Politics Plus – Overcoming Republican insaniTEA, one day at a time.

Open Thread October 28 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:04 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 282026

Yesterday, my day off, I didn’t do much, including needlework. I untangled the yarn on a project which I’m knitting with double strands, and I fixed a dweater neckline which I had made too tight – I could get it over my head, but not without taking off my glasses. This was the second one, and I have one more to go. 😢

This contains a video which is quite short, and also on loop. I don’t get out much, and therefore seldom if ever talk with idiots. But if I did, my response would be like Bob’s. Wajeeh Lion puts it a little stronger – “You may not f**k with politics, politics will still f**k with you.

IIRC, the original Nazis also rewarded snitches. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. But rewarding snitches is all this is. Don’t try to report any actual law breaking through this program – you might get locked up.

Archived from The Atlantic, which is even stricter than Conde Nast publications. You may need to close a money ask page to get to the articlw. And I was not the first to archive this one. It’s from Saturday – but it’s a prediction, not news, and the prognosticated date is still in the future.

This is an extra, because it is not news, but history. But I’m betting it is history you don’t know about unless you saw this article before I posted it – or are yourself an investigative reporter. I knew about thw Middle Ages, but this time period was all new to me. Not that I should be surprised, knowing that there is a market for snuff films other than executions.

Reich Pronouns

Cat

We All Love Blues Skies …

Posted by SoINeedAName at 4:30 pm Politics

Oct 272026

So let’s enjoy a few BlueSky gems!

— Humor Satire Memes (@funnysnarkyjoke.bsky.social) 2026-09-11T20:23:02.285Z

Who knew Walt Disney enjoyed some macabre humor?

— Tuesday Adams ™ 🌹 (@tuesdayadams111.bsky.social) 2026-09-08T21:34:32.166Z

This is the kind of big brother everyone would love to have …

There's a big brother who understood his assignment. Kind of brother we all wanted. Did you have one like this?

— @alexjungle.bsky.social 2026-09-28T12:50:00.964Z

…

Open Thread October 26 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 262026

Yesterday, Trinette came by. Lula beat Bolsonaro in Brazil! I watched the streaming opera (Frida and Diego) again, and saw and heard things I missed the first time. (Isn’t that the way things work?)

You know, I live in Colorado, and I know enough about this election to know there are two “Dan Sullivan”s on the ballot in Alaska. I also know that if this were my ballot, it’s my responsibility as a voter to be sure I know which one I am voting for (not that I would vote for either). If Republican voters in Alaska are too dumb to do due diligence – maybe their votes shouldn’t be counted – or maybe they shouldn’t be voting, if they don’t know for whom they are voting.

From Colorade Public Radio – Welcome back to the oughts. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would know these would be treated as hazardous, and would not risk their own lives or health by sending anthrax or anything else that could harm them while filling the envelopes. But then MAGA Republicans are probably dumb enough for anything – they weren’t smart enough to make sure the return address matched the postmark. Also, Colorado is not the only state whose Congresscritters (and candidates) are getting these letters. California, Louisiana, Ohio and Oklahoma were mentioned, as were candidates for Secretary of State. The next short take will tell you why.

Nothing in the Constitution requires any state to have a Secretary of State. Clearly at least 26 do – and there may be more who elect theirs in odd-numbered years that we don’t know about. My state has one, and she is fierce – and will be in charge of these midterms, while runnung for attorney general because she is term limited. (My AG is also term limited, but is running for governor. Both of them can handle both at once. I can’t tell you how much I want both to win.

I’m calling thus an extra because I have already addressed it – it’s a (partial) source for the Jared Kushner hacking I have previousle mentioned. Vanity Fair is a Conde Nast publication, and they are unpredictable about how much free reading they will allow, so I just archived it. It’s remaarkably generous of the Dutch to provide us with this nuch information at a time when no one can trust us. (You think the Orange Oligarch will sue Vanity Fair first? Or Matthew Cole on account of the book?

Open Thread October 25 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:54 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 252026

Yesterday, the radio opera was Wagner’s “Die Walküre”, which you have heard part of, though you may not know it. “The Ride of the Valkyries” has been used in so many commercials you would have to refrain from watching any television got decades to have avoided it. You’ve seen me discuss “mad scenes” which were very much in fashion when the “bel canto” school was dominant in opera in roughly the first half of the 19th century. I don’t think any of the bel canto mad scenes conpares with Sieglinde’s madscene in this opera. Not the music, but the insanity. She has just had sex with her twin brother, from whom she has been long separated. She is tortured with guilt – necause she has just committed incest? Heck no. She feels guilty that she has ever allowed anyone but her brother to have sex with her (like she had a choice, having been kidnapped). While in Wagner’s imaginary universe, that all makes its own kind of sense, it seems to me nuttier than a fruitcake. The music is nothing like Bel Canto. But – I think it was during CoViD, when the Met was allowing people to stream free a different opera from its library every day, I watched Jessie Norman (may she rest in peace) play Sieglinde, and she conveyed the insanity in her movements – and also in her vocal tone. And now I can’t un-hear it. Let’s move on to some good news. There was a lot this week.

In case this is a little too obscure to recognize, it’s “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys and Dolls.” I love that show, despite the fact that the keys it is written in are very awkward for string players.

Dog

Open Thread October 24 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 242026

Yesterday, I got up slightly before I had intended to, and managed to stay on track to get to bed in time to get up even earlier today for the radio opera. I also listened to two Substack videos which discussed the $2B Jared Kushner got from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. One was Malcolm’s, and he went into some detail about how Jared’s smartphone is almost certainly hacked by them, as well as Ivanka’s, their kids’ phones, and their dog. Yes, the dog (if they have one -they may be, like Daddy, too cold-blooded.) It never occurred to me, but the microchips which are so highly recommended and which have reunited some many animals with their families, are electronic, and therefore can be hacked. You probably wouldn’t get barks or meows, but you might get coordinates.

