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Friday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 10:50:37 AM EST
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Out of pocket for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow, the Tour de France kicks of in, erm, France. I like clen boy to win his fourth, and then have his 3rd stripped in August (when the Tribunal of Arbitration of Sport hears the WADA/UCI appeal of the Spanish Federation's non-suspension of Contador despite a finding of trace amounts of clenbuterol in his system during the 2001 TdF.)

Wimbledon winds up this weekend as well. Go Rafa! (Sharapova is the favorite on the women's side.)

Open Thread.

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    Friday Morning Open Thread | 47 comments (47 topical)

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    Minnesota is shut down (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:24:26 PM EST
    Mark Dayton was sort of d*ck I guess and he brought his balls. His stand off won't start a Great Depression so he can do it and dear God please let him win this and put a little fear into the hearts of the rich that own most of our government leaders right now.

    Danish company offers opportunites (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by lilburro on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:36:06 PM EST
    for people with Asperger's and autism.  NYT.  Great story.  Reinforces one of my key takeaways from my sociology classes, difference is not deficiency.  

    This is wonderful, (none / 0) (#17)
    by Zorba on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 02:25:08 PM EST
    and, yes, a great story- good for Specialisterne.  If you are interested in the field of autism, and what those on the spectrum can achieve, I highly recommend two films:  Mozart and the Whale, and the bio-pic Temple Grandin.

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    Thanks lilburro/Zorba (none / 0) (#21)
    by samsguy18 on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 04:05:30 PM EST
    I missed the NYT article this morning .. I loved Temple Grandin..never heard of Mozart and the Whale...There are so many gifted children who have autism. They are very special....they have kind and gentle spirits and for the most part only see the good in people.

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    Wisconsin SC Justice David Prosser (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by Yman on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 01:58:29 PM EST
    ... impulsively grabs reporter's microphone, then hands it back to the reporter - a local Faux News reporter, of all people.

    Whoops.

    The great Obama economy (5.00 / 3) (#44)
    by MO Blue on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 08:27:04 AM EST
    After the longest recession since WWII, many Americans are still struggling while S&P 500 corporations are sitting on $800 billion in cash and making massive profits. Now, economists from Northeastern University have released a study that finds our sluggish economic recovery has almost solely benefited corporations. According to the study:

    "Between the second quarter of 2009 and the fourth quarter of 2010, real national income in the U.S. increased by $528 billion. Pre-tax corporate profits by themselves had increased by $464 billion while aggregate real wages and salaries rose by only $7 billion or only .1%. Over this six quarter period, corporate profits captured 88% of the growth in real national income while aggregate wages and salaries accounted for only slightly more than 1% of the growth in real national income. ...The absence of any positive share of national income growth due to wages and salaries received by American workers during the current economic recovery is historically unprecedented." link

    While Obama continues to pursue proving just how "business friendly" his administration can be,

    ...The absence of any positive share of national income growth due to wages and salaries received by American workers during the current economic recovery is historically unprecedented.
    Too bad he feels no need to make appointments and adopt policies that prove how "people friendly" his administration can be.

     

    Cory Maye is being released. (none / 0) (#1)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 11:03:49 AM EST
    10 years time served for manslaughter. Radley Balko saved this man's life.

    Awesome news... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 11:24:04 AM EST
    a great birthday present for America...better late than never.

    Mad props to Radley indeed.

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    That's Been 10 Years (none / 0) (#9)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:40:51 PM EST
    The whole thing stinks, he shouldn't have to plead to a crime to get out of jail.

    But I guess it beats doing life.

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    My old childhood buddy irks Darrell Issa (none / 0) (#3)
    by Dadler on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:11:51 PM EST
    The congressman tweets with a clueless hypocrisy that is priceless. (LINK)

    Don't we need an ethics investigation? (none / 0) (#5)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:26:54 PM EST
    How can we get one of those? The press trucks should be parked outside his office too, this will really tick off some tea partiers. Let's get some coverage and some lights over here.

