Open Thread – 8/30/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:20 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 302020

It’s a muggy day here in the CatBox. I did get to lie down for 90 minutes to rest my back. Tomorrow morning I have a routine visit from Diana, my palliative care nurse. Tomorrow is also a WWWendy day to destink the extra-mangy TomCat, change my pain patch, goop, and help with chores. However, that won’t effect my blogging, as she won’t be here until late afternoon. Sometime this week, I need to take at least a partial day off to complete some tasks in preparation for my death. I need to arrange for the transfer of the ownership of this site to JD, Lynn, and Nameless. I also need to arrange for low-cost cremation, unless you folks would like to goop me for your pets. I hope you’re having a lazy Sunday.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:39 (average 5:16): To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0830TrumpVirusMap

Click for an excellent interactive map

US Cases: 6,141,057
US Deaths: 186,875
Plus thousands of murdered GOP plague victims Republicans are hiding from us

Short Takes:

From Vox: A shooter killed one person in Portland, Oregon on Saturday night, according to a statement by the Portland Police Bureau.

Much is still unknown about the shooting, but the victim — a white man — appears to have had some connection to the far-right Patriot Prayer group; according to Willamette Week reporter Aaron Mesh, the victim was wearing a hat and shirt with the group’s logo.

The shooting comes after supporters of President Donald Trump led a caravan of vehicles through the city Saturday and clashed with anti-police brutality protesters in Portland’s downtown; video from journalist Cory Elia shows trucks flying Trump flags driving through people on a street and unleashing pepper spray as the vehicles forced their way through a crowd of protesters…

…Early Sunday, Trump issued a string of tweets and retweets, including one retweet and a tweet condemning Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s leadership of the city. “The National Guard is Ready, Willing and Able” to deploy, Trump wrote in a quote tweet [Republican Fuhrer delinked] shortly after calling Wheeler [Republican Fuhrer delinked] a “fool.”

It strikes me as very strange that a Republican was the murder victim in this case. Democrats do not carry loaded guns to demonstrations. The Ammosexuals that do are either Republicans or right-wing anarchists, whose only intent is violence. Republicans falsely associate the anarchists with Democrats, but their behavior is too Republican-like for that to be true. If the shooter was not an anarchist, than Republicans must have killed one of their own terrorists by mistake. My beef with Wheeler is that he tends to let the rabid Republican police union intimidate him. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): What the Fact?! Robert Reich Reacts to the RNC

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right. As for the Reich on the right, the Republican Reich, their convention was a super-spreader event in two ways, but I don’t know what they spread most: Trump* virus or Bullshit. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): Talkin’ Bout a Revolution

Amen! Kudos to left-wing protesters! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/28/2020

Posted by TomCat at 10:35 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 282020

It’s a very tired day, here in the CatBox. When I order groceries from Store to Door, the Fred Meyer store has usually been out of half the frozen entrees I order to goop. So I order more selections than I need, so I’ll have enough. Yesterday, they not only delivered everything, but two items were on a two for one sale. I had to unload and repack my freezer to get everything to fit. WWWendy had to work late and arrived late, and we had more work to do than usual, so I ate supper late and got to bed late. I overslept this morning and got started late. I’m pooped! TGIF!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:54 (average 4:31). To do it, click here. Hoe did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0828TrumpVirusMap

It it any wonder Canada had closed its border to US residents?

US Cases: 6,055,672
US Deaths: 185,051
Plus the thousands of GOP plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us

RNC Deplorables Take:

Yesterday was so different in spirit than the first three days. The super-spreader event was dominated by Trump* himself, so the lies were more numerous and the hatred more intense than before.

