Glenn Kirschner – Kevin McCarthy’s latest legislative thuggery: tells DHS Secretary Mayorkas, “resign or be impeached”
Meidas Touch – Herschel Walker’s former coach shakes up Georgia Senate race with HUGE announcement
Farron Balanced – Republicans Fear Trump Has Taken Their Party Hostage
Armageddon Update – I Give You The Bird!
Cat Who Spent 18 Years As His Dad’s Only Child Gets A Human Brother
Beau – Let’s talk about the Klamath River running free….
Yesterday, the radio opera was another comic one – +Falstaff” by Verdi (based on Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”) “The Merry Wives” is said to have been written because Queen Elizabeth I told Shakespeare she wanted to see “Sir John in love.” That seems odd to me, because a total jerk in love is still a total jerk, and an unmarried queen must see hundreds, if not thousands, of those. But maybe she meant she wanted them to be able to see themselves – that would at least fit with the way Falstaff acts and how the women react. But I kind of doubt that most jerks are self-aware enough to recognize themselves when they see them. Oh well, at least the rest of us can happily mock them. (Shakespeare, and Verdi in turn, were clearly aware that for Falstaff and his ilk, “in love” actually means “kind of in heat and definitely looking for a mark to grift.”) After beig subjected to various minor indignties (e.g., crawling into a laundry basket to hide because “the husband” is arriving, and then being thrown into the river), at the end, by which time it appears the whole town is in on the joke, he does get the bejeesus scared out of him and then is totally embarrassed – which all depends on the audience being aware that in Shakespeare’s day “fairies” were thought to be real and malevolent supernatural beings, and not tiny, but the size of humans. Much of the final scene is like something out of Margaret Murray (author of “God of the Witches”). But it does end with everyone happy.
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Mother Jones – “Alito Was Using Phrases We Had Invented as Bumper-Sticker Slogans in a Supreme Court Decision”
Quote – By all rights, Rob should have pushed all my buttons. He was born and raised a secular Jew but accepted Jesus as a teenager. And he embraced his new faith with an extremism that we have seen among the religious right: he became an evangelical minister and one of the key architects of the anti-abortion movement, not only in protests across the country, but in the White House, the halls of Congress and, yes, the Supreme Court. He and his organization were responsible for some of the most provocative language and actions in the campaign against Roe vs. Wade. All sorts of other fundamentalist positions, such as opposition to gay marriage, came along with him. Shortly before we met, he had changed profoundly.
Click through for full interview with Rev. Rob Schenk – it’s from July but is of current interest in light of recent news about Alito.
The Daily Beast – The Complicated Relationship Between Kevin McCarthy and Hakeem Jeffries
Quote – It’s a new era of leadership in the House of Representatives, but the problems will be the same—maybe even worse. On the right, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is set—maybe—to ascend to the role of speaker. On the left, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is virtually guaranteed to become the minority leader for House Democrats. The move would make two fiftysomething men, both long been rumored for the top spots, the heads of their respective sides of the House chamber. Just don’t expect them to be chummy about it.
Click through for article. I’m not saying McCarthy will be the SPeaker, but I’m not saying he won’t. The Speaker must be elected by the full House, not just his/her party, although if there’s party unity, it might as well be just his/her party. The thing is, there isn’t party unity on the right. House Democrats therefore are a wild card.
PolitiZoom – A Clarification On My “Trump Is A Legal Imbecile” Article Yesterday
Quote – Here it is. In the federal statute of limitations, there’s a waiver clause for a little something called availability of a subject or target. Here’s how it works. Let’s just say I rob a bank and clean the place out. It doesn’t take long before you’re hot on my heels. Not wanting to go to the Crossbar Hilton, I cop the next flight to Bolivia. God knows I’ve got enough lucre to survive comfortably until the statute of limitations runs out. Except no, that’s where the waiver kicks in.
Click through for details. Though he refers to an earlier article, this one stands alone, since it is about the federal Statute of Limitations, and an analogous provision in New York. So it’s pertinent to the Daniels case, and possibly also E. Jean Carroll.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Mike Pence utters 7 words that should disqualify him from ever holding public office again
Ojeda Live- What Are The 10 Republican Commandments!?!
Ring of Fire – Polls Show Incoming Republican Majority In Congress Is Already DOOMED
Liberal Redneck – The Results of Rhetoric
Cop Kindly Walks Duck Family All The Way Home (no words)
Beau – Let’s talk about Colorado, stats, and speculation….
Yesterday was Black Friday – or, as the North SHore Animal League put it, Bark Friday. I used to be pretty good at using sales and coupons, butnow that I’m retired and my time is my own, that is more important to me. And the pandemic just made thatmindset even stronger. Not that I would shop on Black Friday on principle. But I hope that those who do shop (many of whom are working to hard for too little pay) find bargains that stretch their budgets farther than they dreamed. Also yesterday, I “printed” (to pdf) DCCC’s guide to what facts to have handy when dealing with Republican relatives. It was intended for Thanksgiving, but by the time I received the email, Thanksgiving was over. However, there’s always Christmas. It loads huge and prints weird (I ended up zooming out, snapshotting it a page at a time – it’s only 4 pages – putting the snapshots into a Word document, and “printing” that. But there are probably ways to manipulate the online pdf to print better.) If you have any Republican relatives, or know someone who does and could use it, here’s the link.
