Keeler hope that healing is possible.

In her essay, Keeler makes it clear that she takes issue with how one-dimensionally Natives are portrayed in commercialized Thanksgiving celebrations. The Thanksgiving she recognizes is a revisionist one. She explains:

“These were not merely ‘friendly Indians.’ They had already experienced European slave traders raiding their villages for a hundred years or so, and they were wary—but it was their way to give freely to those who had nothing. Among many of our peoples, showing that you can give without holding back is the way to earn respect.”

Award-winning author Sherman Alexie, who is Spokane and Coeur d’alene, also celebrates Thanksgiving by recognizing the contributions the Wampanoag people made to the Pilgrims. Asked in a Sadie Magazine interview if he celebrates the holiday, Alexie humorously answered:

“We live up to the spirit of Thanksgiving cuz we invite all of our most desperately lonely white [friends] to come eat with us. We always end up with the recently broken up, the recently divorced, the brokenhearted. From the very beginning, Indians have been taking care of brokenhearted white people. …We just extend that tradition.”

If we’re to follow Keeler and Alexie’s lead, Thanksgiving should be celebrated by highlighting the contributions and sacrifices made by the Wampanoag. All too often Thanksgiving is celebrated from a Eurocentric point of view… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <About.com>

In addition, I think it important that treat Thanksgiving as a day to be humble and to recognize our duty to care for those who cannot care for themselves, as the Wampanoag people did.

My friends, I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and give thanks for each of you.

Share

Veterans Day

 Posted by at 8:02 am  Plus, Politics
Nov 112011
 

VeteransDay2011

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <VA>

Thanks to all who served, and especially to those that serve us still through your participation in the 99% Movement.

Share

Open Thread–11/2/2011

 Posted by at 12:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Plus, Politics
Nov 022011
 

Yesterday I spent most of my free time collecting the data for today’s Monthly Report.  In addition, I did housework, prepared a keyboard for RMA, and catching up on business on the phone.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow I’ll be home most of the day waiting for an O2 delivery and a UPS pickup.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:08 (average 4:49).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Fantasy Football Report:

Here’s the latest from out fantasy football league, Lefty Blog Friends.

Scores:

TomCat Teabag Trashers

hugos renegades

113.50

100.66

ManOnDogSantorum

Playing without a helmet

33.90

109.56

Texans Will Rise Again

Progressive Underdogs

48.86

116.22

Standings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Points

 

Rank

Team Name

W-L-T

Pct

Streak

Waiver

For

Against

1 (1)

Progressive Underdogs

7-1-0

.875

W3

6

968.66

805.76

2 (2)

ManOnDogSantorum

5-3-0

.625

L1

5

902.44

825.44

3 (3)

TomCat Teabag Trashers

4-4-0

.500

W2

4

959.00

875.48

4 (4)

hugos renegades

4-4-0

.500

L2

3

916.34

877.16

5 (5)

Playing without a helmet

4-4-0

.500

W1

2

857.24

822.98

6 (6)

Texans Will Rise Again

0-8-0

.000

L8

1

613.88

1010.74

I’m coming up in the world.

Short Takes:

From Reuters: After Oakland emerged as a new center for the Occupy Wall Street movement — largely because an Iraq war veteran was seriously injured in a clash with police — local protest leaders decided on a tactic with a storied history in the city: a general strike.

The strike, scheduled for Wednesday, aims to disrupt commerce, with a special focus on banks and other symbols of corporate America. Protesters will also try to shut the city’s port, one of the nation’s largest, in the late afternoon.

Local labor leaders, although generally sympathetic to the Occupy movement, say their contracts prohibit them from proclaiming an official strike. City officials say government offices are scheduled to be open; it’s unclear whether many businesses will heed the call to close down for the day.

I fear that they may have called a general strike too soon to get the participation needed to be effective.  Nevertheless, I support them 100% and pray that I have to admit I was wrong.

From Think Progress: A favorite conservative pastime since the financial crisis of 2008 struck is to try and deflect blame away from Wall Street and its excesses and onto Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and government housing policy. No matter how many times the theory that the government mortgage giants caused the crisis gets debunked, it keeps on coming back to life.

The latest political figure to join this parade was New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), who responded to a question about the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests by saying that the protesters’ grievances are “unfounded,” since “it was not the banks that created the mortgage crisis“.

Horse feathers!  What are we supposed to think, that the mortgage crisis was caused by Obama’s great-great-great grandparents’ Kenyan conspiracy, hatched before the South won the war?

From AP/Google: Canada is joining the U.S. in cutting off funding for the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO because it approved a Palestinian bid for full membership.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Tuesday the decision is not in the best interests of peace in the Middle East, so Canada is freezing all future voluntary contributions to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Canada contributes about $10 million a year to the agency.

Canada is supposed to follow the the US when we do something right, not when we screw up, big time!

Cartoon:

2Cartoon

Share
 Older Entries  Newer Entries