Mar 082021
 

It’s a tired day here in the CatBox.  The methadone has ruined the way food tastes for me.  I still haven’t caught up with my sleep.  WWWendy is coming this evening.  Oh God, it’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:16 (average 7:10).  Ti do it, click here.  How did you sdo?

Cartoons:

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: Disgusting and hateful Senator Tommy Tuberville tried to get an Amendment passed that would have prevented schools from getting funding if they allow transgender students to compete in sports. Sen. Joe Manchin — a Democrat — voted in SUPPORT of the Amendment, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski — a Republican — voted AGAINST it.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) blasted Tuberville for the measure that would have blocked funding for schools that allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports. Murray came out and called a spade a spade, saying that this stunt by Tuberville was “simply an attempt to discriminate against transgender students.”

She added, “For the love of god, can’t we just have a little bit of heart and compassion in this world for someone who doesn’t look or live exactly like you? All students, including transgender students, benefit from participating in sports to challenge themselves, to improve fitness, to be part of a team.”

That ANY Democrat could vote for such a vile amendment makes me want to puke. Unfortunately we can’t challenge DINO Joe in the primaries until the elections of 2024. Even more unfortunately, we need to be damn glad we have him until them, because he alone stands between us and Majority Leader Bought Bitch Mitch!  RESIST the Republican Reich!!

From Alternet:

A Florida hospital diverted vaccines from the general public to an ultra-wealthy community where its CEO and Republican donors lived.

Gov. Ron DeSantis insists “the state was not involved” in helping to vaccinate 1,200 residents of the wealthy Ocean Reef community in January, but a spokeswoman for Baptist Health Systems, which administered the doses, told Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald that state officials did intervene.

“It is our understanding that the Medical Center at Ocean Reef asked the State of Florida for vaccine doses, and the State of Florida asked Baptist Health to take delivery of the doses to our ultra-cold freezer storage for delivery to the Medical Center at Ocean Reef,” said Baptist Health spokeswoman Dori Alvarez in a statement.

Some of the beneficiaries had donated to the governor’s political action committee, which has garnered almost $4 million, and Baptist Health Systems president and CEO Brian Keeley and his wife own a home in Ocean Reef.

The spokeswoman would not say whether the couple was involved in getting the vaccine doses delivered to their community.

If you believe that that DeSantis had nothing to do with this absurd lie, you should also believe the Pope is not Catholic, Trump** is not an asshole, and bears never ever shit in the woods!  RESIST the Republican Reich!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Creedence Clearwater Revival – Proud Mary

 

Ah… the memories!  RESIST the Republican Reich!!

Don’t Let Republicans Steal YOUR Future!!

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Jan 262021
 

It’s another tired-painful day here in the CatBox.  I lost most of my map time yesterday.  My toilet was so badly plugged that Maintenance could not fix it with a regular 10′ snake.  They had to take the toilet out into the hallway and bring a 30′ electric snake from the downtown office.  They were just finishing up when WWWendy arrived.  Tuesday is flush your Republicans Day.  Mine were so vile that they tried to barricade the way down.  I should be in the saddle tomorrow.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:26 (average 7:00).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

0126Cartoon

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: As Barack Obama’s inauguration kicked off on Jan. 20, 2009, LGBTQ Americans across the country watched with mixed emotions while evangelical pastor Rick Warren delivered the invocation. Though the vast majority of them had voted for Obama, Warren had urged members of his California-based megachurch to vote in favor of a ballot measure stripping marriage rights from same-sex couples; indeed, Proposition 8 narrowly passed on the same night Obama was elevated to the highest office in the land. Election Night had been a double-edged sword for gay and transgender individuals, and Warren’s presence made the inauguration bittersweet as well.

But Obama’s pick of Warren symbolized what ultimately emerged as a stumbling block to his ability to accomplish many of the priorities liberals had voted for in 2008 and which were also broadly popular—action on immigration, climate change, and, at least initially, queer rights. Obama was an incrementalist at heart, and he was still approaching Republicans as rational players in America’s democratic experiment. Including an anti-gay evangelical pastor in his inauguration was one of several olive branches Obama extended to conservatives in the early days of his administration in what would prove to be a fruitless effort to win their cooperation. A dozen years later, however, Obama’s former No. 2—a man who was viewed in the 2020 Democratic primary as far less progressive than Obama was seen in the 2008 contest—is quickly advancing a far more unapologetically progressive agenda from Day One of his administration.

