Cartoon – Page 2 – Politics Plus

Open Thread October 24, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 242023

Yesterday, I was exhausted, and slept quite late. So I got busy putting this post together, and at a little before 8 p.m., I received an email informing me Margaret Atwood is having pacemaker surgery tomorrow, Wednesday. The link is to Substack, but if you are interested and don’t mind clicking the popup, you can find out more. She is due to turn 84 next month, and was only 12 whem she experienced her first extrasystole, and also she has a family history of Afib. I did see the episode of Impatient Griselda she alludes to, and no, I had no idea she was having an episode. But I take this seriously, however lightly she speaks of it. Although it’s unavoidable, I hate losing national treasures (even when it’s another nation – in this case, Canada.) And of course the pacemaker may well lenghthen her life significantly, so there’s that. I certainly hope it does.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Axios – Scoop: Marine Corps 3-star general advising Israeli military on Gaza ground operation
Quote – White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at a briefing on Monday that there “are a few U.S. military officers with relevant experience to the operation the Israelis are conducting that are over there to share their perspective and to ask hard questions — the same hard questions we have been asking our Israeli counterparts since the beginning.”
Click through for more. Here’s what I think is going on: Republicans (by whatever name) have much in common with children (particularly toddlers), and one of those commonalities is that, in order to persuade them to do something, you have to be able to get them to think it was their own idea. I could be wrong – but all that brain power looks like it to me.

The 19th – Tammy Baldwin has won big in closely divided Wisconsin. Can she do it again?
Quote – Baldwin is one of the country’s most progressive senators, and she’s running for a third term in what could be the country’s most closely divided state. She played a prominent role mobilizing Democratic voters ahead of a Wisconsin Supreme Court election this year that became a referendum on abortion rights. A lower court ruled this fall that abortions could resume in the state. Democrats believe that 2024 voters will remember the year in which their reproductive rights were in question; Republicans hope the ruling will diminish the issue’s salience next year. Either way, Baldwin also has a formidable track record of appealing to Wisconsin’s more rural, conservative pockets with her economic agenda — and she’s already busy talking to voters and raising money as she waits for a high-profile Republican challenger to enter the race.
Click through for article. I’m old enough to remember when Wisconsin was pretty progressive overall, and I find it actually painful that that has been lost – and so acrimoniously at that. This is Scott Walker’s “legacy.” It needs to go – and I wish Baldwin every success.

Food For Thought

Open Thread October 23, 2023

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

Oct 232023

Yesterday, I got to visit with Virgil and we got to play cards – there was a brand new deck. It kind of made me chuckle – because it included, besides the 52 cards and 2 jokers, a 55th card with tips on authenticating the cards. (You can look it up if you’re cutious; it’s Motor Brand #976.) But they were brand new and sturdy, which helped in shuffling. The drive was fine both ways. On the way down, I could see that it was the northbound lanes where the bridge was missing, and on the way back up I could see that they had done a quick-and-dirty paving and paint job which made it driveable just fine. Since Interstates are a part of the Federal Highway system, I should probably drop a thank-you note to Pete Buttigieg. Just now I’m pretty tired, but I may feel better later. I also noted that the missing bridge (at mile marker 107) is between two exits (104 and 108) both of which can take one to the Pueblo West neighborhood – that would be a heck of a lot shorter detour than going through Cañon City if it comes to that. Also, Virgil returns all greetings.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

SPLC – SPLC SUES LOUISIANA CITY ON BEHALF OF NAACP, CHALLENGING UNFAIR VOTING MAP
Quote – In Abbeville, as elsewhere, the makeup of voting maps can have a very tangible impact on the lives of voters. Local officials determine everything from whether a street is paved to how far someone has to travel to visit a park or playground – and how well maintained those public works might be. “There’s a complete difference or two different worlds in the city of Abbeville,” said Linda Cockrell, president of the Vermilion Parish NAACP chapter in Abbeville. “I was told that in the higher-up neighborhoods, city workers are in these neighborhoods at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning washing down the roads, removing trash, and everything else.”
Click through for details.The smaller the city, and the farther away from actual big cities it is, the truer that probably is too.