Wendy mentioned how surprised she was that she had seen so many Black speakers during the convention. She didn’t see how Black people could be that stupid. So I told her a story, which I shall also share with you. When I was doing prison volunteer work several years ago, I was the Treasurer of our volunteer organization and a former lead parole officer for this county was the President. We spent so many hours together that we became good friends. Our political views were very similar, so I was shocked when he mentioned he was a Republican. I asked how that could be. He explained that the reason was that he is Black. I asked why being Black attracted him to a racist party that opposed everything we were for. He explained that as a Democrat, he was one among millions of Black Democrats, but as a Republican, he was something special. He received awards and honors. They paid him to be the token Black at events they could use to prove they weren’t racist. They promised him future job opportunities and financial security. I asked him if he felt like a hypocrite. He said he tried not to think about it, because he deserved a piece of the pie. I lost a lot of respect for him that day. Nevertheless, we continued to work together for another couple of years. Then he proved that he really is a Republican. He misappropriated money from our organization to pay himself a salary. When the money was gone, he left the organization in ruin. Those of us who remain reincorporated, reorganized rebuilt it from scratch at the prisoners’ request.

The Republicans promised to follow Trump’s* agenda for America. The following is a complete description of that agenda:

Finally, thank God it’s over!

Short Takes:

From Willamette Week: President Trump Warns of Dystopian Future Under Democrats: “They Will Make Every City Look Like Portland, Oregon”

In his acceptance of the Republican nomination, Trump uses Portland as a shorthand for lawlessness.

America would be better off, if every city looked like Portland! Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From YouTube (CNN Channel): Fact checker on Trump’s RNC speech: He is a serial liar

If criminal Fuhrer Trump* were any more full 0f shit, his foul orange hair would turn brown. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): “The Shady Bunch” a Roy Zimmerman song parody

Could it be more true? Hell no! Kudos to left-wing protesters! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/25/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:31 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 252020

It’s a tired day, here in the CatBox, but I did get a nap this morning. My meeting with Diana was routine, except that Trump* was speaking when she arrived. I gave her a barf bag. She appreciated it. WWWendy is coming tonight to destink the rancid TomCat, change my pain patch, do lots of gooping, and help with chores. Close the lid before you flush, so the Republicans don’t get away!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:31 (average 4:15). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0825TrumpVirusMap

Click for interactive map

US Cases: 5,917,479
US Deaths: 181,204
Plus all the GOP Plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us.

Deplorable RNC Take:

When I got up for supper the Republican National Convention was already underway. Dressing, which I have to do in bed, takes me about 15 minutes, so I tried to count the lies. I failed. Actually, I gave up, when I had counted 75 before I finished dressing.

It was truly ugly. They called Trump* Virus ‘China Virus’ and praised Trump* for the magnificent way he has protected us from it. They set their platform as whatever their God damn Fuhrer wants. Do you remember the McCloskys, those vile racists, who got a ‘Republicans on Parade for threatening BLM protesters with guns from their front yard? They were the stars of the show, behind Trump*. They said Biden and the “Democrat Party” want to do away with the suburbs, implying that black people would move in and make them slums.

Here is a complete summary of everything that occurred.

The person at the bottom of the picture is YOU!

Short Takes:

From Reuters: In a claim likely to intensify the controversy surrounding one of the most influential figures in the American Christian conservative movement, a business partner of Jerry Falwell Jr has come forward to say he had a years-long sexual relationship involving Falwell’s wife and the evangelical leader.

Giancarlo Granda says he was 20 when he met Jerry and Becki Falwell while working as a pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in March 2012. Starting that month and continuing into 2018, Granda told Reuters that the relationship involved him having sex with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell looked on.

Granda showed Reuters emails, text messages and other evidence that he says demonstrate the sexual nature of his relationship with the couple, who have been married since 1987. “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” Granda said in an interview. Now 29, he described the liaisons as frequent – “multiple times per year” – and said the encounters took place at hotels in Miami and New York, and at the Falwells’ home in Virginia.