In fact, President Joe Biden has quickly dispensed of many of the old Obama-era battles that flummoxed liberals and eventually drew them to the streets to protest the administration’s inaction. Biden has already sent Congress a bold immigration bill that unequivocally includes a pathway to citizenship, expanded green card access, and fortifies the DACA program for Dreamers established by Obama in 2012. Biden also immediately yanked the Keystone XL pipeline permit—an action Obama didn’t take until 2015, after years of pushing by climate activists. And building on the many hard-fought Obama-era wins on LGBTQ equality, Biden quickly signed an order pushing the most aggressive interpretation of Title VII protections for transgender and gay Americans in employment, housing, and education.

Sure, these are old battles. And to some extent, Biden has benefited from a natural evolution of the issues over a decade. That is particularly true on policies concerning the LGBTQ movement, which emerged from Obama’s presidency lightyears ahead of where it began. But it is also a measure of how far the progressive movement has come over the past decade that we aren’t immediately having to go to battle with a Democratic administration that seems less intent on advancing liberal causes than using them as bargaining chips on the way to accomplishing other goals. So far, that vestige of 90s-era Clintonian politics seems to have finally been laid to rest in the Biden White House.

The departure is clearly throwing some Washington journalists for a loop after decades of watching Democrats kowtow to Republicans.

I really expected Biden to fall into the same trap Obama did, and have repeatedly discussed how we need to hold his feet to the fire. So far, I’ve been wrong and happy to be so.  RESIST the Republican Reich!!

From NY Times: Senator Mitch McConnell on Monday dropped his demand that the new Democratic Senate majority promise to preserve the filibuster — which Republicans could use to obstruct President Biden’s agenda — ending an impasse that had prevented Democrats from assuming full power even after their election wins.

In his negotiations with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the new majority leader, Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, had refused to agree to a plan for organizing the chamber without a pledge from Democrats to protect the filibuster, a condition that Mr. Schumer had rejected.

But late Monday, as the stalemate persisted, Mr. McConnell found a way out by pointing to statements by two centrist Democrats, Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, that said they opposed getting rid of the procedural tool — a position they had held for months — as enough of a guarantee to move forward without a formal promise from Mr. Schumer.

“With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent,” Mr. McConnell said in a statement.

Democrats had been anticipating a capitulation by Mr. McConnell and said they believed he had overreached in the negotiation.

LOL! He chickened-out! This is wonderful! See the Cartoon above.  RESIST the Republican Reich!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Schumer Considering Expanding Judiciary To Balance Courts Packed By McConnell

I agree with him on expanding the judiciary. However, he should be pushing to expand the Supreme Court, because it is now SCROTUS (Republican anti-Constitutional VD).  RESIST the Republican Reich!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): America – A horse with no name (clip HQ)

Ah… the memories!  RESIST the Republican Reich!!

Build the Future. It Belongs to YOU!

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A BIG Win for LGBTQ

 Posted by at 10:55 am  Politics
Jun 152020
 

When I learned that the Supreme Court, dominated by the five Injustices of SCROTUS (Republican  anti-Constitutional VD) would be deciding the legality of discriminating against LGBTQ citizens in the workplace, I was sure of the outcome.  Much to my surprise, the decision was a big win for LGBTQ!

0615SCOTUSLGBTQ

Gay and transgender employees cannot be fired from their jobs solely because of their LGBT status, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The court found for the first time that federal civil rights law prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of sex also protects employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“An employer who discriminates against homosexual or transgender employees necessarily and intentionally applies sex-based rules,” the court found.

The 6-to-3 ruling, led by Justice Neil Gorsuch, largely turned on the meaning of the word “sex” within Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it unlawful for an employer to “discriminate against any individual” because of their sex.

There was little dispute that Congress did not intend to protect LGBT employees when it passed that landmark civil rights-era legislation. But over 50 years later, lawyers at the hight [sic] court tussled over whether sex-based protections must include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity by consequence.

The Trump administration intervened in the case with a brief arguing that terminating gay or lesbian employees wouldn’t constitute discrimination under Title VII because affected workers of both genders “would be similarly situated—and they would be treated the same.”…

Inserted from <Newsweek>

Please click through.  The article is well worth the read.

Supreme Court says federal law protects LGBTQ workers from discrimination

Although I used to be straight, before I forgot how and became a never-sexual, I could not be more pleased for the LGBTQ community. I’m surprised that Injustice Whoresuch wrote the decision. Of course, Injustices Thomas, Scalito, and KavaNazi opposed.  Nevertheless, it is imperative to take back both the White House and the Senate and keep them long term.  As it it, it will take decades to transform SCROTUS (Republican ant-Constitutional VD) back to SCOTUS.

RESIST!!