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Crooks & Liars – Dems Already Going On Offense Against Coming House Investigations
Quote – The New York Times reports that a network of Democrat-aligned groups is planning “a multimillion-dollar counteroffensive,” including a “SWAT team,” to combat the coming deluge of GOP investigations into President Biden, his family and his administration. Although the White House is planning its own defense, the outside groups plan to push back “in a more adversarial manner,” the Times says…. The Democratic counteroffensive is designed to avoid another Benghazi which, fake scandal that it was, nonetheless dragged down Hillary Clinton. Some of those involved in the efforts include Facts First USA, whose president is David Brock, the former right-wing hit man turned left-wing advocate; the Center for American Progress; and the Congressional Integrity Project.
Click through for more informaion, and links to both the Times and Politico. The money is not taxpayer money but activist money (from some pretty flush activists.)
Mother Jones – After Decades of Public Service, Dr. Fauci Gives His Final White House Briefing
Quote – His departing message to the public: get vaccinated before the holidays. “My final message, maybe the final message I give you from this podium, is, please, for your own safety and the safety of your own family, please get your updated COVID-19 shot as soon as you’re eligible,” Fauci told reporters.
Click through for article. I have nothing to add to the Food for Thought.
Lakota People’s Law – Help the Cherokee Nation Seat a Congressional Delegate
I had a video up on this yesterday (which was made before the hearing). Then O got this emai from Chase Iron Eyes, including:
“[A]fter nearly two centuries of delay, Congress held its first ever hearing on the subject — and it went very well! To be clear, it isn’t a done deal. However, as NPR accurately reports, last week’s House Rules Committee hearing represents by far the biggest step the federal government has ever taken toward fulfilling a promise it made to the Cherokee way back in 1835’s Treaty of New Echota. And while we can’t celebrate prematurely, the U.S. government making progress toward doing what it said it would for any Native nation is historic and a reason for optimism.”
Now Chase is asking us to write to our Representatives and encourage them to accept the selected delegate, Kimberly Teehee. The link above is to the page to help you do that – thre is also a video, which is a bit over a half hour, and doesn’t have CC there, but it does on YouTube at this link
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Special Counsel Jack Smith/DOJ seek interview with Mike Pence about Trump’s insurrection crimes
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – November 22, 2022
MSNBC – Cherokee Nation Calls On Congress To Fulfill 187-Year-Old Promise
Armageddon Update – We Did Good!
Tigers Freed From Abandoned Train Car After 15 Years
Beau – Let’s talk about Colorado and what we can expect….
Yesterday was of course Thanksgiving Day. I hope everyone had a day that was truly filled with gratitude and comfort. I certainly did.
Robert Reich put out a newsletter which made me truly thankful for the liberties I have as a retired person who may be on a fixed income, but that income is enough for my needs and some of my wants. I am linking to it, but I will warn you i also grieved me for those who do not have what I have (having been there made it feel personal.) It did strengthen my resolve to protect Social Security and Medicare, not just because I survive because of them, but because so many people would be trapped in bleak lives without them.
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HuffPost [via MSN] – Democrats Give Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts An Ultimatum
Quote – Top Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees demanded on Sunday that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts comply with their investigation into the court’s refusal to abide by ethics laws. And if the court continues to suggest it’s not serious about policing itself, Congress will step in, warned the joint letter from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), chairs of the subcommittees overseeing the federal judiciary in their respective chambers.
Click through for background and details. Senator Whitehouse is one of the best we have. You do not want him pissed off at you even if you are the Chief Justice.
The Daily Beast – Does Santa Claus Have to Be White? A Jolly New Doc[umentaty] Says No
Quote – Santa is not a person, he’s a symbol. He arrives every year to remind kids that being a good person is the most rewarding thing one can do in life. Hell, if you boil it down, Santa Claus is really just a child-rearing tactic. But like everything tangentially related to the holiday season—from red coffee cups to wars on religion—Santa has become a hot-button issue. For a certain sect of Americans, it’s their mission to rally against an ever-changing world pushing for progression. That deafening objection and the people who dare to defy it are the subjects of Santa Camp, a new documentary streaming Friday [Nov. 18] on HBO Max.
Click through for story. The Daily Beast does a lot of stories on entertainment and its industry, which I don’t often cite – but I’m glad they do, because entertainment is so inflential to peoples’ attitudes – much more so than most of us realize. So I’m glad someone with skills and smarts is following it.
