Open Thread – 1/3/2021

 Posted by at 11:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 032021
 

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox.  I’ve had a ton of beginning-of-the-year file keeping to do.  It the past, I’ve planned for and done most of it well in advance, but this year, I was not supposed to need it.  I’m caught up on most of it.  For the first time in my life, I won’t bitch about paperwork.  Today is a Holy Day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  My Broncos are playing the Raiders in their last game.  Of course it’s not televised here.  Tomorrow please expect no more than a brief Personal Update.  It’s a WWWendy day, and she’s coming earlier in the morning than usual because of her schedule.  May the Holy Orb shine its blessed light on your team, unless they raid lost wages.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:24 (average 5:11).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: One of the criticisms of former President Barack Obama in his first term was a lack of focus on judicial nominations, letting many vacancies go unfilled even while Democrats held the Senate. President-elect Joe Biden learned the consequences of letting nominations languish and is already on it, contacting Democratic senators to get their recommendations for judicial candidates. And not for just any good candidates: for the kinds of judges that have been lacking in the federal judiciary.

“With respect to U.S. District Court positions, we are particularly focused on nominating individuals whose legal experiences have been historically underrepresented on the federal bench, including those who are public defenders, civil rights and legal aid attorneys, and those who represent Americans in every walk of life,” reads a Dec. 22 letter obtained by HuffPost from incoming White House counsel Dana Remus to Democratic senators. Remus continued that Biden doesn’t just want those names for a list for potential nominees, he wants recommendations—as soon as possible and with a final deadline of Jan. 19—for any existing district court vacancies. That sets him up to get those nominations rolling literally on Day One, Jan. 20. Additionally, Remus told senators that Biden will expect nomination recommendations from them “within 45 days of any new vacancy being announced, so that we can expeditiously consider your recommendations.”

I am pleased to see and do support the areas in which Joe wants to focus with respect to fixing the judiciary. However, without both GA Senate seat wins, it’s meaningless, given the smug smirk of Blatant Bought Bitch Midnight Moscow Mitch.  RESIST!!

From NY Times: Vice President Mike Pence signaled support on Saturday for a futile Republican bid to overturn the election in Congress next week, after 11 Republican senators and senators-elect said that they would vote to reject President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory when the House and Senate meet to formally certify it.

The announcement by the senators — and Mr. Pence’s move to endorse it — reflected a groundswell among Republicans to defy the unambiguous results of the election and indulge President Trump’s attempts to remain in power with false claims of voting fraud.

Every state in the country has certified the election results after verifying their accuracy, many following postelection audits or hand counts. Judges across the country, and a Supreme Court with a conservative majority, have rejected nearly 60 attempts by Mr. Trump and his allies to challenge the results.

And neither Mr. Pence nor any of the senators who said they would vote to invalidate the election has made a specific allegation of fraud, instead offering vague suggestions that some wrongdoing might have occurred and asserting that many of their supporters believe that it has.

The senators’ opposition to certifying Mr. Biden’s election will not change the outcome. But it guarantees that what would normally be a perfunctory session on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to ratify the results of the presidential election will instead become a partisan brawl, in which Republicans amplify specious claims of widespread election rigging that have been debunked and dismissed for weeks even as Mr. Trump has stoked them.

I suppose the fly got away with whatever gray matter that evil Republican Vice Fuhrer Pence used to have. Stay tuned. Wednesday is going to be a zoo, and I’ll be following it closely.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Jefferson Airplane – Somebody to love

Ah… the memories.  If they had ruined the beautiful music quality, if they had changed the weed in the clip to Clorox, and if they had changed “love” to “hate, this would have become the Republican theme song.  RESIST!!

16 Days Until the Big FLUSH!!

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Open Thread – 12/9/2020

 Posted by at 10:56 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 092020
 

It’s a lazy day here in the CatBox.  I did my research and rested for an hour and a half for my back.  Tomorrow I’ll be in the saddle, but it will be a grocery delivery day.  Happy Hump Day!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:32 (average 5:51).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: Dr. Rebekah Jones built her own COVID-19 dashboard to track Florida infections and deaths after being fired for accurately reporting that data as part of her job with the state.

