As I mentioned in the prior comments
section I've been meaning to write a new post, but haven't had the
time. As anyone who has read this blog from its inception will know
it was started by Petes at my suggestion. While the original reason
we started the blog doesn't apply anymore I have continued to write
because I found that I enjoyed the, well, creative process. I also
have enjoyed discussing world events with those who chose to comment
periodically. As you may have noticed Petes hasn't written since
last year. He was pursuing other interests. He has just recently
chosen to remove himself as a contributor to the blog. I will miss
having a partner in this endeavor, especially someone who wrote so
well. But, in any case, I wish him well in whatever activities he
chooses to pursue.
The other portion of this post pertains
to my family situation. My mother tripped recently as she was coming
into the house, breaking a bone in her right knee and spraining her
left ankle. She is currently in rehab trying to heal. This has left
me as primary caretaker for my father and sister, who also have
medical issues. So between working, helping them, maintaining the
house, running errands, and doing yard work I have been left running
on empty this week. This is not to say that I am quitting writing.
For now I have every intention of maintaining the blog as long as
there is an interest on the part of my readers. It is an outlet for
my thoughts and feelings, as well as just giving me something to
think about that is of another world than mine.
One last thought here. In this long journey I have been on I have been pleasantly surprised at the compassion and kindness of people I have been lucky enough to encounter. They have helped make up for the lack of same in some of my own family members.
116 comments:
" This has left me as primary caretaker for my father and sister,
who also have medical issues."
And that leads later to a comment about compassion and kindness and "the lack of same in some of my own family members."
Your efforts are going unappreciated it would seem?
I suspect that among family that is often the case.
Pete is gone? Does that mean we can curse again?
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fucketifuck!!!!
Ahhhhh.... I feel so much better now.
Drunk am I also, so you know... Fuck!
Sunday drunk, the best drunkedness of the week. I hear they almost got Al Baghdadi with bombs. Sweet. Hope they blew that asshole to smithereens. Gonna grab a new beer here. Later y'all.
Lynnette, really sorry to hear about your mom. I don't know what age she is obviously, but older people can get pretty shaken by those sorts of mishaps, not to mention the physical hurt which can take extra time to heal.
Families can be complicated ... in a bad way sometimes, unfortunately. I hope you don't get too run off your feet. It's tough dealing with physical and emotional exertion all at the same time. Personally, I try to avoid both as much as possible ;-)
Speaking of families, and obviously wanting to stir things up for your regular audience with this drive-by comment, I don't know if you're aware that there is currently a gaggle of Catholic bishops having a "synod on the family" in Rome. Normally this would be the cue for the media to lobby for a Catholic u-turn on gay marriage and all the usual social issues.
Strangely, this time the hubbub is much more soft focus. I honestly think they think Pope Francis is on board for some radical changes, and are leaving well enough alone. Among the people who will be drafting the final report from the synod is one Cardinal Danneels of Malines-Brussels diocese. He's an outspoken supporter of liberal changes in the Church. He's also been caught in a tape recording, where he tries to pressure a young victim of clerical abuse to not report the matter to the authorities.
Now, if this was on Pope Benedict's watch, the media would be screaming blue murder and demanding defrockings at the very least. (And I'd agree with them -- the man sounds like he should be in jail). But no, our own national paper of record ran with a frivolous story about a US rabbi being "appointed as a comedic adviser to the Pope".
Funny old world, huh?
Right, as you were. Back to the cussin' Marcus.
Folks here bitchin’ ’bout them blond, blue-eyed Swede folks being racist suckers, clear to da bone. Quartz.com
I'm sure Marcus be wantin’ to read ‘bout that.
Your efforts are going unappreciated it would seem?
True family are there for each other in good times and bad. Unfortunately my brother and his family have never been there for my parents, my sister, or I, except only superficially. At least not so far. Simply put, when asked, family should help. They have not.
I suspect that among family that is often the case.
You are probably right. I am not the only one with family members who do nothing to help. I have talked to others who have experienced the same thing in their own families.
Btw, I am being restrained here in my comments. My anger is extreme at the moment, and I don't want to dump on my readers. :)
Drunk am I also, so you know...
lol! Some drunks are entertaining. :) I did rather enjoy the Putin is a real man comment last time. It was good for a laugh.
...older people can get pretty shaken by those sorts of mishaps, not to mention the physical hurt which can take extra time to heal.
Oh yes, she was very shaken. What is so disheartening is that she had just recovered from a fall early in the spring which had resulted in a broken bone in her neck. She had to wear a brace for 3 months. Now it is her leg where she has to wear a brace for 3 months. *sigh* At least with the neck brace she could still walk. But with a broken bone in her right knee and a sprained ankle in her left she can't currently do any walking. And even when the ankle heals it will still be slow going. As soon as she fell she knew what this would entail for herself and for me.
