Open Thread September 9 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 092026
 

I do realize that we are in September, not October – and that Hallowe’en is still 52 days away. But today I am going to do my best to scare you – because the dangers are real. All of these are videos – one on YouTube and two on Substack – which means for the ones on Sunstack there is a Transcript – and for the one on YouTube you can generate one. So you don’t actually have to watch them. However, I personally find that tones of voice, facial expressions, and general body language add to the urgency, and I want to offer that to you, whether or not you choose to accept it. I also kept the two normal videos, so today we have ans all-video (except the cartoon) post.

This is the first one from Substack – specifically from “Confront the Hate” published by Phil Williams. It’s 47 minutes and 3 seconds. All of the scariness is right out in the open. Much of it is from the viewpoints of people who are actively fighting it – which is not easy.

This is the one from YouTube – specifically from The United Front Show, by Max Kuhn and Dr. David Benjamin (although Max has been appearing less and less often, and is not in this video at all). It runs 20 minutes and 25 seconds, which includes a sponsor message – but it is also divided into “chapters,” which makes it very easy for you to find and skip the ad. If you just look at the title, it would appear to be good news. But, as Dr. Benjamin stresses, Trump’s mental condition is one which will cause him to become more dangerous in real time as he loses power. And that should definitely scare you.

This second Substack video is from Joyce Vance’s “Civil Discourse,” and includes Ruth Ben Ghiat. While it too emphasizes the danger, it also presents possibilities for antidotes – for ourselves and for spreading to others. It runs 32 minutes and 54 seconds. Ruth is one of our top experts on autocracy and autocrats, and author of the book “Strongmen,” and Joyce is a lawyer and a professor of law, and author of the book “Giving Up Is Unforgiveable.”

2fer

Share

This & That with Cats …

 Posted by at 1:40 pm  Politics
Sep 082026
 

Whether you’re Catholic or not, we have to agree the new Pope from Chicago, Leo XIV, appears to be a true humanitarian.
Despite what surely is the epitome of chutzpah when Catholic newbie, VP JD Vance, lectures the church leader how to be a Christian and a Catholic when he said:

“… I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”

I can’t help be believe that if Pope Leo were to meet DJT this is how he would graciously respond …

— George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 (@gtconway.bsky.social) 2026-04-17T03:23:44.109Z

Whoever said it was hard to herd cats never met this sheepdog who has it down to a fine art …

No sheep today, so the cat got herded instead 😹

— Openly Gay Animals 🌈 (@openlygayanimals.bsky.social) 2026-04-25T08:41:13.623Z

And sticking with the cat theme, how about this thoughtful feline where every day is Mother’s Day!

💖 hope this melts your 👉🏽💖 🪷🎀🪷 #caturday 🪷🎀🪷

— 💙🪄 Keep Rising 🪄💙 (@keeprising.bsky.social) 2026-05-23T21:21:22.166Z

 

…

Share

Open Thread September 7 2026

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 072026
 

Yesterday you may have wondered what took me so long to get home, when visiting hours now end at 3:oo p.m. The answer is that I made a pretty large detour on the way home. I have an appointment for a CT scan coming Saturday, and I wanted to see if I could find the place in advance. It’s in the 5800 block of North Nevada Avenue – and for a while, I actually lived in the 5400 block, so you’d think it would be easy. But that was when Nevada was two lanes, with occasional turn lanes.It’s now a six-lane divided highway. So I’m thinking for a 5:15 pm check in I should leave home no later than 4:00 p.m. (and take a small knitting project along.)

Of course I shall have TomCat on my mind. CT is what they now call what used to be called a CAT scan – and I suspect the name change came about because too many people like TC asked to play with the CAT.

This is the article I searched after watching Frank Friday – so feel free to skip it if you watched that.

What if we told millionaires and up that they can set their own taxes. For every dollar they donate to a political PAC or candidate, a matching dollar must go to the IRS. Yes, I realize that might only accomplish drastically reducing dark money in politics – but that alone is worth a whole lot. I’ve often thought that if they simply gave to the IRS what they spend on elections and bribes, they’d be no worse off than they are now, and the nation would be vastly improved.

