Open Thread–3/23/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 232020

It’s a tired day, here in the CatBox. WWWendy and I got a lot done yesterday. Tomorrow, please expect no more than a Personal Update from me, as I have an appointment with Evelyn, my Lead Oncologist, to further discuss my cancer treatment strategy. I’ll be gone all morning. OGIM! (Oh God It’s Monday!)

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:00 (average 5:15). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0323TrumpVirus

Coronavirus Cases: 35,079
Deaths: 458
Recovered: 178

0323TrumpVirusTests

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Hat-Tip Lona): Die Die Coronavirus (FoundersSing)

I would love to see that, but I have my doubts, because of the way criminal Fuhrer Trump* and Bought Bitch Midnight Moscow Mitch are fighting to use it for corporate welfare. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Senate Republicans were struggling to salvage a more than $1 trillion economic rescue package to respond to the coronavirus crisis when they got the message on Sunday afternoon: One of their own had been walking around the Capitol with Covid-19 for days as they debated how best to confront the rapidly spreading pandemic.

Senator Rand Paul had tested positive for the coronavirus, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, told fellow Republicans over lunch. It was the news that lawmakers had been dreading for weeks as they went about their travel- and handshake-heavy routines while the disease circulated around the country.

The news set off a frantic race to retrace the steps of Mr. Paul, who had continued to show up in the Senate — even using the private senators’ gym, where he swam laps in the pool on Sunday morning — until he received the results of his coronavirus test sometime after his workout.

It injected a potentially dangerous new element into the intense negotiation over a stabilization package to bolster the country’s health system and social safety net and to prop up an economy teetering on the brink of collapse.

What can we say? Idiot (Rand Paul), Son of Idiot (Ron Paul), Named after Idiot (Ayn Rand) is acting just like a Republican! RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Calling it a “promising development,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that alcohol may help people survive the most severe effects of coronavirus briefings.

Noting that millions of Americans have been exposed to the daily briefings of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Fauci said that he had voluntarily submitted to a preliminary trial of the alcohol-based therapy.

“What we have found is that a single dosage before the briefing and as much as a double dosage after the briefing do much to alleviate the most acute suffering,” Fauci said.

The esteemed virologist said that if Americans are able to administer additional doses during the briefings, “Consider yourself lucky.”

I don’t know, Andy. It would take a whole lot of doses, at least a fifth, to mask the effects of a briefing by criminal Fuhrer Trump*. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Herman’s Hermits – Wonderful World

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread–3/22/2020

Posted by TomCat at 9:19 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 222020

It’s a bush day here in the CatBox. I got a late start, because I overslept. WWWendy is in the way. I will probably have to finish this after my shower. This is my only article today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:09 (average e4:33). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0322TrumpVirus

Trump* virus Cases: 26,959

Deaths: 349

Recovered: 178

0321TrumpVirusTests

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Hat-Tip Alternet): Shocking video captures Trump supporter buying Dollar Tree store out of toilet paper

Is this greedy bitch typical of the Republican Reich or what? RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: In a new controversy ensnaring the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, forty per cent of the nation’s toilet-paper supply has been found in Senator Richard Burr’s garage.

The discovery of the coveted paper products occurred on Saturday morning, when Burr, who had been checking stock quotes on his phone, accidentally leaned against his garage-door opener.

The garage immediately disgorged the priceless cache of toilet paper, which tumbled into the street and snarled traffic for three blocks.

Picking through the mess, a sharp-eyed neighbor of Burr’s found a Costco receipt indicating that the senator had purchased the toilet paper in early January, shortly after he received classified information about the potential scope of the covid-19 pandemic.