Families can be complicated ... in a bad way sometimes, unfortunately.
Yes, I know. I envy those with close knit caring family.
I hope you don't get too run off your feet. It's tough dealing with physical and emotional exertion all at the same time.
Exactly! I'm not sure if it is the emotional strain or the physical which is worse. But to have both at once is extremely stressful. And then to have asked my sister-in-law for help and just get some crappy advice was beyond provoking.
Personally, I try to avoid both as much as possible ;-)
ROFL! I would love to do that! Some day maybe I will get a chance. :)
Now, if this was on Pope Benedict's watch, the media would be screaming blue murder and demanding defrockings at the very least.
Ahh, Pope Francis the teflon Pope?
Funny old world, huh?
I guess popularity isn't useful in just high school.
A possible start of a slowing of the Thermohaline circulation?
"… and just get some crappy advice was beyond provoking."
And did you let yourself get provoked? Or, maybe worse, get beyond provoked?
"A possible start of a slowing of the Thermohaline circulation?"
Certainly looks like it, don't it. It's an odd thing that global warming would produce cooler air temperatures, I can see where a lot of melting ice might do that.
Or, maybe worse, get beyond provoked?
If you mean did I haul off and slug her for her self-centered, selfishness? No. We were discussing this over the phone. I also refrained from calling her a few choice names. No, I rant to other people or when I am alone. It is amazing how many others out there have run into the same selfishness in their own family members. The difference is that they are usually married, so they have spousal support. I am not.
It's an odd thing that global warming would produce cooler air temperatures,...
It's like when the body gets overheated, there is a reaction(sweating) that is designed to mitigate the heat. It does seem as if the planet also has some kind of self-regulating system in place as well.
Looks like they've started dropping ammo to the rebels in Syria.
"If you mean did I haul off and slug her…"
That'd be little more radical than anything I had imagined. I was thinking something more along the line of some honest appraisal of her character, maybe at a fairly high sound volume. (Which would probably be justified, but not helpful.)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"It does seem as if the planet also has some kind of self-regulating
system in place as well."
It also seems we are in the process of overtaxing that system, exceeding its capacity.
"Looks like they've started dropping ammo to the rebels in Syria."
Well, at least it's getting close to its intended recipients. Send it in overland and al-Nusra tends to get their hands on it.
@Lynnette,
The Republicans aren't getting any closer to finding anybody who's interested in being Speaker of the House (and who's not one of the right-wing crazies who can only get 40-50 votes from the other right-wing crazies). Paul Ryan went home to talk it over with his wife, and this morning one of his staff made a press announcement that he's still not willing to take the job.
I was thinking something more along the line of some honest appraisal of her character, maybe at a fairly high sound volume. (Which would probably be justified, but not helpful.)
I may have focused on her because she is the one who specifically told me that if I needed help I should ask. But when I did, she did nothing to help. But that whole family is really all the same. No, nothing I would have said would have been helpful. They are simply selfish people. So I must work to get beyond the anger I feel and just try to do the best I can with what I have on hand. Some day maybe things will get better. I mean for my situation, not for my relationship with them. After this I have little desire to try any more, except to try to be somewhat polite.
It also seems we are in the process of overtaxing that system, exceeding its capacity.
I think we may be on a road that triggers something we will not be able to handle so easily, yes.
The Republicans aren't getting any closer to finding anybody who's interested in being Speaker of the House...
Somehow I can't blame anyone for not wanting that job!
"Somehow I can't blame anyone for not wanting that job!"
But, they gotta find somebody to take it. Else they gotta eat their pride and let Boehner stay on there, get up every morning and start doing what he wants to do and to hell with them; new day every morning. He did say he'd changed his mind and his resignation wasn't effective until they elect a new Speaker. He might even enjoy rubbing that in their faces for a while. (Probably not, but ya never know.)
NYT piece on the Iraqi Kurds and the Peshmerga. They manage to do well against ISIS with little. I'm thinking that we're behind the curve here what with the Obama administration's policy of trying to hold on to the old borders in Iraq and Syria.
The Iraqi government is once again claiming to have bombed a caravan including Bakr al-Baghdadi. CNN
Lee:
"Folks here bitchin’ ’bout them blond, blue-eyed Swede folks being racist suckers, clear to da bone. Quartz.com
I'm sure Marcus be wantin’ to read ‘bout that."
There's probably racism here just as anywhere. Then there's the issue of what's rasism and what's "racism" which is not so clear to me these days.
Some folks hold the notion that being anti-mass-immigration is racist. I do not agree. I oppose our current extreme immigration because of a variety of factors but race as in the ethnic group the immigrant comes from is not one of them.
Still, my point of view is deemed racist (or "racist") by some. What can I do about that? Nothing. As I will not lie and become a closet "racist" like the majority of people everywhere in the west (who preach multiculturalism but engage in white flight and make sure their kids go to non-multicultural schools) I guess I'll have to be an open "racist".
