2:10 ET: The President meets with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, FBI Director James Comey and ATF Deputy Director Thomas to discuss his upcoming gun control executive order
Morning. So cheered to see PBO waving at ME this am. Today, the “meetings” begin for all of us. After a blissful, meeting free few weeks, we begin again with a 2016 Hispanic Initiative meeting where we’ll focus on some major voter registration drives. As long as Trump keeps opening his mouth, we should have good luck with Latino voters who hate him with the heat of a thousand suns.
Morning RanMan. I have one question/request. If we all work hard this year and succeed in electing a Democratic as President in November, will you just that once say, “Thank God we will have a Democrat as President of the United States. I honestly think PBO would like that.
Is it wrong of me to hope that the Oregon militia, AKA, terrorist group, had a miserably cold night with stomach pains from the donated chili and muscle cramps from sleeping on the floor. Hope the weather gets colder today, the food more indigestible food, the stomach cramps more gripping, the odors more foul and the bickering more intense.
on a gut level i feel as you do…Don…but i sincerely believe what Jim Wright said…that under no circumstances (unless absolutely necessary) should the Federal Law enforcement engage them…….we do not need to make martyrs of them….on a previous thread …i posted his comments… he says that they should wait them out…create intolerable conditions….like shutting off water and electricity..setting up a perimeter and not allowing anyone in or out…and just wait them out….making them surrender…
Prettyfoot, I agree with both you and Jackie. Yes, we can wait them out and cut off their water and their electricity. But on a personal level it would not bother one bit to see these people become instantly extinct.
In case you need reason 1,000,900,999 to consider GWBush & Cheney f*_‡ing idiots for illegally invading and occupying Iraq and being best pals of the Saudis …..
So far: #SaudiArabia, #Bahrain cut ties w #Iran. #Sudan has expelled Iran's ambassador & #UAE has reduced level of ties to charge d'affairs.
— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) January 4, 2025
These folk have hated each other for centuries and their damn oil has never been close to worth the price.
We’d have been operating America on renewable energy sources for decades if we had put as much emphasis on doing so as we did our space program, let alone all the useless trillions of dollars we spent on stuff to kill people.
I feel your wrath, Bob. Do Saudi Arabia and its allies now feel threatened by Iran because it’s poised to become a greater player in the world, rather than a pariah. These hatreds have always existed, but the Saudis were the darlings of the Western world and now their oil is glutting the market and Iran is a serious economic rival.
Iran is a threat not just to the House of Saud, as you note, JackieG, but to the entire undemocratic, vastly misogynistic, monarchy structure of much of the Arab world.
Iran’s youthful, very well educated, participatory population is the inverse of what you find in SA, Bahrain, UAE, etc. With all it’s many problems - no different than any country on the planet - Iran has great potential and I think our President, VP and SOS have recognized that reality from long before any of them had their current job descriptions :)
1st meeting in 4 min so I’ve gotta go … take care!!
Have a good day, Bob. I’ve no doubt our President scoped out all the possible outcomes of the Iran deal. And he made sure that the US had progressed toward energy independence before tripping the wires that would cause the Saudi backlash.
Good Morning Nerdy, congrats on 1st. long time coming. Glad to see you back on the blog and doing your thing. Hope you had a wonderful Holiday season.
GM Chips, Danny & jackieb. Love this picture of President Obama. Gawd he is a good looking man. Woooot!!!. Glad he is back home safe and sound and the DC is going to be rocking this week and the rest of his time in office. BBL.
Four chemical elements have been formally added to the periodic table, completing the scheme’s seventh row.
They are the first to be included in the table since 2011, when elements 114 and 116 were added.
The first true iteration of the table was produced in 1869 by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev.
The new additions were formally verified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on 30 December 2015.
The body announced that a team of Russian and American researchers had provided sufficient evidence to claim the discovery of elements 115, 117 and 118.
IUPAC awarded credit for the discovery of element 113 to a Japanese team at the Riken Institute.
Good morning TOD folks. A new year begins with the hope and prayer that PBO can complete his agenda. His resolve is amazing in the face of GOP backlash. Wish media would talk with more people who support what he is doing.
