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Thursday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 06:03:15 PM EST
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I've been spending all my free time and then some tinkering with my new creation. It should be ready in a few days, hopefully over the weekend. I'm also going to check into having a professional add the commenting features everyone asked for.

Tonight my eyes need a break from staring at tiny coding symbols, and I need a break from the computer. The TL kid is bringing Chinese food over from the place we used to get it when he was a kid (I'm no longer in the delivery area)so I'll leave you all with an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Thursday Night Open Thread | 29 comments (29 topical)

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    I don't (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 06:55:23 PM EST
    understand why people make excuse after excuse for George W. Bush. I mean he screwed up constantly. Just own it and move on. The majority of Americans think the guy was a disaster but apparently some people think that they can make up stuff and change history. All defending George W. Bush proves to anyone is that you don't have a problem with his screw ups.

    II (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by lentinel on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 05:26:39 AM EST
    don't know if I could say that Bush screwed up.

    He had an agenda, and he got the media and a vast majority of both political parties to support it.

    Talk about a transformation presidency.

    Parent

    Well (none / 0) (#25)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 06:55:28 AM EST
    you got to admit he was very successful in destroying the GOP. Now whether that was his goal or not who knows but then he managed to have all his businesses fail. So maybe the only thing he know how to really do well is screw things up.

    Parent
    Imo, (5.00 / 2) (#26)
    by lentinel on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 08:01:12 AM EST
    you are limiting your vision.

    During his two terms, he not only cemented the GOP into the reactionary beast it is now, he did the same for the Democrats.

    And look at the media.
    Look how they went lock-step into supporting his enterprises.

    Look at what happened to our civil liberties.
    Look at what happened to our sense of what is acceptable.

    The Obama administration still won't condemn him or prosecute him for what he did.

    As a result, Bush has an enduring legacy. Retired. Painting his pictures.

    Sure, everything is screwed up.
    But they are screwed up exactly as Bush intended them to be.

    And, unfortunately, we have no national ambition to unscrew what he has done to the country. No leadership from either the Republicans or Democrats.

    And the people... so buffeted and battered... just hoping to survive.

    That is a tragedy for us.
    But a success for Bush and his mindset.

    Parent

    I know (none / 0) (#29)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 11:59:59 AM EST
    what you are saying. A lot of that is because Obama could have done something but chose not to for whatever reason.

    Parent
    What ? (none / 0) (#30)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 03:26:04 PM EST
    Success for Bush, hardly, maybe he's convinced himself that most Americans are wrong, and that he was successful/popular.  But in reality, his party kept him far away in 2008, his name was never mentioned, and even now his own party isn't championing anything he did.  And most are admitting that the war was at the very least, ill conceived.

    I don't know of any metric that one could use to call Bush a success.  Using a term like screwed up makes it impossible to counter, if you mean partisanship, I would hardily think anyone goes to DC to make it more partisan.  He single handedly made a way for a black man to become president, trust me, not many republicans regard Obama as a a success of Bush.  Most of his staff left in disgrace, the deficit soared, 9/11 happened on his watch, the market crashed, and on and on.

    Dragging D's into the war that they manufactured a whole bunch of evidence for is not the same as D's going along with their non-sense.  A lot of people where tricked into a lot of nefarious stuff by that crew, and again, not the same as going along with it.

    And as much as I agree about cleaning some of it, Obama has gotten the ideologues out of key positions, remember that mess.  Bush tried and failed completely to ensure republicans would rule for a long time with that kind of nonsense.  Anyone who claims Bush succeeded in anything, but proving he was a complete idiot, needs to check their facts IMO.

    Obama has failed in restoring a lot of our liberties, but that is completely different can of worms then the group who actually took them away.  I don't like the implication that not fixing a disaster is the equivalent of creating said disaster.   Not equal in any way.

    I would add that had Bush not stole the election, the D's wouldn't be getting blamed for not cleaning up Bush's mess better.  Or is Gore's ceding the election another example of the D's going along with Bush ?

    Parent

    Well, (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by lentinel on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 08:13:44 PM EST
    ...is Gore's ceding the election another example of the D's going along with Bush ?

    Frankly, I'm inclined to say yes to that.