This is typical of the hypocrisy of Republican pseudo-Christians, the opposite of real authentic Christians. FYI, Falwell now refuses to resign from Liberty University. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Jeff Merkley Channel): Merkley Speaks Out Against Secret Police

Jeff could not be more spot-on about Trump’s* GOP Gestapo! Oregon leads the way! I’m so glad I worked on his campaign in 2008, the year he won his seat from Oregon’s last Republican Senator, Gordon “Goose Step” Smith! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): “Like a Brick Thrown in Troubled Water” – a Roy Zimmerman song parody

Isn’t that the truth?!!? Kudos to left-wing protesters! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/24/2020

Posted by TomCat at 9:21 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 242020

It’s a busy day, here in the CatBox. Diana, my palliative care nurse, is coming between (9:00 and 10:00 this morning for a routine visit. I’m now experiencing a side effect from my new cancer treatment: fatigue. Evelyn, my Oncologist, advised me that was the most likely problem I might have. It’s a fight to keep my eyes open today. Tomorrow is a WWWendy day, but it won’t effect my writing. It will be 4:30 to 5:00 PM when she gets here. Starting tomorrow, I shall be covering the Republican National Convention in Open Threads. But you don’t need to stay away. I shall not include any videos, just a brief pictorial summary. Oh God, it’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:01 (average 4:56). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

At least it’s worst in red states.

US Cases: 5,875,939
US Deaths: 180,618
Plus the many GOP plague murder victims Republicans are hiding from us.

Short Takes:

From Forbes: A majority of Republican voters think that the U.S. coronavirus death toll, which is over 176,000 and rising, is “acceptable,” a CBS News/YouGov poll found Sunday, with an even larger number saying that the national response to coronavirus is “going well.”

That speaks volumes about the incredible lack of empathy among the deplorable Republican Reich. To anyone who gives a damn, 176,000 dead Americans (now over 180,000) is NOT even barely tolerable, let alone “going well”. RESIST!!

From NY Times: Just weeks after President Trump’s administration agreed to pull back federal officers from demonstrations in Portland, Ore., where his attempt at a high-profile crackdown backfired, the fate of the city’s protests now rests to a large extent with an altogether different leader: A brand-new, 39-year-old district attorney whose approach to enforcing the law is as contested as the demonstrations themselves.

The new prosecutor, Mike Schmidt, took office Aug. 1 after defeating an experienced federal prosecutor by a 3-to-1 margin in Multnomah County, which includes most of Portland. Even his critics say the breadth of his victory gave him a mandate to reshape prosecutions in Portland, a city of frequent protests, where there is no clear end in sight to demonstrations against police brutality that began after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

He has not been slow to shake things up: Ten days after taking office, Mr. Schmidt effectively dismissed charges against more than half of about 600 people arrested since the protests began at the end of May.

His directive met with strong objections from the Portland police and Multnomah County sheriff. But it was in keeping with his progressive campaign platform as one of a new generation of prosecutors across the country who are pledging to reduce penalties for low-level nonviolent crimes.

Mr. Schmidt said his office would presumptively decline to prosecute demonstrators for minor offenses such as interfering with the police, disorderly conduct and trespassing — cases that did not involve deliberate violence, property damage or theft. And charges for assault on officers and resisting arrest will now require closer scrutiny, with prosecutors taking into account in filing charges whether the police fired tear gas into crowds.

I voted for Mike. I’m glad I did. Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): Confounds the Science – (Parody of) Sound of Silence – REMIX | Don Caron / Linda Gower

We’ve shared this one before, but it certainly warrants another view. Kudos to left-wing protesters. RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/18/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:22 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 182020

It’s a hot day (high 80°s), here at the CatBox. Yesterday my visit with Diana was routine. She’s a very nice lady, who pulls no punches and tells it like it is, but does so with compassion. Tomorrow is my first Pembrolizumab infusion at the hospital. I’ll leave after lunch on a TriMet Lift van, and WWWendy will pick me up between 4:30 and 5:00 PM. When we get home, it will be a regular WWWendy day with TomCat destinking, patch changing, food gooping, and chores. So I’ll be taking a morning nap to rest as much as I can first. Therefore, please expect no more than a Personal Update from me. Assuming that I have no adverse reactions, I’ll be back in the saddle on Thursday. Tuesday is flush Republicans day. Lower the lid so none get away.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:16 (average 5:05). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0818TrumpVirusMap

US Cases: 5,613,357
US Deaths: 173,778
Plus the many GOP murder victims Republicans are hiding from us

Short Takes:

From Willamette Week: A right-wing “flag wave” event in downtown Portland on Saturday ended with a far-right protester firing two gunshots into a crowd of Black Lives Matter demonstrators.