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    Too Busy.. (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:43:08 PM EST
    ... worrying about Obama's tone.

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    And the fact that they profit... (none / 0) (#14)
    by Dadler on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 01:37:51 PM EST
    ...from shenanigans not much different.

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    Unfortunately, it's not illegal (none / 0) (#16)
    by Zorba on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 02:16:44 PM EST
    for members of Congress to do this kind of thing.  They manage to exempt themselves from all kinds of regulations and laws that would get the rest of us in hot water.

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    That is IMO in this instance (5.00 / 0) (#27)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 06:24:45 PM EST
    an outrage.  I used to give Issa the benefit of the doubt considering his potentially "colorful" history....but uh.....I'm seeing a pattern here of someone who looks for unethical yet unable to proven illegal ways to get financially ahead.  This should be a problem for him come reelection time....it should be....doesn't mean a damned thing though in the real world.

    Parent
    Yes, unfortunately, it's another example (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Zorba on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 06:56:45 PM EST
    of the "Golden Rule"- those who have the gold, make the rules.  (And then they get to acquire more gold.)

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    Sharapova (none / 0) (#6)
    by Gerald USN Ret on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:27:09 PM EST
    Sharapova is a dream of beauty and athleticism.

    Except for her shoulder injury she would already have become one of the all time greats.

    Perhaps she will still reach that pinnacle.

    On cycling, (none / 0) (#7)
    by Gerald USN Ret on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:28:30 PM EST
    I can't find it in my heart to trust any professional cyclist that wins big.

    Or you could take the same position (none / 0) (#13)
    by Nemi on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 01:19:33 PM EST
    as a professionel swimmer I once heard saying: "OK, so they are all doped. Doesn't that just mean that the best of the doped wins?" Couldn't figure out if she was snarking or serious, though.

    I might be naive, but I do have hope for the younger cyclists and their morale. And I did feel sorry for Contador as he was booed by the French audience at the presentation yesterday.

    Parent

    Insanity (none / 0) (#11)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 12:53:32 PM EST
    A couple of weeks ago I got a notice that the state of California, effective July 1st, is decreasing the sales/use tax rates by 1% state wide.

    Even the republicans I work with are mystified.

    Not sure how much this equates to, but if there is one state that shouldn't be decreasing revenues, it's California.

    Manufacturing leaving China - back to US? (none / 0) (#12)
    by Yman on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 01:17:25 PM EST
    Interesting article about how some manufacturing jobs are leaving China coming back to the US due to rising wages, "system costs", shiiping issues and fuel costs.  Be interesting to see some hard numbers.

    Guess there could be some benefits to higher fuel costs (that's just for you, PPJ).

    can we move the debt limit (none / 0) (#18)
    by CST on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 02:36:41 PM EST
    "end date" up a bit.

    I'm not sure I can stomach three more weeks of this nonsense. Just change the catastrophy day to July 2nd and be done with this.

    I hate the feeling of waiting for something bad to happen.

    It's no Christmas Eve, that's for sure... (5.00 / 0) (#19)
    by Anne on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 03:06:51 PM EST
    Obama wants a deal done by July 22 - does that help?

    I think what bothers me most is not the way it's dragging out, but what comes after the Grand Bargain.

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    yea (none / 0) (#20)
    by CST on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 03:16:47 PM EST
    the "bad" I'm worried about is not defaulting on the debt.  It's what the cost of not defaulting will be.

    That being said, I do not think it's a good idea to pass an interum one that would only last until 2012, so that we have to go through this again right before the election.  I do not see the crazy people getting any better right before election time.  If anything they will be worse then.

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    I'm getting the feeling (none / 0) (#22)
    by NYShooter on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 04:11:31 PM EST
    that the R's are getting a little nervous about their blackmail threat. The pundits are all saying that the public will blame Obama, but I don't know. Is there a breathing person who doesn't know who's pushing this thing?

