Yesterday, I hadn’t heard from Trinette, so I called her, and she’s fine – and out of state at a family gathering of some kind. And she sounds good. She has the same kind of post-nasal drip cough from allergies that I chronically have, which is annoying, but not dangerous (and by the ime of day I called, it would be gone for the day, and it was, for both of us). She was going to call or email, but with traveling (she drove) and all, time just got away from her. I’m just relieved to know she’s alive and well.
As Wonkette says, “[Y]ou can’t negotiate with bullies.” You also cannot appease them. If you try, they will simply take you for a sucker, and easy mark, and demand more and more. Columbia apparently is entering the FO stage of FAFO – and make no mistake, appeasement and attempted appeasement count as FA. Just ask Neville Chamberlain.
I would hope that this, as reported by Joyce Vance, would lead to any not-already-purged prosecutors resigning in protest. If there are any such. On the other hand, their loss would be incalculable. I don’t really know what to hope for. Other than impeachment – and that’s a whole nother can of worms. Really other than “Didn’t anyone besides me and holocaust survivors see this coming?” I don’t know what to say.
Yesterday, I had not even finished with Sunday’s emails, and then I slept in even more than I planned to, because, after being drowsy all day, I still had some difficulty getting to sleep Sunday night. So a lot of them from both days went into my files without being read first. Also, just for my own satisfaction, I looked up “musk” (little “m”) at Wikipedia. I’m old enough to remember when natural musk was still in use and notable mainly for its unpleasant odor. But the etymology was new to me, and amusing.
I’ve been seeing a fair amount of articles headlined that the Mango Monster was recruited as a Russian agent in the 1980s, which in itself is pretty old news. When I did a search (I use DuckDuckGo) I found that many of the articles dated from 2017 or 2021 – I did say this was old news. In order to fins a new (within 3-4 days or so) take, I had to use the search term “Krasnov.” Before sharing one of these, I checked the reputation of the outlet on Media Bias/FactCheck. Yahoo news is listed as having a Left-Center Bias (based on the subject matter of articles) and high credibility (meaning MBFC could not catch them in any false “facts”.) I take the Bias score with a grain of salt, based on my belief in and understanding of the saying “reality has a liberal bias.” But the point is the fact checking and the credibility. I also looked at Snopes on the story – they can’t actually prove – or disprove – any of it so there’s that. I probably don’t need to say that all of this took some time. But I wanted to get it right. I also decided to use the meme from “Know Your Meme” as today’s cartoon. I cannot argue with it.
It’s Tuesday, a bit late for Joyce Vance’s The Week Ahead – but then, with all the chaos, looking at the week ahead is no longer a matter of looking at schedules, but more of a guessing game of “What fresh hell will this be?” (apologies Dorothy Parker.) So I thought it worthwhile.
Yesterday, I learned from Steve Schmidt a word which is new to me – “capitulant.” I had to look it up to see whether it existed, and it does (although auto-corrupt doesn’t believe it LOL). But it is actually a noun designating a person or group who capitulate. It appears in Steve’s title that he is using it as an adjective. I don’t know why he didn’t just say “capitulating” instead. Also, I don’t know why so many people are losing their minds afbout the Smith report saying “evidence sufficient to convict.” The first rule of being a prosecutor is “if you don’t have sufficient evidence toc convict, don’t indict.” And Smith is an experienced prosecutor and a good one. From the moment he issued an indictment it should have been obvious that he had the evidence. And also, since apparently our pictures are going to keep getting stretched, I am trying out today using a squished version of our logo and see whether it stretches into something more normal. Since I forgot to put up all our authors pictures in December anyway, if it does, I’ll squish those and put them in on January 31 this year also. (And this time I’ll put that on my calendar.) Also, it appears that a ceasefire agreement has been reached in Gaza. That is a big deal, and it came out mid-afternoon, so y’all probably are already aware of it. But just in case anyone missed it.
This is the Wonkette article from which I posted a link to a graphic from yesterday. I said then it was packed with information, and I was not just whistling Dixie. You may prefer to save or bookmark it and digest it slowly than attempt to react to it right away.
So – Why Greenland? Crooks & Liars has the bottom line – and that’s what it essentially is – the bottom line. We may need to resist this one more loudly before we wake up one day to find that the Apricot Antichrist has invaded with no advance notice.
Yesterday, Joyce Vance‘s “Civil Discourse” addressed Trump**’s potential sentencing, and why it matters. The Readers Digest version is that the judge and the prosecution are looking to history in the future. As the only state which has currently achieved a jury verdict of “guilty” in a criminal case, New York is in a key position to make or break history here, and a;; involved on the right side appear determined to do what they can to make it. But for us non-legal people it’s going to be disappointing. Joyce explains it better then I can, so I hope you’ll at least skim it through.
Heather Cox Richardson on Friday (technically Thursday night, but it reached my inbox at 6 minutes to midnight, which would be after midnight Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii time, and do many people really stay up east of me until 10 or 11pm to read political posts?), after discussing the Presidential Citizens Medals which President Biden awarded Thursday, took a deep dive into what Republicans are saying and doing to distract us from their actual goal of robbing the poor to give to the rich. (I didn’t post this yesterday because this year I will be trying even harder to reserve Sunday for good news. We will be severely needing needing breaks.)
Robert Reich is optimistic here – but not optimistic enough to post on Sunday, And also, there’s all that depressing history to get through first.
