Open Thread June 13 2024

 Posted by at 5:57 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 132024
 

Yesterday, I got the email that my ballot has been received. Also, the exterminator tech came and checked aroud (inside and out) and said it’s lookng even better than 2 months ago. So it will be another two months before the next ckheck. And I managed to watch a good amount of “An Enemy of the People.” (I came a little late.) I have always thought of “An Enemy of the People on terms of public health, like the pandemic. And it certainly does illuminate the anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers, But it has much wider application. It also helps to explain climate denial and even aspects of MAGA. As Dr. Vivian Pinn, Director Emeritus of NIH Women’s Health Resources tols PBS, the protagonist did everything right as a scientist ans everything wrong as a communicator.

It takes a district with a lot of crazy people to elect crazy candidates. I don’t say “full of” – because there are sane people everywhere who are already traumatized enough by just having to live in the same district with them and do not need to, and should not, be lumped in with them.

I’ve said that two things which have changed in my Congressional District have given me some hope.  This may reinforce those two things.

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Open Thread June 12 2024

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 122024
 

Yesterday, Trinette’s son Zach was by to “mow the grass” (a very charitable euphemism for “mow thw weeds. And I did reach the exterminator, who confirmed they are coming in the late afternoon tomorrow. So that’s all good. Also, as I’m sure youall know, Hunter Biden was convicted of a gun felony. And then too, in case anyone cares, I looked up the no paywall link to the Rolling Stone article which captures the Alitos’ real political ideas. It’s here. And one last thing – the Theater of War production scheduled for 6 pm Eastern today was featured on PBS News Hour over the weekend and the segment can be streamed here if anyone is interested. I’m sure they aren’t finished with this project.

The Southern Poverty Law Center calls this geoup “The greatest threat to democracy you’ve never heard of.” The HuffPost Fringe shares the information.

I do hope TFG (Can also stand for That Felon Guy) doesn’t actually try this. However, as Virgil’s mother used to say, “Xit in one habd and hope in the other and see which gets filled first.

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Open Thread June 10 2024

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 102024
 

Yesterday, Trinette was by. She brought in my mail, including my ballot. which I filled out, and she took it with her to mail. Such a gem. She also said her son will be by this week to tackle my weeds (That is contingent on it not being too hot, and also on there not being lightning, of course.) He’s a gem also.

As scary as this is, I think I see one small good takeaway, and that is, thank goodness those extremists who make the local extremists look normal are no longer in California. The more of them move to Idaho, the better for California.

For once, the Washington Post has figured out that something important is important (gift link from Robert Hubbell). This would destroy our economy so fast that our heads would swim for the rest of our lives (which would not be that long actually.)

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Open Thread June 9 2024

 Posted by at 5:44 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 092024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice.” Composed in 1762, it was part of his “reform” project to simplify both operatic plots and operatic music. Allow me to suggest that the story is of universal appeal by pointing out that the most famous aria in it, “Che faro senza Euridice,” has the same content as irving Berlin’s “What’ll I Do,” both being in language appropriate to their time periods (for example, Orpheus didn’t have access to photographs.) I sang the aria (badly) when I was taking voice lessons – it’s in the mezzo-soprano range, but sung yesterday by a counter tenor – Anthony Roth Constanzo – of whom I’m a fan.  As I guess is the Philadelphia Opera – they just named him their General Director) This is the last opera in the Met season, so next week I’ll be streaming a summer season opera broadcast from Chicago (performed and recorded in Vienna).

For pride month. I guess I don’t need to go over again how so-called Christians who think being anti-gay is Christian annoy me (not a strong enough word but I’m trying to be civil.) The image below is also from this article.

Sheesh. I remember when it was anthrax. I’m sure this is coming from the right … but there are too many suspects to nail it down. I hope we can get a clearer picture by November – maybe even put a stop to it.

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Open Thread June 8 2024

 Posted by at 6:09 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 082024
 

Yesterday, Robert Reich’s second “DEBUNK” article posted here. As last week, there’s both a video and a transcript. Good thing, since nothing much happened here. I took in a grocery order is all.

This is a good news story about a rescue in Florida. I am 100% behind the Mom who is pushing for lifesaving rings to be readily available, but also feel I need to point out that in this case a ring would not have worked, though in many, maybe most, cases a ring would have been the best choice.

