Open Thread February 29, 2024

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

Yesterday, apparently, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and even Mitch McConnell read Mike Johnson the riot act, at the White House. When you are the Republican Speaker of the House and even Mitch gangs up against you, you are not just doing something wrong, you are doing everything wrong, and you are probably also a worm (no offense meant to earthworms, which are vital to plants.)  On the personal side, I made a casserole in my crockpot which I had not made for literally decades, and found it as tasty as ever.  It was something I threw together after receiving all the food allergy diagnoses of both me and Virsgil.  It was a tremendous success thenm and still is.

I rooted for Alvin Bragg to win the election for DA in New York City, probably like everyone here. And also like everyone here, I was disappointed when he did not jump on Trump** immediately. And probably like everyone else, I suspected a lack of courage. Well, if it was, he appears to have grown a spine (or whatever body part you associate with courage. He has, as any same person would do in his position filed for protective and gag orders. With one exception. Joyce Vance writes:
“The threats made against Bragg personally were highly specific and graphic. They include threats to kill him, down to the type of weapon and scenario that would be used. Bragg nonetheless exempts himself from the order, and would permit Trump to continue to attack him, likely leading to more of this abuse and risk. That’s a feature that shows how reasonable Bragg’s approach is.”

Robert Reich writes on Bezos and Musk. Musk is clearly a Nazi. Bezos, I think , is just greedy, but I would not expect him to oppose Naziism if he thought he could make it pay.

I don’t claim that Heather Cox Richardson breaks down all the foreign policy considerations which are important just now – but she does discuss some you probaly didn’t know about. Not trying to be condescending – virtually no one (except professionals and maybe Beau) is ever interested in foreign policy unless something goes sour. And that’s not really the best time to start taking an interest.

(Bonus – this may give you a chuckle. Not that it’s out of character.)

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Open Thread February 28, 2024

 Posted by at 5:40 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 282024
 

Yesterday, the exterminator came. After looking around inside and out, he called his office and discussed the progress, and the bottom line is we are going to try a two-month interval instead of two weeks. Yes, that’s good news, although it won’t make much, if any, financial difference – when the visits are close together, each one costs less. (And they are quite reasonable anyway.) Also, I learned that I had chosen the winning photo for next year’s calendar’s cover photo for the Natonal Parks Conservation Association. Earlier this month, I had done the same for the Nature Conservancy. I never pick winners in situations like this … and now twice in a row. But I think I know why – and it’a not a question of taste. Both groups offered three photos, of which two were purely scenic and the third included a critter (one was an adult squeaking silkmoth and the other was 3 bear cubs). With odds like that, the majority is always going to pick the critter over the still lifes. Rocks, water features, and trees just aren’t cuddly.

Certainly not a lesson that anyone wants to learn the hard way. So those of us who have grandchildren or great-grands might want to have a conversation with their parents. It’s not that difficult to avoid if people just know the risks.

This is from Monday from Mary Trump. She promised updates after consulting with experts, and was hoping to provide at least some of those yesterday. It shold be possible to get to the updates from this link if she has written it yet. If it’s confusing, search for “The Good In Us”.

I’m pretty sure there’s at least one person who reads her who also watches Seth Meyers faithfully. If it’s not you, you can still catch up on Monday night’s show here.

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Open Thread February 27, 2024

 Posted by at 5:48 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 272024
 

Yesterday, I slept in, and needed it. But as a result I didn’t get to reading comments until 9 pm. So if when you looked I hadn’t rec’ed you, you might check again, or check at Disqus.

It’s somewhere between difficult and impossible to evaluate the accuracy of information coming from halfway around the world, and from a nation not known for truth – but I surely hope some good comes of this.

Joyce Vance was so tired from cleaning chicken coops last weekend that her weekly “The Week Ahead” column was late. Which means I did not see it until yesterday. Here it is, and there is some interesting stuff in it, much of which is not aboutTrump**.