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Open Thread–6/15/2020

 Posted by at 10:54 am  Open Thread, Politics
Jun 152020
 

It’s a crazy day here in the CatBox.  My main nurse from Providence Home Health just called and will be here momentarily.  She just left, so I missed my morning nap.  Tomorrow is my big appointment  with my oncologist and that team, so please expect no more than a very brief Personal Update, as I leave at 7:30 AM.  Oh God, it’s Monday, AGAIN!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:03 (average 5:46).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Remember what Bloody Bullseye Barbie (Sarah Palin) and the Republican Reich did to Gabby Giffords!

Trump* Virus Update:

0615TrumpVirusMap

Cases: 2,162,896
Deaths: 117,865
Recovered: 870,077

Short Takes:

From NY Times: Representative Denver Riggleman, a freshman Republican from Virginia, lost a bitterly contested primary race decided in an unusual drive-through state convention, weighed down by outrage among party activists that he officiated at a same-sex wedding.

In a result announced early Sunday, Bob Good, a former athletics official at Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Liberty University who describes himself as a “biblical conservative,” ousted Mr. Riggleman, a distillery owner and former Air Force intelligence officer with a libertarian streak. Mr. Good captured 58 percent of the vote in a convention held Saturday that was decided by roughly 2,400 party delegates, according to party officials.

Mr. Riggleman, as well as outside observers, denounced the setup — enabled by state laws that allow local party officials to choose congressional nominees by conventions instead of traditional primary elections — which has tended to benefit hard-line candidates.

This is why every Republican must go. Any time individual Republicans do something decent and proper, they get kicked out of the Reich.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Autopsy Reveals Rayshard Brooks Death Ruled A Homicide

Of course shooting a Black man in the back by a racist Republican pig was a murder. To the Republican Reich, Black Lives don’t matter.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Gerry & The Pacemakers – You’ll Never Walk Alone [Official Video]

Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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Mar 052020
 

It’s a busy day, here at the CatBox.  Eating is getting easier, since I discovered that pills getting stuck in the tumor were the big problem.  I ground them with my mortar and pestle last night, and WWWendy mixed the powder with cottage cheese.  YUCK!  I’ve eaten better crunchies from my kitty box, but my ham and beans goop over rice went down without issue.  This morning I ground them and mixed them with apple juice.  They glopped up, but I got them down.  Store to Door is delivering groceries this afternoon, so I’ll mix tonight’s grind with apple sauce.  I scheduled an initial appointment with my new oncologist, Dr. Evelyn Brosnan on Thursday, March 17.  I’ve requested that they release the PET Scan results to me this week, but they may not.  Have a great day!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:42 (average 8:31).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: As an elementary school art teacher in the Dallas, Texas area, Stacy Bailey introduced herself to her students with a “get to know your teacher” classroom presentation. The presentation included photos of her friends, dog, family members, and fiancée (now spouse), as reported by The Advocate. After the presentation, a parent complained about the image of her fiancée. Bailey was suspended from her position, assigned to another school, and nearly three years later, has been awarded a $100,000 settlement from the school district, as reported by NBC News. Why the complaint and all of this fall-out? Bailey’s fiancée, now-wife, is a woman. The district denies any wrongdoings.

The district says it received complaints from parents because Bailey was talking about her sexual orientation with children. A parent complained Bailey was “promoting the homosexual agenda,” as reported by the Texas Tribune. If you’re curious about what the picture involved, it reportedly showed Bailey and her now-wife, Julie Vasquez, in Finding Nemo costumes, making funny faces. Bailey allegedly explained Vasquez as her “future wife.” In September 2017, Bailey was placed on administrative leave…

…In 2018, after eight months of suspension, Bailey was assigned to teach at a different school in the district. Working with attorney Jason Smith, she sued the school district in federal court, alleging the district violated her constitutionally protected rights. In October 2019, Judge Sam Lindsay ruled in her favor. The settlement of $100,000 was awarded on Monday.

Kudos to Stacy Baily for overcoming Republican hatred of LGBTQ people. There is nothing unusual about straight teachers talking about their families. For the Republican Reich to allow one and deny the other is a Republican level of hypocrisy.  RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: A harrowing scene unfolded at the White House on Tuesday night as Donald Trump screamed at Mike Pence for “not praying hard enough” to make Joe Biden lose the Super Tuesday primary contests, sources said.

Witnesses to the vituperative dressing-down of the Vice-President reported that the evening started badly after Trump saw the returns from Virginia, which Biden won handily.

“Mike, you were supposed to tell God to make Sleepy Joe lose,” Trump snapped. “A lot of good your ‘praying’ did.”

Trump’s tirade against Pence grew in ferocity after Biden romped to victory in state after state, a string of victories that Trump blamed squarely on Pence’s inadequate praying efforts.

