"i need another toy this one exploded by accident"
RT @Olivianuzzi: @darth pic.twitter.com/9kI7Uzzxmt
— darth™ (@darth) January 8, 2015
Palate cleanser after another nasty week.
On an entirely different topic, from the NYTimes, “Scorch Marks and Questions Linger After N.A.A.C.P. Bombing in Colorado“:
COLORADO SPRINGS — A shadow of char is the only remnant of an improvised bomb that exploded Tuesday outside the local offices of the N.A.A.C.P. here at the feet of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains, jolting the volunteers more accustomed to running membership drives and planning prayer breakfasts.
On Thursday, F.B.I. investigators continued trying to unravel the identity and motivation of whoever had set off the makeshift bomb Tuesday morning, a crime that authorities are investigating as a possible bias attack or case of domestic terrorism. The N.A.A.C.P.’s all-volunteer staff here decided to reopen the office, still baffled by an assault that they said seemed to come out of nowhere…
“It’s just astounding to see that somebody would go through all that trouble to hurt somebody who gives turkeys at Thanksgiving,” said Carol Chippey-Rhanes, a volunteer.
The building is tucked into a residential neighborhood on the south side of town, two blocks away from a school that offered its space as a meeting place after the explosion. The chapter has been in the same building for about 30 years, its presence announced by a simple light-blue sign above the front door…
Since the bombing, two volunteers said their thoughts turned to a tense encounter shortly before Christmas, when an angry man had walked into their offices and delivered a disjointed tirade about how the N.A.A.C.P. was not supporting his personal protest against local law enforcement. Volunteers listened to him, and then asked him to leave. They said they reported the interaction to the authorities after the bombing, but had no idea whether there was any connection. Ms. Sanders declined to comment on the incident.
By Thursday morning, volunteers were back at their desks in the small office, making coffee and answering nonstop phone calls: Thank you, we are all doing O.K. A supporter dropped off trays of vegetables and pastries, as well as three bottles of sparkling juice. The president of the group’s Wyoming chapter drove down to offer support and help answer phones. Mr. Allen, the Colorado Springs chapter president, was busy talking to concerned neighbors and coordinating events for Black History Month with two soldiers from a nearby Army base.
The local chapter has been active here in Colorado Springs — which is also home to the N.A.A.C.P.’s state conference — since about 1920. The chapter has spent the past couple of years trying to re-energize itself, Mr. Allen said, increasing its membership from 269 to more than 500 and reaching out to the area’s large Spanish-speaking population.
“We are law-abiding citizens,” Mr. Allen said. “We are not a radical, out-of-control group. We just want everybody to be treated equally.”…
***********
Apart from doing our best to clean up the broken world, what’s on the agenda for the day?
chopper
Looks like the dog exploded by accident.
danielx
The day has nowhere to go but up and is already an improvement over yesterday in that the temperature is 10 degrees and that’s 17 degrees warmer than it was at this time yesterday morning. On the other hand, I’m being subjected to a considerable amount of cat abuse from none other than my man Erik the Magnificent, who appears to be 95% recovered from his hostile encounter with a pit bull last summer – only a very slight limp at times and of course his appetite has returned to normal, meaning that he’d like to eat, oh, every half hour or so.
Sort of like this:
Erik: Meow. (I’m hungry, and I’d really like some of that leftover pork roast that you’re cutting up for a sandwich for mom.)
Me: You’ve already eaten this morning, pal.
Erik: Extended purring, with equally extended leg stropping. (If I purr loud enough and long enough and keep reminding you I’m here, somebody will give me something.)
Me: I hear you, but you’re outta luck, you don’t get to eat again until four.
Erik: Meow! (You know I’m hungry, and I’m starting to get pissed.)
Me: I understand totally, but you don’t get to eat twice this morning. And shut up before Zoey hears you and comes down and starts bitching too.
Erik: MEOW! (Now I’m hungry AND totally irate because you have all this food cached and won’t give me any, and we don’t even eat the same stuff so it’s not like I’m eating YOUR food instead of this so-called cat food. You’re just being a stingy human prick.)
