Politics Plus – Page 66 – Overcoming Republican insaniTEA, one day at a time.

Open Thread September 3, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:59 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 032023

Yesterday, the radio opera was Richard Wagner’s “Tannhäuser,” from Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The events of the opera have a definite historical date – during the lives of the real people Wolfram von Eschenbach and Walther von der Vogelweide, but it’s far from historical. As it starts, Tannhäuser has been living in the Venusberg (which means “the mount of Venus,” and yes, the double meaning in English also exists in German) where the goddess Venus has been keeping him satisfied for at least months if not years. The “Venusberg music” is supposed to be a bacchanale (orgy), but I certainly don’t think “orgy” when I hear it and I doubt anyone here would. Now, Saint-Saëns bacchamale from “Sanson et Dalila” is hot. Richard Strauss’s “Dance of the Seven Veils” from Salome is wicked hot. The Venusberg music is inspiring and even noble, but not hot. But Wagner’s (IMO very odd) attitudes toward sexuality don’t really come out until later. Anyway, Tannhäuser decodes he wants to go home where there are other minstrels and a girl, Elisabeth, who loves him, and he arrives just on the eve of a big singing contest, in which he is expected to participate. His entry is too erotic for everyone else, and when it comes out he has been in the Venusberg, all heck breaks loose, and Elisabeth’s uncle (the local feudal lord) in particular, but everyone really, demands he travel to Rome and get absolution from the Pope. He goes to Rome, and the Pope tells him that his staff (a piece of pretty old, very dead wood) is as likely to bear green leaves as he is to be forgiven (terrible theology, BTW). He comes back, travelling with a bunch of ordinary Pilgrims, whose chorus is very familiar outside the opera house, as is Wolfram’s song to the Evening Star, which he sings not long before Tannhäuser gets back. Tannhäuser tellsWolfram what the Pope said, Elisabeth dies (the salvation of men through the deaths of women is a very common 19th century romantic trope, it’s not just Wagner, but Wagner kind of did beat it to death), and green leaves burst out of his staff (very glad I never had to build that prop). It really is beautiful musically, which certainly saves the ridiculous (even offensive) story line. Wagner is not known for realism – his one comedy, Die Meistersinger, does actually show people with real feelings and quirks, and if you can get past the magic love potion, so does Tristan und Isolde, but mostly his characters – humans, gods, giants, dwarves, witches, dragons, birds – seem a little off. But one can get carried away by the music in spite of that.

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Short Takes –

Zip Recruiter – Professional Troll
Quote – As of Aug 25, 2023, the average hourly pay for a Professional Troll in the United States is $67.39 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $141.59 and as low as $5.29, the majority of Professional Troll wages currently range between $16.35 (25th percentile) to $129.57 (75th percentile) across the United States. The average pay range for a Professional Troll varies greatly (by as much as $113.22), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Click through. It likely wil come up with information on your area. Someone at Democratice Underground found this … and found it scary. I concur.

MSN/Axios – AG Merrick Garland denounces election worker threats as DOJ charges over a dozen people
Quote – The DOJ announced Thursday that two men in two separate cases in Arizona and Georgia had pleaded guilty to threatening election officials in Arizona and Georgia in separate cases, brought by the the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force — which has now brought charges in 14 cases…. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute those who target election officials and election workers as part of our broader efforts to safeguard the right to vote and to defend our democracy.”
Click through for a bit more. I’m glad they are taking this seriously, and hope there are not people failng to report for fear nothing – or worse – will be done.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 9/2/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:02 pm Open Thread, Politics

Sep 022023

Glenn Kirschner – Disgraced lawyer & RICO defendant Sidney Powell files an ABSURD “legal brief” in her Georgia case

Farron Balanced – Lauren Boebert In Trouble As Poll Proves Her District Hates Her

Joe Biden – Catch A Break

Liberal Redneck – Trump’s Big Week

The Telegraph – Howdy Doody: Police pull over man carrying enormous bull in his car

Beau – Let’s talk about a question of accuracy and dissonance….

Open Thread September 2, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:03 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 022023

Yesterday, Mary Trump (Mary L. Trump, to distinguish her from her grandmother) wrote about the Supreme Court, in an essay on Substack she calls “The Lowest Court, Part 2.” She remarks, not just on the ethics issues, but on the contempt shown by the court for the people, which really is reminiscent of France before the Revolution. If you were to tell me that Alito, or Kavanaugh, or even Roberts had said “Let them eat cake,” I’d probably believe it. If you want to look deeper, here’s the link – just remember to look for the “continue reading” and click it.

