Open Thread May 13, 2023

 Posted by at 6:08 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 132023
 

Yesterday, I got an email advising me that eight fake electors in Georgia have accepted immunity. You probably saw or heard that, but it’s such good news I wanted to make sure you did. Also, anyone here who plays yesterday’s New Yorker Name Drop is going to get it. Maybe not on the first two clues, but at least one of the last four will give it away. Finally, there’s a petition which is sponsored by several groups, one of which is Faithful America, which is how I heard of it. It asks Congress tp pass the Supreme Court Ethics Act.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

HuffPost – Kansas City Council Votes To Become Sanctuary For Trans Health Care
Quote – Kansas City council members agreed by an 11-1 vote to bar city personnel from punishing individuals who seek out gender-affirming care or the organizations that provide gender-affirming care. They also instructed city personnel to make it their “lowest priority” to cooperate with enforcing state law targeting trans health care. “Kansas City government is committed to ensuring Kansas City is a welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for everyone, including our transgender and LGBTQ+ community,” Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) said in a statement.
Click through for details. Nameless has every right to be bursting with pride for his city (if not for the state which made this necessary.)

Crooks & Liars – Does Congress Have Power To Override The President’s Duty?
Quote – Lawrence O’Donnell invited constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe onto his show last night to explain how he changed his thinking on Biden using the 14th Amendment as authority to pay the nation’s debt. “What I changed my mind about is, what is the right question to ask,” Tribe said…. [“T]he real question isn’t what powers the president have. It is, what duties the president has. Does the president have a duty to execute all of the laws of the United States, the ones that Congress passed, telling him to spend money? He does have that duty.”
Click through for article. Put like that, it is a no-brainer.

Food For Thought

Share

Open Thread May 12, 2023

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 122023
 

Yesterday (all tornado warnings having expired at 7:34 pm the previous night), the precipitation continued, but it was mostly rain. I said that quarter-sized hail would not be breaking any car windows, and I stick to that, because automotive glass is tempered. I didn’t promise no windows in buildings would break, and I didn’t promise there would be no hail bigger than quarter-size. Tennis-ball size was reported along I-70, and some golf-ball-size was photographed with a quarter to show the difference. One tornado was reported, in Morgan County (way northeast of me) which lasted from 5:55 to 6:45. I guess I’m going to have to put up a sign that says “Do not touch my roof. It’s under warranty and you are not certified by Gerard.” Because the roof vultures will be around as soon as the sun is back.  Springtime in the Rockies!

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Colorado Public Radio – [Democratic Rep. Joe] Neguse is reintroducing a bill in Congress that would boost pay and benefits for wildland firefighters
Quote – Now Neguse is reintroducing Tim’s Act, a bill to increase federal firefighter pay and benefits, with fellow Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of California. Tim Hart was a smokejumper who lost his life fighting a wildfire in New Mexico in 2021. Neguse credits Tim’s wife, Michelle, as one of the driving forces behind the legislation. Neguse and Porter pushed some parts of the bill across the finish line last Congress, such as improving retirement benefits and a temporary increase in pay through the bipartisan infrastructure bill. But Neguse wants to finish the job.
Click through for details. Speaking of weather, it’s nice to have a bit of good news, even if it’s currently tentative. Yes, our (primary) fire season runs right through our hail season (and beyond.) Not that we can’t have fires just about any time. As can California.

Crooks and Liars – Nine GOP Senators (All On Judiciary) Got Checks From Harlan Crow
Quote – “There should be bipartisan outrage about the undisclosed gifts and travel billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow has given Justice Thomas,” Accountable.US president Kyle Herrig said last month. “Senate Judiciary Republicans should join their Democratic colleagues to act. However, their silence so far may be because they have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Crow as well.”
Click through for full list, including pictures of 8 of the 9. You will recognize every name. Every one of them is nationally known (and not for any positive reason.)