Since then, she’s been reporting COVID stats on her own from her own hardware in her own home. Until today. (WARNING: The video in her first tweet is triggering):

 

She is guilty of truth-telling. If the Republican Reich is not destroyed, they will continue to fight to make opposition to Republican lies a capital offense.  RESIST!!

From NPR: The federal government on Monday released detailed hospital-level data showing the toll COVID-19 is taking on health care facilities, including how many inpatient and ICU beds are available on a weekly basis.

Using an analysis from the University of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project, NPR has created a tool that allows you to see how your local hospital and your county overall are faring. (Jump to look-up tool.)

It focuses on one important metric — how many beds are filled with COVID-19 patients — and shows this for each hospital and on average for each county.

This is a handy tool. Click “(Jump to look-up tool.)” above to use it.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): The Biden Administration: Who Will Hold the Power?

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right, and in this case, most informative!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Chris Hayes: The Rot Won’t Go Away With Trump

Of course you know that I’ve been saying this for years. Trump is not the cause of the National Socialism in the Republican Reich. He is the reflection of it. They are turning on him now, because he is a scapegoat to blame for who they are and what they have done. The only you to make the rot go away is to destroy the Republican Party.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of Christmas): Nat King Cole – Away in a Manger

I pray this season brings peace and beauty to you and yours whether or not you celebrate Christmas.  HUGS!!

41 Days Until the Big FLUSH!!

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Open Thread – 11/30/2020

 Posted by at 8:42 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 302020
 

It’s a tired day here in the CatBox.  I should be laying down to rest my back, but Deborah, my Providence Home Health Doctor is due in an hour for a routine checkup.  My back is already hurting severely.  WWWendy and I had a fine dinner yesterday (see below). Oh God it’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:26 (average 5:31).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Thanksgiving Dinner:

1129Tgiving

Religious Agony:

1129Broncos3-Saints31

They might have done better. if criminal Fuhrer Satan* had not attacked their QBs with his plague.

Short Takes:

From NY Times: President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. twisted his ankle playing with one of his dogs over the holiday weekend, an injury that his doctor said on Sunday resulted in hairline fractures in his foot that would most likely require him to wear a walking boot for several weeks.

Although initial X-rays showed no obvious fracture, a “follow-up CT scan confirmed hairline (small) fractures of President-elect Biden’s lateral and intermediate cuneiform bones, which are in the midfoot,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the director of executive medicine at GW Medical Faculty Associates, said in a statement distributed by Mr. Biden’s office.

This is, in my opinion, President-elect Biden’s first major political blunder. He should NOT have been playing with a dawg. A DemoCAT is where his play should be AT!!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Biden announces all-female communications team, diverse economic team

 

I like these choices. More women and more women of color add diversity where it is badly needed. The only diversity in the Fifth Reich was spreading influence between Banksters, Nazis, KKK, Homophobes, Misogynists, Koch Suckers, and White Supremacists!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast for the planet): Julian Lennon – Saltwater (1991)

 

Never since has this song been more appropriate. RESIST!!

50 Days Until the Big FLUSH!!

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Open Thread – 11/24/2020

 Posted by at 11:32 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 242020
 

It’s a very tired day here in the CatBox.  Yesterday’s trip it the Oncologist was a disaster.  When we got there, they pulled us back into an examining room.  The nurse told us my chart had been flagged that I might have been exposed to Trump* virus and needed to be isolated.  They said someone would be “right in” to explain.  The assistant I was scheduled to see that is pregnant, and they would not send her into the room with me.  Not knowing that, I sat in ever-increasing pain for well over an two hours.  Nurses asked occasional questions through the door.  They finally determined that the flag must have been in error, and the pregnant assistant came in.  She said she didn’t understand what had happened, because they had never seen a chart with that flag before.   WWWendy would have been unable to wait the additional three hours, and I was in too much pain to stay, so we rescheduled for next month.  The assistant sent me a “my chart” message explaining the mistake.  The hospital decided to routinely flag the charts of app patients who have been tested for Trump* virus, but they neglected to inform the Oncology office of that policy.  Because my chart was their first time to see the flag, they didn’t know how to handle it.  They apologized.  I bet Nameless has a collection of similar hospital horror stories.  In any event, the pizza is magnificent.  Tuesday is Flush Your Republicans Day.  Hold that lid tight!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:15 (average 5:29).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From NY Times: President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. plans to name Janet L. Yellen as Treasury secretary, a nomination that would put a woman in charge of the Treasury for the first time in its 231-year history.