Civil Discourse – The Week Ahead
Quote – The most important pending question in Georgia is, when does the next trial get set, and will it include all of the remaining defendants? A September 14 scheduling order sheds a little light on that matter. It applies to all defendants other than Powell and Chesebro and orders the parties to complete initial discovery by October 6. We are well past that deadline. The Judge also gave the parties until December 1, just a bit more than a month away, to file all motions other than motions in limine. That means substantive motions…. The September order doesn’t set a hearing date for any of those motions. Presumably the Judge will set them once the motions are in…. Fani Willis could leave it up to the Judge to rule, but look for her to file a motion this week asking him to set that date. Remember, Willis was willing to try all of the defendants October 3. She’s ready to go.
Click through for what to expect. Since Both Ken andd Sidney have accepted plea deals, the trial supposed to start today will look different from the one we initially expected.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 10/22/23

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 4:49 pm Open Thread, Politics

Oct 222023

Glenn has skipped two days in a row (which is partly why I am so late.) I am plugging in this movie, which they showed to high school kids in 1948! would they allow it today? It’s a bit over 7 minutes but there’s a lot in it.

The Lincoln Project – Joe Biden in Israel

Farron Balanced – Viewers Demand Farron Give An Update On His Pets

Patrick Fitzgerald – Royals (Kevin McCarthy / Puddles Pity Party / Postmodern Jukebox / Lorde Song Parody)

Senior Chihuahua Turns Into A Puppy Once He Finds The Perfect Family

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden’s trip….

Open Thread October 22, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:09 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 222023

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Attila,” by Giuseppe Verdi – it’s a very early opera. The libretto was based on a play, which was pretty well made up out of whole cloth. Attila lived in the 5th century BCE and flourished from the mid 430s to the early 450s, so nobody has a clue what his life was really like (no one could possibly have done everything attributed to him in one lifetime. In the Volsunga saga [under the name of “Atli”], for instance, he becomes the second husband of Siegfried’s second wife – yes, that Siegfried – the tenor in Wagner’s Ring cycle.). It’s a mish-mash of stock drama, someone believed dead who isn’t, accusations of betrayal aimed at the woman who just wants to kill the enemy, grand gestures and the like. The only distinctive plot twist is Attila’s dream that an old man tells him to leave Rome alone or he is doomed, and then when he gets to Rome, Pope Leo turns out to be the old man in his dream, which of course scares the bejeebus out of him. The aforementioned woman ends up getting to kill him. It’s all very patriotic in the context of Italy in the 19th century under the Austrian Empire, and audiences loved it, but it’s seldom performed today. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find recordings of it, including three with Samuel Ramey (The powerhouse bass starting in the 80’s who was able to get it performed because he had such star clout.) And hey, it’s Verdi. If he ever wrote anything that wasn’t worth a listen, it’s news to me. This production, from the Opera Festival of Chicago, seems to fluctuate between the 4th and the 21st centuries visually, but it inspired 372 photos, including the curtain calls. It took me a while to get through them – but I did end up with a pretty clear mental picture of the action. Well, enjoy the spooky stuff (and humor) in the short takes. Now, I’m off to visit Virgil – amazingly with no detours – but I might still be later than usual getting back. I will post when I am.

Cartoon – 22 dEs

Short Takes –

The Root – Here Are The Boogie Men (And Women) Of Black History
Quote – Halloween is right around the corner. And while the traditional goblins, ghouls, and monsters are plenty scary, this spooky season, we’re introducing you to some real horror. Meet the boogie men of Black history, a.k.a the men (and women) whose policies and actions have haunted Black Americans throughout time. And yes, Ronald Reagan is on there!
Click through for full list and reasons. Sadly, Nathan Bedford Forrest is not on there. I find him creepier than anyone.

Wonkette (on Substack) – Make Me, Shub-Niggurath, Your House Speaker, Or Be Cast Into Death Beyond Death, Mortals.
Quote – LAUGH NOT, MORTAL! DO YOU HAVE A BETTER AND LESS-FATAL-TO-YOU IDEA? I THOUGHT NOT. ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE CAUCUS, I UNDERSTAND I’M A FRESHMAN, AND THAT I ONLY OCCUPY THIS SEAT BECAUSE I CAST ITS DULY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE INTO THE GAPING MAW OF MY OFFSPRING ITHAQUA THE WIND-WALKER TO SPEND AN ETERNITY DROWNING IN HIS BLACK ICHOR. SO YOU FEEL YOU DO NOT KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO ELECT ME TO SUCH AN IMPORTANT POSITION. AND ALSO YOU ARE COWERING IN TERROR. YOU ARE RIGHT TO COWER! FOR I AM SHUB-NIGGURATH, THE BLACK GOAT OF THE WOODS WITH A THOUSAND YOUNG, AND I HAVE ENOUGH TENTACLES TO SQUEEZE THE LIFE OF ALL 220 OF YOU OUT OF YOUR CORPOREAL BODIES AT THE SAME TIME. SORRY, I MEANT 219, SINCE ITHAQUA ATE WHATSHISNAME.
Click through for what I hope is H.P. Lovecraft inspired (I’d hate to think he thought of this all by himself) satire. I don’t think Shub-Niggurath is intending to shout – it’s just that the Elder Gods pre-date lower-case letters by millennia so she doesn’t know how to use them. I could be wrong. I do understand the urge to shout at Republicans.