Food For Thought

Share

Open Thread May 11, 2023

 Posted by at 6:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 112023
 

Yesterday, there was a “tornadic thunderstorm” in our general area. It was reported as 30-some miles north of Colorado Springs and moving north/northwest (I am just south of Colorado Springs’ southern city limit.) No threat to me, but I had not heard the term “tornadic thunderstorm” before. It’s quite evocative. Our summer thunderstorms often bring hail, and they mentioned quarter-sized hail (which is not going to break any windshields.) The Weather Service announcement didn’t say so, but, looking at Weather Underground, there may be more tomorrow. I tend to stay indoors anyway, and yesterdat was not (and today will not) be exceptions.  Also, if you haven’t read aboout the Biden-McCarthy-Schumer-McConnel meeting and want to, Heather Cox Richardson has it covered.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Stuff That Needs to Be Said – Teachers Are Superheroes
Quote (from the email) – Five years ago I wrote a blog post called Teachers are Superheroes. I spoke from a place of deep gratitude and awe for the teachers I see in action every day—in my community, and in the lives of my own children. I wrote about the challenges they face and the burdens they bear. Little did I know that five years later those burdens would be so much heavier and the threats to them so much more coordinated and serious.
Click through for original column from 2018. This is Teacher Appreciation Week. His explanatory email also provided ideas for concrete ways to support teachers IRL:
* Volunteer your time at local schools to take some of the burdens from overworked teachers.
* Donate supplies so teachers don’t have to use their personal resources in order to serve their students.
* Attend school board meetings and help offer dissenting voices to the increasingly incendiary Conservative presence there to intimidate.
* Vote in school board elections. Do your research and help elect candidates who are champions of public education and advocates for teachers.
* Publicly advocate for funding for teachers and their schools.
* Join or support local teacher organizations.
* Show gratitude to local teachers with cards, gift cards, movie tickets, and spa certificates.
* Spread awareness on social media to help people understand the threats and the adversity that teachers are experiencing.
* Form a parent advocacy group whose job it is to serve as a watchdog for school policies and practices that undermine teachers.

 

CPR News – We’re publishing a series about tobacco in Colorado. Here’s why
Quote – Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable and premature death in Colorado.
Read that again. Tobacco kills the most Coloradans. Not opioids, not guns, not car crashes — not even COVID-19. Every year, more than 5,000 people die because of their own habits. And yet, no one is talking about it. It’s rarely in the headlines.
Click through for the story. It’s not like we don’t have our share of guns – and it’s arguable that Columbine started it – and yet, tobacco is deadlier still. There’s a link to the first episode, which is already out. I’ve been remarkably lucky for a former smoker (of course I’ve been free for 47 years this month) but I’m well aware of the possible consequences.

Food For Thought

Share

Open Thread May 10, 2023

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 102023
 

Yesterday, I found out that ProPublica’s project on stillbirth (remember the first short take from last Friday) ia a finalist for this year’s Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting. I did say it was important, but even I didn’t grasp that it’s this important. Kudos to ProPublica, and may they win! Also, the Carroll II v. Trump** verdict came out – Guilty of Sexual Assault and Defamation, roughly $5 million in various damages, broken up into chunks as big as $1.7 million and as small as $20,000.  And – oh, my, this didn’t take long – Care2 already has a petition up to put him on the national sex offender register (I would hope the New York State one as well.)  And then, just to cap the day,the feds in New York have indicted George Santos.  Don’t know for what yet – the indictment is still under seal – but whoopee!  Joyce vance speculates here.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The 19th – Just 37 members of Congress are mothers with minor children
Quote – The report found a number of barriers that stagnate mothers’ representation in office: unpredictable work hours, including votes during late nights and weekends; expectations for near constant fundraising, especially for first-time candidates; and cultural and political expectations that members’ children remain residents of their respective districts instead of moving to Washington, D.C., creating long commutes for members to see their children.
Click through for full article. The 19th is anticipating Mothers Day – as they should – with some reality. Yes, mothers of monir children are underrepresented – and some of the representation they do have is worthless (looking at you, Lauren.)

Daily Beast – ‘RWDS’: What the Patch Found on the Texas Gunman’s Chest Stands For
Quote – The suspected gunman, identified as a 33-year-old man named Mauricio Garcia, has no prior criminal record. But, according to FBI records obtained by Rolling Stone, his social media accounts contained “hundreds of postings and images to include writings with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi materials and material espousing the supremacy of the white race.” The outlet also reported that Garcia may have had ties to a local neo-Nazi group
Click through for details. These people are not exactly calling themselves “pro-life.”

Food For Thought

Share

Open Thread May 9, 2023

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 092023
 

Yesterday, as I usually do on Mondays, I slept even later tnan usual. When I got up, I did a few personal things, then turned to my email. and immediately saw that Grace Bumbry had died. I assure you thre are better ways to start a day. Of course, the loss of a diva (or a divo) whom I admired enough to buy vinyl of (and I was very picky when I was doing that) is just going to happen to me more and more. And, although she is gone, her achievements, including the trailblazing she did, remain and will continue to be built upon. But there sre still better ways to start a day. I did do the Name Drop, and it was someone I had heard of (it isn’t always), but I cetainly never would have known that from the first clue, as I had no idea he had served at the Battle of Lepanto, and on the way home been captured by pirates and held for five years, and the second clue was also obscure. But on the third clue I figured out the dude was from La Mancha (and it was the referenced musical which gave that away.) I’m really not a competetive person (except with myself – I always want to learn and improve) – and that’s why I’m drawn to Name Drop. I almost always learn something, even if it’s not terribly useful.  And if Cervantes was a veteran of one of the most important conflicts in history, and a POW, so to speak, for 5 years, that deserves to be remembered.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The 19th – Kimberlé Crenshaw’s work was cut from AP African American Studies. Now she’s fighting back
Quote – Crenshaw [led] the “Freedom to Learn” national day of action [last] Wednesday to protest rising censorship in schools. The day of demonstration includes rallies, book readings, teach-ins and live virtual events. The goal is to build a coalition — now including civil rights groups, Black Greek-letter organizations, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association — that advocates for inclusive learning….. The “Freedom to Learn” national day of action stems from an open letter that scholars and their allies sent to the College Board, urging it to preserve the integrity of AP African American Studies by not eliminating from the course “divisive concepts” and works by academics including Crenshaw, Roderick Ferguson and the late bell hooks. In April, the College Board announced that it would make changes to AP African American Studies over the next few months, but it is uncertain if it will restore the pilot curriculum.
Click through for article and interview. On the one hand, if anyone should be for education without political bias, it’s the College Board. On the other hand, exactly because it’s a private organization, little can be done to force it to live up to standards, even its own.