Yes, sadly, it’s true. We are still fighting this throughout the world – including in the UK and the US. What is wrong with people? Well, they think that human beings – particularly women and children are property. That was literally true in the legal system of ancient Rome (and other empires – but Rome is the one I have studied.) humanity has been moving away from that, less, but not very fast. It was not until 1948 that a universal declaration of human rights was adopted by the UN – which includes a lot of nations – but not all – and nothing, really, prevents member nations from being scofflaws. And when any nation has a plurality (a mojority is not needed) of citizens who were brought up to believe that some humans are property, there’s going to be resistance. And this, ladies and gentlemen, illustrates why education is so important to the survival of nations – all nations.

Share

Open Thread September 6 2026

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 062026
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” based on “The Bride of Lammermoor” by Sir Walter Scott (thankfully they made one big change – in the oera, it’s her jerk of a brother who pushes her around. In the book, it’s her mother.) It contains the most famous “mad scene” in all of opera. (I think Elvira’s is prettier, but Lucia’s is by far the most dramatic – and drama is really what opera is about. And – they used the glass harmonica in it, which Donizetti wanted, not the flute which is often substituted because it’s much easier to find a brilliant flautist than a brilliant glass harmonica player.) I was looking at the cast and crew last week, since this opera began part 2 of the season, which required me to download a new section of the schedule. Most of the cast was Italian (one Russian Austrian and one South Korean were the only who weren’t.) I didn’tknow any of them, but the name “Piero Pretti” jumped out at me for obvious reasons, and inspired me to try to learn what “Pretti” means. (I don’t think Piero and Alex are related – certainly not closely – Ancestry counts more than 800,000 Prettis worldwide). Turns out “Pretti” is the plural of “pretto” – and “pretto” means “pure.” That put a lump into my throat – it certainly is appropriate for Alex. But I digress. “Lucia” is one of my favorite operas – I had it on vinyl before I graduated from college and joined the Marines. I doubt there is such a thing as a bad production of it (although maybe the trio which perfored the final trio from Faust in English, with a Brooklyn accent, on side two of the Florence Foster Jenkins album could achieve one.  Off to see Virgil – will check in.

November

Oscar

Papa

OK, it’s not enough – but it’s something. It’s more impressive if you simultaneously think of all the wildfires there have been in the same time frame.

Dog


Special Effects, Animals, Dogs, Raginf Grannies CA, Trees, Los Angeles Zoo, Gorillas, Salmon, Puppies, Data Centers, Family Names, Opera, Personal

Share

Open Thread September 5 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 052026
 

Yesterday I got a bit overwhelmed – a lot of links and multiple subjects and not enough time to categorize them properly, so low on Tabs. I apologize for the disorhanization. (Which may include insufficient proofreading.)

I think we all know that there is virtually no voter fraud. But there are massive attempts to suppress voters. Joyce Vance brings receipts.

I had not heard of this. Unfortunately, it could be important.

The next “No Kings” event is scheduled for September 19 and September 20. Multiple groups are again involved, ao not every link is going to say “No Kings.”

Frank Figliuzzi was seriously hot yesterday. I found a link for this story – and tested it – and a link for another one which I will post Monday, but that leaves out a lot, so if you can spare an hour and five minutes, I recommend listening to it and skipping this and Monday’s print links.

This video, being from Substack, looks massive – but it’s actually under 3 minutes (and it’s time sensiive.) Kris is asking for donations. I’m not, because y’all know best what you can and/or want to do. But do, please, watch it. And join me if you will, in being glad that someone thought of this.

(may be a rerun)

Share

Open Thread September 4 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 042026
 

Yesterday – do people still say things come in threes? Last week Dolly and now Gloria. I hope there won’t be a third. I was a charter subscriber to Ms (along with Mother Jones.) I know this seems kind of shallow – but there are many and steep depths behind it – the quote from Gloria I will never forget was on or around her fiftieth birthday, when someone in the press told her she looked younger. She replied, “No. I don’t. This is what fifty looks like. We’ve been lying so long we’ve forgotten.”

Both my Senators lean more corporate than I would wish. But Hickenlooper is not as corporate as Bennet. And he certainly has the right take i this newsletter.

It appears to me that one remedy for this might be for each state’s Attorney General and Sexretary of State to get together and determine exactly where and how the USPS plan violates state election law and regulation – and, if necessary, for the governor to call an emergency session of both state houses to give the regulations the force of law. Then, we would have a situayion for law enforcement to deal with. I would have no issue with seeing local MAGA postmasters behind bars for trying to overturn state law and regulation with an executive order.