Sucks to be honest these days. Easier to be a fucking hypocrite. I won't do that.
Would any of ya'll yanks send your own kids to an inner city Baltimore public school?
Why not? Are ya'll RACISTS?
He did say he'd changed his mind and his resignation wasn't effective until they elect a new Speaker.
Oh! I hadn't heard that. The way they get things done, maybe he'll end up staying. ;)
NYT piece on the Iraqi Kurds and the Peshmerga. They manage to do well against ISIS with little. I'm thinking that we're behind the curve here what with the Obama administration's policy of trying to hold on to the old borders in Iraq and Syria.
I think there is more unity in the Kurdish population than you find in the Sunni/Shia Arab regions of Iraq. It makes it easier to hold together and fight. It's that "united we stand, divided we fall" thing. Yes, so far the Kurds have shown that they truly are willing to fight for a country. They deserve one. And with Turkey's machinations I'm thinking they should be reminded that their are other options out there.
New ‘effective’ date when they elect a new Speaker.
Would any of ya'll yanks send your own kids to an inner city Baltimore public school?
Since I don't have kids I have never had to make a choice of where to send them. I know people here though who probably would not send their children to any inner city school. Are they racists? Maybe. Or maybe those schools don't offer the safe environment, or scholastic programs they are looking for.
New ‘effective’ date when they elect a new Speaker.
That whole thing sounds par for the course for Washington. Petty bickering.
I'd have to pay out of state tuition. (And it'd be an overnight trip.)
"And with Turkey's machinations I'm thinking they should be
reminded that their are other options out there."
Well, they're still kinda in trouble with any open declarations of independence. Iran has a fairly large and somewhat restive Kurdish area too, and is in no hurry to see an independent Kurdish state that it's northwest provinces would want to join up with.
Iraqi Kurdistan is effectively independant already, they just take care to not say so in public. I rather doubt that the Syrian Kurds will ever be brought back into a Syrian nation either. The next question is how do the nominally Marxist Syrian Kurds work out their differences with the enthusiastically capitalist Iraqi Kurds? Keeping in mind that the Iraqi Kurds have essentially papered over what was once a civil war between competing gangsters and their gangs. They got a lot of work to do before they consolidate, but they've managed to remember that they (as fellow Kurds) are surrounded by hostile powers, and the clear and present danger is from the outsiders.
But the Iranians, no less than the Turks, are still dead set against any open Kurdish independence. They're willing to consider that Iraqi Kurdistan is acceptable as providing them an opening against Iraq, a way to weaken Iraq as a competing neighboring power, but an independent Kurdish nation is not something they're ready to tolerate right now.
In fact the Kurdish situation kinda reminds me of Germany in the 18th century. They knew they were Germans, but a lot of several principalities were nominally territories of foreign powers (mostly the member states in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Prussian Kingdom)
It would appear that the belief in the Turkish government's complicity in the recent Ankara bombings is fairly widespread among the Turks' minority communities.
Al-Qaida affiliate calls for terror attacks in Russia
Lynnette: "Since I don't have kids I have never had to make a choice of where to send them. I know people here though who probably would not send their children to any inner city school. Are they racists? Maybe."
Lee: "I'd have to pay out of state tuition. (And it'd be an overnight trip.)"
Cop out answers. You could well envision a scenario where you had kids and had the option to let them go to public inner city schools in Baltimore, and you know as well as I do that you would take 'em elsewhere if you had the slightest choice. Would that be "racism" on your part, or maybe even outright racism?
My beef here is with people who advocate mass-immigration and claim "integration" is the solution to the problems that follow - but only for others, while they themselves use their monetary advantage to flee multiculturalism.
It's very, very common in Sweden these days. It's hypocritical and it's sickening to see. And I'm saying this even though I have no kids myself and if I had I would be one of those who could afford to escape multicultural neighborhoods and schools - which I absolutely would even if I had to pay dearly to do so.
Lynnette:
"Al-Qaida affiliate calls for terror attacks in Russia"
I said before that I thought that was one risk Russia took. Pretty obvious really. Of course the Jihadists will strike at Russia if they can. I doubt they will accomplish anything other than maybe murdering a few Russsian civilians though.
Lee (from the previous thread):
"You probably also believe Putin's innocent of the Moscow apartment bombings back in 2002. [...] No, wait, they went down in 1999"
I don't know much at all about those bombings, can barely remember them. Are you saying Putin bombed apartment buildings in Moscow? Sounds unrealistic to me. Perhaps you have more info on that?
"Perhaps you have more info on that?"
Remember, Google is your friend.
If I had kids and had the option of putting them in an inner city school, I probably would not. Not because I have an issue with skin color or even income level. It is because I have an issue with crime and the violence that seems to be prevalent. It's also why I would not live in an inner city. Well that, and also because I prefer more green space than concrete.
