Yesterday, when I got up, I had internet. Yay! That meant I could have opera. Every Saturday all year round, someone broadcasts a full opera. But it isn’t always my local station, whoch only broadcasts the New Yorkk Metropolitan Opera, roughly November theough May. The rest of the time it is broadcast on WFMT out od Chicago. They mke it available to any station who wants to broadcast it too, but it costs money which my local station doesn’t have. But it can be streamed on WFMT. So I did. Not, of course, before coming here to make sure everyone knew I was all right.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Mother Jones – Trump Extremists Brought Numerous Guns on January 6, Evidence Shows
Quote – Kellye SoRelle, a lawyer who represents the Oath Keepers organization and is close with Rhodes, told Mother Jones in an interview that an Oath Keeper member transported a cache of firearms by truck from North Carolina to the Comfort Inn Ballston shortly before the assault on the Capitol. The member who transported the weapons then stayed at the hotel to oversee the stockpile, SoRelle said. (That Oath Keeper member has not been charged; although Mother Jones corroborated various details from SoRelle’s account, we were unable to confirm that member’s identity.) SoRelle herself may be a subject of growing scrutiny from federal prosecutors; as Mother Jones was first to report recently, the FBI seized SoRelle’s personal phone on September 7 as part of an ongoing “seditious conspiracy” investigation focused on January 6.
Click through for what details there are. It actually sounds like we only know about a fraction of the guns which were there. Film at Video Thread (or at the link.)
The Hill – Where Things Stand With The Democratic Agenda: A Pause, A Reset And Maybe Hope
Quote – Afterward, Biden told reporters he was in no rush to pass his agenda, saying that whether passing both bills takes “six minutes, six days or six weeks ― we’re going to get it done.” In a sense, this week’s drama represents a triumph for progressives and party leaders over centrists. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the Democrat who has been most vocal in opposition to the Build Back Better bill, still has a lot of leverage ― but not as much as he did before.
Click through for the story and analysis. The Hill is about as liberal as Joe Scarborough … but even The Hill is talking about “hope” like it’s the good thing that it is.
Wonkette – David Brooks Actually Right About Thing, Wants To Build Back Better Too
Quote – David Brooks is actually right this time. Sort of. He’s about the most right David Brooks is capable of being. Brooks published a column yesterday about the Build Back Better reconciliation bill titled “This Is Why We Need to Spend $4 Trillion.” It seems fair to say that if David Brooks, a man who cannot figure out how to politely say “It’s ham” to a friend bewildered by sub shop options, can figure out that this bill is actually necessary, anyone ought to be able to.
Click through for the rest of the take. This is by Robyn Pennachia
Food for Thought –
14 Responses to “Open Thread for October 3, 2021”
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Good news on your having your internet back on and listening to your opera. A good day!
Cartoon: Yep. Pretty much.
MJ: Sickening, in having guns at the Capitol. Definitely not a ‘peaceful protest’ either.
The Hill: A pause for sure, but it’s a breath of fresh air…imho.
FFT: Sad.
This just in: TJI “Raise your hand if you’re vaccinated and proud.” ~ Kim Mangone ~
2. “The backbone of our democracy and our country is the middle class and those who aspire to it. As we ‘Build Back Better’, we must meet families’ home health care needs — and lift up the caregivers who meet them!” ~ Speaker Nancy Pelosi ~
3. “Texans deserve fair maps. 95% of Texas’ population growth was driven by Black, Latino and Asian Americans. But the proposed congressional map drawn by Republican politicians DECREASES the # of minority-majority districts. It’s racially discriminatory, extreme gerrymandering.” ~ Joaquin Castro~
4. “Four years ago today, 60 lives were cut short – and countless more were forever changed – in a mass shooting in Las Vegas. Today, we remember thsoe lost and reaffirm our commitment to reducing gun violence across the country.” ~ President Joe Biden ~
5. “President Biden said “victory” is at stake this week as an intense week of legislating is ahead in Congress. He said: “We’ve got three things to do: the debt ceiling, continuing resolution and the two pieces of legislation. We do that, the country is gonna be in great shape.” ~ Yamiche Alcindor ~
Update from John Pavlovitz: 2 hours ago:
“Recovery Update: Still having blood pressure/pituitary issues which though not unexpected will mean more time here. Looking at Tues discharge if the next couple of treatments work. I originally hoped to be home tonight. Missing home and family but I know I’m where I need to be.”
TJI #1 –
TJI #2 – Thank God she is the speaker.
TJI #3 – My state does a pretty good job of not gerrymandering. But that’s not the point. If any state gerrymanders, I am affected by that. They send their Congeressmen to my Congress to make decisions which affect me. Plus the fact that some gerrymandering is built into the Constitution by the way the Senate is structured, and by the Electoral College.
TJI #4 – That is not going to be fixed in my lifetime. Actually I despair of ever getting it fixed. And everey time I try, thousands more guns are sold.
TJI #5 – Those are indeed the stakes.
I think most people do know when they need to stay in a hispitl after surgery and when they are ready to go home. I know I did. My projected date was farther out than his was, and I knew what I needed to do to be ready, and I did it, and I was ready. It appears John, like me, knows what needs to happen, but, unfortunately, he isn’t in a position to take steps toward it (other than taking the prescribed medications and getting regular tests to monitor their working.) My heart goes out to him. Surrendering one’s recovery to others is hard, even when the others are the best.