The expected appointment came as Mr. Biden moved to fill other top cabinet roles, selecting Alejandro Mayorkas as the first Latino to lead the Department of Homeland Security and Avril Haines as the first woman to be the director of national intelligence.

Mr. Biden is also expected to create a new post of international climate envoy and tap John Kerry, a former secretary of state who was a chief negotiator for the United States on the Paris climate change accord.

In choosing Ms. Yellen, who was also the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, Mr. Biden is turning to a renowned labor economist at a moment of high unemployment, when millions of Americans remain out of work and the economy continues to struggle from the coronavirus.

Overall, these are good picks, although there are some I would have preferred that are more progressive. I like Yellen, and Kerry is a solid environmentalist. I need to learn more about the others.  RESIST!!

From Alternet: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is expected to step down in the next Congressional session following stark criticism from progressive lawmakers due to her handling of U.S Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings.

Multiple people close to the situation confirmed Feinstein’s plans to Politico, and she later released a statement confirming her intent. Although she will be stepping away from the judiciary committee, she did note that she will be working with the Biden administration and will continue to serve on other committees.

“After serving as the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee for four years, I will not seek the chairmanship or ranking member position in the next Congress,” the California Democrat said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to serve as a senior Democrat on the Judiciary, Intelligence, Appropriations and Rules committees as we work with the Biden administration.”

That’s good news for the Judiciary Committee. I’d like to see DINO DiFi head the Senate Washroom committee.  RESIST!!

Frio YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Trump Administration Officially Authorizes Biden Transition

 

This is the best news we’ve heard since Biden passed 270. I think Trump* has actually given up.  He is playing at fighting the results at this point, because he’s realized that fight is a far more profitable method of Sheeple-fleecing than Trump U or Trump Steaks ever were.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast for the planet): Bad Moon Rising

 

They were most prescient to understand so many years ago the climate tragedy we face today. Pray that Kerry’s leadership will help bring Good Moon times.  RESIST!!

56 Days Until the Big FLUSH!!

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Open Thread – 11/21/2020

 Posted by at 11:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 212020
 

It’s a tired day here in the CatBox, but I am eating well.  Tomorrow is a Holy Day in the Church Of the Ellipsoid Orb.  My Broncos will be playing the Dolphins, but the game won’t be televised here.  On Monday I have my Oncologist appointment, my infusion at the hospital, and a full WWWendy Day, so tomorrow I want to get as much rest as I can in preparation.  Because Trump* is circling the drain, Saturday had become CATurday again,  Happy CATurday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:49 (average 4:38).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Compared to Trump*, Nixon’s crimes are chicken feed.

Short Takes:

From NY Times: A coalition of Democrats, Native Americans and liberal activists is urging President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to nominate one of Congress’s first Native American women to head the Interior Department, putting an American Indian in control of vast swaths of the continent and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The nomination of Representative Deb Haaland, Democrat of New Mexico, as Interior secretary would have undeniable symbolic power. If confirmed, a Native American for the first time would oversee 500 million acres of public lands, including national parks, oil and gas drilling sites, and endangered species habitat, and control the federal agencies most responsible for the well-being of the nation’s 1.9 million Indigenous people.

Ms Haaland and Sharice Davids of Kansas made history in 2018 as the first two Native American women elected to Congress, and Ms. Haaland would do so again as the first Native American cabinet secretary. But her lack of policy experience worries some Biden advisers, who have suggested another Native American candidate: Michael L. Connor, a deputy Interior secretary in the Obama administration, whose experience is unquestioned, even if he lacks the star power of Ms. Haaland.

