Open Thread February 21, 2024

 Posted by at 6:32 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 212024
 

Yesterday, we learned that an arrest was made Monday in the case of the UCCS shooting, a 25-year-old man, also a UCCS student – Nicholas Jordan of Detroit, MI. “Investigative efforts continue to indicate this was an isolated incident between individuals who were known to one another and not a random attack against the school or other students at the university,” the police department said in the press release, which seemed fairly evident to me right up front. Certainly by the numbers this qualifies as a mass shooting, but I was smelling domestic violence from the get-go. Also yesterday, I received an email that my ballot has been received. Considering it only left the house Sunday, and Monday was a Federal Holiday so no mail, that’s like zero days to get there. (Think what they could accomplish if we could only get rid of De Joy.)  Finally, I realized I had put the wrong date on yesterday’s Open Thread, so it didn’t post in the morning, and by the time I discovered it, ir was already a couple of hours after sunset.  It’s there now.   Apologies!

This is pretty unbelievable. The ads are saying only 1000 pair are available, and the price is $399. That means the most he can raise from this would be $3,990. At that rate, he would have to sell 91,479 batches of shoes just to pay the New York Civil Fraud fines – and that does not include back interest, nor does it include what he owes E. Jean Carroll. (and as Beau pointe out, someone working at $15.00 per hour, 24/7/365-366, would have to have started in the year 678 – BCE. For a “businessman,” he certainly doesn’t understand money.

Here’s the link to a petition urging Clarence to accept John Oliver’s offer. (And if you also sign the second one, which addresses Xitter, you’ll get to see a list of their current actions, and it’s worth while just to read it

The Daily Beast has some dirt on one of Sherrod Brown’s potential opponents (unless Ohio has two vacant Senate seats, which is unlikely.)

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Open Thread February 20, 2024

 Posted by at 6:24 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 202024
 

Yesterday, one of the first things I did was check on my credit crard, and saw that the erroneous charges have been removed. I slept in, but I checked caller ID and I have not missed any phone calls today. I also have not receeived an email on the subject. It’s possible they just voided the transactions and didn’t tell anyone, but it’s also possible the Card company deleted them, with or without notification. They are watching the account also, so at this point I don’t need to call them again. I knew I would not be on the hook for the charges.

Many of us have issues with family, or longtime friends, who are Republicans. We all handle these issues in our own ways, because that is who we are. If any of us is dissatisfied with what we are currently doing, Mary Trump’s thoughts on this may help, one way or another.

This explains a lot. And notice, it can be acomplished without any politicians getting involved in the process.

Remember Justin Jones? he has a message for us. (Don’t click on the Xitter link – give it time to load – and if it still doesn’t, the transcript is complete, only missing his photo.)

(We did help through Greece – and that was “obsolete” ammunition, and I guess all we had – now, Congress’s approval is required to give anything. We could sell, but….)

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Open Thread February 19, 2024

 Posted by at 5:42 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 192024
 

Yesterday, Trinette was over and said “Hi back” to everyone. She brought my ballot in from the mailbox, I filled it out, signed the enveloe, stamped it, and put an ostentatious veteran sticker on the back, which I doubt will be needed, because Trinette took it and will mail it at a Post Office pickup. I forgot to mention that Saturday I started looking for Colleen’s phone number, and actually found it – had to pay $1 for it, which I thought was well worth it. And I did reach her yesterday, and she is safe and well, but the weather has continued to be soggy and windy, which has affected her internet, and on top oof that she had a rare visit from her son and grandson, who are now on their way to Italy. Neither she nor the internet are ready to come back, but she definitely will when she can, and continues to pray for all of us. She says hello to everyone (Then, today, I got a message from my credit card company that they hadhad correctly charged the $1.00 but had also incorrectly separately charged $155.40 – twice yet. So I was also on the phone to them. This is different from every other time I have had unauthorized charges – those were always strangers, so there was no choice but to cancel the card and issue a new one. This time there is a chance the vendor just goofed. I have called them (but at leas on weekends they have  no phone service – the message gave me an email addresss and I have sent an email to them. But one way or another, I will not lose the money.)

Heather Cox Richardson has put together a lesson in (recent) Ukrainian history to include the ups and downs of Paul Manafort, which is pretty revealing.

Canadian Black history … brought to you by who else but Wonkette? (part of Substack so remember to look for and click the “keep reading” button.)

If anyone cares… the ad that came up for me right after this was for a “Trumpinator Bobblehead.” Seriously.

This is not a cartoon today – it is a link to a promotion for Joe Biden made by Harrison Ford, stressing what real Presidents do and don’t do (such as they don’t do thing he did in his role in “Air Force One.” It also contains a complete transcription of his thoughts, so you can skip the clip if you prefer.