Edit: Also, too – David Brooks’ latest effort is titled “I Am Not Charlie Hebdo”. Truer words were never spoken.
Keith G
Bless Mr Allen and his group for the important work they do and will continue to do.
Human beings are very problematic creatures. My Irish American paternal grandfather who died many decades ago was of the opinion that humans had not evolved nearly as much as most humans like to feel that we have.
It’s almost as if some experience the reward of a major dopamine release when they generate feelings of hatred and hostility toward others.
debbie
@Keith G:
I think that’s what self-righteousness feels like.
ruemara
Oddly, the idea that you should treat everyone equally & fairly is a radical notion.
Iowa Old Lady
@ruemara: I was thinking that same thing. The person sounds so bewildered.
Also, I saw the picture and thought it was Soonergrunt’s dog. Haven’t seen him lately. Is he all right?
raven
@Iowa Old Lady: yea
NorthLeft12
@ruemara: Yes, the concept of fair and equal treatment seems to be a new one in the twenty-first century.
And we all know that any socio-political changes from the 1930s on are considered to be radical.
Sherparick
Steve M at “No More Mister Nice Blog” did a great fisking of Jeb Bush’s coming out speech to the assembled plutocrats in Connecticut this past weekend before week went crazy. He points out first, Jeb practically stole Paul Ryan’s whole memes and speeches (thereby cleverly eliminating Mr. Ryan’s raison d’etre for a Presidential run. Second, he points out heart of the sweet love song he sang to the Plutocrats, and the dog whistles that will keep the hoi polloi of the Republican base in line. I a particularly noted these lines: “…e need to let people take risks. We need to let people fail. We need to let people suffer the consequences of bad decisions. And we need to let people enjoy the fruits of good decisions, even good luck….”
http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2015/01/if-you-loved-romneyryan-2012-youll-like.html#links
“the Consequences of bad decisions” and the view of America’s elite that the poor and working class “don’t work hard enough because of all “free stuff” from Government means lots of talk about “reforming” entitlements, means testing and then adding “work requirements.” The trick will be to convince the majority of white working and middle class voters that this does not mean them, but about making “those people” finally “work” for what they get, and if they are losing anything, well, that is the result of “those people” because you folks are “the Real Americans” and as proud, self-reliant folks did not want this Social Security, food stamps, etc. anyway!!
dedc79
Looks like the person who shot a Paris police officer yesterday has taken five hostages at a kosher grocery in paris.
BruinKid
@dedc79: Ah… fuck. Just…….. fuck.
They’re now reporting that this second gunman has already killed at least two people at the kosher grocery store.
Sigh. This is so fucked up.
dedc79
@BruinKid: two dead already, it appears.
It seems that in addition to cartoons, Jewishness also “provokes” these guys.
dmsilev
Today has _got_ to be better than yesterday, which went all to Hell early in the evening with the phone call that boiled down to “your credit card number has been stolen”. I _think_ all of the (thankfully minimal) damage has been contained but Not Fun.
rikyrah
Sitting there, in the middle of the mess that he made, looking all cute..
Tenar Darell
On a self improvement note, in a plan not to go down the Internet rabbit hole first thing, I’ve read two stories by Phil Klay from his collection Redeployment, I’m waiting for the oil delivery, and then off to the gym then the MFA ( it’s so warm at 27’F).
@Sherparick: This kind of bullsh*t makes me so cranky. And to make it worse, suburban and rural places don’t have the work, job training and workfare resources necessary for the quantity of people who’ll lose their food stamp benefits. /snarl
satby
@dmsilev: oh man, sorry. Yes, that is not fun at all. At least they caught it early it sounds like.