Seaside, Ore., resident and conservative activist Haley Adams advertised her Aug. 15 “Rally Against Domestic Terrorism” as a “flag wave” and stressed the group’s intent to remain peaceful. About 25 people attended the rally in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center.

This reporter saw several members of the protest arrive with weaponry—they open-carried a Scorpion 9 mm carbine and an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle. Others held Mace, paintball guns and a 9 mm handgun.

The flag wave rally exchanged chants and taunts for approximately an hour with a group of Black Lives Matter protesters before Adams’ group embarked on a march through downtown Portland. Counterprotesters [sic] followed closely, and there was a small exchange of violence between the two groups: Flag wave protesters were seen Macing BLM protesters and shooting them with paintball rounds and hard plastic pellets. Counterprotesters [sic] returned fire with Mace and Silly String.

At approximately 1:35 pm, about 15 conservative protesters retreated into the SmartPark garage at Southwest 4th Avenue and Yamhill Street. Ten minutes later, three cars sped out of the garage and down 4th Avenue. The driver of one car—a blue Dodge Dart—fired two shots at a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters as he left but didn’t hit anyone. Some of the BLM protesters recovered a 9 mm casing at the scene of the shooting.

When Republican Ammosexuals say “peaceful”, this is what they mean. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Bernie Sanders on How Democrats Can Win the Working Class

The Reich on the left, Robert Reich, is right! Combined with Bernie, he’s twice as right. The Reich on the right, the Republican Reich, are wrong and need permanent vacations behind bars! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): Vote Him Away (The Liar Tweets Tonight)

Amen! Amen!! Amen!!! Kudos to left-wing protestors! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 8/2/2020

Posted by TomCat at 11:17 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 022020

It’s a relatively lazy day here in the CatBox, as it’s Sunday, but I am back in the saddle today and tomorrow, before WWWendy comes again on Tuesday. Friday night the built in A/C unit in the CatBox broke down, and I have to offer kudos to Central City Concern for replacing it by 9 AM Saturday morning. May all your Republicans be flushed.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:59 (average 5:52). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0802TrumpVirusMap

Click for interactive map.

US Cases: 4,766,323
US Deaths: 157,924
World Cases: 18,070,640
World Deaths: 689,761
Trump’s Share of World Deaths: 22.9%
US Share of World Population: 4.3%

Short Takes:

From NY Times: The head of the Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence branch was removed from his position after his office compiled reports about protesters and journalists covering the Trump administration’s response to unrest in Portland, Ore., last month.

Brian Murphy, the acting under secretary for intelligence and analysis, was reassigned to a new position in the department after his office disseminated to the law enforcement community “open-source intelligence reports” containing Twitter posts of journalists, noting they had published leaked unclassified documents, according to an administration official familiar with the matter.

What the Republican Reich isn’t saying is that “reassigned” is a code word for “promoted the Nazi asshole”. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Oregonian Channel): Black Lives Matter protests in Portland: Day 65

This is what criminal Fuhrer Trump* calls “terrorist” riots. After 65 straight days, Oregon still leads the way! RESIST!!

From YouTube (Parody Project Channel): FAILED AS THE CHIEF

Wonderful, Don! You have perfectly pegged criminal Fuhrer Trump*, may he rot in prison for life. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son (Official Lyric Video)

The Republican Reich represent only fascist billionaires and corporate criminals. Support left-wing protestors! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 7/29/2020

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

Jul 292020

It’s another busy day here in the CatBox. WWWendy is coming to destink the sweaty TomCat, goop, and help with chores. Then I have to meet with the building manager to renew my lease, an hour of routine paperwork. Yesterday’s PET scan was as unpleasant as always, but it will be interesting to see the results a week from Friday. This is my only article today, but expect me back in the saddle tomorrow. Happy Heat Wave Hump Day!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:18 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

As much as he botches about China, that’s still where his stuff is made.

Trump* Virus Update:

0729TrumpVirusMap

Click here for interactive map.