Food For Thought

Open Thread October 21, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 212023

Yesterday, Lona put up a comment on the video thread for the 18th which included a video she hopes everyone hare will look at and read. I can’t link directly to the comment, as I used to be able to do in the old system, but I can link to the thread, so that you only need to scroll down and expand the comment. Between this and the short takes – I’m sorry I had to put up such a downer on a weekend. But it’s important – and it’s important to address this stuff right away before too many people get sucked in to the information silo.

Cartoon – 21 Nelson

Short Takes –

Protect Democracy – Poland just showed the world how democracy wins
Quote – At a gathering of pro-democracy organizations in 2017, a Polish opposition member of parliament named Agnieszka Pomaska was asked: “What’s your number one piece of advice for democracy advocates in the United States?” Poland has been at the front lines between democracy and authoritarianism, between freedom and repression — not just in the current era, but arguably throughout modern history. Pomaska’s response was simple: “Don’t let the pro-democracy coalition fracture.” On Sunday, Polish voters showed the world just how effective that strategy can be.
Click through for details. Look, I would never say that, for instance, Hamas would never attack Israel or anything else Jewish for no reason at all. Nor would I ever say that Bibi’s government is desirable, or anything otjher than authoritarian and inhumane. But the timing of this war in the Midddle East looks to me designed to fracture the coalition. Just as attacks on Hillary, mostly made up and even the small errors far less important than Republican crime, were designed to fracture the coalition – and they succeeded. And, yes, there are people who are willing to kill for political theater if it strengthens their position or their base.

The 19th – What it takes to defend diversity
Quote – Just three years after the racial reckoning that made much of society examine the ongoing legacy and harm of systemic inequality, a parallel reckoning has also unfolded. It’s one driven by a sense of grievance from White American men, a movement that often co-opts women and even people of color, making them out to be victims of current efforts that are designed to right historic wrongs. Such efforts, Abrams told me, are part of a larger strategy to roll back attempts to make our country more free and fair for women and people of color. It’s the same playbook that dismantled voting and abortion rights, aimed at rolling back racial progress in institutions across the country. “The through line is that our progress as a nation, our economic uplift, our continued dominance, is predicated on full participation, and diversity, equity and inclusion is the roadmap to get us there,” Abrams said. “The threat of lawsuits, the threat of public castigation, the threat of being called out for doing right, is compelling some to retrench. That is dangerous.”
Click through for article. We’ve seen this before. We’re seeing it again. And then things will get better for a while, and then we’ll see it again – those of us who are still around. I don’t know what it will take to make it go away forever, and maybe that’s not possible. I’m pretty sure it’s not possible to eliminate misogyny. It doesn’t appear to be hereditary (Exhibits A, B, and C Stephen Miller, Paul Gosar, RFK Jr), so selective breeding wouldn’t do it, even if that were feasible.

Food For Thought

Open Thread October 20, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 202023

Yesterday – Will wonders never cease!

The story implies that the railroad cooperated, and also that we got some help from the federal government. Also that there will be intermitttent closures ehrn they start building the bridge back. We joke that Colorado has four seasons – almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction – but they could get to it during the winter – if we don’t have too much snow. At least CPR will let me know. Southbound opened yesterday, but they expect northbound to open today. In case it doesn’t, I will see that on the way down. So, if I do need a detour, now or in the future, it may only be one way. Gosh, I’m glad we have a Democratic governor!

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

PolitiZoom – Court Employee Arrested After Approaching Trump During Trial To ‘Assist Him’ MAGA Follower?
Quote – Judges and courtrooms are known for being sober individuals and somber places, but not when the Trump circus is in town. A court employee was arrested and subsequently put on administrative leave after she approached Donald Trump during his Trump Organization trial this morning at the 60 Centre Street court, shouting that she wanted to help him. It will certainly be interesting to get the details on what help she was offering. We will update when that information is available.
Click Through for more. This is a real doozy. Tina Peters in Colorado comes to mind. You gotta wonder how many there are of these.