I gave Biggie’s sister Rosie a new cushion to sleep on yesterday. She and Hershey, my lab-pit mix, had what looks like tons of fun with it, because I have an entire bedroom of disembowelled cushion to clean up today. Having my coffee and working up the energy; more white out snow conditions today, so not going anywhere else.
rikyrah
U.S. Economy Added 252,000 Jobs in December; Unemployment Rate at 5.6%
Capping the best year for the job market since the recession began eight years ago, employers added 252,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department reported Friday, and unemployment fell to 5.6 percent.Analysts expected the creation of 240,000 jobs, according to a survey by Bloomberg, and for the unemployment rate to tick down to 5.7 percent, from 5.8 percent in November.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/10/business/economy/jobs-unemployment-figures-december.html?emc=edit_na_20150109&nlid=28112050&_r=1
satby
@Tenar Darell:
This can’t be said often enough. After 8 years of rural bliss, I really wish I could move back to Chicago, where I would much more easily find a better paying job. Costs would be higher for housing, but offset a great deal by lower transportation, higher wages, better infrastructure, etc. I’ve gone without power and consequently water (well pump) more in the last 8 years than in the preceding 52.
geg6
Called off work today. Fuck it, I said. Worked two days this week well beyond 10 hours, travelled in the snow and bitter cold one of those evenings and I have had enough for the week. Another windy cold day and more snow than all the rest of the week convinced me to stay home and baby this pre-cold that’s been brewing but that my strong immune system has kept to a minor annoyance.
Terrible stuff out of France. Just terrible.
debbie
@rikyrah:
And yet McConnell’s already taking credit for it.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jon-stewart-mitch-mcconnell-economy
mdblanche
@rikyrah: I blame Obama.
Gin & Tonic
Just in case anyone regrets not having seen BiP around here the last few days to offer some theories, lifenews.ru (a Russian TV/online “news” source) is saying that the Charlie Hebdo attack was carried out by US intelligence.
jayboat
With all the sadness in the air lately I just wanted to profess my undying gratitude (again) for the presence and deliciousness of The Daily Show (and also Stephen Colbert)… they seem to be the only piece of our msm that comes close to showing reality and actually doing their jobs.
I just watched last night’s show and was reminded of how much I enjoy their cheesey photoshopped skewer graphics that always hit the bullseye (yertle w the magic lamp on his turtle shell)
but, also, too- the piece on Afghannystan was brilliant. … potus and flotus in a small cafe announcing end of operations, Stewart appears to shred this staging and then moves into the military flag-rolling-unrolling ceremony that, surprise! Shows up as a copy change on a flag layout. The stark symbolism of the before and after flags and Stewart’s zingers do more in 15 seconds than some entire campaigns to drive home a point. But, the sweetness is what is not said… of course it was a low-key, kinda blue collar arena, but nothing has really changed over there except the filenames so why would the prez made a huge deal out of it?
YMMV.
eta- same link as Debbie @20
Face
Hahahhahhahahahaha! As if white people could be terrorists! Nice try, libtard NYT!
Elmo
Going home today! Well, tonight, but still.
Boston next week, and then a week in Vegas after an entire blessed week home. Given that sumptuous expensed meals are the only real pleasure of business travel, is anyone surprised that I’ve gained 15 pounds since last June?
kc
@danielx:
He IS magnificent.
Violet
@Iowa Old Lady: That’s exactly what I thought. Saw the picture first and thought it was a Soonergrunt post. Hope he’s okay.
Yatsuno
So I will be in Seattle January 17th through the 21st. I’m staying right down by the Space Needle so we can definitely discuss meet-up potentials once I get home from work. I’ll come back later to talk about it too.
As for the cat: thinking about it, but the job situation is still fluid because the IRS budget FUCKING SUCKS. However since I am an internal hire it still might happen.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@rikyrah: So why is it so fucking hard to find someone that will hire me?
Tenar Darell
@satby:
Re: the Water thing. Every big storm you must fill the tub first thing.
It is very cruel to demand conditions for food stamps and then not provide any way to satisfy those conditions. Of course I’m one of those “squishy libruls” who doesn’t think we should put conditions on food for hungry people. Denying food is like going around and deliberately creating expensive future health problems and death. It’s like shooting yourself in the foot to prove that only the deserving poor get benefits. We’re so busy trying to prove it, we probably spend more money than it would cost to ensure that everyone who needed food gets it. We knew this once, but I guess we have to learn it again.
Woodrowfan
@Gin & Tonic: thanks, I was missing reading his usual mix of self-righteousness and cluelessness… ;)