Well, it’s the time of year for the radio operas to be productions from Beijing. This year there are four of them; two are Italian , one is German, and one is a new commission from a Chinese composer (and librettist. Yesterday was the first, “La Sonnambula” by Bellini. This may be the only opera which has a farther-fetched plot than Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino,” but to make up for it, it at least has a happy ending. Europe in the early 19th century was fascinated by sleepwalking, and medicine was in the stage of starting to look fo causes of and treatments for phenomena which were just beginning to be understood as medical conditions. By 1831, the villagers, who at first have thought the “lady in white” to be a ghost, have learned enough about sleepwalking (actually from the local count, who has been traveling and learning stuff and has just returned home) to know they need to save her first (as she sleepwalks across the framework of the village’s water mill – or across local rooftops, depending on the staging – it could also be the edge of a steep cliff, I suppose) and wake her afterwards, or it would have been a tragedy. A line from her last aria about the flower (of her love) which she did not expect to have faded so soon (having been set up by a rival using her sleepwalking to convince her fiancé that she has been unfaithful) was inscribed on Bellini’s tomb in reference to his having died so young (at 34.) Anyway, the music is gorgeous, as is all of Bellini’s work – there’s a reason he was known as “The Swan of Catania.” This opera was one of many “Bel Canto” operas championed by Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge, and has not fallen out of the repertory since. Also, I’d like to apologize for being late for Diwali (I didn’t get the email until it was already over.) Now I’m off to visit Virgil, and will check in in the comments.
Well, the Reich on the left is most assuredly right this time. Not that we needed one, but this is certainly another reason to be voting for Harris-Walz. Lina Khan is doing her job, using but not exceeding her authority, and long may she continue!
This from Crooks and Liars is not as good as it could be – but at least it’s honest and as something to be played at a citizenship ceremony, it beats the holy crap outof “God Bless the USA.” (Not that that is difficult. We actually have had for decades something better than either – the second verse of “This is My Country.” You know, the first verse starts “This is my country, land of my birth,” and the second starts “This is my country, land of my choice.” Both end “This is my country, to have and to hold.”)
Yesterday, Wonkette referred to this article in America’s Voice. It’s about something which actually happens a lot, yet is always worth celebrating. I mean, of course, the ceremony conferring American citizenship on those who have jumped through all the hoops. It goes right to my heart every time. Did you know a new citizen can change their name legally when naturalized, without having to go to court? I learned that when I was working at USAA and pulled up a piece of mail which turned out to be an N-400. I forget now what exactly he changed it to, but it was clear he was doing so to honor Dr. King. It made my day. Also, Robert Reich posted episode 4 of his current series.I didn’t use number 3 last Saturday – it wasn’t labeled as part of the series – but I did include it in the Open Thread for September 23. I’m still not 100% sure it’s part of the series, but in case it is, you’ll be able to find it.)
The 19th has no intent to disparage the men not of color who have been outspoken on this topic forever. But that’s different from what is happening here. this is a movemet to raise the voices of men of color who have been right all along but have been silent, for whatever reasons.
Well, this is nice. And it’s about damn time. If those children had lived, they’d be entering college and old enough to vote. Since they can’t, the rest of us have to vore for them -not, certainly, by voting multiple times, but by voting for people and initiatives which would have benefitted them, and against people and initiatives which disrespect them.
Yesterday, Robert Reich published his first post in his new series on Project 2025. Also, the names of the two Trump** staffers who accosted the cemetery employee were learned and released by NPR and you can probably find them just about anywhere now. Left Action alreade has a petition to prosecute the one who got physical (Michel Picard – Jen Luc and Patrick Stewart would both be disappointed.) Finally, since Wonkette and Talking Points Memo and others are recommending Joyce Vance as the authority on the meeting in Judge Chutkan’s courtroom regarding the election interference case, the least I can do is provide the link. Oh, and one more thing — not only is Liz Cheney voting for Harris – so is her father.
Wonkette is not exactly noted for good news, but it was Wonkette which referred me to this story, which made Rebecca (Wonkette owner and editrix [her term]) cry (I don’t know how hard that is – she comes across as pretty tough, but she wouldn’t run the project if she didn’t give a damn about others.) Why can’t all people act like this?
I know everyone who reads here loves animals. This story is something I had not thought about, but now that I know it exists, I can see how badly it is needed. It didnn’t happen in my home – but many substance abusers, including alcoholics become so impossible to live with that human loved ones leave before they hit bottom. And then it’s the animals who are vulnerable.
Yesterday, I didn’t do a whole lot. I’ve been trying to do stuff around the house – mostly too piddling to mentiom – and today I had even less time than usual since I slept in. What little I did do would take longer to explain than it did to accomplish. But there is s-l-o-w progress going on. Trnette was visiting family today -actually for the holiday weekend. I’m not totally sure which family – she has some on both coasts – but my guess would be southern California as that’s where her Mom lives. But I’m managing.
This is a very positive article. I don’t know why so many people, including even some black people, seem to think that black people as a group are not very bright. I would bet there are some white spoiled brats running around who are dumber than some black youths who grew up with leaded water.
This is serious good news to me. The Catholic Church in the United States is about as polarized theologically as the country is politically. Possibly this will send a dignal to the other bishops in the MAGA camp (such as Cordiloene in San Francisco – and isn’t that a mob name?), and failing that, maybe they will follow Vigano into excommunication. It’s way past time.
