Yesterday, sadly, so much of the news was about the New Hampshire primary – which means it mostly wasn’t news at all but opinions. I was going to say “uninformed opinions,” but all these people have plenty of information and apparently no idea what to do with it. So I’ll pass.
Ordinarily I don’t write about entertainment (except for opera, and that’s purely personal) but I think it’s good news for the nation that Jon Stewart is returning the The Daily Show – only on Mondays as a host, but full time as an executive producer.
Yesterday, it became fairly obvious that, if Trump** should be re-elected, The US can kiss Alaska goodbye – and the EU can kiss Ukraine goodbye. If you agree with me that this must not happen, raise your hand.
If you are concerned about the latest data breach (which seems to be mostly, if not all, recycled data from previous breaches), i’d recommend this article at DU. It quotes from Forbes, and provides a link to a site where you can check to see whether any of your data is included. This is sourced from Forbes, and I would trust Forbes – if you’re concerned, I’d look for it on Forbes (it shouldn’t be hard to find) directly.
I’m going to put a trigger warning on this in case anyone is phobic about needles or asphyxiation. And if you do read it, it will make you angry. One thing struck me about this story was a legal point. Ex post facto legislation is outlawed because historically it has been used to take rights w=away from people. But sometimes legislation gives rights to people. I worked over 10 yearss in insurance, and one thing people who haven’t probably don’t know is the principle of liberalization. It works like this: if you have an auto or homeowers policy which I issued, and at some point during your policy term I decide (or laws change and require me) to rewrite some coverage in it, it onlt goes into effect for you immediately if the change benefits you. If it costs you, either by loss of coverage or increased premium, it will not go into effect until your polisy renews. Now, that is not out of the goodness of our hearts. It’s because it cuts down on lawsuits, and the ones which do go to litigation are easier not to lose on account of it. But IMO it’s a principle which should be applied in law as well. On account of the newer legislation thatjudges can no longer do what his judge did, he ought to have his sentence commuted automatically. Clearly Republicans aren’t worried about lawsuits.
I’m trying to limit the videos. This one is by Robert Reich. I doubt it will tell anyone here anything they don’t already know, but it might be useful for sharing,
Yesterday, I got an update from Carrie. Barry ended up losing parts (only) of two toes. The surgery went well and he was home by late afternoon. He goes back to the doctor Wednesday for evaluation and a dressig change, and after that the dressing changes will be handled by home health care. She also said Barry has been in a great mood (no, she didn’t mention whether the anesthetic used was nitrous oxide, and I would certainly doubt it – I’m just being silly to even bring it up) which is good, particularly since Barry has also been having some cognitive issues, which is always worrying.
Maybe I’m seeing this through rose-colored glasses (though I told my optician “no tinted lenses,” I was ignored.) After all, “Cognitive dissonance” is one of Republicans’ many middle names. But it appears to me that this ruling is good news as the Court takes up Loper Bright v. Raimondo, since that also is a Feds v. lower levels case which the Feds need to win lest we lose a host of protections. At least I’m sure lawyers for the federal government will not miss the connection.
You all have probably seen more about the issue about Fani Willis than I have (especially since I’ve been mostly avoiding stories due to the dearth of facts.) This article still has a dearth of facts regarding what, if anything, happened, but it has plenty of legal facts to bring to bear. It was Robert Hubbell on Substack who refereed the article, and this quote from him is not a bad summation: “Do I wish the allegations were not made or had no basis? Sure! But Willis is legally entitled to continue with the prosecution—and she should.”
And you may find this obituary elsewhere. But elsewhere, it may not be this comprehensive.
Yesterday being a slow Sunday, I had plenty of time to beat myself up over not having accomplished anything. I tried not to, but the fact is I really didn’t accomplish anything. I’ll try to do better so that can pat myself on the back next week (hopefully without breaking my arm, as the saying goes.) It’s not just me – my email is down also.
Joyce Vance did a piece on gun control which is IMO quite pointed. Without saying so explicitly, it demonstrates that we have allowed ourselves to be snookered by thugs using our own Constitution into a position where we really can’t do much without repealing the Second Amendment. Yes, there are people valiantly trying, but our best efforts fall into the category of stable door when steed is gone.What we really need to do is to repeal the Second Amendment, and then adopt military rules on gun safety into federal law. Of course I don’t think that’s going to happen. And, what with ghost guns, it may be too late even for that. However, her column will give you enough information on the Uvalde report and the division at DOJ which produces such reports, to realize that there actually are people trying to do something – anything – to help. But it is, of course, an uphill battle. GOP has stood for “Guns Oveer People” for as long as I can remember.
Yesterday, as I expect everyone knows, the radio opera was “Dead Man Walking” by Jake Heggie. I said so much yesterday that there may not be much to add. I was a little surprised no one mentioned Joyce’s own prison eork. Siter Helen was quoted as having said, “No one gets me ike Joyce.” Now, I’m confident that much of that is because Joyce di Donaato is such a consummate artist, dedicated to her calling to the point even the ushers can see it (An usher in Santa Fe told me that, no matter how late the performance ends, she won’t sleep before getting on the phone with her voice coach to improve the next night’s.) But I still can’t thinking those prior esperences – well, let’s say don’t hurt. (And I can see why Joyce would not want them mentioned.) She may have discused that with Sister Helen (they have become friends) but Sister Helen would never out her. I must say, as emotionally draining as just listening was, I would not trade it. And I would love to actually be able to see it (streaming would be acceptable.)