Andy, Burr has a reasonable excuse. Most of us have small assholes, but Republicans’ assholes extend from the crowns of their heads to the soles of their feet and are both internal and external. That’s a lot to wipe! RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Ex-Labor secretary: Bail out families, not corporations

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich is right. The Reich on the right, the evil Republican Reich, wants to bail out criminal corporations. Bail out people. Corporations are NOT people! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): THE WHO – I Can See For Miles (1969)

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread–3/21/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:03 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 212020

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. I had trouble keeping breakfast down. I had to wait a couple hours to finish it. Tomorrow please expect no more that an Open Thread or a Personal Update, as WWWendy will be here to de-stink the vile TomCat, help with chores and parade in her Wonder Woman Wendy romper! Have a great weekend!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:32 (average 7:24). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0321TrumpVirus

19,823 cases

276 deaths

147 recovered

0321TrumpVirusTests

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Virus Scandal: Senators Accused Of Profiting Off Coronavirus Info

MSNBC was wrong not to include Diane Feinstein [DINO – CA]. It opens the network to charges of bias. More important, as a Democrat, I want to know when one of ours acts like a Republican. Di-Fi is a stinking DINO piece of shit and deserves the same treatment that Republicans get. If anything, we should be harder on her. Democrats to not applaud and encourage corruption, greed and hypocrisy from our representatives the way Republicans do. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Amid speculation that United States senators might soon be working remotely, Senator Richard Burr on Friday demanded guarantees that senators working from home will still have access to insider-trading tips.

Speaking from the well of the Senate, an impassioned Burr, a Republican from North Carolina, said that a “system needs to be put in place—not tomorrow, not next week, but today—to insure that senators receive the insider-trading information that is both our lifeblood and our birthright.”

Burr blasted the Obama Administration for not establishing contingency plans to safeguard the steady flow of stock tips to U.S. senators in the event of a pandemic, nuclear war, or asteroid strike.

Why am I not surprised, Andy? This is straight news, isn’t it? RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Trump rants at reporter asking about scared Americans

Of course it’s normal for people to be scared. A real President would offer comfort and support. Criminal Fuhrer Trump* is NOT a real President! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Righteous Brothers – Soul and Inspiration

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread–3/20/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:30 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 202020

It’s a tired day, here in the CatBox. Store to Door came late yesterday, and Andy was not allowed to enter the CatBox, due to Trump* virus precautions, so I had to take the order to my bed from the hallway a bag at a time. Then I unloaded the bags and stowed the items. I loved the Quaker Instant Oatmeal with Maple and Brown Sugar I had for breakfast. I spiked it with Maple Syrup. For lunch I’m having cashew butter and crackers. My computer crashed, when I was in the middle of research this morning, so I’m running late. It’s my fault. I overloaded it. TGIF!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:40 (average 5:21). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0320TrumpVirus

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Trump* virus Updates, Corporate Bailouts and the Stimulus Package

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich is right. The Families First Bill, mostly from Democrats, does good things. It’s a good first step, but it’s just a drop in the bucket. The Reich on the Right. The deplorable Reich on the right, the Republican Reich, wants to feign beneficence by giving citizens $1,200 each, but $1,200 won’t cover a month’s expenses in a multi-month crisis. Worse yet, the Republican plan gives only $600 to poor families. Republicans also want to give a $multi-billion bailout in corporate welfare. But greedy corporations just got one in the Republican Tax Scam of 2017. Not one penny more! The best thing we can do for the Republican Reich is to flush them all! RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Determined to address the “No. 1 concern of the American people during the coronavirus crisis,” Fox News Channel announced on Thursday that it would air a three-part prime-time series on Hunter Biden.

The series, to be he co-hosted by Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Rudy Giuliani, will attempt to soothe the anxieties of Fox viewers who have suddenly been plunged into uncertainty about the activities of Joe Biden’s son.

“People are trapped inside their homes, they’re worried, they’re scared, and they don’t know where to turn for accurate information about Hunter Biden,” Hannity said. “We’re here to fill that need.”

Giuliani said that the three-part series was necessary because “the deep state” had limited Americans’ access to essential Hunter Biden facts during the pandemic crisis.

“If you go on the C.D.C. Web site, you won’t find a single mention of Hunter Biden, Burisma, or CrowdStrike,” Giuliani said. “It’s a disgrace.”