Fox 31 – Stolen Colorado tiny house found at Kansas grain elevator
Quote – Hamilton County Sheriff Michael Wilson said the Colorado State Patrol notified his office Sunday evening to be on the lookout for a tiny house and that it was possibly headed toward Coolidge. It had been taken from a farm in Otero County, Colorado…. The sheriff said the men also allegedly had a stolen trailer and a Bobcat. He said the suspects are being held in jail on suspicion of possession of stolen property. The tiny house is valued at $9,000. The sheriff said the $33,000 Bobcat was stolen out of Castle Rock, Colorado, and the $25,000 trailer is from Florida.
Click through for details. Yes, this is from a Fox affiliate. But the keywords are “affliate” and “local.” One of the most maddening things about Fox, IMO, is that the affiliates generally have sound news departments with accurate local news. Unfortunately, this tends to validate all of Fox in weak minds.

Food For Thought

Share

Open Thread May 8, 2023

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 082023
 

Yesterday, before going to visit Virgil, I started to print my auto insurance ID card (since the new policy had begun 2 days earlier) and nothing was happening.  I went to the control panel and also into the details in the print command, and all I can come up with is that my printer had somehow become diconnected and then reconnected itself, with the reconnection making a “copy” in the printer list. I retried, selecting the copy, and got the printout. I don’t know how this happened except that it must have happened within the last three weeks or so. I use the scanner function more than the print function, and the last time I used the scanner, about that long ago, it worked fine. In the process of figuring out what to do today I tried the scanner, and it did not respond until I selected the copy in the device list. If that’s all Greek to you, I apologize, but I’ve never had anything like this happen before, so I really don’t have the vocabulary for it. And I haven’t had time for a deep dive into the manual.  I’m just glad I got the card printed in time. Virgil was in good spirits, and we played three games of Scrabble and a bit over. He returns all gretings, especially the lovely anniversary ones. I wore an older sweater because I know he likes it – before he was incarcerated and when he was helping put away laundry, I’d have to go searching for it in his closet – he never put it in mone (and he actually remembered that, when prompted.) As of Saturday, we are now officially getting 14 hours of sun each day, so it gets easier every time now up till midsummer, and will be nice and easy for some time after that. Of course, I’m still tired out.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Robert Reich – King Charles III
Quote – The British monarchy is an archaic vestige of the country’s feudal past. Some argue that it should be dispensed with altogether. I’m in sympathy with this argument, but I wonder if it misses something…. Here in America, many of us romanticize our presidents and their families, at least at the start of an administration. Remember Camelot?… Because our presidents head the executive branch of the government, the two roles — the projected glamor and the political reality — often get confused, leaving us disappointed if not disgusted…. I’m not suggesting America have a royal family. It’s just that Britain’s infatuation with its own may have some social utility there that we Yanks don’t understand.
Click through for article (and click “Continue reading”). It’s not that long, it’s kind of different, and I think he’s on to something.

Daily Beast – How Bidenomics Has Finally Defeated Reaganomics
Quote – The last thing many of us expected when Joe Biden became president was that he would be a revolutionary. But just over two years into Biden’s presidency, there is no doubt that he has done more to dramatically transform U.S. policy and thinking in more areas than any of his predecessors since Franklin Roosevelt. America had failed to adequately invest in its infrastructure for over six decades when Biden made it a priority once again. Biden’s prioritized investment in combating climate change to a degree that no past administration ever did. On foreign policy, he executed the pivot away from a Middle East and terrorism focus to a long-term commitment to placing the Indo-Pacific region and our rivalry with China atop our list of priorities.
Click through for opinion – which seems wildly optimistic to me, but I certainly hope it’s on target. In a sane world it would be, but if we were living in a sane world, would we ever have attempted trickle-down in the first place?