I’m becoming inclined to have more confidence in federal district judges than federal appellate judges or Supreme Court Justices – because district court judges are less likely to be compromised. (Of course, if a fistrict judge is compromised, like “Loose” Cannon, they are more lidely to be breathtakingly compromised – but it’s also likely it will be glaringly obvious.) Most judges appear to be holding the line. But I have been thinking about this, and it has occurred to me – when it comes to enforcing the law, as opposed to making it – Congress has a Sergeant atArms and Contempt charges. The Courts have Court Orders and contrmpt charges. The Executive Branch has the FBI, the CIA, the TSI, the ATF, the CBP, ICE – and more (that was just off the top of my head.) Statesandmunicipalities have police forces and patrols. Counties have Sheriffs. Is it time for Congress as an entity, ir each house seperately, to have a police force? Ues, outting a reasonable, honest, and honorable person into the presidency will address our most dangerous problem – for now. But the precedents set by thecurrent regime are not going to just ride off into the sunset.

Narrated by this guy  in case you’ve forgotten the story.

Share

Open Thread September 3 2026

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 032026
 

Yesterday, my inbox was packed even more than usual.
Somehow I managed to get it down – not completely, but at least manageable. By the time I scheduled this, I was seriously tired.

Archived from Axios because paywall. Yeah, it happened Tuesday. But though people talk frequwntly about the censure option, and we (Democrats) frequently recommend it to Republicans, it almost nnever happens. That it did now is noteworthy – and that rgw vote was 413 to 2 is breathtaking.

h
I’m not convinced that any of these people even know what a conflict of interest is, nor believes they even exist. Their position appears to be something like “No conflict of interest here. Everything I do is in my interest. No conflict there.” Fortunately, we have Elizabeth Warren (for now anyway) to ask the right questions to challenge that – not that the challenges are getting through to the willfully ignorant.

Anyone surprised? I didn’t think so. Of course, the people who need to see this are the Secretariesof State of each state.

2fer mix

Share

Open Thread September 2 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 022026
 

At 81, even in a small family, I’ve known some morticians – including away from the funeral home. They are human. Probably no two of then would tell you this in the same words – but they’d all tell you that everything they do is done for the families of the deceased – and also, that dealing respectfully with the remains is at the very top of the list of thingd that are done for the family. Do, when I came across a YouTube channel called “Lauren the Mortician,” it shouldn’t be surprising that I watched a few episodes, and ended up bookmarking the home page. She makes a new video each Monday (which she refers to as “morbid Monday”), and iy sholdn’t be a surprise that this Monday she was all over the Nepal disaster. If you can’t stand thinking or talking about death, ignore this. But if you are open to getting a little better acquainted with the Grim Reaper, this week’s video is here (spoiler – almost no one drowned.)

Referred by VoteVets. Maybe I’m seeing ghosts – but with Tramp [sic] and Kegsbreath shooting off their mouths about how shipboard deplotments shoud routnely be a full year – I can’t help but wonder whether they are being influenced by someone who realizes how detrimental that would be to morale – both to the teoops trapped in that situation and to troops who aren’t there but are scheduled to be up next – and to those who have not enlisted but were considering doing so – and now won’t. Someone who wants to see the US military completely destroyed. It’s easy to say that this regime care no more about human beings serving in the armed forces that they would about a part in a machine – but, honestly, they don’t even care that much. Machine parts wear down and need maintenance too – and without that maintenance the machine won’t work.

Breaking news from Axios when I first saw it. It isn’t good wnough in this regime to agree (or xapitulate) on some things or even most things. It’s got to be everything, or you’re O-U-T, out.

Joyce Vance asks the question we’s all like to know the answer to – especially if the answer contained informatin we could use to get rid of them. I think it is both possible and plausible – although, alas, not presumptive) that he has dirt on them. That’s been an arrow in his MO quiver since he was an apprentice in Daddy’s company. And, for three of them at least, we even have a pretty good idea of what the dirt might comprise. But that is not the only possibility – and there may in fact be multiple reasons, and different ones for rach compromised justice.

Cat 2fer

Share
 Older Entries