I’m not ready to pick up with the Erinyes – and may not ever be. Yes, from time to time there will continue to be articles which are both important and sharable in full. And which don’t need the aegis of the Erinyes. And because there’s no Erinyes, and Nameless is in recovery from surgery, I don’t see the point of an email today.
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/if-congress-can-do-this
For now, I’d like to share this by Joyce Vance – I think she is on to something. Last November, a bipartisan pair of Senators introduced a bill to provide direct and indirect victims of one specific act of terrorism access to view the court proceedings connected with that act. Feel free to drop your jaw shen you see the numbers by which it passed. And it either gave Joyce the idea, or more likely, suggested something fairly obvious which she has been behind for some time – and that is that we need to provide that service to all victims of all federal offenses going through the courts. Read her argument and see what you think.
Yesterday, I worked on educating myself for today’s opera – “Dead Man Walking” by Jake Heggie. Obviously it is based on the book, but has probably also taken a thing or two from the movie. The book was published in 1993, the movie produced in 1995, and the opera premiered in 2000. Considering all that, I’d say the Met was dragging its feet. And I’m not alone in that – because this season is being different. Thankfully. The book is purely non-fiction, and includes Sister Helen’s experiences with two death row inmates … and their families. For both the movie and the opera, these two men were conflated into one and given the name Joseph de Rocher, which is far from close to either real name.It struck me as interesting (probably meaningless) that at the premier in San Francisco Sister Helen was sung by Susan Graham and the convict’s mother by Frederica von Stade. In the 2023 Met production 23 years later, Susan Graham is singing the convict’s mother and Sister Helen portrayed by Joyce di Donato – she’s a trifle older than Graham was when she sang it, but she also has real experience working with convicts in at least one prison that I know of – Sing Sing in New York. This opera is set in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, which, if you are aware of it, it’s probably under another name – Angola. Wikipedia has a fairly detailed sumary, and I will probably keep it open while listening. It certainly doesn’t appear that the opera shies away from anything. And, as if to demonstrate that capital punishment is an issue which has not gone away, here is a petition written by Sister Helen herself, sponsored/promoted by Move On, with whom Robert Reich works so much.
I haven’t mentioned Loper Bright v. Raimondo yet, but you may have heard about it anyway. It’s been before the Supreme Court this week. If it is decided wrongly (and of course the crazy justices are leaning that way), regulatory agencies will not be allowed to regulate. I can hardly begin to describe how catastrophic that would be. Little Sammy is calling regulation “the administrative state” as if it were a bad thing. It actually isn’t – it’s far preferable to an “anarchic state,” which is what we are likely to get. This quote is from Wonkette’s newsletter , and is chock full of links to blogs by people who actually have the credentials to have opinions:
What smart things do we need to know about Loper Bright v. Raimondo (the Supreme Court case in which they’re probably about to ban “agencies doing regulations”) today? Here’s Madibe K. Dennie on Samuel Alito’s latest power grab disguised as a legal theory. (Balls and Strikes) Here’s Justice Kegs pretending not to understand that agencies have different policies during different administrations because voters chose a new administration to make different policy — plus some bullshit on the “major questions doctrine” (made up) and delegation. (Dorf on Law) The Only Republicans Are Allowed to Govern Doctrine. (Lawyers Guns & Money) Chris Geidner says it’s one of the most disingenuous arguments he’s ever seen. It must have been SOMETHING. (Law Dork)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-labels-party-2024-presidential-ballot-access-effort-complaint/
Some people are saying that “No Labels” has lost, or is losing, it’s collective mind. Personally, I am not sure that No Labels has a mind to lose. It has made a complaint to DOJ with the premise that anyone who doesn’t want to see their candidate, whoever that may be (they don’t even have a clue yet), on the November ballot is part of a RICO conspiracy against them. The Justice Department has not yet responded. Hopefully someone will tell them that, because the Constitution directs them to, states have laws in place covering every aspect of elections, including who may and may not appear on the ballot, and that if the No Labels candidate doesn’t qualify, it is the duty of the state not to put them on it.
Yesterday, I got an email from Carrie B. She mentioned that Barry is having medical issues and could use all the prayeers (or however you communicate with the universe) you can spare. Her own mobility issues are such that she cannot go anywhere without someone driving her, and Barry won’t be driving for a while.
Earlier this week, or maybe last week, I selected a Beau video about the difference between the ICJ, which is currently hearing a genocide case against Israel) and the ICC, which isn’t. Well, The Conversation is interested in this too. Their article doesn’t exactly compare the two, instead going into more detail about the powers of the ICJ.
Sacramento is, of course, the capital city of California. Growing up, I had a great-aunt and a great-uncle living there and from time to time we would visit, which was not really enough to educate me about the city. But when I saw this article fro California Public Radio, I thought, well, apparently, if a group means business, apparently they can do something about homelessness. Of course it took a long time and a chunk of change, but the story might well still have something to say to people working on homelessness in other places. So, if you know of a group near you (or are part of one), this is for you to share.
Yesterday, I didn’t get a lot done. Not that I have to every blessed day, of course.
As usual, Wonkette is pretty snarky, but the facts are solid. Republicans! i can only deduce that they want to prevent kids from growing up and voting. Including their own kids. Come to think, that would also explain all the guns.
The New Yorker had this piece on the separate battles breaking out in the Middle East. Am I being paranoid to suspect that these are not unrelated incidents? Well, if I am, i am not alone. If you can’t access it at the New Yorker, I made a pdf copy, and I can literally forward it in secons.
