Sep 012021
 

Yesterday, I had another scheduling error. It’s a new month, let’s hope I can get a new start and do better. I did get my recyclables out for pickup with the trash on Thursday. The recyclables are not only heaver (paper weighs a TON) but also a lot bulkier, so that’s a relief.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Dem Underground – Rubin: Biden tells some hard truths few want to hear
Quote – He was criticized for “abandoning” Afghans; when we stay to rescue them he gets faulted for risking American lives.
Click through, and through again to the Washington Post if you can get pst the paywall. Of course, the more hard truths one can grasp, and the sooner one can grasp them, the happier one will be in the long run. To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, the same place which would be a godawful hotel might be a very desirable prison.

The Hill – Biden digs in with fervent defense of Afghanistan withdrawal
Quote – “We no longer had a clear purpose in an open-ended mission in Afghanistan,” Biden said, his voice rising as he delivered his speech. “After 20 years of war in Afghanistan, I refused to send another generation of America’s sons and daughters to fight a war that should have ended long ago.” Biden’s remarks came about 24 hours after the last U.S. troops departed Afghanistan, bringing an end to America’s longest war and capping weeks of harsh criticism of his administration’s execution of the withdrawal.
Click through for story and video. As more and more veterans and even former defense contractors chime in to bolster the truth that this with drawal was as successful as it ever could have been, I hope that more and more people who are not experienced will gradually come to realize that. It simply boggles my mind, the kind of strength and integrity it took to know that this was always what was going to happen and still go in and make it happen to save lives in the future and benefit the nation.

Mother Jones – The Anti-Vax Lawyer Representing January 6 Rioters Has Suddenly Gone Missing
Quote – “The US. Attorney’s Office has had no contact with Mr. Pierce—by phone, email, or otherwise—since Monday, August 23, 2021, when he appeared for a hearing before the Honorable Paul L. Friedman in United States v. Jeremiah Caplinger,” the filing on Monday read. “Since that time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has heard conflicting information about Mr. Pierce’s health and whereabouts.”
Click through for the story and speculation. It sounds as though Karma might have more of a sense of humor than we giver her credit for.

Wonkette has a couple of articles up which could help with decompression:
A tribute to Molly Ivins
Advice from a cat

Food for Thought –

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  7 Responses to “Open Thread for September 1, 2021”

  1. Keep it up! I think that you’re doing a great job, imho, Joanne. 
    Cartoon: A sad day indeed. 
    DU: The merry-go-round speeds up, as well as the media. pleeze!  I admire a President that speaks the truth and is honest, however painful it is, and in telling Americans. 
    The Hill: Again, truth and sincerity to the Nation from our POTUS.  
    MJ: Odd. I can speculate with him being AWOL, but I do hope that he is well. 
    FFT: Amen! My feelings exactly, Mr. Carville. Well said. 

    THIS JUST IN: TJI  1. “58 years after the #MarchOnWashington, Americans are marching again today for our democracy. With state laws disenfranchising voters and making it harder to vote, we need the Senate to pass the For the People Act and the House-passed John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act!” ~ Nancy Pelosi ~
    2. “I went to Mass at Holy Trinity this evening and President Biden was in attendance. He sat alone and joined the communion line when it was his pew’s turn, just like any parishioner. I prayed for him.” ~ Tony Annett ~
    3. “BRUSSELS (AP) — EU takes US off safe travel list due to rising coronavirus infections; recommends restricting US travelers.” ~Yamiche Alcindor ~
    4. “One takeaway from Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz calling and begging Trump to tell the rioters to stand down on Jan 6 is that they apparently believed Trump had full control over Antifa.” ~ George Takei ~
    5. “More than 3,400 Texans have died of COVID-19 in the last month.” ~ Texas Tribune Staff ~
    6. “Kevin McCarthy is a miracle of medical science, given how he’s able to walk without a spine.” ~ Dittzx ~ 

    • TJI #1 – It’s kind of surreal – it’s not exactly like going back in time 58 years, because then MLK was considered a criminal (by the authorities) whereas now he’s considered a hero by the authorities, though they don’t have a clue what he said and stood for. But whatever it is, it’s not good that we still need to march. It is good that we are marching.
      TJI #2 – He needs all the prayers we can put up for him. I find it sad that Jill was not there too, and hope there’s a eason for that which isn’t sad.
      TJI #3 – And about GD time. We have infected the world with the plague of racism, we don’t need to dpread CoViD also.
      TJI #4 – It does raise the question just exactly what they thought they were getting into when (if) they had any role in planning … and, if it wasn’t what it turned out to be, then maybe they should renounce it voluntarily. (Like that would ever happen.)
      TJI #5 – I don’t know off hand the figure for Florida, but it must me close – one way or the other.
      TJI #6 – He needs more than a spine. Snakes have spines.