I subscribe to Andy, but don’t often post him. So many of his posts are partial, with half or more restricted to paid subscribers, and as far as I can tell, Substack doesn’thave gift links. But this one is the Andy you remember, complete with Harland Dorrinson.

Definitely not new – but definitely needed and needs and will continue to need to be said – and as forcefully as possible. I’m seriously considering printing a few paper copies and taking them with me anywhere I go (ever though that’s almost nowhere almost never.) And yes, the video today is also Robert Reich – because it goes with The Conversation article.

This is from earlier in the week, and today is almost Sunday, and I try to find good news not involving politics or government.

The Conversation is doing its best to keep up with all the AI oopsies – and I am doing my best to keep up with The Conversation.

Brad Lander sounds like a decent person (which I would expect from a Democrat – but not always see, sadly.) I can’t offhand think of a state that wouldn’t benefit from more Democrats in Congress. I hope he wins.

RReich AI

2fer

Today’s cartoon is in the Borowitz short take. I did copy and save it – but since it’s gotten annoying to get them the right size, and it’s already in a short take, I thought I’d just refer it for once.

Open Thread October 23 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:42 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 232026

Yesterday, having literally slept sunrise to sunset two days in a row, I decided I needed to get up earlier than that – and set an alarm today as well as Saturday, to gradually getup sooner. Yes, part of that was watching the opera which I not only don’t regret, but will do again if I get a chance to be caught up enough. It won’t be available very long – after 23:59 November 1 it’s gone

I had heard right out of the gate that Elon personally did this, and then heard it wasn’t known exactly how it happened. I figured my original information was correct – and apparently it was.

OMG, Ohio, I am SO sorry you have a gubernatorial candidate (nominated of course by Republicans) who would do this. I might point out that, after surviving all of that, Amy Acton went on to earn an MD and practice medicine. Everypne else – if you can in any way help Ohio to defeat him -and/or to elect Brown to the Senate – please do. If you can’t, then don’t.

If you are anywhere near as disgusted with Google as I am, allow me to recommend DuckDuckGo search engine. It also has its own browser, which provides an additional layer of privacy protection (probably not superior to a VPN, but compares well to other browsers.)

This was in TPM‘s newsletter on Wednesday with no link to it. I had to search in order to get the link. Numeri ipsi loquunter. (Plural of res ipsa loquitur – sort of)

Open Thread October 22 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:19 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 222026

Yesterday, I was able to stream the opera “El último sueño de Frida y Diego” a new opera by Gabriela Lena Frank. Several from last season I have missed – they have only been available for a day or two and by the time I had time to watch, they were gpne. This one, thankfully, I caught. I had heard it live on the radio, but that’s not the same – especially sn opers with so much color, and with characters living and dead. And your choice of Spanish or English CC. and Isabel Leonard as Frida.

On Tuesday, Malcolm Nance said on his “warcast” “We are now a Russian satellite state.” He said this right around the 30 minute mark, afyer presenting all his evidence that it is absolutely true. Depressing as it is, I think we ought to know about it. You don’t need to listen – you can open CC. which is never perfect, but usually close. Yesterday I managed to fing time and nergy to skim through an email, which I received last Thursday, from UC Health, which is now my medical provider. Its subject line was “A hopeful prognosis for Pope Leo.” I don’t know whether they sent it to everyone (probable, sinse it also included other health information), or just to those patients registered as Catholic (they do ask for that affiliation in our profiles, but it may not be required.) Either was, I thought it was a very kind thing to do.

I don’t know whether or not TomCat would have posted this if he were still with us. But I can’t help but think of him because it happened in Oregon.

The only surprise about this investigation by Pro Publica is that, apparently, our wanna=ne king was smart enough to think of the project (which I don’t believe for a second. Someone pitched it to him.)

Because Republicans know they cannot win unless they cheat. Every accusation a confession. There used to be terms for the distinction Joyce is making – “funny-ha-ha” and “funny-peculiar.” I think we need them back. (Although – “funny-peculiar” being a euphemism for “funny-suspicious”, maybe we should use that instead.)

This is an extra because it is a petition. Sign if you want to – don’t if you don’t. It does include the details of what Zuckerberg (or, as I sometimes call him, the big rock candy mountain) did through his chain of command for plausible deniability. You know, I wouldn’t mind a king so much if he were Aragorn (think the book, not the movie.) But our king wanna-be is no Aragorn. More like an Orange Orc.

Open Thread October 21 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 212026

On Monday, Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, was in Tehran. This is hugely significant – not that, when Russia is concerned, anyone can be sure what it signifies. Speculation of knowledgeable people is that the Evil Emperor (ours, not Russia’s) wants the war over before the midterms, and will do anything to achieve that. If that turns out to be correct, expect more sanctions lifted and much more of OUR money given to Russia. BTW, Heather Cox Richardson expects far worse consequences than I have suggrsted. Speaking of the midterms, though, I did receive the first email that my ballot has been received, and, on Tuesday, the second one, that my ballot has been counted. So – I have voted. Overall, the weekend was so filled with things happening that I had to push some. Tomorrow’s and Friday’s news – at least some of it – may be a bit old.

Like it or not (or likely, like some, dislike some), this is the official plan. And it has to be better than pure Trump**(*)

I’m expecting this to be big, for one thing, because of who the litigants are – but also because of its connection to the election. So I’m posting this early analysis. If it does get “interesting,” we can follow it together.

Cutting down hundreds of trees to “improve” a property is to the climate what genocide is to a population. This recusal motion simply adds insult to injury. More detail here (on the rant), if you can stand it.

Dog 2fer

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