ISIS invasion of Afghanistant. WaPo
We got a guy here who makes a not entirely unreasonable argument to the effect that Dr. Ben Carson can win the Republican nomination. I don't think he's right, but there was that Akin fella outta Missouri who talked about legitimate rape and then the O'Donnell lady from Delaware who had to go on air and assure her Republican supporters that she was not a witch, so, ya never know who Republicans might nominate.
ISIS invasion of Afghanistant.
Yeah, I've been reading various reports of this. Not good.
A cyclone brews over Saudi Arabia
"And if Russia and Iran win, somehow, against the odds, they get
Syria — which is a cauldron, not a prize."
Fareed Zacharia ― WaPo
Lee: "ISIS invasion of Afghanistant. WaPo"
Go figure.
Ya'll should've treated 9/11 as a crime, not a war, and then methodically gone after Bin Laden and the other main culprits. Could've been wrapped up in a year or so with limited collateral damage. Should've let the FBI handle it, not the CIA and the Pentagon and the bloodthirsty Neocons.
But no. Ya'll had to go and ignite the whole middle east which spread to the whole of Eurasia and will last for decades and now there's no putting that genie back into the bottle.
Well done. Very well indeed. 2 structures and 3K deaths were well served by a couple million more deaths. In fact more amercans died in the response to 9/11 than at 9/11. So even if you only count american lives as lives that matter and forget about the other millions dead (as you usually do) it still was a clusterfuck. Then there are the countless of (non worthy as they are not American) lives on top of that. Probably well into the millions by now.
Well played!
"…and then methodically gone after Bin Laden and the other main
culprits."
And then al-Qaeda would have promoted from within, and in another year they'd have taken down another dozen jets over a couple of oceans on a single afternoon, as they'd already planned to do once before.
"Ya'll had to go and ignite the whole middle east [which] will last
for decades and now there's no putting that genie back into the bottle."
Yep, that was the plan alright. The place was going to hell in a handbasket already, and it was only a matter of time before the the genie got out of the bottle, so I figured we might as well take a shot at changing the trajectory. Well, we blew that one big time. So it went ahead and followed the trajectory it was already on.
‘The Sweden Democrats are a genuinely reactionary party. They want their
country, and indeed the world, to be the way it seemed in the 1980s.’
Guardian
"And if Russia and Iran win, somehow, against the odds, they get
Syria — which is a cauldron, not a prize."
Ahh...the old, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it scenario? I do have to wonder, what does Syria really have that is so important? In fact, I have to wonder that about the entire Middle East. Russia has plenty of oil on its own. What good does influence do, if you bankrupt your country to get it? I think Putin is letting his ego get the better of him.
Ya'll had to go and ignite the whole middle east which spread to the whole of Eurasia and will last for decades and now there's no putting that genie back into the bottle.
No, Marcus, Lee's right. The Middle East seems to be all about self-immolation.
Ya'll should've treated 9/11 as a crime, not a war, and then methodically gone after Bin Laden and the other main culprits.
We might have, yes. However, it would not have done any good if the people on the other side still see it as a war.
"I think Putin is letting his ego get the better of him."
I think it is mostly a matter of ego. The ‘harbor’ at Tartus is of marginal value to the Russian Navy. But it's not merely a matter of Putin's ego. This is Russian national ego on parade.
We had a hard freeze last night, so I expect we'll be seeing leaves dropping right and left today. Did manage to get some apples picked yesterday, though.
This is Russian national ego on parade.
How does that saying go?
Pride goeth before the fall.
I see there appears to be some heating up between the Israeli/Palestinians. Haven't had much chance to read too much about it. But it makes it appear as if the whole Middle East is going up in flames.
The slow death of Damascus
I mentioned earlier that it looked to me like Damascus would be contested territory; Assad will want it in his mini-state if he gets one, but it's Sunni territory.
...Assad will want it in his mini-state if he gets one, but it's Sunni territory.
I wonder if we aren't underestimating what the Russians have in mind in Syria. I found this OP Ed piece rather disturbing. It might be totally irrelevant to the Russians whose territory Damascus is. They will install who they will, given half the chance, and enough time.
"I wonder if we aren't underestimating what the Russians have in
mind in Syria."
I've been thinking our pundits and planners have been overestimating him. (I read that piece from WaPo a few days back.) Most folks think Putin's looking for a partitioned Syria (minimum acceptable) with Assad still in power (best case scenario) along the coast, and Russia still with its little harbor in Tartus (which is too small for Russia's newer warships and actually of little use to Russia other than as a symbol).