    If Obama was smart he'd draw the line right here. He should tell the public that:

    "I've said all there is to say about this subject. Either work with us to solve this problem or destroy the country to score a cheap political point. The Republicans are making a  huge mistake, they think the people are too stupid to understand what's going on. I put my trust into the people's good judgment to understand the truth.

    Since no one's been telling the people (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Anne on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 05:59:29 PM EST
    the truth, instead selling this phony crisis for their own craven ideological and political reasons, whatever it is Obama thinks the people know isn't going to help him here.

    I mean, how oould it?  Obama doesn't trust the people's "good judgment;" he thinks so little of his own base's good judgment that he takes pride in making them angry.  I mean, what do they know? They, and more than a few economists, have only been telling him for months that this austerity crap he's bought into just is not going to move the economy upward.

    The frustration of seeing how all of this could have been avoided is reaching critical levels for me; I'm closing in on I-don't-give-a-crap-anymore territory, where all that's going to matter to me is the well-being of my family, and from the looks of it, that's going to take more effort than ever in pretty short order.

    Parent

    Using "the peoples good judgment" (none / 0) (#32)
    by NYShooter on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 07:52:20 PM EST
    by Obama was meant as a political device to assure the republicans would be blamed for any fallout stemming from their blackmail.

    I certainly didn't mean Obama actually has any faith in "the people's good judgment."

    Parent

    "BET Has Become The New KKK" (none / 0) (#23)
    by Mr Natural on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 04:20:46 PM EST
    "I just spent the week in New Orleans, the powerbase for one of the most talented, powerful and destructive forces in the history of music: Lil Wayne. I've admittedly bopped my head to the tunes of Lil Wayne in the past, feeling the same guilt that any man might feel if he were to enjoy a crack pipe or shot of heroine, knowing how these drugs destroy families, individuals and communities. In other words, I consider myself to be a Hip-Hop insider, and I simply hate the idea of being labeled as a hater. But as a father and Black man who has seen too much death and devastation in my family and so many others, I had to say that "enough is enough," leading me to candidly discuss my decision to walk away from certain styles of Hip-Hop music."

    http://newsone.com/newsone-original/boycewatkins/dr-boyce-bet-the-new-kkk/

    Googling clembuterol (none / 0) (#25)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 06:16:25 PM EST
    As an asthmatic I know what albuterol is.  Has my doctor been holding out on me :)?

    So I read it (none / 0) (#26)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 06:20:13 PM EST
    If he was prescribed it by a doctor is that okay?  Because it is used for the same things that albuterol is used for and many asthmatics compete athletically.  And if he isn't asthmatic, I have seen albuterol prescribed for other health conditions concerning breathing.

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    When squirrels steal my peaches (none / 0) (#28)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 06:50:10 PM EST
    I get mildly upset.  When they lean out from heavy branches and take bites out of peaches on the wispy branches and then leave chewed up peaches, it makes me think about ways to hurt them.

    Anthony Bourdain might be able to help you (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by Dadler on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 07:29:22 PM EST
    Squirrel pot pie, anyone? (LINK)

    Parent
    When Mr. Z was young, (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Zorba on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 07:40:07 PM EST
    he used to do a lot of hunting (with his uncle, and with friends).  He's eaten squirrel many times.  He says it's pretty good.  Not a lot of meat on them, though, and the older ones can be a bit tough and stringy.   ;-)

    Parent
    Not bad (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by CoralGables on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 08:35:46 PM EST
    in a stew though. And a .22 from an open window can provide dinner and save the peaches for cobbler. Not that I would ever do such a thing.

    Parent
    We have more trouble (none / 0) (#35)
    by Zorba on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 08:45:30 PM EST
    with the deer eating our peaches than the squirrels.  Deer were a problem for our garden, too, until we put an electric fence around it some years ago.  (And Mr. Z agrees about the squirrel stew.)