Cole at BJ asked someone he respected about the Iran/Saudi Arabia issue, and here’s the response:
As I wrote in the comments yesterday, I think that the Saudis were pretty sure what was going to happen if they executed Sheikh al-Nimr and that was part of the reason they did it. King Salman has been very aggressive since he assumed the throne last year and this was really done for, I think, three reasons:
1) Internal messaging. As I’ve written here before the Saudis adhere to a type of Islam that they prefer to call Salafism (fundamentalism), everyone else often calls Wahhabism or Wahhabiya after its founder Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, but that is properly referred to as tawheed – the radical unity of the Deity. This is the same theology and doctrine as the Islamic State and it identifies Shi’a as not being apostates who are to be offered the chance to correct their practice of Islam, but rather a type of unbeliever to be violently suppressed wherever found. This execution was intended to message to Saudis, who are adherents of tawheed (its the only recognized/official version of Islam in the Kingdom as according to tawheed theology itself it is the only real version of Islamic belief/doctrine), that challenges to tawheed will be taken seriously and that the Shi’a will not be protected if Islamic State decides to move across the Iraqi border into the eastern Saudi provinces that are home to Saudi’s Shi’a.
2) External messaging to the Islamic State. It was also intended to message to the Islamic State folks that the Saudis are actually enforcing tawheed and are therefore not apostates that need to be dealt with (read overthrown). And that the Saudis can deal with their own Shi’a, thank you very much.
3) External messaging to Iran, and to Shi’a Muslims, that the Saudi’s will deal with the Shi’a as it sees fit. And that the Iranians cannot protect Shi’a Muslims no matter what it says.
Other than the normal human rights condemnations, I’m not sure that there is much that the US can do here. Nor is there much that I think we will do. The Saudis execute a lot of people, we routinely condemn this, but we’re not suddenly going to break diplomatic ties or stop doing MIL-MIL partnerships over one specific execution; especially since Sheikh al-Nimr wasn’t an American national. Moreover, this was one Shi’a cleric – not to dismiss that a man lost his life on contested charges. As long as the Saudi authorities don’t start rounding Shi’a and Shi’a clerics and tribal leaders up on various pretenses, this should subside after a bit.
All of this said, my guess is that there will be some very quiet, and hopefully, subtle diplomacy between the US and Saudi and the US and Iran (through the limited ties we have with them) to try to keep this from escalating. Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have been playing a very dangerous game over the last decade, and especially the last four or five years, throughout the Middle East. It has gone from regional cold war to proxy war for regional hegemony. If this gets out of hand and boils over into an actual hot war where the various Middle Eastern states have to take sides, then its going to be worse than anything we’ve seen yet. A lot of these countries militaries are good for internal security and if they’re partnering with the US or NATO on exercises and limited missions, but they don’t have a track record for actually fighting wars. A regional sectarian Sunni-Shi’a war for regional hegemony, where part of the mission of the Sunni challenger is not just to achieve hegemony, but to spread tawheed as the true (Sunni) Islam, will be very, very ugly. This will be a holy war wrapped into an interstate war (think the Thirty Years War). The religious aspect will change the nature of the warfare and we’ll likely see militaries in the region do things we didn’t think they would do otherwise. And there will be little way for the US and NATO to not be involved.
I know none of this is particularly satisfying, but what I’m actually hoping to see is that plans for a normal Haj for Shi’a Muslims continue as they do every year. If the Supreme Religious Authority in Qom issues a ruling (fatwa) that (Twelver) Shi’a should not attend Haj this year as its not safe, so they have a limited exemption from the religious duty, or if the Shi’a in Lebanon, Iraq, and the Gulf States, as well as Iran chose to boycott, that’ll be interesting. The former – a formal declaration against going and exempting the Faithful – would make things worse in a formal sense. An unofficial boycott – voting with one’s wallet – would hurt Saudi financially and in terms of reputation and might help to get them to ease up a bit. Since it is in both Iran’s and Saudis interests to have Iranians and Shi’a from other states make Haj, my guess is that this, like what had previously seemed like unresolvable issues between The Kingdom and the Islamic Republic, will be resolved and everyone will move on.
Republican candidates stay quiet on events in Oregon
January 3 at 10:09 PM
Republican presidential candidates are staying mum as an armed group has taken over part of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon — even those who supported the father of at least one of the group’s leaders, who had his own standoff with the government in 2014, and have called for limits on federal control over Western land.
Some of the issues involved in the standoff — constitutional rights, allegations of federal government overreach and individual liberties — have come to the fore in the GOP primary race. And as Western states are poised to play a larger role in the contest, so has the issue of property rights in a region where the federal government controls about half of the land.
