Open Thread – 1/14/2020

Posted by TomCat at 8:49 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 142020

It’s an easier day here in the CatBox, but they don’t get much harder than yesterday. Breakfast was touch and go, but I managed to keep everything down since yesterday. I hope you all have a great day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:33 (average 5:28). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Should we upgrade that charge to treason?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: In a positive sign for the former New York mayor, a new poll indicates that an increasing number of Americans would vote for Michael Bloomberg if that would make him stop airing campaign ads.

The poll found that sixteen per cent of those surveyed were “somewhat likely” to vote for Bloomberg if that would convince him to stop airing ads, twenty-one per cent were “very likely” to do so for that reason, and a whopping thirty-three per cent “strongly agreed” with the statement “Seriously, I’ll do whatever he wants—please, just make them stop right now.”

By contrast, only eight per cent said that they would vote for Bloomberg’s fellow-billionaire Tom Steyer if that would make Steyer stop airing his ads.

At Bloomberg campaign headquarters, in New York, the campaign’s chief strategist, Harland Dorrinson, said that the poll numbers made it clear that “Mike’s ads are having exactly their desired effect.”

Dang Andy! If I had a nickel for every time I’ve tuned out a Bloomberg ad, we could both retire! RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Sources: Bernie Sanders told Elizabeth Warren that a woman couldn’t win

The “Bernie Bros” should not be attacking Liz. They should be attacking Trump*. Bernie owes Liz an apology for some of his followers’ Republican-like, anti-progressive behavior, and he needs to muzzle his troops. CNN is useless for their insistence on equalizing both sides! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Psychotic Reaction

Is this an advance reaction to today’s Republican Reich? Ah… the memories!! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Samantha Bee: Make Voting Fair Again

Posted by TomCat at 9:04 am Politics

Jan 092020

The Republican Reich is an ever shrinking minority party. They get votes from the voters they represent: billionaires, Corporate Criminals, racists, religious bigots, homophobes, misogynists, fascists, deplorables, white supremacists, and every kind of hate monger I forgot to list. They also get votes from people they do NOT represent but hoodwink into thinking they do. More and more are seeing through their lies. That leaves their party with two choices: they can steal elections, or they can lose elections.

These have not been good times for Democrats wanting a fair shot at representation. The Supreme Court’s 2012 decision to eviscerate the Voting Rights Act was the beginning of a series of rulings rubber-stamping just about every tactic the Republican Party has come up with in its comprehensive war on voting rights, which includes everything from voter ID laws to voter purges to making registering voters all but illegal to partisan gerrymandering.

So when Democrats get any kind of victory in this ongoing battle, as they just did on Tuesday [article from 9/4/2019], it’s a remarkable development. And it shows one path for them to overcome a Supreme Court that is determined to make sure Republicans can continue to rig elections in their favor:…

…Proving the effect of partisan maps, it should be noted, is precisely what the Supreme Court said was impossible to do when it ruled two months ago that the federal courts have no business even trying to judge whether any gerrymander is too partisan, no matter how much it discriminates against voters from one party… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Samantha Bee knows!

Full Frontal Rewind: Make Voting Fair Again

I love the way she makes painful truths funny!

There are two other problems that need attention:

First, the Electoral College gives unfair advantage in Presidential elections to rural states with low populations. A voter in Wyoming gets three times the electoral representation that one in California does. But to ratify a Constitutional Amendment to fix it, would require the support of those states that gain unfair advantage from it. The solution is a National Popular Vote.

Second, the plurality takes all voting system makes it virtually impossible for independent and third party candidates to get votes without helping the major candidate with the opposite ideology. For example, Republicans have volunteered for and financed Green Party Presidential candidates (Nader and Stein) on two separate occasions, so that the Democratic Candidate lost enough support in key swing states to allow GW Bush and Trump to steal the White House. The solution is Ranked Choice Voting. It allows people to vote their conscience, and vote strategically too.

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 1/9/2019

Posted by TomCat at 9:04 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 092020

It’s another tired/busy day, here in the CatBox. WWWendy was stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway last night, so she arrived late, I ate late, and I got to bed late. It’s a grocery delivery day from Store to Door, so I have to put them away. I hope they come in the Noon to 1:00 range, instead of mid afternoon, but I never know. I’m queasy every day, but I held lunch, supper and breakfast down. I hope your day is full of love and resistance against the Republican Reich.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:47 (average 5:05). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump is “incredibly angry” at Iran for taking the American people’s attention away from his impeachment for only about two days, Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

“When I did that drone strike, I was under the impression that it would knock impeachment out of the news for at least a month,” a visibly enraged Trump said. “Instead, it’s Wednesday and we’re back to this Pelosi garbage.”