US Cases: 4,500,102
US Deaths: 152,388
World Cases: 16,936,005
World Deaths: 664,401
Trump’s Share of World Deaths: 22.9%
US Share of World Population: 4.3%

Short Takes:

From OPB: Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday unveiled coronavirus testing-related metrics the state must meet before schools can reopen, and it became immediately evident that many of the state’s largest school districts will be online-only this fall.

Brown’s announcement was swiftly followed by news from school districts: Portland Public Schools will have online classes only until at least Nov. 5 for all grades. Beaverton School District will be conducting classes online until at least Nov. 13. Salem-Keizer, North Clackamas and Tigard-Tualatin districts will also start the year holding online classes with plans to stay remote until at least late fall.

The list is likely to continue growing.

According to the latest county reopening guidelines announced by the governor, the entire state needs to have a weekly positivity rate of less than 5% for three weeks. The latest statewide positivity rates for COVID-19 tests for the previous three weeks were 5.8%, 5.8% and 4.6%.

Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero warned online classes could stretch past November for his district.

“As an educator, I know that there is no true replacement for face-to-face learning and the interaction between a student and a dedicated teacher or staff member,” Guerrero said in a statement. “But our announcement today is in keeping with our highest priority during a global pandemic, which is the health and well being of our students and employees.”

This is how Democrats manage education if the face of Trump’s* Republican plague. Kudos to Kate Brown! Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Dissembling, Defensiveness And Partisanship: AG Barr’s House Hearing

Lying Republican Nazi SOB! Barrf barfed! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast of protest): U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday

Kudos to the protestors left-wing protestors! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

Open Thread – 7/27/2020

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

Jul 272020

It’s a steamy day here in the CatBox as the temperature is forecast over 100° today. Please expect no more than a Personal Update or an Open Thread tomorrow and Wednesday. Tomorrow I have a PET scan at the hospital. Wednesday is a WWWendy day, and I have to renew my lease on my apartment here at the Madrona Studios. Oh God, it’s Monday!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:23 (average 5:26). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0727TrumpVirusMap

US Cases: 4,373,561
US Deaths: 149,856
World Cases: 16,480,680
World Deaths: 653,292
Trump’s* Share of World Deaths: 22.9%

Short Takes:

From Willamette Week: Media outlets from the Los Angeles Times to the New York Post to London’s Daily Mail wrote about it. Movie director Adam McKay tweeted about his obsession with the image. Op-eds have appeared in The Washington Post and The New York Times criticizing the action as a product of light-skinned privilege. At least two copycat Athenas have arrived in the buff this week at a fence surrounding Portland’s federal courthouse.

And that’s all without anyone knowing the protester’s identity.

We now know—more than before, anyway.

The anonymous woman widely referred to as Naked Athena granted her first, and so far only, interview to the Portland-based podcast Unrefined Sophisticates.

In a two-hour conversation released yesterday, the protester, who identifies herself as “Jen,” divulges only a few pertinent biographical details. She is a sex worker. She’s in her 30s. And contrary to assumptions, she is not white but a non-Black person of color.

She says the decision to undress and confront the phalanx of officers happened on the spur of the moment but that being nude in public is nothing new to her: “I am notoriously naked,” she says. She describes the moments leading up to the altercation and what happened during the standoff—she reveals that her “yoga poses” were in part the result of being shot in the foot by a crowd control munition.

While WW has not been able to independently confirm that Jen is Naked Athena, the personal details she shares on the podcast match how friends of the protester described her to this newspaper.

You can listen to the podcast at Unrefined Sophisticates. Kudos to Jen, aka Naked Athena, who proved once and for all that the bush is mightier than the Republican Nazi storm trooper! RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Rep. John Lewis’ Casket Travels Across The Historic Edmund Pettus Bridge One Last Time

I was 16 and on Spring vacation on 3/7/1965. I had travelled to Selma to demonstrate for civil rights at the beginning of the long march. Because I was young and dumb, I wanted to be in the front of the crowd, but people there, knowing what was going to happen, pulled me to the back and protected me. Along with the Democratic Convention in Chicago 1968, this was one of the two most frightening incidents of my life. Farewell to one of the heroic giants of our time! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from civil rights):

Support Black Lives Matter! RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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