If you'll look back a few months, I'd already come to the conclusion that we probably don't give a damn if Assad holds on in a mini-state along the coast. Strategically, it makes little difference to us. But, we're not the folks Putin's gotta wear down. He's gotta deal with the Sunni Gulf States, who're gonna be more than willing to fight him right down to the last Sunni Syrian. He didn't face that in Chechnya. (And Chechnya is beaten down right now, but not pacified; that one ain't over yet either.)
What Putin has here is a diversion for the home folks who're being treated to more Putin the Glorious on TV, and wholly distracted from the mess that the Ukraine's turning out to be for them. But, he's not yet dealt with the Sunni Gulf States willingness to fight him right down to the last Syrian Sunni. He's got that still to look forward to, that and the influx of jihadi radicals from all over the place (assuming he beats down the Syrian rebels).
Post Script:
I think Syria was on the edge of hudna as the Arabs call it. All the Alawites had to do was dump Assad and the rebels would have agreed to a cease fire and started negotiations (which almost certainly would have lead to a de facto partition of Syria in spite of Obama's druthers). But, the Alawite power structure wouldn't have had to give up their territory along the coast, just dump Assad himself (who got Damascus is an open question). The best Putin's gonna get from his move to preempt that ending is a long war with ISIS, and he may get that and worse.
An explanatory piece in The Atlantic on the roots of the current Palestinian uprising against the Jews. Of moderate length.
Erdoğan is playing hardball in negotiations with the EU over the flood of refugees Turkey has been facilitating on their way to Europe.
@ Lynnette,
The Select Benghazi Committee is having another bad day
@ Lynnette,
Here's an Op-Ed that's actually got something intelligent to say to us.
He's gotta deal with the Sunni Gulf States, who're gonna be more than willing to fight him right down to the last Sunni Syrian.
After reading that Op-Ed I did a search of YouTube on Chechnya today. There was a short interview with the current "President" of Chechnya on RT. It looked like a sales pitch to get the Arabs on board with Putin's intervention in Syria, as well as a warning to those who have terrorist activities in mind.
(And Chechnya is beaten down right now, but not pacified; that one ain't over yet either.)
At some point in time Putin's adventures will come back to bite him.
It just appears as if the whole world is fighting, or being inundated with displaced people from those areas.
Inevitably, the costs of Social Security, Medicare (federal health insurance for the elderly) and nursing home care under Medicaid (a federal-state insurance program for the poor) will grow dramatically.
Of course these programs will grow. My mother is in rehab, which cost $300 per day. If we can't get Medicare to pick up at least the first 20 days, then we are on the hook for $6,000. If she has to stay a month then that is $12,000. Medical care in this country is expensive, ridiculously so. And as the population ages, and becomes frailer, those medical costs will just grow.
And Donald Trump's attitude toward immigrants is something I don't want to see in a President. That is not what this country was supposed to be about.
I'd like to recommend this piece:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/19/world/europe/refugees-face-winter-as-new-danger-for-europe-migration.html?&target=comments&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&modref=HPCommentsRefer&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Well not so much the piece itself as the top rated comments. Seems even the readership of liberal NYT sees the migrant crisis in Europe for what it is.
There was a time when American politicians were looking for people to make into American citizens to fill up a fairly empty continent under the American flag before somebody else's flag moved in on the real estate. Those times are over. Job got done; don't need doin’ again.
My local PBS station does a 30 minute BBC World News program early in the morning. This morning they had a 4-5 minute piece on refugees coming up from the Balkans getting stuck outside in a cold rain on the Hungarian border. They looked pretty miserable.
Job got done; don't need doin’ again.
As the baby boomers die off we may find that some replacements are needed.
Seems even the readership of liberal NYT sees the migrant crisis in Europe for what it is.
As a failure of European leadership?
Lynnette: "As a failure of European leadership?"
Yes, a horribly insane one bordering on treason.
Lee: "a 30 minute BBC World News program early in the morning. This morning they had a 4-5 minute piece on refugees coming up from the Balkans getting stuck outside in a cold rain on the Hungarian border. They looked pretty miserable."
No doubt it's tough to be an economic migrant (not refugee) in transit. And, knowing BBC, no doubt they angeled the story to be as much of a sob story as it was possible to do.
Usually they find mostly women and children to film. Strange when about 90% of the influx are men.
"…we may find that some replacements are needed."
I'm in favor of immigration when it's beneficial to us. I'm less favorably inclined when it's primarily beneficial to them, or when the drawbacks to us outweigh the benefits to us.
Finally, after Russia decided to get serious in Syria, after years of NATO dithering, ISIS terrorists are cutting off their jihadi beards, dressing up as women and fleeing like rabbits:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3279094/A-close-shave-Terrified-jihadists-leave-BEARDS-battlefield-shave-faces-dress-women-flee-Syria.html
Praise Russia and St Putin!