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Open Thread February 26, 2024

 Posted by at 5:54 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 262024
 

Yesterday, Trinette was by to bring in mail, take out trash and recyclables, and start the car. (Hi back to all.) While here, she noticed I had acquired an HD antenna and had not done anything with it. I know you all think I am highly computer literate, but the truth is, I had no more idea what to do with it than a dog who has caught a car. With a book or pamphlet of instructions, I could have coped, but it didn’t come with one. But Trinette got it working and set on PBS in practically no time. What a gem!

As a veteran, I’m deeply interested in this, because no one can be a MAGAt and a good soldier at the same time, any more than one can be a MAGAt and a patriot at the same time. The mention of individual unit commanders developing their own training tells me two things – first, that there are multiple unit commanders whose hearts are in the right place (and in sync with their brains), and second, that these commanders’ own superior officers have failed them. Yes, there’s much more to get out of this report; those were just what struck me.

Dearfield, Colorado, a town in Weld County (Northeast of Denver), now a ghost town, began to be homesteaded by black people in 1910. Eventually it became the home of 300 people of color, making it the largest black homestead in the state. It is already on the National Register of Historic Places. Now, descendants of the homesteaders, historians, and others who care, want it to be designated as a National Park. I for one certainly hope the effort succeeds.

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Open Thread February 25, 2024

 Posted by at 5:46 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 252024
 

Yesterday,as I said on Fridaay,  the radio opera wasn’t an opera – it was a Requiem Mass and a movement from a symphony.  But the orchestra was the Met Orchestra, and the Chorus was the Met Chorus, and the soloists – four for each pieces wereall Met Opera stars, and the conductor was the Met Opera Music Director.    And, as I listened to the Mozart Requiem, and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy from the Metropolitan opera, I realized it was the second anniversary of the (insert adjective here) Russian war on Ukraine. (At least for now, my adjective is “despicable.”)-  Well, the General Manager of the Opera is married to a Ukrainian-American, so it should surprise noone that the Metroplitan Opera does not forget Ukraine.

I realize this is a little late in the month. But I only just received it. And we do have a few days left

This has been on my mind. What is so different about it is that the murderers were children – not only the victim..

We already know – those of us who are alert to real news and intelligent enough to think about it – that the two partiea are not the same. So it’s no surprise that these contrasting arguments do not have the same legitimacy.

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Open Thread February 24, 2024

 Posted by at 6:17 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 242024
 

Yesterday, I received another grocery order. Only a week since the last ne, but there’s a terrific sale on some things I do use, and wich keep well frozen. The luck of the draw assigned me another really good driver. I adjusted her tip, and in my comments included that she needs to be teaching other drivers clsses in how to tie the handles of a plastic bag into a knot that un-knots easily in one movement so the bag can be used again. Pat may know what the knot is called (she said she’d be back probably today) but I don’t. But it’s marvelous.

This is a story about making change, and particularly, about one person making change happen. I’m impressed, not least because the western part of the state is generally pretty red.

There are still good people in the world (hanky alert.)

If you think Republicans believe their base is dumb, just wait till you see how dumb they think black people are. (The full URL includes “substack” so be prepared to look for a “keep reading” button.

 

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Open Thread February 22, 2024

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 222024
 

Yesterday, After getting a quick note from Nameless that the site was borked, I spent over an hour on the phone (much of it waiting, and much of it being told we needed a developer and they couldn’t help), I had to ask for a supervisor (I felt like an awful Karen, but it did the trick.) It’s working normally now. Also yesterday, I received the email that my ballot has been counted. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out Monday’s Open Thread, because it contains an update on Colleen. Also, this will be kind of short, not just due to BlueHost, but I lost time on some other things too. Mama said there’d be days like this.

I’d like to hope you will see, or have seen, this story elsewhere than the Black Star. But I wouldn’t bet any important body parts on it.

From Mary Trump’s keyboard straight to God’s monitor!

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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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