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HuffPost – Biden Administration Reveals First 10 Drugs For Medicare Price Negotiation
Quote – All told, the 10 drugs on the list accounted for $50.5 billion in total spending in Medicare’s outpatient prescription drug program for the period between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That’s about one-fifth of what the program, known as Part D, spent on all prescription drugs during that period. The announcement represents the first step in a process set to unfold over the coming year, with the government collecting data and public input, and then exchanging price offers with manufacturers over how much Medicare will pay for the named drugs.
Click through for details. Not surprisingly, the article bears the subtitle “It’s the first step in a process that will mean lower prices in 2026 ― unless the drug industry and its allies find a way to block it.”

The Daiy Beast – How One Citizen Fought Back Against a Cop’s Road Rage
Quote – While driving home in his Ford Mustang, [New Mexico motorist Mario Rosales] legally passed a pickup truck, and the other driver started tailgating him. Road rage can be deadly, so Rosales grew concerned. No matter which way he went, the truck stayed in his rearview mirror. Rosales eventually reached his home in Roswell, New Mexico, hoping the truck would keep going. Instead, the vehicle blocked Rosales in his driveway, and the stranger behind the wheel started yelling and cursing at him. At this point Rosales was not just concerned. He was scared for himself and his family members in the house.
Click through for the story, which has a happy ending – this time – finally. Too many do not.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 9/1/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:58 am Open Thread, Politics

Sep 012023

Glenn Kirschner – Judge rules Rudy Giuliani is LIABLE for defaming Georgia election workers Shaye Moss & Ruby Freeman

MSNBC – Lawrence: Who to believe about Giuliani’s drinking habits, Rudolph Giuliani or Rudolph Giuliani?

The Ring of Fire – Ford Has Insane Plan To Replace Striking Factory Workers

Rocky Mountain Mike – Mug Shot – Parody of “Bus Stop” by The Hollies

Growling Street Puppy Falls In Love With The Person She Didn’t Trust

Beau – Let’s talk about big union news…. (Yes, we know this happened, but Beau puts it so well. And good news is alwats welcome.)

Open Thread September 1, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:07 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 012023

Yesterday, McConnell’s doctor cleared him to continue working (for what that’s worth.) A former Proud Boy (that’s what they said) was sentenced to 18 years for Jan 6 and wept in the courtroom. I received a grocery order with no substitutions and nothing missing (a small one – but, still.) Today is the last day The Nib will publish anything new, but they are making pdfs of all their magazines – 15 issues – available for free. Or if you prefer print, you can order those (except for the four which are out of print) in their store – there’s a link to that on the download page I am providing a link to. They are requesting donations to help keep the archives up on the net (the internet may be forever, but not for free.) I have not always agreed with every cartoonist at The Nib (and that is probably the way it should be), but I shall miss the daily newsletters. So I’ve created a new folder for them on my portable hard drive and started my download. There are two options – I by far prefer the version without “spreads” but the first one you do, try both ways, and see what you think.

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New Mexico Political Report – Researchers warn that changes in the Permian Basin surface due to oil and gas industry activities are leading to increasing number of geohazards
Quote – In their investigation, the researchers from Southern Methodist University sought to map the surface deformation across the Permian Basin and to quantify the relationship between oil and gas operations and the changes to the surface. They found, on average, the ground in the Permian Basin is subsiding at a rate of three to four centimeters annually, though there are several pockets with larger rates of subsidence. The researchers write in the study that, over the past few decades, the increase in oil and gas extraction has “contributed to the alarming increase in geohazards, sometimes permanently altering the local ecosystem, and is a growing concern for communities and policymakers worldwide.”
Click through for full story. I had to look up the Permian Basin myself, hence the little map. Colorado Springs has been through something similar – In the eighties scars from strip mining were still visible on the mountains, and at least well into the nineties there were many homes experiencing sinking and the damage that comes with it, including both middle and upper class areas. It was a consideratin for me when I bought my home in 2002. I haven’t heard much about it since then, but that may simply be that I am no longer workingin the property insurance field, and so not hearing about the claims.