Dang, Andy! Isn’t that exactly what we should expect from the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise? RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Traces of love

Ah… The Memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread–3/18/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:28 am Open Thread, Politics

Mar 182020

It’s a hectic day here in the CatBox, as I try to get my head around the notion that my cancer is stage IV and metastatic, and that I’m very likely to die, before a year is up. I see Evelyn (my Oncologist) again next Tuesday. If my cancer tests amenable to immunotherapy, I’ll go that route. Evelyn wonders whether I can handle chemo. It causes severe Republicosis, and if it hits after I’m in bed, the time it takes to get my leg on and get to the throne is likely to be too long to hold it. I’ll need to do a pain/problem/benefit analysis and decide if the time is worth the decreased quality of life. I will be getting radiation for my spine. She also gave me liquid Oxycodone. Tonight is a WWWendy night. She was very upset to learn of this. Happy Hump Day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:27 (average 4:59). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0318TrumpVirus

0318TrumpVirusTesting

Short Takes:

From Alternet: As nations around the world buckle down amid coronavirus outbreaks, approaches to isolation and social distancing are inconsistent, at best, in the United States. While some cities and states are implementing bans on restaurants and bars staying open and capping the number of people in a space, some groups are moving forward with, ahem, business as usual. One example from last Sunday morning? Pastor Guillermo Maldonado, of King Jesus International Ministry, a megachurch in Kendall, Florida, encouraged his congregation to keep coming to service, downplaying concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, as reported by the Miami Herald.

“Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus? Of course not,” Maldonado, a Trump supporter, said to his congregation, as reported by the outlet.

“This service is usually packed. So now they’re home in a cave afraid of the virus, that you want to transmit the virus,” Maldonado continued. The Herald noted the venue “appeared half empty…

…“If we die, we die for Christ,” Maldonado told parishioners. “If we live, we live for Christ, so what do you lose?”

The Jesus that I worship does not call us to be this stupid. I hate to say it, but this is an appropriate strategy for Republicans only! RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump has tested negative for empathy, the White House doctor confirmed on Monday.

In an official statement, Dr. Sean Conley said that Trump submitted to the empathy test even though, in the physician’s opinion, “it was not really necessary.”

“I expected him to test negative,” Conley said. “Empathy-wise, he has been entirely asymptomatic.”

The White House doctor attributed Trump’s empathy-free status to his established practice of social distancing from anyone showing even the faintest sign of compassion, kindness, or humanity.

Dang, Andy! I have zero trouble believing that! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Association – Windy (1967 Ravinia Festival – Highland Park IL )

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread–3/10/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:57 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 102020

It’s a difficult day here in the CatBox. I get topo impatient to spend 90 – 120 minutes eating a meal, and I eat too much too fast. As a result, it took me 210 minutes to eat breakfast, half of it ended up in the sink, and I have severe heartburn. On the plus side, I enjoyed my time with my friend yesterday. For news on my cancer, see yesterday’s Open thread, if you missed it.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:24 (average 4:31). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Irate passengers who have been stranded onboard the Grand Princess cruise ship are demanding to be housed at Mar-a-Lago, the passengers confirmed on Monday.

Frustrated by the Trump Administration’s delay in devising a plan to enable them to disembark, the nearly three thousand coronavirus-exposed passengers said that it was “only fair” that Trump welcome them to his Palm Beach home.

“Donald Trump keeps on saying that he’s not worried about coronavirus,” the passengers’ spokesman said. “Then he shouldn’t object to three thousand of us living with him.”

Andy, I’ll agree under two conditions. First, only people who have tested positive should go. Second, if Trump* is not there, they should be taken to wherever he is. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Robert Reich: Will Donald Trump Get Reelected?

Sadly, the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. There’s nothing too dishonest, despicable, or deplorable for the Reich on the right, the Republican Reich, and their Russian allies, to do to keep their criminal Fuhrer Trump* in power. We must unite behind whoever wins the Democratic nomination and flush the Fascist Republican Reich to oblivion! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Ode to Billie Joe – Bobbie Gentry (BBC Live 1968)

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread–3/7/2020

Posted by TomCat at 9:40 am Open Thread, Politics

Mar 072020

It’s a hectic day here in the CatBox. I had trouble holding my supper down last night, but it was my fault. I became distracted by the news on TV and ate too much too fast. That will do me in every time. I received the results from my PET Scan last night, but I could not understand a damn thing about what they mean. Therefore I sent them to Dr. Nameless in email, and hopefully he can tell us more. Please expect short days from me on both Sunday and Monday. Tomorrow is a WWWendy day, with all the attendant de-stinking and chores. On Monday, I’m going out for a drive with Sandi, a good friend for 35 years with whom I have made hundreds of trips to the prison for volunteer work. She is also a cancer survivor. I should be fully back in the saddle on Tuesday. Have a wonderful weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:15 (average 4:56). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

They are building a National Socialist Reich to do that very thing!