Trump said that he had hoped that Iranians would react to his provocation in a way that might have forced Democrats to forget about impeaching him altogether, but “all I got for my trouble was a chickenshit couple of days.”

“Honestly, Iran reacted like it was Belgium or something,” Trump said.

Spot-on, Andy! You made it clear that the so-called “terrorist” side of the conflict is more sane than Republican side. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose health has become a preoccupation of the American public as the Supreme Court hews rightward under President Trump, announced this week that she was cancer-free.

Justice Ginsburg, 86, one of four liberal justices on the nine-member court, told CNN in a wide-ranging interview on Tuesday that treatment for a malignant tumor on her pancreas had been successful.

God bless Justice RBG and keep her alive, safe and healthy, at least until Putin’s Pervert* is no longer the impeached Resident, and Bought Bitch Moscow Mitch is no longer Senate Majority Fuhrer. RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Congress Unimpressed By Trump Admin Explanation For Iran Attack

Sadly, did we expect anything else? Andy Borowitz gave us the only real explanation for the attack. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Fleetwood Mac – Dreams

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 1/7/2020

Posted by TomCat at 8:23 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 072020

It’s still a queasy day here in the CatBox, but I managed to keep a small bowl of soup down last night and six Ritz crackers with peanut butter this morning, so for now, I’m back in the saddle.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:09 (average 4:56). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Sadly, Monica has too much class to give Trump a BJ to get him convicted!

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is “completely baffled” as to why he appears to be the only dictator whom Donald J. Trump does not like, the autocrat said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran, the long-reigning tyrant expressed puzzlement and dismay that Trump had not given him the adulation that he has showered on seemingly every other totalitarian in the world.

“Trump loves Vladimir Putin and Mohammed bin Salman, and he’s even given Kim Jong Un a cute nickname, but, for some mysterious reason, I leave him cold,” the visibly saddened Ayatollah said. “I just don’t get it.”

Khamenei initially tried not to take Trump’s distaste for him personally, he said, “but when it became clear that he liked even second-tier strongmen like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of Turkey, and Rodrigo Duterte, of the Philippines, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt.”

I guess Andy is back to straight news. If I were Khamenei, my feelings would be hurt too. RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Huge crowds turn out for Iranian general’s furneral [sic]

I bet that Resident Donald Trump*, aka Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten, has rat-holed this film away, planning to use it to claim these huge crowds turned-out for his inauguration! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Tommy James and the Shondells – Crystal Blue Persuasion

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 1/2/2020

Posted by TomCat at 7:50 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 022020

It’s a tired day here in the CatBox, and it’s a very slow day for news, so this is today’s only article from me. I see the thoracic surgeon in two weeks, so I’ll know more about my cancer then. I hope that your your week is Republican free.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:09 (average 5:39). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Full Frontal Channel): Full Frontal Rewind: How We Destroyed Health Care

Didn’t Sam do a great job with this? American health care is screwed for three identical reasons: the Republican Reich! RESIST!!

From CNN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested immunity from prosecution in three corruption cases in which he faces indictment on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Netanyahu submitted the request to the Knesset late Wednesday night, saying he plans on leading the country “for many years to come.”

“What is being done to me is a field court-martial by misleading the public,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement Wednesday evening in Jerusalem. “The immunity law is intended to protect elected officials from fabricated legal proceedings — from political indictment intended to damage the will of the people. This law intends to ensure that those elected can serve the people according to the will of the people, not the will of the law clerks.”

Charges against Netanyahu were unveiled in November. He’s maintained his innocence throughout the ongoing criminal proceedings, calling them an “attempted coup” led by the left and the media.

Butcher Bibi should share a cell with his beloved idol, from whom he has learned so well to dodge the consequences of his crimes. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Byrds – Eight Miles High – 9/23/1970 – Fillmore East (Official)

I had left NYC and the Lower East Side by then, but I loved the Byrds, I loved this instrumental version, and I loved Fillmore East. Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 12/30/2019

Posted by TomCat at 8:44 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 302019

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox, and the year is almost over. How much I have for the rest of the week will depend on two factors: my health and the availability of good material. Oh God it’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:28 (average 6:39). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Religious Ecstasy:

1229Broncos16-Raiders15

What a wild finish, with ballsy moves by both teams. It’s a pity that someone had to lose.