  2. Rubin: Biden tells some hard truths few want to hear

    Matthew Dowd [Dowd was a senior adviser to the Republican National Committee and chief strategist for George W. Bush’s re-election campaign] echoes Jennifer Rubin’s [who identifies as a “conservative” until Trump & his Trumpkins ruined the word] sentiments:

    .


    [Trying the Embed workaround.]

    Biden digs in with fervent defense of Afghanistan withdrawal

    Don’t blame him a bit.  Monday-morning quarterbacking (of which I’ve been guilty) is always easier than the actual job.

    Anti-Vax Lawyer Representing January 6 Rioters Has Suddenly Gone Missing

    Well, Pierce’s associate, Ryan Marshall, has really expanded the options beyond “The dog ate my homework”:

    ” …Marshall indicated to a judge that Pierce’s absence was due to a conflict, later told prosecutors that he “had just gotten word that Pierce had been in an accident” and the following morning told another judge that Pierce was “hospitalized with covid-19, on a ventilator and nonresponsive,” prosecutors said.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/capitol-riot-lawyer-pierce-covid-disappearance/2021/08/30/d7b93eca-0054-11ec-ba7e-2cf966e88e93_story.html

    • Rubin and Dowd (any relation to Maureen, BTW?) are answers to the question, “What happened to all the Republicans who had consciences?  They used to exist.”  And the embed worked perfectly, it appears.

      It’s just like a Republican to take on multiple cases during a plague without forming a team or having any backup.  I could almost feel sorry for his clients … but if these are Jan 6 cases, they are probably just like him.

  3. Cartoon: A sad day.
    DU: I applaud President Biden for speaking the truth about ending this 20 year old war. He stood by his decision to have them out by August 31 and he accomplished it.
    The Hill: Great words spoken by President Biden. 
    MJ: Really too bad, but like you mentioned Joanne, kind of sounds like Karma is playing a role, since he had never gotten the vaccine now he’s playing for it.
    Food for Thought: Excellent words by James Carville. All so true. 
    Yes it’s already a new month. Seems like your post was up nice and early this morning. I go to share it first thing in the morning when I first get up. 
    Glad you got your recyclables out for pickup. I have mine every two weeks. Trash is weekly.
    It was cooler than normal here, which makes it nice for a change. We’ve been having strange weather thanks to the Monsoons that have been happening. It’s suppose to heat up over the weekend and then the Monsoon moisture comes back on Monday with chance of rain. Something we are in dire need of  here in San Diego. 
    Hope your day was nice. 
    Take care. Thanks Joanne

  4. It takes quite a bit of effort to be a responsible, ecologically aware inhabitant of this planet, doesn’t it? Thank you for putting in the effort, Joanne.

    Cartoon: On that day, Germany’s intentions could no longer be denied.

    DU: Republicans are only good at one thing and that’s turning anything Democrats do to ashes. There is no way Biden can do anything right; he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

    TH: Biden ended what never should have been started and which was botched right from the start. There’s no way that withdrawing would be clean and simple, no way of avoiding Afghan blood being spilled. However, I do blame the Australian government for not getting enough Afghans out who stood by the Aussie forced in Afghanistan. When Biden announced the departure date, the opposition and veterans who had served there immediately rallied the government to get the interpreters, security guards and all who actively helped out of there with their families. The government willfully ignored these pleas for months and now blame having to leave so many behind and to almost certain death on the Taliban for taking over so quickly. And it will be all forgotten soon; those left behind are faceless, unknown individuals. It will never be known what happened to them and most do not want to know their fate.

    MJ: The most bizarre thing mentioned was the fact that the stand-in from his office, representing one of the rioters in court, wasn’t even a certified lawyer. What is going on here?

    FFT:

    • I am so sorry about the Australian government’s malfeasance. That is a heavy burden to be borne … and I do know … because we have borne it in the past This time at least we tried – tried hard – to do right.

      And IKR? All lawyers have legal assistants who are not members of the bar (if they have anyone) working for them, and one must suppose that’s all he had. Perhaps, considering his clients, he was so disagreeable that no other attorney wanted to be anywhere near him.

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