Open Thread April 8, 2023

 Posted by at 6:51 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 082023
 

Yesterday, I was kind of in a contemplative mood. Part of that was brought on by anticipating today’s opera (and I’ll explain that when I talk about the opera in tomorrow’s thread.) Part of it was brought on by the second short take – even just the headline gave crystal clarity to that particular form of selective ignorance, as if a light switched on, and I keep thinking of new examples (such as “inscrutable oriental” – which would today be recognized as racist, but maybe not for the right reasons.)  I did receive one alert (from Axios) worth noting – “Federal judge [in Texas] rules to freeze use of abortion pill nationwide.”

Cartoon – 08 0408Cartoon.jpg

Short Takes –

The Warning (Steve Schmidt) – America’s Cancer
Quote – There is no place to compromise or meet in the middle with an extremist movement made up of fascist paramilitaries, Nazis, conspiracy loons and religious zealots. There is no avoiding their demand, which is patently ridiculous and deeply dangerous. They want power, and they want Donald Trump. They want a twice-impeached serial liar and credibly accused rapist to be the president of the United States — again. The book bans, abortion bans, birth control bans, criminalized curriculum, punitive legislation and investigations against dissenters aren’t an end. They are a gateway to abuse and ultimately terror.
Click through for article. The issue with cancer is metastasis. If it is not dealt with in time it becomes unstoppable.

Daily Beast – Prince William ‘Baffled’ by Prince Harry’s ‘Difficult’ Coronation Behavior
Quote: Harry and wife Meghan Markle have said that they have been invited to the coronation but have not yet said if they will come. In January, Harry told interviewer Tom Bradby that he needed to have a face to face meeting with his family of origin before attending, and told another interviewer, Bryony Gordon, that he wanted “an apology for my wife,” although without specifically linking it to their attendance at the coronation. Royal sources have insisted that the family will make no such gestures towards Harry and Meghan, firmly believing they have nothing to apologize for.
Click through if you like. This is very small in the overall scheme of things, but sometimes very small things can be a source of large insignt. William is baffled because he is privileged. The person who has privilege is always baffled by the person without it (or on this case, with less of it.) Men claim it’s impossible to understand women. I have heard white people assert that black people are incomprehensible. And on and on it goes. In fact, no one is incomprehensible. But privilege certainly gets in the way of comprehension.

Food For Thought

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Video Thread 4/7/2023

 Posted by at 12:00 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Apr 072023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Defendant Trump arraigned on 34 FELONY CHARGES! And it looks like he has co-conspirators.

MSNBC – Lawrence: Presumption of Trump’s innocence ‘only applies in the courtroom’

Farron Balanced – Trump Ignores Judges Order And Starts Attacking His Entire Family

Brent Terhune – DONT LOCK HIM UP

Puppy Won’t Let Senior Rescue Dog Sleep Alone

Beau – Let’s talk about SECDEF vs Republicans….

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Open Thread April 7, 2023

 Posted by at 7:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 072023
 

Yesterday, I got a late start and was coming from behind. I did succeed in pretty well catching up, which is a good thing, since I’m to see Virgil on Easter. And I just make too many mistakes when I’m feeling frazzled. Incidentally, happy anniversary to Pat B. today – she may or may not be here, since she’s going out to lunch, but I trust she’ll see it eventually.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Mother Jones – Mining Giant Is One Court Ruling Away From Destroying an Apache Holy Site
Quote – For nearly a decade, tribal leaders in Arizona have fought to save Oak Flat—a sacred site central to the religious practices of the San Carlos Apache and other Indigenous nations connected to the area. Now, the site’s fate rests with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, who is weighing whether mining copper in the area, and effectively destroying the site, violates the religious rights of local Indigenous peoples…. Oak Flat has been used as a religious site to connect Indigenous peoples to their Creator, faith, families and natural world since before colonization and European contact, said Wendsler Nosie, the former chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the head of Apache Stronghold to the Arizona Republic.
Click through for details. This makes me want to spread rumors that there is far more copper – inconceivable quantities of copper – and maybe gold and uranium – under the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem – or Saint Peter’s in Rome – or the black stone (the Kaaba) in Mecca – or the Buddha in Kamakura – and see how mining interests react.  If they wouldn’t touch those, their disgusting hypocrisy would be evident – but – if they would – their lives could be endangered.

ProPublica – Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire
Quote – For more than two decades, Thomas has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from the Dallas businessman without disclosing them, documents and interviews show. A public servant who has a salary of $285,000, he has vacationed on Crow’s superyacht around the globe. He flies on Crow’s Bombardier Global 5000 jet. He has gone with Crow to the Bohemian Grove, the exclusive California all-male retreat, and to Crow’s sprawling ranch in East Texas. And Thomas typically spends about a week every summer at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondacks. The extent and frequency of Crow’s apparent gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Click through for story. I would expect MAGAts to be so outraged that so many goodies went to one of THOSE people that there would be some public outcry – maybe even violence – on account of this knowledge. On the other hand, maybe Fox can see that too and will not allow them to find out. Or maybe they are so far gone they won’t care.

Food For Thought

 

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Video Thread 4/6/2023

 Posted by at 11:56 am  Open Thread, Politics
Apr 062023
 

I don’t know for sure whether Glenn skipped a day… but he was very , very late, and the monthly review is coming up, so I thought I’d just use ths today.
Steve Schmidt reacts to Trump’s remarks after pleading not guilty to 34 felony charges

CNN – SE Cupp says ‘no one should care’ about GOP outrage over Trump indictment

Thom Hartmann – Fascists Ban First Graders From Singing Dolly Parton & Miley Cyrus song?