But few candidates seemed willing to wade into any of these issues Sunday as the leaders of the group said they are standing up against government overreach and are prepared to remain there for “as long as it takes.” The group said it is protesting the case of two Oregon ranchers who were convicted of arson in 2012 and are scheduled to report to federal prison Monday. The ranchers were convicted on a broad terrorism charge. Many ranchers and land users in the West lease public land.
White House.gov
Good MOOOOrning, Chips and TOD…..Hello….WOOOOHOOOO!
Goooooooooood moooooooooorning Nerdy, happpppppy Monday to ya!!!!
Morning. So cheered to see PBO waving at ME this am. Today, the “meetings” begin for all of us. After a blissful, meeting free few weeks, we begin again with a 2016 Hispanic Initiative meeting where we’ll focus on some major voter registration drives. As long as Trump keeps opening his mouth, we should have good luck with Latino voters who hate him with the heat of a thousand suns.
That is SOOO good to keep in mind Jackie. Thank you.
Good morning Ms. Chips, Danny and TOD family, I hope all is well with everyone this lovely Monday morning. Congrats NW, on being first this morning.
To all, I hope you are energized, motivated, and strengthen to do great things today. <3 <3 <3
Thank God that President Obama is still the President of The United States of America. ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆
Morning RanMan. I have one question/request. If we all work hard this year and succeed in electing a Democratic as President in November, will you just that once say, “Thank God we will have a Democrat as President of the United States. I honestly think PBO would like that.
Jackie, I sure will. Great idea. 👊👍👌✊ 👊👍👌✊ 👊👍👌✊ Thanks>>
toon of the day.
Love it! Mornin’ AMK.
Mornin’ jg. the curse of ‘choice’.
I guess the GOP called this their ‘deep bench’ cause they’re really drowning in it.
deep stench is more like it.
Good one.
Is it wrong of me to hope that the Oregon militia, AKA, terrorist group, had a miserably cold night with stomach pains from the donated chili and muscle cramps from sleeping on the floor. Hope the weather gets colder today, the food more indigestible food, the stomach cramps more gripping, the odors more foul and the bickering more intense.
I wish President Obama would send in Seal Team Six to end this foolishness once and for all.
*There, I fixed it for you, Jackie.
on a gut level i feel as you do…Don…but i sincerely believe what Jim Wright said…that under no circumstances (unless absolutely necessary) should the Federal Law enforcement engage them…….we do not need to make martyrs of them….on a previous thread …i posted his comments… he says that they should wait them out…create intolerable conditions….like shutting off water and electricity..setting up a perimeter and not allowing anyone in or out…and just wait them out….making them surrender…
Agree with that, Pf. In this case patience is a virtue, because time is NOT on the side of the terrorists.
Prettyfoot, I agree with both you and Jackie. Yes, we can wait them out and cut off their water and their electricity. But on a personal level it would not bother one bit to see these people become instantly extinct.
Maybe they will do each other in. Even. That would be just.
Good morning TOD!
Congrats NW :) and Happy New Year!!
In case you need reason 1,000,900,999 to consider GWBush & Cheney f*_‡ing idiots for illegally invading and occupying Iraq and being best pals of the Saudis …..
These folk have hated each other for centuries and their damn oil has never been close to worth the price.
We’d have been operating America on renewable energy sources for decades if we had put as much emphasis on doing so as we did our space program, let alone all the useless trillions of dollars we spent on stuff to kill people.
BTW, Sudan has severed diplomatic ties, as well.
Love these greetings ….
Wishing you all a fine 1st Monday of the New Year …. bbl …..
I feel your wrath, Bob. Do Saudi Arabia and its allies now feel threatened by Iran because it’s poised to become a greater player in the world, rather than a pariah. These hatreds have always existed, but the Saudis were the darlings of the Western world and now their oil is glutting the market and Iran is a serious economic rival.
Iran is a threat not just to the House of Saud, as you note, JackieG, but to the entire undemocratic, vastly misogynistic, monarchy structure of much of the Arab world.
Iran’s youthful, very well educated, participatory population is the inverse of what you find in SA, Bahrain, UAE, etc. With all it’s many problems - no different than any country on the planet - Iran has great potential and I think our President, VP and SOS have recognized that reality from long before any of them had their current job descriptions :)
1st meeting in 4 min so I’ve gotta go … take care!!
