Open Thread May 4, 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 042024
 

Yesterday, I learned from Progress Now Colorado that a fundraiser in Jefferson County for Kristi Noem has been cancelled. A short quote from the email: “We’re proud to have called for the well-behaved and leashed dogs of Colorado and their loving owners to peacefully protest against Gov. Noem’s fundraiser in Colorado. We asked attendees to bring extra doggie bags and ensure that the space we occupied would be left as clean as we found it. The reason this fundraiser was canceled is that Kristi Noem’s values are not Colorado values, and organizers realized they were making a terrible political mistake bringing her here.” Some pregressives (most actually, if not all – there are such things as infiltraators) know how to stage a protest.

CPR published an interview with the state’s Attorney General. There’s an article followed by a transcript (and I expect it’s still possible to hear somewhere on the news portion of the website.) I consider Phil Weiser a good AG and intend to vote for his reelection.

This is an article about a podcast regarding recent student protests. Certainly there’s a little bit of disturbance for just about everyone – and especially those who remember Kent State.

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Open Thread May 3, 2024

 Posted by at 5:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 032024
 

Yesterday, there was a great deal of floom running through the news. I was only going to use two articles, but I added Reich because he at least gives us some ideas about what we should do in the face of such doom and gloom.

Mary Trump‘s writing here is factful (in the sense of full of facts – there are a lot) and perceptive. She does touch on a lot that we already know. but if you want to skip all or prts, pleas skip to the end. There’s a zinger in her conclusion.

I have read about this incident – maybe you have too – but this is a view of it that you may not have read (though you may have thought it, or at least some of it.)

Robert Reich writes about emotions and politics. He doesn’t say this, but I want to add it – stirring up emotions may well increase turnout. But when those emotions are in response to lies, that’s not the kind of turnout whichimproves out government, or dstrengthens outr democracy. There is plenty in this election year to rationally be afraid of – but most of the actual fear that grips voters is the irrational fears stirred up by MAGA. I’ve said this before – Trump** promises violence if he loses. And nhe may well follow trough – he’s done it before. But, if he wins, he will stir up just as much violence, or probably more violence, and there will be no one to protect us.

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Open Thread May 2, 2024

 Posted by at 5:51 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 022024
 

Yesterday, going through my email, I came across this headline at Wonkette: “Does It Count As A ‘Post-Birth Abortion’ When DeSantis Takes Away A Sick Child’s Healthcare?” Good question. It certanly seems like it should, doesn’t it?

Heather Cox Richardson writes about the interview with Trump** in Time magazine. I don’t subscribe to Time, so this is a convenience to me – horrifying as it is. Feel free to share it widely.

Joe Biden is certainly trying to extend humanitarian aid as widely as possible. This is such a difficult situation for anyone wanting to bring peace to the middle east – because the hostilities go back literally thousands of years – and both sides are wrong – and both sides are right. (Well, not Netanyahu – but he is not the whole side. And that’s a big part of the problem.)

Having bought and sold one house in North Carolina, handling my mother’s estate, buying the home i am currently living in anf refinancing it twice or three times, and also having at least signed petitions concerning the difficulty of black voters, especially in the American South, for getting voter ID – so many with no birth certificates – that these situations would have occurred to me as a problem. It didn’t, because privilege. But having now been told about it, I can certainly see the potential for massive Jim Crow abuse.

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Open Thread May 1, 2024

 Posted by at 6:21 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 012024
 

On Monday, Steve Schmidt’s two related articles got me thinking about the church during my lifetime, in which time there have been 7 popes: Pius XII, John XXIII (the one under whom I became a Catholic), Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and now Francis. Of them, only two IMO were any good: John and Francis (I think John Paul I might have been, but he only lived 30 days after election, so it’s not easy to tell.) “Catholic” is Greek for “universal” or, as we now say, “big tent,” and the bigger the tent, the more likely there will be rogues in it. That’s just a fact. But that’s one of the things the papacy is for – to correct the rogues. Not as was done for so long, by burning them alive, but through counseling. And if that doesn’t work – well, that’s what excomminication is for. Not every Catholic agrees with me on that, and that’s fine – a big tent is supposed to be big. It’s just how I feel, and it may be because I’m more aware of the dangers of – shall we say, allowing poisonous serpents around the house. And stories like this one – well, I’m sure y’all can see where I’m coming from.