Fantasy Football Report:

Here’s the final report of the season from our own fantasy football league.

17Playoffs

Congrats to Vivian, WWWendy, and Patty Monster for winning their games.

Kudos to Vivian, me, and WWWendy for taking the first, second, and third place trophies. I’ll be in touch with our players in late spring/early summer with reminders for what we need to do for next season. In the meantime, we desperately need one or three more players for next season. Colleen? Pat? Anyone? Please?

Thank you all for a great season. We had a blast!

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): 24 MONTHS OF TRUMP’S MESS (2017-18) – a New Year Parody

Thanks Don. Frankly, I thing that border wall is a great idea. Build it around Trump*, Bought Bitch Moscow Mitch, pseudo-Christian Pence, Faux Noise, and more! RESIST!!

From YouTube (NBC News Channel): Australians Flee Devastating Wildfires As Thousands Of Koalas Feared Dead

Tears and prayers for our Aussie friends. This is the cost of ignoring climate change! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Abraham. Martin, John & Bobby

This one still brings profound sadness. Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 12/26/2019

Posted by TomCat at 7:50 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 262019

It’s a queasy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy ran out of time, so instead of pressure cooking ham and beans for me, she brought me some of her Christmas dinner: standing rib roast and roast potatoes. They were a bit hard on my stomach, but when it came to her Marion berry cheesecake pie…, I was a ba-a-a-a-ad kitty! I’ve been paying the price since. Tomorrow I may run a bit late. Store to Door is closed for the week, so I’m getting my groceries delivered from Safeway.com. On the plus side, I have no medical appointments for the rest of the year. May America dump the Republican Reich in 2020!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:09 (average 5:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: Chuck Todd was very very Chuck Todd this year. And above, Chuck worries that Democrats are investigating too many things, and therefore have a “PR problem.”

Is that media bias or what? If Democrats’ investigate everything Trump* does, except one, that’s one thing too few! RESIST!!

From VOA News: Her husband’s steady shift to the political right during their 24-year marriage was a source of frustration and embarrassment for liberal Jennifer Merrill, but it wasn’t until the election of Donald Trump — and her husband’s support for the president — that she’d finally had enough.

Merrill moved out and filed for divorce.

“I just couldn’t see sharing a bed with somebody that agreed with what Trump was doing when I was so against everything that Trump represented,” says Merrill, a book editor for a trade association, and the mother of three children. “He had no sensitivity for how I felt, that I felt so strongly about it, especially when I was going out and doing protests … and he would just laugh about it and continue to defend [Trump]. So that just made me very, very angry.”

If ever there were just cause for divorce, marriage to a Republican is it! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

Open Thread – 12/24/2019

Posted by TomCat at 9:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 242019

Yesterday was not my day. The gastroenterologist told me I need to get an endoscopy, or camera down the throat. It’s a same-day inpatient procedure at the hospital. She told me that I have already eliminated the foods I should avoid, and that I have already tried all the palliative medications she could give me and that I am currently on the the one she would recommend. They can’t offer more relief because they don’t know what’s causing it. The length of the wait is because this week and next are holiday weeks. I’ll be scheduling on the first Tuesday I can get. That’s the day of the week WWWendy can take me home. Next, my oncologist called. Those nodes in my left lung are carcinomas, so I’ll have to have them surgically resected. ARGH!! Stay holiday safe please!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:13 (average 4:55). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Fantasy Football Report:

Here’s the news from our own Fantasy Football League.

Congrats to Vivian and me for winning our games. Kudos to me for beating the Regular Season Champion and for the highest single-week score of the season. This weekend, I play Vivian in the Super Bowl, WWWendy plays Squatch for 3rd place, and Patty Monster plays the empty team and will win 5th place. Perhaps we can get Colleen to join the league next year. Good luck to all!

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Scientists have discovered a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life, a sobering new study reports.

The research, conducted by the University of Minnesota, identifies a virulent strain of humans who are virtually immune to any form of verifiable knowledge, leaving scientists at a loss as to how to combat them.

“These humans appear to have all the faculties necessary to receive and process information,” Davis Logsdon, one of the scientists who contributed to the study, said. “And yet, somehow, they have developed defenses that, for all intents and purposes, have rendered those faculties totally inactive.”

Actually, Andy, that strain it not new. It is a devolution to a pre-hominid state: Sphincterpithicus Republicanis. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Washington Post Channel): Track Santa around the world

Santa, save lots of reindeer turds for Trump* stockings in Palm Beach. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Country Joe McDonald – I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag

This was one of my favorites, back in the day. Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

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