Randy Rainbow – Grumpy Trumpy Felon from Jamaica in Queens! (Seeing as how the song on which this is based is older than I am, I’ll share the title: “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”)

Couple Buys A Farmhouse That Came With 16 Cats

Beau – Let’s talk about Russia, North Korea, and missteps…

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Open Thread April 6, 2023

 Posted by at 6:45 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 062023
 

Yesterday, much of the Front Range (as the eastern edge of the Rockies is nicknamed) woke up to snow on the ground. I didn’t look, but it was cold enough all day to suggest that was also true here. That is supposed to end starting today – at least for a while. We’ll see if it does. The news, of course, has been full of the Trump** indictment in Manhattan. Joyce Vance, who had previously explained the diference between a “bare bones” indictment (which just lists the charges) and a “speaking” indictment (which also describes the actions which led to the charges), shared that, in New York, they don’t use “speaking” indictments, but they do use a separate document called a “statement of facts,” which does the “speaking” for the indictment. She also provided a link to Trump**’s, which I’m sharing. It’s only 13 pages, and they are double spaced.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

HuffPost – Mike Pence Drops Fight, Will Testify Against Trump In Jan. 6 Investigation
Quote – Pence had originally said he would take his battle to quash the grand jury subpoena to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. But a week ago, he said that he was “pleased” that James Boasberg, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., had agreed with his argument that the “speech and debate clause” in the Constitution applied to him in his role as president of the Senate. Prosecutors’ main interest in Pence’s testimony, though, is not in his dealings with members of Congress. Rather, it is in his interactions and conversations with Trump and his aides, who had been pushing him for weeks to use his role as presiding officer at the election certification ceremony on Jan. 6, 2021, to award Trump a second term[.]
Click through for details. This makes it clear that his appeal was just for show. The court’s minor concession will allow him not to testify about what happened on the day, January 6, while requiring him to testify truthfully (or plead the Fifth) about eveerything that happened on every day leading up to that day. And that, of course, is what matters.

Mother Jones – Tennessee House Republicans Move to Expel Three Members for Gun Control Protest
Quote – A little over a week after a devastating shooting at a Nashville grade school, the Tennessee House of Representatives, in a historically rare move, took the first steps to expel three Democratic members for participating in a gun control protest. On Monday, Republican lawmakers filed resolutions to remove Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson, alleging that the three participated in “disorderly behavior.”
Click through for story. This is so typically Republican that I really can’t think of a new way to say it.

Food For Thought

 

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Video Thread 4/5/2023

 Posted by at 11:57 am  Open Thread, Politics
Apr 052023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Will judge impose gag order to stop defendant Trump’s lies, threats & inciting imminent lawlessness?

MSNBC – SCOTUS under new ethics rule thanks to Sen. Whitehouse

Ring of Fire – Elise Stefanik Promised Trump That House GOP Would Handle Alvin Bragg (I’m with Farron)

Six13 – The Prince of Egypt (for Passover CE 2023)

Pittie Is Obsessed With Her New Cinderella Carriage

Beau – Let’s talk about Trump, political reactions, and personal opinions….

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Open Thread April 5, 2023

 Posted by at 7:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 052023
 

Yesterday, the forecast predicted snow after 8:00 pm. Not unexpected in April ( or even in May), but for most of last week snow had been in the prediction for yesterday, and then for a couple of days it wasn’t predicted, and them it came back at the last minute. Also, within 6 days – next Monday – we’re supposed to expect a high of 80°F. Again, not entirely unexpected in April. As a person who grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula, the weather here continues to surprise me. One of the reasons I wanted to live in Colorado was that I wanted to experience four seasons. I just didn’t expect them to be all in the same week.

 

 

 

Last night NBC projected

Janet Protasiewicz as the winner in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by a margin of 57.5% to 42.5%. Even if there are some votes out, that is a commanding margin. This means we are on track to get Wisconsin back to the sane side of the aisle. You can breathe again.

Cartoon – 05 veto RTL + Passover

Short Takes –

Axios – Trump pleads not guilty to 34 counts in hush-money case
Quote – Former President Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in a Manhattan criminal court related to 2016 hush money payments…. The historic indictment of the only president to be impeached twice has unified the Republican Party around him. Nearly every Republican in elected office has defended Trump and decried the indictment as politically motivated — with only a few prominent GOP defectors…. While that message is playing well with GOP voters, a new CNN poll indicates that 60% of Americans approve of the indictment.
Click through for more information. Here it is – the story we’ve all been waiting for – and now we can take a deep breath and start waiting for the next thing – whatever that may be. There are many possibilities.

Mother Jones – This Race Could Decide the Fate of Democracy in Wisconsin—and the 2024 Election
Quote – [I]f Daniel Kelly, a former conservative justice who criticized Hagedorn as “supremely unreliable” and was defeated by a liberal justice in April 2020, had still been on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Trump’s effort to overturn the election in Wisconsin likely would have succeeded, plunging the state and the nation into a constitutional crisis. Now Kelly is running again for his old job against Janet Protasiewicz, a progressive judge in Milwaukee County[.]
Click through for details. I’ve written about this before. Yesterday was the day. Robert Reich and Mary Trump also weighed in (with similar views.)

Food For Thought

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