@ Lynnette,
Coincidentally, PBS' Frontline is doing a two hour piece entitled ‘Immigration Battle’. It's on tonight in my locale. Described as:
"Social Topic
"Information about the confrontations and compromises taking place in
the nation's capital is provided, with a look at the president's efforts to
promote reforms to U.S. immigration policy that could impact the lives
of millions of people."
"According to the Russians there have been quite a few
desertions among the fighters they have bombed."
Lynnette @ Sun Oct 04, 09:39:00 p.m.
"It could be true. The Russian's Rules of Engagement allow for
bombing even in the presence of civilians, so the ‘human shields’ trick
doesn't work against the Russians. Could be the jihadi don't like being
exposed to open bombing where civilians as cover don't work
anymore. Or, could be the Russians are counting as jihadi all the
civilians who're fleeing. Or, could be the Russians are just making it
up. Probably have to wait for confirmation from more reliable sources
before we know which it is."
Lee C. @ Sun Oct 04, 11:26:00 p.m., prior thread
I was reading a twitter feed the other day regarding Syrian refugees in Europe. One commenter mentioned that she had talked to a Syrian refugee who had been tortured back in Syria. He told her that he had seen his torturer after he arrived in Europe. Apparently they had both chosen the same country to flee to.
I'll try to check into the PBS thing, Lee. Time in the evening can be a little hard to find.
"Time in the evening can be a little hard to find."
That's what my DVR is for.
In a bit of mischief making, Harry Reid has endorsed Paul Ryan for Boehner's job of Speaker of the House. WaPo
lol!
I think people think too much. But if Reid is making mischief it begs the question of who does he really want in the job? Maybe he's using reverse, reverse psychology?
I see that Biden is now saying he actually supported the Bin Laden raid (secretly of course). Hmmm...
I was talking to someone the other day about Trump. She likes his honesty. She says he tells it like it is rather than trying to tailor his message to fit what people want to hear. But she also liked Bobby Jindal because he did a decent job in fighting corruption in Louisiana.
By the way, you didn't miss much on the immigration thing. Wasn't worth two hours for sure. (I watched maybe 15 minutes of it before I got bored and deleted it.)
It occurred to me…
"Finally, after Russia decided to get serious in Syria, after years of
NATO dithering…
"Praise Russia and St Putin!"
He must laboring under the mistaken impression that he's taunting neo-cons.
Marcus that is, not Putin.
Given the latest dust-up between The Donald and Jeb!, I was wondering when somebody would get around to pointing this out:
"There’s no way of knowing for sure if [George W.] Bush could have
stopped the September 11 attacks. But that’s not the right question.
The right question is: Did Bush do everything he could reasonably
have to stop them, given what he knew at the time? And he didn’t. It’s
not even close.
"When the Bush administration took office in January 2001, CIA
Director George Tenet and National Security Council counterterrorism
“czar” Richard Clarke both warned its incoming officials that al-Qaeda
represented a grave threat. *** [and on and on it goes…]"
The Atlantic
Haven't even made a good run at getting the Europeans to start up sufficient funding for Syrian refugees, and now they're gonna start getting hit with increasing numbers of Afghans
"But if Reid is making mischief it begs the question of who does he
really want in the job?"
Reid is retiring after this term. He doesn't give a damn who's the Republicans' replacement for Boehner. He's just making mischief for the pure fun of it.
(I watched maybe 15 minutes of it before I got bored and deleted it.)
I actually did tune in to part of the end of it. But like you I got bored and didn't continue to watch it after a few minutes.
He must laboring under the mistaken impression that he's taunting neo-cons.
Well, here's the deal though, it's Europe that is going to suffer from Putin's actions. All they are going to see are more immigrants from Syria. I thought that was something Marcus wasn't happy about, yet he is cheering Putin on. In reality the United States has little to be concerned about if Assad stays. ISIL is our main problem.
"When the Bush administration took office in January 2001, CIA
Director George Tenet and National Security Council counterterrorism
“czar” Richard Clarke both warned its incoming officials that al-Qaeda
represented a grave threat.
Yes, but was there intelligence that specifically pointed out what kind of threat there was? The United States is a big place.
I think sometimes we expect too much of our security agencies. As has been said in the past, they only need to be successful once, we have to be successful all the time.
"Yes, but was there intelligence that specifically pointed out what
kind of threat there was?"
In fact there was. Long story there to convince you if you're resistant to the idea, but short version you may recall from some years' back, nearer 09/11; the intelligence failure was commonly attributed as a failure to ‘connect the dots’ (as you may well recall, or maybe you don't remember that; I don't know if you do or don't); different folks had different pieces of it, but nobody put them together.
There is a persistent rumor (which neither Bill Clinton nor any other member of his inside circle has ever either confirmed or denied to my knowledge) that the Clinton administration left a specific, off-the-record, informal, Prez-to-Prez warning to the incoming Bush administration that Bill Clinton deemed al-Qaeda to be ‘the one that got away’; to pay special attention to them,‘cause they were up to somethin’, and that Condolezza Rice was instrumental in getting the Bush administration to round-file that warning as unsubstantiated. Whether that part is true or not, it is true that the Bush administration had the necessary info buried somewhere inside the system to predict the nature of the plot (if not the specific targets themselves, nor the timing), and they admittedly ‘failed to connect the dots’.