    Parent
    My mother (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by Amiss on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 02:07:54 AM EST
    used to always cook what my brother brought home from a hunting trip. She cooked many a squirrel smothered in gravy which simmered for a good while to tenderize it.

    I hate squirrel meat, always have.

    Parent

    When squirrels chew up the wiring (5.00 / 3) (#37)
    by MO Blue on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 09:02:41 PM EST
    under your car and it costs a couple of hundred dollars each time (3) for repairs, you definitely lose any and all fondness for the little rats.

    Parent
    Or the wiring in your house (none / 0) (#41)
    by gyrfalcon on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 01:14:40 AM EST
    which red squirrels are addicted to.  I tolerate the occasional gray squirrel as long as he doesn't cause me any problems, but red squirrels I trap and relocate as soon as I see one move in.  They're actually dangerous because of their fondness for house wiring.

    Parent
    Fortunately, only phone wiring (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by Towanda on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 10:41:28 AM EST
    was munched on by squirrels at our abode once, but it took forever to figure out that, for once, we ought not have blamed the phone company.

    Parent
    Things like this are complicated, aren't they? (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by EL seattle on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 12:41:28 AM EST
    Other animals would show no mercy to the squirrels, I'm sure.  But squirrels can trigger certain human responses, even if they're dead.

    YouTube link: That remarkable video of girl with a dead squirrel.  

    Parent

    Squirrel population waxes (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by gyrfalcon on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 01:12:55 AM EST
    and wanes.  It'll be better next year.

    There's quite literally nothing you can do that will take care of the problem, unless you want to take up falconry and fly a few hawks at them from time to time.

    Out here in the country, we don't have so many of them, so when they get to be a problem, I trap 'em and take them to a nice spot about 6 or 7 miles from here and wait for the next ones to move in.  Pointless in the suburbs, though.  There are just too many of them.


    Parent

    I'd recommend trying to (none / 0) (#33)
    by brodie on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 08:12:26 PM EST
    put out some fruit or nuts for the squirrels and see what happens.

    Around here they get a good daily dish of both from yours truly, and except for the occasional noisy frolicking around in the trees and on rooftops, they are pretty well behaved.  Certainly fun to watch.

    Of course me -- after viewing Hitchcock's The Birds numerous times, I've come to the conclusion we should try to stay extra friendly with the various creatures of this planet, including not shooting and eating them, to avoid at the least the sort of turnaround nightmare scenario Hitch depicted in that nearly half-a-century old film.

    So, yes, I also feed the sparrows and even the crows ...  

    In many cultures (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by sj on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 11:07:54 AM EST
    crows are the keepers of the Sacred Law.  I wasn't raised that way, but my Dad always treated them with respect.

    The day he died I was leaving the parking lot and there was a huge crow just standing in the driveway and staring at us calmly.  I drove up slowly to give it time to fly away.  When I was very close, it finally flew up and over the car so close we heard his wings tap tap on the roof of the car.

    I still believe it was my Dad saying goodbye.

    Anyway, I'm glad you feed the crows.

    Parent

    Grw up with a family pecan orchard (none / 0) (#36)
    by jeffinalabama on Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 08:51:58 PM EST
    to provide profits for us. Squirrels, crows, blue jays... simply targets.

    Except Fox Squirrels. Never enough of them, we left them alone.

    Parent

    Le. Tour. De. France. (none / 0) (#38)
    by ek hornbeck on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 12:22:49 AM EST
    Exclusive Daily Coverage at The Stars Hollow Gazette.

    Bye, bye, Arnold (none / 0) (#43)
    by MO Blue on Sat Jul 02, 2011 at 07:57:01 AM EST
    Maria Shriver files to divorce Schwarzenegger

    Don't you mean, (none / 0) (#47)
    by jeffinalabama on Sun Jul 03, 2011 at 11:09:26 AM EST
    "Hasta la vista, baby."

    Parent
    Friday Morning Open Thread | 47 comments (47 topical)

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