I have hardly mentioned Hunter Biden at all, because the GOP efforts to turn him into a monster have been so cringworthy. But this is a very interesting speculation. I hope The Beast is reading the room correctly.

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Open Thread June 7 2024

 Posted by at 6:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 072024
 

Yesterday, When I received an email from Thrater of War announcing that they are doing a performance in Times Square, i must admit my jaw dropped. It’s to be on the Red Steps, which didn’t exist the last ttime I was in NUC around 1970, so I looked it up, and yeah, I guess that’s a venue. But even in the evening I would expect there to be a whole lot of people in and around Times Square who are not there to see a performance. The play is Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” (which is analogous to the ttrue story of CoViD and Dr. Fauci), and the cast will include Bill Murray. It will be Zoomed (and no, you don’t need to download Zoom to watch. You would if you wanted to comment. I don’t have Zoom, nor do I have awebcam nor a working microphone and I receive their transmissions just fine.) I will tryto watch it – it’s next Wednesday, so if next Thursday’s Open Thread is a bit skimpy, you will know why.  Also yesterday, I came across a new nickname “Rip van Stinkle.”  (It couldn’t have been thought of before the trial.)

Well, clearly they don’t wait until someone’s on the Supreme Court without starting to buy them up. I know, that comes as no surprise.

Also clearly we can look forward to another Senator who pulls no punches. (But I will still miss Katie and Barbara.)

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Open Thread June 6 2024

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 062024
 

Yesterday, Wonkette’s newsletter provided a gift link to a New York Times opinion piece, written by Michelle Goldberg (not by some right-wing lackey), whichdoesn’t contain anything we hadn’t figured out, but says it well and clearly. And the gift link makes it easier to share if you’d like to (don’t cut it – the stuff after the question mark is needed to validate that it’s a gift.) Also, Andy Borowitz “interviews” the new President of Mexico, who has thoughts on the U.S.

Well, this is interesting. It’s hard to be sure what it means at this point, other that Republicans are so good at creating “plausible deniability” that they have gotten bad at using it, trying to make it work all the time. Denying everything is admitting everything.

Well, this is really interesting. Like puppetmaster, like puppet, I guess. Now, before anyone says “Money is the root of all evil,” let me point out it is not money, but the love of money, which is the root of all evil (or as Chaucer quoted in the Canterbury Tales, “Radix malorum est cupiditas.”)


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Open Thread June 5 2024

 Posted by at 6:09 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 052024
 

Yesterday, there was a lot of speculation regarding what will happen now that Trump** has been convicted. One topic which is everywhere: “Is Trump** going to incite violence if he is sentenced to any prison time?” To me the answer is “Yes, of course he is. He will incite violence if he is just sentenced to House Arrest. He will incite violence if he is just sentenced to probation, once he finds out how restrictive that is. Why should any of this determine how we administer justice? Besides, if he is given no sentence at all, he will incite more violence, since he can get away with it. Just prepare for violence and sentence him the way he should be sentenced.” Both my short takes agree with me, I think, though they’re coming from different places. I’m not sure how they would prepare. My suggestions would be along the lines of whatever you do, do not buy a gun. You wouldn’t have time to get proficient. If you already have one (as a surprising number of liberals and lefties do, for different reasons) and are proficient, start learning how to be proficient at knowing when you use it. That’s much harder and takes longer, but there’s time for some baby steps (and if it’s “been a minute” since you used the weapon, some practice with it wouldn’t hurt.) For those of us who wouldn’t dream of using a gun, I’d suggest thinking hurricane or pandemic. Stock up on necessities so that you won’t have to leave your home. Of course all of this depends on where you live also. I live just outside the city limits of a red city in a blue state, and everyone knows how red it is. If I lived in Denver I’d be more concerned. If I lived in Washington DC I’d be very concerned. Also yesterday, Informed DElivery advised me my ballot was delivered. Not bad.

Robert Hubbell throws a bucket of common sense cold water over whoever needs it the most. But I don’t think it will hurt any of us.

Steve Schmidt refers us to a Reuters column (an investigation really) regarding the Proud Boys.  That link and Steve’s comment are both valuable

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