"In reality the United States has little to be concerned about if
Assad stays."
True dat. We had reason to be concerned if Assad held on to Syria, but that ship has long since sailed. Best he can reasonably hope for is to hang on as either a Russian or Iranian puppet in a small, Syrian mini-state along the coast. He probably hopes for more, but I'm talkin’ ‘bout what he can reasonably hope for.
Lynnette: "Well, here's the deal though, it's Europe that is going to suffer from Putin's actions. All they are going to see are more immigrants from Syria. I thought that was something Marcus wasn't happy about, yet he is cheering Putin on. In reality the United States has little to be concerned about if Assad stays. ISIL is our main problem."
You think there are going to be fewer refugees if IS or Al Nusra (Al Qaeda) finally win in Syria? Or if they manage to bring down the regime and then start slaughtering every Allawite, Druuze and Christian in the country and then start a Qaeda versus IS war to make life hell for all the Sunnis too?
A FACT Lynnette that you seldom hear because it doesn't fit the narrative of some is that of the internally displaced in Syria a vast majority have fled to regime controlled areas. Why is that you think?
"Why is that you think?"
‘Cause Assad's forces use barrel bombs against civilian areas under rebel control and the Syrian rebels don't even have barrel bombs nor choppers to drop them out of, so they don't threaten civilian populations in areas under Syrian government control. (Ditto for indiscriminate artillery barrages against civilian population centers.)
ISIS, on the other hand, holds mainly in the underpopulated eastern Syrian desert, although they have attacked Kurdish populations in the livable areas in the east.
Marcus, Trollhättan can't be that far from you? :-(
And, on the subject of Evil Merkin politics…
As of Thursday morning, looks like Paul Ryan probably is gonna run for Speaker of the House. He's supposed to decide by Friday sometime, so he's said. Supposedly the teabaggers have agreed to some limits on their power to make mischief and Ryan has agreed to some expansion of their institutional power (which will not make future agreements with the Democrats any easier to achieve).
Pete: "Marcus, Trollhättan can't be that far from you? :-("
Pretty far actually, about 4 hours by car I think.
For those who maybe don't know what happened a killer in some sort of mask, possibly a Star Wars mask, entered a school and started cutting people with a sword or a large knife. Killed one teacher at the scene and a 12 YO kid died later during surgery. One more teacher and one more kid is in serious condition. The killer was identified as a 21 YO local man. He was shot by police when he rushed against them and died later during surgery.
The motive could have been a racist one. The killer was swedish and the school is 90% immigrants.
Lee: "ISIS, on the other hand, holds mainly in the underpopulated eastern Syrian desert, although they have attacked Kurdish populations in the livable areas in the east."
So you think the inhabitants of Raqqua feel better under the IS boot than the inhabitants of Damascus feel under Assad's?
Also, what's with this recent love fest for Al Qaeda, manifested in Syria by Al Nusra? Weren't Al Qaeda bad guys - the worst ones even? Why are the russians bad guys when they bomb Al Nusra fighters?
"So you think the inhabitants of Raqqua feel better under the IS
boot than the inhabitants of Damascus feel under Assad's?"
Probably not, although I have read conflicting accounts of the level of ISIS support among the locals in the Sunni areas they control. I think they probably feel safer than the inhabitants of Allepo, under control of Syrian rebels, but subject to aerial attacks by Russian pilots and artillery attacks by Iranian trained and supervised gunners. Of course, that may change when and if the anticipated Kurdish assault on Raqqa begins.
What we seem to have currently is ‘as many as 1,000 armed opposition groups in Syria’ of various names and sizes (BBC, variously coöperating and competing, as the case may be and circumstances may dictate for the moment. (Can't keep these players sorted out even with a program, allegiances change too fast.) Supposedly we're not supporting al-Nusra at all, but we can't seem to keep the people we are supporting from throwing in with them when circumstances make it momentarily convenient.
"Why are the russians bad guys when they bomb Al Nusra fighters?"
I haven't heard much bitchin’ ‘bout that. Our people like to complain when the Russians bomb the Free Syrian Army guys. (Who, admittedly, are sometimes working hand-in-glove with al-Nusra guys.) I suspect our government complains about the bombs falling on the FSA, and your preferred news sources prefer to mention that those same bombs were falling on al-Nusra guys to give the impression that they are the same guys and we're supporting al-Nusra.