The Daily Beast – How Mark Meadows’ Testimony May Have Just Helped Prosecutors
Quote – It’s all the more curious, then, that Meadows decided to take the witness stand on Monday and assert that he was merely doing his job as Trump’s chief of staff when he partook in what Atlanta prosecutors call a pressure campaign to flip the vote there. Because in doing so, he’s essentially pointing the finger at his boss. “He now cannot ever say, ‘I wasn’t doing this for the president, I was acting on my own,’” said Peter Odom, a former prosecutor at the Fulton County DA’s office. Indeed, Meadows’ entire defense rests upon the idea that he was just doing his job, that his efforts to connect Trump with people who would help to overturn the election was at the direction of the former president himself. It’s precisely that point which Fulton County DA Fani Willis is trying to prove: that Trump was at the center of this entire criminal conspiracy.
Click through for explanation. Every place one touches the Georgia investigation, or the DC Federal one, it’s like touching a calm pool of water – there’s a ripple effect, and you can see it, and you can’t predict where it will end.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 8/31/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:07 pm Open Thread, Politics

Aug 312023

Glenn Kirschner – Jack Smith investigates Rudy Giuliani’s drinking & its possible impact on Trump ‘s January 6 crimes

Thom Hartmann – Frightening Study Reveals Personality Disorder That Turns Politicians Into Chaos Agents

MSNBC – Biden unveils 10 drugs Medicare will target for price cuts

Armageddon Update – No Teachers, NO AMERICA!

Four Tiny Foster Kittens Heal Woman’s Broken Heart

Beau – Let’s talk about important Hawaii news about housing….

Open Thread August 31, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:50 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 312023

Yesterday, Mitch McConnell froze again, Idalia made landfall in Florida’s “Big Bend” region (which is exactly where you think it would be), our Mitch emailed his list that he and his are in no danger, and, by evening, Idalia was down to a tropical storm. Late the night before, I read that Fani Willis has asked the judge to put all the speedy-trial-demanders into a single trial, and therefore on the same date, October 23, if legally possible. It hadn’t occurred to me that it might not be so I was assuming they would all be tried together (Eastman is number three.) It’s consederably more complex than I thought. Harry Litman explains the contingencies, in this vodeo, which has CC and therefore generates a transcript (click the 3 dots tp the right of the up-down-share line and “open trancript”.) I hope it works out with the minimum number of seperate trials (which i believe would be four – but what do I know.) Georgia’s doing us all a big favor and should not be required to break the bank to do it.

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The Daily Beast – Family Recalls Jacksonville Shooting Victim’s Last Call With Daughter
Quote – Several other relatives told the Associated Press that Gallion was a devoted father, and though his relationship with the child’s mother didn’t work out, he still had the respect of her family. “He never missed a beat,” Sabrina Rozier, the child’s maternal grandmother, said Sunday at a vigil honoring the victims. “He got her every weekend. As a matter of fact, he was supposed to have her (Saturday).”… “My heart melted for my granddaughter, because she was his world and he was her world. And now we’re trying to figure out how to tell her, because we haven’t told her yet and she’s only 4.”
Click through for more. I do appreciate the Beast telling the story in a respectful way. We don’t always see that.

Robert Reich – Globaloney: Why the Democrats’ love affair with “free trade” is over
Quote – But “globalization” is not a force of nature. How it works and whom it benefits or harms depend on specific, negotiated rules about which assets will be protected and which will not. In most trade deals, the assets of American corporations (including intellectual property) have been protected. If another nation adopts strict climate regulations that reduce the value of U.S. energy assets in that country, the country must compensate the American firms. Wall Street has been granted free rein to move financial assets into and out of our trading partners. But the jobs and wages of American workers have not been protected. Why shouldn’t American corporations that profit from trade be required to compensate American workers for job losses due to trade?
Click through for full assessment. It’s not news that unregulated anything helps only the wealthiest and hurts the reat of us. This does point up that regulation itself needs to be both accurately designed andproperly administered

CPR – [Senator] John Hickenlooper showed up at a SAG-AFTRA rally, and not just as a supporter — he’s paid his dues (literally)
Quote – He was there not just as a supporter, he said, but as a dues-paying member of SAG-AFTRA’s local chapter. That’s because the senator’s cousin, the late filmmaker George Hickenlooper, had a habit of casting him for bit parts. Among them was the film “Casino Jack,” released in 2010 when Hickenlooper was mayor of Denver. He played a U.S. Senator with one big line: “Remove that man.” “My cousin George made me do 28 takes,” Hickenlooper told the crowd near the City Park boathouse.
Click through – I’m not going to be able to keep up three a day, even in a week like this, but I thought this was cute, and I didn’t want to bump anything else for something this light. It was news to me.

Food For Thought