    Parent

    Gore did what??? (none / 0) (#32)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Mar 23, 2013 at 11:13:19 AM EST
    I thought it was the SC and the recount...

    Parent
    "The recount" (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by jondee on Sat Mar 23, 2013 at 11:35:53 AM EST
    meaning, in actuality, the SC declaring a halt to the recount.

     

    Parent

    There (none / 0) (#35)
    by lentinel on Sat Mar 23, 2013 at 02:04:38 PM EST
    was a sense, at least I had a sense, that Gore did not fight hard enough. I felt a sense of capitulation.

    Of course, you are right that the SCOTUS put the nail in the coffin.

    A partisan SC.

    Sandra Day O'Connor admitted as much - saying that she voted to sink Gore because she was a Republican.

    But this is complex for me.

    Gore chose Lieberman to be his running mate fer Christ's sake!

    Parent

    A lot??? Name me some.. (none / 0) (#33)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Mar 23, 2013 at 11:14:03 AM EST
    Obama has failed in restoring a lot of our liberties, but that is completely different can of worms then the group who actually took them away.
     

    Parent
    Developmentally disabled Rahm Emmanuel... (5.00 / 3) (#5)
    by Dadler on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 08:17:13 PM EST
    ...is going to help close Chicago's budget hole by closing more than one in ten Chicago elementary schools and a high school. Oh, and they just happen to be in predominantly poor/minority neighborhoods. Not that Rahm's a racist dickwad or anything. The stupidity at work is so staggering it is beyond description. You have to be far beyond stupid, you literally have to be developmentally disabled, to think closing schools will save you money. It will cost infinitely more in social destruction, always does. But this country doesn't care about itself or its citizens, it has lost its mind and is committing suicide step by step.  Rahm is one more as*hole "leader" promoting the national motto: "The USA, where money ALWAYS matters more than people."  Step in front of a train, Rahm. Please. Do the people of your suffering city a favor.  And the school's CEO (only an egomaniacal as*hole at heart would accept that title on a school superintendent job -- can I be Senior VP of attendance taking?) talked about having to make tough choices, and that in the end these closings will "benefit" students.  I had no idea you could be alive and employed when your skull is literally empty.  Step in front a train too, oh CEO of education in Chicagoland. These people RUN things??? A tough choice is deciding to take a loved one off life support. A stupid choice is deciding to close schools, in the neighborhoods that need help the most, in a fiat economy, and calling it beneficial to children. (link)

    Literal and willful mental retardation is what it is. Corruption and racism and malevolence and greed and utter lack of creativity/imagination, too.  And so much more.  These so-called leaders deserve whatever sock full of wet dogsh*t hits them square in the face.

    The fight for school funds is intense (none / 0) (#27)
    by Mr Natural on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:38:24 AM EST
    Here in Michigan the state is going after the revenue that a few school districts managed to scare up by leasing space to Billboard companies, if the school district was lucky enough to own land adjacent to a highway.  Turns out that there are about 600 cases of this.  The state is using zoning mechanisms or ambiguities to attempt to force the grab.  FYI, the giant digital signs earn the district about $50K/year, gross the sign company about $10-$12K/month, and cost around half a million.

    Parent
    Excellent op ed by Linda Greenhouse (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by oculus on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 12:59:28 AM EST
    re Prop. 8 cases being argued at SCOTUS next week; and more.

    NYT

    Thanks (none / 0) (#28)
    by sj on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:46:19 AM EST
    That was a good read.

    Parent
    March Madness or Madness March (none / 0) (#4)
    by P3P3P3P3 on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 07:51:27 PM EST
    ????????

    3-21-13 William Beavers

    3-11-13 Kwame Kilpatrick

    2-20-13 Jesse Jackson Jr

    Monarch butterfly population ... (none / 0) (#6)
    by desertswine on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 08:19:26 PM EST
    crashes.  As if there wasn't enough to cry about already. Very distressing.

    About 10 years ago, on Easter Sunday, (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 10:28:23 PM EST
    the monarchs migrating up from Mexico came through our canyon here outside of LA.

    I assume there was some specific air stream that they were using that day that we haven't had since, but there were, literally, thousands - tens of thousands - of monarchs flying by our front door that day.

    And fast, too. With the wind behind them they were as fast as birds.