Wonkette (Substack) – Woke Farmer Mob Converts Former MA Cranberry Bogs To Wetlands, Preventing Floods, Sequestering Carbon
Quote – Around the turn of this century,… the cranberry industry [in Massachuisetts] started being pinched by a worldwide cranberry glut…. But what to do with the former berrylands? Farmers could probably sell out to developers, but that wasn’t necessarily something they wanted to see. Fortunately, crazy environmentalist hippies and ecologists (same thing) had an idea: How about restoring the bogs to be wetlands again, like they were before getting covered in sand for cran-griculture?
Click through for details. There is a fair amount of science here, but it’s not terribly technical. It’s easy to grasp. Who knew sand could have such consequences?

Food For Thought

Open Thread October 19, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 192023

Yesterday – actually the day before, but it was reported yesterday, a civil suit which the NAACP had filed in federal court against one Donald J. Trump** et al., for attempting to disenfranchise black voters, was reassigned – to Judge Tanya Chutkan. My, my. It really is normal to assgn cases with the same defendand in the same jurisdiction to the same judge. But it’s still very amusing.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Wonkette – Biden Campaign Joins Trump’s ‘Truth Social,’ Just To Be A [Troll]
Quote – The [Biden campaign regime] signed up using the “Dark Brandon” meme as their profile pic, and their first “truth” was “Well. Let’s see how this goes. Converts welcome!” They typed “Well.” for their first word. Just like that. They told Fox News Digital that they’re “meeting voters where they are.” There is no part of this that isn’t trolling. This didn’t cost them money. There is not one inbred moron on Truth Social the Biden campaign is truly seeking out as a voter. But sure, converts welcome!
Click through (to Substack) for details. “Let’s see how this goes” indeed. ROTFL.

The 19th – Women donors are underrepresented in fundraising for state elections. The impacts are wide-ranging.
Quote – It’s a nationwide phenomenon,” Sanbonmatsu said. “It is an important form of participation, and we do find large imbalances in how much money women and men are giving to politics — and it’s less visible than looking at voter turnout.” The share of all money raised from women donors was as low as 14 percent in Nebraska and 18 percent in Illinois, the report found. Colorado led the nation in this time period with 46 percent of all money raised coming from women donors, as it became the second state to elect a majority-woman legislature.
Click through for details – There are some (though I wish there were more.) Yes, I’m proud that Colorado is leading the way here. I also noticed that, in Colorado, if you look at women’s tosal donations as a percentage of men’s total donations, that figure is 85% Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that close to the figure which represents the wages women earn as a percentage of what men earn?

Food For Thought
For another opinion., click on the image. 😀

Open Thread October 18, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:06 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 182023

Yesterday, this paragraph was in the public radio newsletter: “Colorado said the bridge that collapsed near Pueblo in a fatal train derailment was owned by the railroad company, but the company says the state owns it.” It’s going to be a long wait. Sigh. “Photos and videos posted by authorities showed the partially collapsed bridge with the semi-truck caught beneath in the right lane. The images also show a pileup of train cars and wheels scattered across the scene and loads of coal covering a portion of the highway. Thirty-nine cars of the 124 being hauled derailed, the National Transportation Safety Board said.”

Also, my ballot arrived. I already knew how I wanted to vote on the two issues, but there is also a school board election. Five candiedates. Two vacancies. At least this time Ballotpedia came through on a couple of them (one yes, one no) and another candidate ‘s name was unusual enough that just her name brought up that she’s registered D. So I had two that I could vote for, and did. The other two should have filled out the questionnaires.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

John Pavlovitz – The One Place to Stand in The Israel-Palestine Violence
Quote – As a person of faith, morality, and conscience, I don’t know where to stand in times like these—other than with squandered, brutalized life. That means I don’t get off so easy as to be able to make a tidy little declaration and walk away feeling good about myself. It means I have to leave the shallows of ambiguity and into deep waters of nuance and history and human nature. It means I have to read and learn, to listen and reflect, to pray and wrestle. It means I’ll end up with fewer answers and more questions and I might be sick to my stomach. But this place of staring at the ugly unfigureoutable is where I am, where many of us are.
Click through for full secular sermon – which is what I found it to be. Yes, John is a pastor, but he does his best to speak to everyone, and often succeeds. I think he succeeds here.

Colorado Public Radio – Navy honors sailor who helped stop Club Q shooting
Quote – During a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 5, Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, director of Plans, Policy and Strategy for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command, presented the medal on behalf of the Navy…. “I myself can only hope that I would channel the courage in our Navy core values like he did,” Robertson said. “But, we don’t have to wait for crisis to apply core values. We can and should apply them every day. That’s what I am taking away from the lessons you taught us all.”
Click through for full story. This is a week or more old – I saved it until Pat got back. Thank God Tommy Tuberville didn’t have his way before this occurred – it could have been much worse.

Food For Thought

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