Food For Thought

Share

Open Thread May 7, 2023

 Posted by at 5:50 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 072023
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “La Boheme” by Puccini. That should be no surprise, since I mentioned it Friday. This opera was the first one I ever owned a recording of. I found it in the PX my first year in the service and grabbed it. That was 56 years ago. I bought a second recording of it when Richard Tucker passed away – that would have been maybe 48 years ago. I have seen it on television, and live, and I have streamed it, over the years – different casts and settings of course – I have memorized arias from it and sung them (just for myself – like whe driving between radio stations) – I have sung in the chorus of a concert version of it – I have made costume sketches of it in case I ever got the chance to help stage it – I don’t actually know the entire libretto by heart, but I wouldn’t be araid to bet that if you read me a line from the libretto (in English or in italian) I could tall you who sings it in which act and why. I know I have heard or seen it every year of my life since 1967, in fact more than once each year. Three times a year is probably low for an average, but that would still be 168 times. And i still cry with Rodolfo. In fact, I choke up/tear up just thinking about it. i gather that younger people (and some my age) who have seen/heard “Rent,” which was based on it, feel much the same about that incarnation of it. I can also tell you that it was based on “Scènes de la vie de Bohème” by Henri Murger (my translation: “Episodes from Hippie Life”), and that another composer (I think Leoncavallo, but won’t swear to that) wanted to write it, but Puccini got in first. I can tell you that the characer Musetta in the book got that nickname because her voice was as raspy as a bagpipe (of yourse that’s not how she sounds in the opera.)  I can do all that, but I cannot explain why it never fails. It just never fails.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Good in Us – The Sickness unto Death, Part I
Quote – When the news of the Sandy Hook shooting broke, my daughter was at school. I spent the hours before I had to pick her up agonizing over what to tell her. I didn’t want to say anything. I wanted to pretend nothing had happened. I wanted to protect her from knowing because what use could that terrible knowledge be to a child?… The very fact of Sandy Hook broke something in me. And, if you’re an empathetic human being, it broke something in you, too.
Click through (and click “continue reading.”) Apparently there are some issues with it, especially with the links -if you have any problem, this may help.

Thw 19th – For Native women in power in Minnesota, confronting the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people is personal
Quote – Less than two years since it began operating, the [Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives], led by a Native woman, Juliet Rudie, is a key liaison for families navigating the complicated law enforcement system, and pushing for clear data to make sure victims aren’t invisible It is also working to reshape the landscape that has allowed cases to fall through the cracks, including forging new training standards for Minnesota police officers. Every agency in the state has a tribal liaison.
Click through for story. There are a lot more people who know this is a problem than there are people actually working on it. Kudos to Minnesota.

Food For Thought

Share

Open Thread May 6, 2023

 Posted by at 6:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 062023
 

Yesterday, I got 8 out of 8 correct in the Conversation’s weekly quiz for the second week in a row. I can’t possibly keep this up. This week, most of the credit goes to the quiz author. The wrong answers were mostly so off the wall that it wasn’t really difficult. The only one I actually had to guess was the one about Karl Lagerfeld, and that was a true-false, so the odds were better than when there are four answers.  and, yes, Virgil called to say Happy Anniversary.  You knew he would (I certainly did.)

Cartoon – My Everyday Erinyes (#369) is up here:

Short Takes –

Letters from an American – May 4, 2023
Quote – Weirdly, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) at a Senate Budget Committee hearing today blamed Democrats for not raising the debt ceiling themselves last year without help from the Republicans. Kate Riga of Talking Points Memo broke down this argument. If the Democrats had raised the debt ceiling through reconciliation, without Republican votes, Republicans would have insisted that it was the Democrats, not them, who had burdened the country with debt when, in fact, the Republicans added almost $8 trillion to the debt under Trump. Romney’s complaint amounts to berating the responsible Democrats for not protecting the country against the Republicans, who are willing to burn down the country. As Riga put it: “Darn you Democrats for not taking care of the debt ceiling then, because you knew we’d refuse to raise the limit unless you conceded to our demands, and look what a sticky spot we’re in now.”
Click though for much more (Click “continue reading”). They used to say “Seinfeld” was a show about nothing. This, on the other hand, is a letter about everything.

Crooks & Liars – Texas Bill Would Allow State To Overturn Harris County Elections
Quote – The measures call for the “abolition” of election administrators in counties with populations larger than 1,000,000—a metric that only applies to Harris County, which Republican state lawmakers have taken a keen interest in in the aftermath of the 2022 midterm elections…. Since then, the Harris County Elections Office report concluded that they couldn’t determine if potential voters were pushed away because of the issues at polling centers.
CLick through for story. This is so blatant that even now I can hardly imagine it succeeding though the courts. Even the courts we have now. But there is always a possibility. Clearly they think they are on to something.

Food For Thought

Share
 Older Entries  Newer Entries