TJI#1
That includes the Booster too.
TJI#2: Appreciate Nancy’s words, she speaks truth.
TJI#4: I keep praying that our President, senators and whomever, will ban guns.
TJI#5: I wish them good luck at accomplishing these goals this week.
I’m glad that John wasn’t sent home yet too, especially with it being a weekend and having complications. Hopefully he will get to feeling/doing better in the next couple of days. Then he can return home with his family. Still praying for him.
Thanks Joanne. Did you catch the Met’s first opera written by a Black person?
Also, Park Police saw weapons at the monuments even before the rally was over while DHS wrote a memo sent as the violence was happening that downplayed the violence possibility that may have been a factor in the Pentagon’s long delay in honoring the request for the National Guard.
One element to support The Hill’s hope is that Manchin is saying if paid for more than $1.5 trillion OK.
And thankfully progressives are speaking up about the $3.5 trillion already being a compromise from what is needed and justified based on the evidence, facts, science and need. Taking back what hawks added to Biden’s request for the Pentagon could help pay, too.
Back to breathing smoke–this time from fires to the south (Sequoias, et al).
That opera has not yet been performed – I only just received the emai with the scheduled premier date. But I will. It’s a “Live in HD” opera, which means it will be a Saturday matineee, and will be broadcast. And also that PBS will eventually get to broadcast it and I will eventually be able to stream it through them. Or, ifI can’t wait, I’ll be ble to stream it through the Mey on pay per view. So first I’ll hear it, and eventually I’ll also see it.
The lead sorano,Latonia Moore – I was listening to the matinee the day she as understudy got to make her Met debut as Aida. Sent chills up and down my spine. I said to myself at the time, “Remember her name … she is going places.” Since then. I saw her while the Met was free-streaming for the pandemic, as Serena in Porgy and Bess. I am salivating to hear and then see “Fire in my Bones.”
I sm so sorry about the smoke, and mourn the Sequoias deeply.
Thanks Joanne–I am glad it will be easy for you to catch.
So far the efforts have protected the General Sherman Grove–will take a long time to know about the Trail of 1000 Trees with how hard it is to get to some of the groves–that fire edges or burned into 3 former fires’ areas…sigh. The old and big ones to the north have moved into final phases with focus on protecting property and significant areas from damage from winter water, snow, mudslides, etc. They got more of the two rain events that dipped into CA. Ours still threatens 35 structures, but the last of the Hwy 50 corridor finally got to return home in recent days. Some active fire in the interior, one area close enough to a SE edge that a return of major wind could create spot fires beyond containment lines again.
Sorry to read that you’re still suffering from the fires/smoke up there, JL. I was hoping it was going to be cooler and raining there.
It’s been in the low 90’s here for the past three days. They’re predicting rain here, but we’re not like northern California that get real rain. We get drizzle.
Prayers being sent your way. Keep safe. Take care.
Cartoon: What jerks…seems to be the only way they like to negotiate.
MJ: tRump followers are true terrorists Like they were planning a major war with all of these guns, totally insane.
The Hill: Hopefully they can step back, do some reviewing and start getting closer to some sort of positive agreement for passing this infrastructure bill.
Food for Thought: Sad but so true.
Happy that your Internet was all back to normal this morning.
Nice to hear that they’ll be scheduling your Opera performances soon.
Hope you had a nice day.
Take care. Thanks Joanne
Sorry for my late input, but I atrial fibrillation was giving me real problems from 12:45 AM this morning until I converted to NSR (Normal Sinus Rhythm) at 7:45 this morning – so I didn’t get any sleep last night.
But I took a couple long naps today, which is why I’ve been AWOL.
I got a nice email back from Mitch WRT his providing “Friday Fun” input:
I don’t have AFib, but I do know what it’s like not to get any sleep all night and then have to catch up. My deepest sympathies!
Poor Mitch! I have never heard of a system preventing a browser from accepting updates on account of the age of the system, but then. I’m not an Apple person, so it’s certainly possible. I have noticed when I update Opera I sometimes (not always) b=have to tell my firewall to accept the upgrade (obviously, it asks me.) Regardless, how annoying! I do hope there is a way to solve this, because the prices of even refurbished MACa run 7 to 10 times the cost of similat Windows PCs. Learning that really caused my jaw to drop.
Trump Extremists Brought Numerous Guns on January 6, Evidence Shows
This has been documented over and over, despite what the GQP (& in particular Ron Johnson) try to claim.
Where Things Stand With The Democratic Agenda: A Pause, A Reset And Maybe Hope
I’ll hold out HOPE until the end.
David Brooks Actually Right About Thing, Wants To Build Back Better Too
Good to see that “BoBo” if finally seeing the light!
[Just in case you weren’t aware, Brooks got his nickname “BoBo” from his book “BOBOs in Paradise”. It’s a combo word of Bourgeois and Bohemian.]
No, I’ve never followed Brooks, so didn’t know that. It certainly sounds condescending (and funny).
I’m glad you could enjoy your opera, Joanne.
Cartoon: Yes, either that or
MJ: It sounds as if they were good at buying and stockpiling guns but not very good at organizing because these guns apparently weren’t distributed among those that headed for the Capitol. Thank goodness for that.
TH: If that hope doesn’t catch on and replaces the dispair many voters must be feeling by now, it’ll be difficult to kick out Republicans from Congress in the Midterms. And America desperately needs to do that.
FFT: Too true.