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Open Thread February 18, 2024

 Posted by at 6:19 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 182024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera.” It’s loosely based on an actual assassination which happened in Sweden in 1792. As with “Rigoletto,” an opera about the assassination of a monarch put Verdi at odds with the censors. So early performances of it were set in America (Boston IIRC), prior to the Revolution, which is not as far fetched as I used to think – Sweden (under Gustav III) was the first country not directly involved in the fighting to diplomatically recognize the US. But I digress. The assassination really happened, but I will not vouch for all the hoo-hah surrounding it in the opera – the fortuneteller predicting that the first man who shakes the king’s hand will kill him, the king being in love with his prime minister’s (who is also his best friend) wife, she silently returning his love but wanting nothing more than to be freed of her obsession, the meeting in the graveyard at midnight, The Prime Minister showing up not knowing that the woman with the king is his own wife, the king’s orders to escort her without learning her name, the couple stopped by the potential assassins, the wife revealing her identity only so they won’t kill her husband, the husband refusing to believe she is faithful and switching sides to help the assassins – all that is just too fortuitous. And that’s not even mentioning the page boy (a “trouser role”) who would be adorable if the plot as a whole was not so weighed down with inevitability – and the final irony of the king’s last act being to write out orders of transfer for the Prime Minister so that the king and the wife will be at least physically removed from temptation.

Nameless, was it you who commented on a Biden ad about NATO that they should have included Reagan? Whether or not, I’m happy to report that VoteVets took care of that.

This from Talking Points Memo is a deep dive into Chesebro and his involvement. If it bores you, I’m sorry – it can be helpful sometimes to get details – easier to speculate how the jury (or the judge in a bench trial) will decide.

I think we can agree that this is good news. More like this, please.

 

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Open Thread February 17, 2024

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 172024
 

Yesterday, a news alert from Axios alleged that Alex Navalny has died. Their source is the Russian Prison System, which I would not trust to be truuthful, but it’s also hard to believe it didn’t happen earlier. R.I.P. Alexei. Avaaz is collecting signatures for a tribute to him.  Also we had a “mass shooting” here of our own – a little different in that it appears to have happened inside a dorm, during the might, and so far not much evidence – except two dead people with gunshot wounds.

Mary watched Fani Willis’s entire testimony (I only had time for a few clips) and this summary-through-categorized-excerpts is brilliant.

This is not nearly as much fun … but it’s likely to have a more direct effect on all of us. Sigh.

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Open Thread February 16, 2024

 Posted by at 6:24 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 162024
 

Yesterday, I got a grocery delivery, and the driver was very helpful. I adjusted her tip accordingly.

Even if you know most of these, you will probably still learn something – I did. And your jaw may drop at the ignorance of people who believe some of the myths. Mine did at one in particular.

HuffPost Headline: The Biden Administration Is Investigating Israel’s Possible War Crimes — Despite Public Claims To The Contrary
If this surprises you, I won’t say you haven’t been paying attention, because you probably have. But maybe not to foreign policy in general and the Middle East in particular. If you are a country you simply cannot afford to break ties with a longtims ally, as an individual person might if their SO tried to kill them, or attacked one of their children. Because other allies would – not might – lose confidence in yo as an ally, and that could endanger the whole country – possibly the whole world. You have to publicly express support while privately trying to talk them down. If that doesn’t work, the smart thing is to go into detective mode, so that if you have to cut ties, the reason will be seen to be compelling, and your other allies can feel safe, while also being aware what they should not be doing if they value your support. This can be a painful process because it pretty much comes with bad things happenings. But at least you haven’t started a World War.

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“KC STRONG” – We’ll Be OK …

 Posted by at 3:16 pm  Politics
Feb 152024
 

Police repurposed the white chairs used by the VIP crowd at the Union Station post-parade rally celebrating the Chiefs Super Bowl victory to spell out “KC STRONG”.

There’s a vigil tonight at a park between Union Station and Children’s Mercy Hospital (which is only a couple of blocks away).

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Open Thread February 15, 2024

 Posted by at 5:53 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 152024
 

Yesterday, the exterminator came by. He said progress is being made, and if 2 weeks from now there is more, we need to dicuss longer intervals between visits. So that’s good.

Well, I was wrong. I apologize to anyone who may have thought I was right and watched the show. Mary Trump does a far better job of breaking down why than I could.

They have arrested a dude (and believe he was not alone) for “stealing” (no mention of vandalism) the Jackie Robinson statue. Sometimes it’s hardest to see things that are right under yor nose for the last 2 weeks he’s been locked up for something else. Try not to hit yourself in the head over what cops will believe or claim to believe in order to announce “No evidence of a hate crime.”

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