Crooks & Liars – LeVar Burton Shares His Hopes For America After Midterm Results
Quote – This morning, I feel like I am taking the first step toward recovering from the impact these past six years have had on me…. I’m not going to lie, the part of me that has faith in America’s seriousness about the precepts upon which it was founded has been significantly damaged. Irreparably…? We’ll see…. Here’s the thing, I am just the most recent generation in my family to have my American dream threatened by white supremacist terrorism.
Click through for full meditation. There’s a video which is kinds sorts related but not really, and a meme at the bottom which you have probably seen. But the important part is the message in the text.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Bad day for Trump: Supremes order taxes released; Special Master may end; Lindsey Graham testifies
The Lincoln Project – Two Mwn
Robert Reich – Big Midterm Victories That Give Me Hope For The Future
Mrs Betty Bowers – Thanksgiving in a House Divided!
Rooster Loves To Leap Onto His Parents
Beau – Let’s talk about whether a Democratic tactic worked….
Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, and I am so thrilled. Not!
Not because I have nothing to be thankful for – I have plenty of reasons to be thankful, and I could make a very long list.
Not because of family issues, or because my nearest relatives (at least that I know of) are six hours away by car. Sometimes I get together with friends for a “Friendsgiving” or “Thanksliving” potluck feast; this year, though, I was unable to find one.
Not because of the food – even though I am a vegetarian and have been such for a number of years, there is plenty to eat that doesn’t involve the death or suffering of some unfortunate critter. I admit that I have occasionally had a bite or two of turkey for the sake of tradition. Just because it’s Thanksgiving I’ll eat like a horse – please pass the sweet potatoes, dressing/stuffing, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, cornbread, and of course, the pie!
So why am I so lukewarm about Turkey Day?
Because the more I learn about it, the more I realize U.S. Thanksgiving is a bunch of turkey scat. Long articles have been written explaining how the OG Thanksgiving was utterly different from the popular ideas we have about the settlers and Native Americans getting together for a massive feast. Pilgrims would not have been dressed the way they are shown in a million Thanksgiving cartoons and clip-art pieces; in fact, they dressed in simple, modest clothes that could be colorful but were not flashy. Top hats, black jackets, and buckles on shoes? Male bovine excrement! Besides, know what the fete we identify as the first Thanksgiving was really about? Massachusetts Colony Governor John Winthrop was celebrating the safe return of Colonial hunters after they had slaughtered approximately 700 Pequot natives. Yep – the original Thanksgiving was a festival to honor a bloodbath.
The modern menu is light years removed from what would have been served at the feast. Descriptions of the festival mention “fowl” but not specifically turkey. Native Americans donated some deer, so venison would have been on the table. Seafood likely played a major role since mussels and lobsters were plentiful. There would have been no pies, though, since the settlers had run out of sugar. Potatoes, native to South America, had yet to gain enough popularity with Europeans so they could return to the New World, meaning that they would have been absent, too.
If you plan to go over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s, every form of transportation is going to be a nightmare. Because it’s late November, northern parts of the country could experience nasty weather, resulting in accidents and highway snarls. Air travel is a royal pain in the bottom – airlines price-gouge, airports turn into madhouses (stay the bleep away from Atlanta!), delayed flights can lead to missed connections. Even if you have a direct flight and leave plenty of time, you still have to deal with TSA and all the regulations on what you can’t put in your luggage.
Then you have to deal with your toxic, dysfunctional family. Relatives grill you like a burger patty: When are you gonna get married? When are you gonna get a decent job? Makes you long for your college days when you could cajole your classmates and/or dormitory neighbors into having a potluck Friendsgiving. The food may have been far from gourmet, but at least you didn’t have to feel as though you were dealing with the Spanish Inquisition.
Thanksgiving is probably the worst one day for food waste. Whoever is hosting cooks enough victuals to feed an army. Even after the family have all stuffed themselves till they feel like Trigger, and guests are encouraged to take home “care packages,” a lot of Thanksgiving offerings unfortunately wind up in the trash. How many of you got sliced turkey sandwiches in your school lunch boxes well into December? No point in bringing the leftovers to the office when all of your co-workers are trying to cram someone’s godawful green bean casserole down your craw.
Many are the websites with lists of reasons why Thanksgiving sucks, or tales of Thanksgiving dinner disasters. A lot of the latter are downright hilarious – since they didn’t happen to you. They also may make you thankful you don’t have to celebrate with your screwy family. What’s wrong with getting together with friends who treat you like a human being and don’t bug you about your personal life? You have better things to do on Turkey Day than be put through the wringer by your demanding parents and judgmental aunts and uncles.
It’s OK to celebrate all by yourself. Get some takeout, grab some craft beer or a good bottle of wine, stuff your face while watching the Detroit Lions lose, and count your blessings. No matter what your situation, you’re bound to realize you have a lot to be thankful for.
And while you are enjoying Thanksgiving, remember the horrible things that the Native Americans/First Nations peoples suffered for centuries. Remember the other side of the holiday’s history.