@ Lynnette,
The Republican House is apparently having trouble passing a Republican friendly bill to increase the debt limit. It seems that they can't figure out any way to keep the Senate from amending it and dropping all the extras they want to tack on as the price to be paid for allowing the government to pay the bills already incurred. Appears the current thinking is the Senate can't amend it if it never gets sent to them in the first place. Politico
This may yet turn into another nail-biter.
American politics:
Paul Ryan didn't wait until Friday, declaring his candidacy for the Speaker of the House position on Thursday instead.
Hillary went through about 11 hours of grilling by the Benghazi Committee, now over, and they pretty much never laid a glove on her. She never found a chance to gut ‘em and string ‘em up either, so it sort of comes up as a tie, but the tie goes to her; that's just how it works.
You think there are going to be fewer refugees if IS or Al Nusra (Al Qaeda) finally win in Syria?
I suspect that the depopulation of Syria will continue as long as any fighting there continues. And any fighting will continue as long as you have in power an entity that is unpopular with other factions within Syria. The Russians are intent on propping up one of those unpopular entities, Assad.
...and they admittedly ‘failed to connect the dots’.
Probably not surprising. Before 9/11 I don't think there was any one department that gathered all the data and tried to piece together the pieces of the puzzle.
I was sorry to hear about the attack, Marcus. As gruesome as a knife attack sounds, a gun could have been far worse.
The motive could have been a racist one. The killer was swedish and the school is 90% immigrants.
Well, there could have been any number of reasons. It is early days yet.
"Well, there could have been any number of reasons."
Press is reporting rumors that they found right-winger literature at the culprit's home. Racist stuff. I don't think the police have confirmed that explicitly yet, but it's being reported as ‘unnamed source’ stuff.
It seems foreign adventures play well for Putin back home. The Russians like the idea of stomping on foreigners.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval rating has reached nearly
90 percent largely thanks to his military moves in Syria, according to a
new nationwide poll published Thursday.
"State-run pollster VTsIOM said a record 89.9 percent of Russians
approved of Putin in its latest weekly survey — up from 86.6 percent
a week earlier and above the previous record of 89.1 in June 2015.
"‘Such high approval rating of the president of Russia had to do mostly
with the events in Syria…"
NBCNews
No doubt this bodes well for Russia's neighbors in Europe as well old allies in the Middle East. "Praise Russia and St Putin!", indeed.
Evil Merkin politics:
More bad news from the Republicans in the House of Representatives regarding the impending Debt Ceiling. It appears Plan B ain't working either.
Swedish police have now confirmed a probable racist motivation. I saw a picture of the dude--the WWII Nazi helmet he was wearing probably should have been a clue.
It looks like a Nazi helmet and a paintball mask to me:
http://d3.dn-static.se/UploadedImages/2015/10/22/a4b2c3e5-f86f-4103-b83d-b33a8f43b4e1/original.jpg?id=1345223
That pic was taken by a girl in the school who thought it was just a masquerade costume, and it was taken after he had already killed one person.
I don't know where the rumor of a Darth Vader mask came from. Apparently he had some Hitler stuff on his Youtube channel and there were some "extreme rightwing" stuff found at his home, whatever that may be.
In any case I think it's fair to say it was a racist deed. Tragical and horrible.
The police seems to have done a good job. At the scene 5 minutes after the 112-call was made and took him down. He had left a note of some sort and apparently rushed the police so suicide by cop seems like a likely possibility.
The anticipated, U.S. supported invasion of ISIS held Raqqa has hit a snag for the time being.
And the Obama administration is again re-considering the creation of safe zones inside Syria. But, Obama's still leaning against it.
And, the Russians, lacking hi-tech precision guided munitions, have developed a low cost, lo-tech kamikaze drone that they fly into their target.
So I wonder if people are going to be as mad at the Russians as they were at us?
That was intended as a bit of sarcasm, yes?
What if they gave a war and everybody came?
A lot of questions, and only a few answers about the overall state of affairs in the Middle East.
When I read that first sentence for a moment I thought you were going to continue on with something about North Korea. Kim Jong-un has been jumping up and down trying to get into a fight with us for some time now. Just like a little kid trying to get attention. But anyway, that article looks interesting, but I will have to read it a little later. Gotta run and do errands, and a friend and I are going to try to catch a movie this afternoon. "Bridge of Spies" with Tom Hanks. It looks rather interesting. :)
Btw, I see Ahmadinejad's bodyguard was killed in Syria. Apparently he was acting as adviser there.
Iceland is serious about prosecuting errant banksters:
http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/26-bankers-already-sentenced-a-combined-74-years-prison
26 banksters scentenced to a combined 76 year in prison.
"Corporate Viking" is a term I've not heard before; it's not in widespread usage here in The States.
It's one of the disappointments of the Obama administration, not only are the ‘too big to fail’ banks still too big, but nobody ever went to jail for those frauds; they didn't even try.
Actually, there was one person who went to jail. The article explains why. It's rather long.
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