Have a good day, Bob. I’ve no doubt our President scoped out all the possible outcomes of the Iran deal. And he made sure that the US had progressed toward energy independence before tripping the wires that would cause the Saudi backlash.
Thanks Bob - always appreciate your analysis
Good Morning Nerdy, congrats on 1st. long time coming. Glad to see you back on the blog and doing your thing. Hope you had a wonderful Holiday season.
GM Chips, Danny & jackieb. Love this picture of President Obama. Gawd he is a good looking man. Woooot!!!. Glad he is back home safe and sound and the DC is going to be rocking this week and the rest of his time in office. BBL.
G’morning Chips & TOD!! Congrats Nerdy on #1, and Happy Monday everyone :)
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks & TOD family.
Forecast for Rain all this week 💦
Chemistry: Four elements added to periodic table.
Four chemical elements have been formally added to the periodic table, completing the scheme’s seventh row.
They are the first to be included in the table since 2011, when elements 114 and 116 were added.
The first true iteration of the table was produced in 1869 by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev.
The new additions were formally verified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on 30 December 2015.
The body announced that a team of Russian and American researchers had provided sufficient evidence to claim the discovery of elements 115, 117 and 118.
IUPAC awarded credit for the discovery of element 113 to a Japanese team at the Riken Institute.
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35220823
friggin’ science and scientists.
:) :)
what? they just made every student’s life more miserable.
element 119 = hf2
awesomerium?
Created a witty mnemonic for that little p. table.
And now some IUPAC troublemakers have added 4 new ones?
You can hear the sighs of high school chemistry students around the world. “No, no, not more.”
egg.sack.lee. The point I just made above.
Legend of the penis-eating fish
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160104-does-the-candiru-fish-really-eat-human-penises
… consider it a psa.
Dude, please, I’m trying to have breakfast over here.
Hahaha ROFL 😂😂😂
well, my dinnah is about 30 min away.
I’m just sayin’, people are trying to eat and you’re talking about some poor guy’s package getting mutilated.
Good Morning, Everyone :)
Good morning, and a very happy, peaceful New Year to my TOD family. I wasn’t online much last week. So accept my belated greetings.
trumpsters cannot be so much dumbsters, can they?
The little car you can drive in France without a licence.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35210572
GM TODville.
Completely off-topic, but here’s your pizza delivery from Hell.
Dateline: Covina CA
Good morning TOD folks. A new year begins with the hope and prayer that PBO can complete his agenda. His resolve is amazing in the face of GOP backlash. Wish media would talk with more people who support what he is doing.
Morning!
In a nutshell with a tidy little bow. Morning Must Read.
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2016/01/first-principles.html
Cole at BJ asked someone he respected about the Iran/Saudi Arabia issue, and here’s the response:
I confess that all of this confuses me, but this seems like a thought out, cogent explanation
quiet as church mice pissing on cotton
………………
Republican candidates stay quiet on events in Oregon
January 3 at 10:09 PM
Republican presidential candidates are staying mum as an armed group has taken over part of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon — even those who supported the father of at least one of the group’s leaders, who had his own standoff with the government in 2014, and have called for limits on federal control over Western land.
Some of the issues involved in the standoff — constitutional rights, allegations of federal government overreach and individual liberties — have come to the fore in the GOP primary race. And as Western states are poised to play a larger role in the contest, so has the issue of property rights in a region where the federal government controls about half of the land.
But few candidates seemed willing to wade into any of these issues Sunday as the leaders of the group said they are standing up against government overreach and are prepared to remain there for “as long as it takes.” The group said it is protesting the case of two Oregon ranchers who were convicted of arson in 2012 and are scheduled to report to federal prison Monday. The ranchers were convicted on a broad terrorism charge. Many ranchers and land users in the West lease public land.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-candidates-stay-quiet-on-oregon-standoff/2016/01/03/b8b9806c-b239-11e5-9388-466021d971de_story.html
THE MORE PRESS THE OREGON YAHOOS RECEIVE…THE LONGER THEY STAND…NO PRESS…THEY WILL GO HOME AND USE A REAL TOILET!
THIS GIRL IS REALLY SICK TODAY…PAIN IS MY MIDDLE NAME…AM OFF TO TRY AND DO THE WORK THAT MUST BE DONE AROUND HERE…WILL TRY TO BBL……………
GM SDS.
Sorry to hear about your pain.
Hope you can take it easy (those chores will still be there tomorrow, ;) ) and feel better SOON.
GM TODville.
:D