Dang, Andy! As much as I hate to admit it, I was screaming at pseudo-Christion Vice Fuhrer Mike “The HIV Guy” Pence for the exact same reason!  Were it not for Republican prayer incompetence, Bernie would have won!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Four Season & Frankie Valli hits live Sherry, Rag doll, Walk

Damn, ! was young then! Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

BREAKING From NY Times: Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts plans to drop out of the presidential race on Thursday and will inform her staff of her plans later this morning, according to a person close to her, ending a run defined by an avalanche of policy plans that aimed to pull the Democratic Party to the left and appealed to enough voters to make her briefly a front-runner last fall, but that proved unable to translate excitement from elite progressives into backing from the party’s more working-class and diverse base.

Though her support had eroded by Super Tuesday, in her final weeks as a candidate she effectively drove the centrist billionaire, former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, out of the race with debate performances that flashed her evident skills and political potential.

While I recognize the necessity, I have a one word response: Shit!  She has a great future.  Liz 2024!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

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Feb 212020
 

It’s a yucky day here at the CatBox.  My stomach has heartburn has been screaming all morning.  I have to stay up, because Providence Home Medical Equipment is swapping-out a six pack of the portable O2 tanks I use, when I’m out and about.  TGIF to all!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:57 (average 5:49).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Republicans alternate between blaming Obama, Hillary, Nancy and Bernie.

Short Takes:

Froom YouTube (Washington Post Channel): Resurfaced video shows Bloomberg referring to transgender people as ‘some guy wearing a dress’

We knew Bloomberg [R-NY] was racist and misogynist. Add homophobic to his unsuitable list.  RESIST!!

From Washington Post: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) mounted a new defense Wednesday for the toxicity emanating from pockets of his presidential campaign’s supporters, implying it was possible Russian actors were again manipulating social media to incite Democratic divisions.

Sanders’s language was indirect, offered on the debate stage here as his opponents faulted him for the behavior of his most strident fans. It drew criticism from experts in disinformation, who said they had no direct evidence the Kremlin had masqueraded as Sanders voters to interfere in the 2020 race much as Russian trolls had done four years earlier.

“All of us remember 2016, and what we remember is efforts by Russians and others to try to interfere in our elections and divide us up,” said the senator from Vermont. “I’m not saying that’s happening, but it would not shock me.”

I tend to doubt that, because I remember the toxicity of many ‘Bernie Bros’ toward me in 2016, because, as a Bernie supporter, I committed to voting for Hillary, after Bernie asked his supporters to do so. ‘Bernie Bros’ were a factor in my switch to Liz Warren this year. I understand that some of the hate-mavens, threatening Democrats who disagree, are employees on Bernie’s paid staff. If so, he needs to identify and fire them immediately. That said, I would not put such skullduggery past Putin [R-RU] and his Puppet Pervert Trump* either.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Bloomberg Flounders, Warren Rebounds, and Bernie Brings the Heat


Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. Liz and Bernie were head and shoulders above the rest. And he’s right that the debate should have focused more on the evil Reich on the Right, the Republican Reich, and their criminal Fuhrer Trump*. I particularly liked how Robert used FDR as an example of democratic socialism. If Bloomberg [R-NY] wins the nomination in a brokered convention, it will destroy the Democratic Party and probably, the USA with it.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival (HQ – 5.1 Studio )


Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

 

 

 

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Feb 172020
 

I want to rest all I can today, because tomorrow is shove a camera down my throat day.  Please expect only a Personal Update.  By the time WWWendy gets me home it will be supper time.  Depending on how I feel I may or may not be able to publish Wednesday.  I’ll update you as soon as I can.  Oh God, it’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:56 (average 5:27).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

This is how white supremacists used to steal elections.

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: Trump’s newest Medal of Freedom winner was apparently terribly concerned about presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg kissing his husband on stage during an ugly rant on his radio show last week, where he said this during his attack on the former mayor’s sexuality:

Now, there may be some Democrats who think that is the ticket. There may be some Democrats who think that’s exactly what we need to do, Rush. Get a gay guy kissing his husband on stage, to ram it down Trump’s throat and beat him in the general election. Really. Having fun envisioning that.

Buttigieg was asked if he wanted to respond to Limbaugh’s remarks this Sunday by Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union:

Now Mayor Pete is not my 1st choice, but when it comes to Rush Limbarf and Republican homophobia, I could not be more on his side.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Slick Lobby: Velshi On How Fossil Fuel Is Buying Your Vote

I’m sure none of my regular readers are falling for this Republican bullshit, but we need to educate others: Corporations are NOT people. Money is NOT speech. Fossil fuels are killing YOU!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): I Think We`re Alone Now – Tommy James & The Shondells


Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue!!

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