    As kids in NJ we captured them and grew them in shoe boxes with stocking nets replacing the front covers, and watched them metamorphose (ize?) into butterflies, and then we watched them fly away.

    Very sad to hear their numbers are down.

    Parent

    When I still lived in Brooklyn, I had one (none / 0) (#13)
    by nycstray on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 10:45:56 PM EST
    go through the "process" in my living room :) Apparently I had brought home the worm with my CSA veggies and it did it's thing on my pained pocket door. I remember the day the butterfly emerged. After it's wings dried, I took it out to the tree in front of my place.

    Parent
    It is a stunning metamorphosis (none / 0) (#15)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 11:04:15 PM EST
    Have you ever seen the giant green and black caterpillars that feed on parsley?  They turn into Swallowtails.  Beautiful beyond words.

    Parent
    Haven't seen the cats, but do have (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by nycstray on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 01:18:18 AM EST
    what looks like Swallowtails in my yard.

    Along with the bees, I also have several from the wasp family. It's kinda funny, because we seem to have a peace treaty in my garden. I can work out there with the bees buzzing etc along with my crazy dog and cats, and they don't seem to mind us :) And my little hummers come right up to me and hang for attention. With the beautiful weather and breezes we get from the bay, I'm pretty sure my backyard is a bit of heaven on earth . . . I got really lucky!

    Parent

    This is a harbinger of doom (none / 0) (#7)
    by jeffinalabama on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 08:50:11 PM EST
    unless something can be done. Combine this with CCD and the weakness of portable bees for pollination...

    If you want to kill this planet, kill the bees and the butterflies. If they don't pollinate, there is no food.

    Parent

    More butterfly host plants (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by CoralGables on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 09:12:34 PM EST
    are always needed. And a fondness for very hungry catterpillars demolishing those same plants is also needed.

    I keep a steady stream of corky stem passion vine growing which keeps a steady supply of Zebra Longwing and Gulf Fritillary

    Parent

    We've been told to plant milk weed for the Monarch (none / 0) (#9)
    by Angel on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 09:53:51 PM EST
    butterflies as their migration numbers are down substantially.

    Parent
    The good thing about milkweed (none / 0) (#11)
    by CoralGables on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 10:05:41 PM EST
    Cuttings easily root in a glass of water so a steady supply is easily maintained.

    Parent
    The main food source... (none / 0) (#10)
    by desertswine on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 09:57:14 PM EST
    for the Monarchs is the milkweed, just the kind of plant that suffers greatly from herbicides.

    Parent
    My yard was planted to attract birds, bees and (none / 0) (#14)
    by nycstray on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 10:49:55 PM EST
    butterflies. And yes, they all know that :D I've order some new seeds for more 'attracting' plants. My lil' hummingbirds are so cool! And I have about 4 or 5 different bees and several types of butterflies. I also like my ladybugs :)

    Parent
    1:29, 2nd: Harvard 63, New Mexico 58. (none / 0) (#16)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 11:11:03 PM EST
    The Lobos never fail to disappoint me in the NCAA tourney. I choose against them, and they always comply by washing out early in one of the first two rounds.

    This year proved a risky proposition, as UNM drew Harvard, an Ivy League school which lost its two best players earlier this season to an academic cheating scandal.

    Oh, ye of little faith! The Crimson have led practically the entire game over a Lobo team that at times looks completely befuddled, and are on the doorstep of the first truly huge upset of the tournament.

    There's still some time left, but the door's starting to close on New Mexico -- again.

    BUH-BYE: Harvard 68, New Mexico 62. (none / 0) (#17)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Mar 21, 2013 at 11:35:45 PM EST
    No. 14 stuffs No. 3. As their reward for the biggest win in school history, the Crimson draw Arizona on Saturday. The Wildcats eliminated Belmont earlier this evening.

    It's been a lousy tourney week for the Mountain West, with Boise State, UNLV and now New Mexico bidding us all aloha, and only Colorado State prevailing thus far in the first round. San Diego State plays Oklahoma tomorrow.

    By contrast, it was a great day for the Atlantic 10, as Saint Louis, VCU and Butler all won handily to advance to the second round.

    Parent

    Thursday Night Open Thread | 29 comments (29 topical)

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