I think filling that position with a Native American is a great idea and that either Haaland or Connor would be an excellent choice for the post.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Lawrence O’Donnell Thanks Rachel Maddow For Her Powerful Covid-19 Message

 

Rachel Maddow has been a Godsend to all Americans who love this nation. This is the first time I learned that her partner, Susan, had almost died from Trump* virus. Both are in my thoughts and prayers with thanks that Susan survived. Please join me!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast for our earth): Buffy Sainte Marie – No No Keshagesh

 

Listen to Buffy! The time to stop Republicating our earth and Build Back Better is NOW!  RESIST!!

59 Days Until the Big FLUSH!!

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Open Thread – 11/14/2020

 Posted by at 11:42 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 142020
 

It’s a busy day here in The CatBox.  WWWendy is coming, and so is a notary for my will.  I have no more news on Nameless as I slept all afternoon and night.  He hasn’t replied yet today.  Tomorrow my schedule is up in the air, as I have a video meeting with former prison volunteers and prisoners.  Have a great weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:39 (average 5:18).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: In an interview with VICE News Tonight on Wednesday, two members of the grand jury investigating Breonna Taylor’s fatal shooting by Lousiville, Kentucky, police shared why they decided to speak up and describe how the proceedings took place. “I needed Breonna’s mom and the community to know that it wasn’t the grand jury that made this decision. It was Daniel Cameron and his office,” one of the jurors said. Both requested to remain anonymous. “Puppets, we were used as puppets,” the second juror said. “They thought we were just gonna do exactly what they told us to do. Keep our mouths closed and just vote on this and walk out of that room, and it didn’t happen that way.”

The two jurors in the Taylor grand jury first spoke up last month against the lies Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron told throughout the investigation and trial. Cameron claimed that the grand jurors in the case agreed that officers involved were justified, and announced as a result that no charges would be pursued against the Louisville Metro Police officers who killed Taylor during a botched no-knock warrant execution.

Following the announcement, an anonymous juror identified as “Grand Juror #1” by attorney Kevin Glogower said that the grand jury not only disagreed that certain actions taken by the police that night were justified, but that it was never given the opportunity to indict any officer for homicide.

“I came out of my chair and said he just lied,” Juror #1 told VICE on how he responded to the announcement of no charges. He then filed a motion to allow the 12 jurors to speak publicly about what happened during the trial. In a rare incident of grand jury records being made public, a judge ruled that records could be released in order for jury panelists to speak publicly about the case, Daily Kos reported. Days after the motion was approved, a second juror confirmed Juror #1’s statement that charges to consider were limited.

Both jurors spoke to VICE Media Wednesday to give some insight into how the trial took place; one even brought a notebook with notes taken during the trial. His notes depicted not only how he responded to the evidence presented, but how he processed it, giving a glimpse into how the jurors were thinking during the trial.

If the DA in any grand jury case decides he wants to keep a grand jury from indicting a ham sandwich as non-kosher, he can claim that he went to a kosher deli for a ham and cheese. It’s really that easy, because that’s the only evidence they hear. The only reason the cops weren’t indicted is to help Republican police cover-up the murder they committed.  RESIST!!

From Willamette Week: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s chief of staff Nik Blosser is leaving her office to join the transition team for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

In his new role on the Biden-Harris transition team, Blosser will serve as the state lead in the intergovernmental affairs office. Brown says Blosser’s early and continued involvement in the pandemic response gives him “a unique understanding of the needs of Americans suffering from COVID-19 and the needs of the communities they live in.”

“I am heartened that President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris and their transition team have selected Nik for this important role,” Brown said in a statement Thursday. “He has my full support, and I am confident he will help President-elect Biden and his team support states in their approach to this crisis and the long recovery that will follow.

Joe and Kamala have gotten themselves one thoroughly qualified staffer in Blosser. Oregon leads the way!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast for Women’s Rights): The Most Perfect Album | Dolly Parton | 19th Amendment

 

Full equality for women is certainly long overdue. They would have equality if Republicans did not demand they be kept barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen and owned. I just hope Dolly doesn’t burn her bra in protest. The fire department might not be able to put it out.  RESIST!!

66 Days Until the FLUSH!!

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