Steve Schmidt is pissed, and so am I.  He posted two articles on this, one with more background, the other with more details on this assault.  Grrrr.

I can only hope this “Founders Sing” video (NSFW) about Don Snorleone (AKA the Nodfather) will alleviate some of the sting from the first article.

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Open Thread April 30, 2024

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 302024
 

Yesterday, I ran across a video on ice cream from which I learned that Joe is far from the first President to have a thing for ice cream. Washington did, and so did Jefferson, and Dplley Madison hostessed America’s first ice cream social ever, in the White House. I won’t embed it here because it’s over 20 minutes longbut I will provide a link in case anyone wants to check it out. The earliest ice creams, incidentaally, were made with eggs, and should therefore really be called frozen custard rather than ice cream. Among the many books I had as a little girl, there was one which mentioned frozen custard, and I wondered what it was – I was well into adulthood before I learned the distinction. Now I know, and now you know.

This from LAWdork (at Substack) was referred by the Talking Points Memo newsletter. The facts of the case itself are all too common. But the sight of conservative lawlessness being too much for even a proven, dyed-in-the-wool conservative is not quite so common. I wish AG Drommond and Mr. Glossup both complete success here.

There are multiple reason why this story from Antiques Roadshow is astonishing, touching, and mindboggling. And pertinent to America and Americans today. Christian Nationalism has in common with slavery the concept that some people are more equal than others.

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Open Thread April 29, 2024

 Posted by at 6:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 292024
 

Yesterday, Trinete was by. She brought in my mail and took out my trash (and recyclables). We (I only helped a little) dismantled a chair which was broken beyond repair (my trash company doesn’t take furniture, but if we dismantle it andsend it out a little at a tim, it gets taken.) She says “Hi!” to all.

Friday night’s letter from Heather Cox Richardson summarized last week. Much of is is familiar, but there are one or two things which, as far as I can tell, flew under the radar.

Steve Schmidt writes about the new movie, “Bad Faith,” about the rise of Christian Nationalism and how dangerous it is. He provides a link to the trailer, as well as the locations where it can be streamed. It’s meant to be frightening, and it is, because Christian Nationalism is – well, I’ll say demonic. You an ake that as a metaphor or however you wish.

Long, but the length is necessary for the topic

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Open Thread April 28, 2024

 Posted by at 5:48 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 282024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”, the first opera by a black composer ever to be performed at the Met, now in its second season with a couple of cast changes (I’m sure due to prior commitments on the part of the original principals). Ryan Speedo Green is a much lower baritone than Will Liverman who played the leading part last time around, and was able to sng the part as originally written, whereas Will Liverman – a fine singer – needed a couple of adjustments. Terence Blanchard, the composer worked with him on that, as is generally done when the composer is alive, to maximize the integrity of the opera. For me, the test of a great opera is if it sounds better each time you hear it. So far, this one does for me. I’ll be able to give it a workout though – I bought the DVD from the Met (not that I have a lot of time to spare for watching, but I’ll find some, even if I have to do it one act at a time.) Later, I was watching a dialogue between Lawrences O’Donnell and Tribe with CC, and I had to laugh – Tribe mentioned several male justices and the CC spelled all their names correctly except for Gorsuch – he came out as “Corsets.”

What Alito is actually saying is that punishment increases recidivism. I won’t say that’s complete nonsense (although his example is), but if he were correct, the logical thing to do would be to let everyone in any prison at any level out immediately. I am certainly not in favor of that, and I doubt he would actually want that.

You may well know this already, as it’s been shared by various sources (with multiple levels of incredulity.) I find it completely believable.

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Open Thread April 27, 2024

 Posted by at 5:55 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 272024
 

Yesterday was pretty quiet.  Which is just fine with me.  I’ll just mention that the yard sign below  is the brainchils of John Pavlovitz.  You can find it, along with some shirts with the design, in his merch.  I’m not trying to be pushy, but so many times I’ve read “I want one of those!” as a comment on an article sharing something clever – I’m trying to be pro-active.

Here’s another feel-good story from Colorado. The video will keep playing as long as you let it, and there are some other popups which I hope won’t annoy you too much. Vallecito is down in the southwest corner of Colorado, 18 miles from Durango.)

In case this got lost … I’ve seen a couple of mentions of it but this is the most detailed (and I love the lede.)

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