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Trump Praises Coronavirus Response As Cases Rack Up And Markets Spiral

Criminal Fuhrer* Trump and the Republican Reich don’t give a damn about the 3,500 Americans trapped on that ship. He only cares about keeping his “numbers” low. Earth to asshole… come in! Your numbers are going way up, anyway. But he told the truth about one thing: that he should have become a medical expert instead of running for President. AMEN! If only he had done ANYTHING, other than running for President! RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Senator Susan Collins, of Maine, has not decided whether she will wash her hands in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Collins confirmed on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Collins said that she was “deeply troubled” by the behavior of the covid-19 virus.

“The behavior of the coronavirus is, to me, profoundly disturbing,” she said. “Whether it rises to the level of something I should respond to by washing my hands is a question I am devoting a great deal of thought to right now.”

Dang, Andy, I have an idea! Until she makes up her mind, she should go live on the cruise ship her criminal Fuhrer Trump* refuses to rescue. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Three Dog Night “One”

Ah… the memories. RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread–3/6/2020

Posted by TomCat at 9:37 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 062020

It’s a tired day here in the CatBox. It has been so muggy that I have slept poorly. The powdered pills in apple sauce is working well, as long as I add a Splenda packet. Thank God it’s Friday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:10 (average 4:54). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: As former Vice President Joe Biden won state after state on Tuesday night, the accusations flew: The Establishment stole the election from Sen. Bernie Sanders. Former rival and current campaign surrogate Marianne Williamson called it “a coup,” in a now-deleted tweet. Another prominent Sanders booster said the “party brass” “wants to foist Biden on the party.” This disrespect for voters needs to stop.

It’s pretty clear that large chunks of the Democratic establishment, however you define it, didn’t want to see Bernie win. But whatever those chunks of that establishment did to block him wasn’t done in some back room conspiracy. It was done out in the open by the most basic, routine of means: in the wake of a big win in South Carolina that suggested Biden was the strongest non-Bernie candidate, two of his competitors dropped out and endorsed him. Some other prominent people endorsed him. And then the voters in 14 states had their say, and it wasn’t good for Sanders—and the fact that that’s all it took to give Biden a surge of this magnitude is something that all of us who were supporting other candidates have to reckon with, seriously.

The real engine for Biden’s comeback was built from voters. That started with the overwhelmingly black voters of South Carolina—people too many Sanders supporters have been eager to dismiss and denigrate, now as in 2016, but certainly not billionaires buying an election or shadowy operatives rigging, well, anything—but it didn’t stop there. While Sanders had built admirable strength among Latino voters and younger voters, he didn’t expand his support enough.

I have to agree with this author with one caveat. What drove voters on Super Tuesday to what they considered a “safe” choice is fear of a Trump second term far too intense to take a chance the more beneficial, but more radical policies of Bernie and Liz. Furthermore, Bernie has done little to broaden his base beyond the coalition that he lost with in 2016, so even though I support him, now that Liz has withdrawn, I do not consider him the likely nominee. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: A resident of Washington, D.C., has been identified as the source of the community spread of coronavirus misinformation throughout the United States.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that the man had ignored the advice of public-health experts and spewed a toxic strain of ignorance, potentially infecting millions.

The man, believed to be a fact-resistant organism, travelled last week to South Carolina, where he came in contact with thousands of people who, as a result of community spread, now believe that coronavirus is a hoax.

The epidemic of cluelessness expanded last night, when the man called in to a Fox News television program to encourage people with coronavirus to go to work rather than stay at home, as scientists have urged.

Andy is reporting straight news again. Would anyone like to guess the identity of this idiot? RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Shirelles Will you still love me tomorrow (Top Quality + Lyrics)

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

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