Open Thread November 27 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 272024
 

Yesterday, I checked to see where a small amount of money had gone – I have been a monthly donor to Adam Frisch’s campaign since he first lost to BoBo by 500 and some odd votes. Sadly, he lost again, just not to BoBo this time. I’m aware that campaigns almost always still have bills after the election, so I was going to leave it at least till the end of the yras and then maybe check with the campaign to see if they still needed it. Well, I won’t be doing that. The campaign cancelled it for me and even sent me a refund. I had no idea they would do that. I’m very impressed. And also sad to learn he apparently won’t be running again. We really could have benefitted from having a man of his principles in Congress. Sigh. Also yesterday I managed to get my phone working by switching around eleven cables attached to three boxed until I got the maximum number of green lights showing. However, my 8.1 still has no internet, and I really need it to. Where the 10 is, I have no room for anything else, so all my accessories, including the scanner/printer need to stay there. So I am still troubleshooting.

The F* News has its finger on the Christian Nationalism. I don’t know why the rest of the media cannot or will not see it or print it.

Yes, I know, two from The F* News in one day. But the first one is an important point which should not be missed, and the second is, if not exactly great news, a little better than everyone is saying.

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Open Thread November 25 2024

 Posted by at 6:09 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 252024
 

Yesterday,  I got my internet back, but only on one computer, not the one I usually use for this.  It had ben down since Friday, and so were my phones.  SO I didn’t hear the opera Saturday, since for the summer season (which is for one more week now) I need the internet – no internet, no opera.  Fortunately it’s one I know well, and some time ago I even downloaded an old recording of it.  And on December 7 the Met season starts, and my local radio station carries that.  Anyway, I’ve been struggling all weekend with trying to reach my provider, and this is my first chance to post.  I hope things are better with all of you than they have been this weekend.  But it’s just the electronics, not me, which are ill.  I’m fine physically,  I have all my meds now and am taking them

With the one exception that this uses the term “Christianity” and “Christian” where it should use “Christian Nationalism” and “Christian Nationalist,” this article is as good a portrait of the Republican concept of education as you are ever likely to see. Yes, there’s a lot of profanity in it. That’s just how The F* News rolls.

Mary Trump‘s observation that cruelty is the point is not new, but it’s at least as accurate as it ever was. And there is no simple answer (in fact, there’s more than one complex answer – probably as many of those as there are people on earth) to the question, “Once a person gets into that mindset, how can they get out of it?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claudia is saying, “You know what, we will pay for that wall after all!”

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Open Thread September 13 2024

 Posted by at 6:13 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 132024
 

Yesterday, I came across a just-under-six-minute presentation by Anonymous on Christian nationalism – in the Christian nationalists’ own words. It’s pretty awful. But it should get as wide exposure as possible so that as many people as possible become aware of the real stakes in this election. All those people who are thinking about the economy, or womens’ rights, or anything else, don’t get it. Sure, all those things are important. but Trump**II would destroy all of them and far more.

Well, this is encouraging, and what really makes it so is the fact that the author at the source holds focus groups with swing voters.

They are telling the same lies about Aurora, Colorado –  but if Aurora has a four-generation journalist resident, he or she has not yet spoken up in the way that David Dewitt of the Ohio Capital Journal has. It’s highly personal and it is touching in a way thay MAGA Republicans can never hope to be (not that they would want to), and here it is.

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Open Thread September 2 2024

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 022024
 

Yesterday, Faithful America declared the week which begins today and runs through the 8th to be Christians Against Trump** Week. Now that’s the kind of CAT person you don’t even have to like cats to be. Sane Christians with any pet, or no pets, are welcome. The idea is to use social media for good to spread the truth that Chrisutanity is not about Trump**, and what it is about. Most of us are probably not on social media of any kind, but if anyone is, this is the week to spread truth on it.

Robert Reich is working on another video series whic, like “DEBUNKED!” will air on Fridays, starting September 6. It’ll be called “Spreading the Truth about the 2024 Election,” which seems a little unwieldy, but accurate. There’s more information at the link. I will, as I did with “DEBUNKED!” link to each installment in Saturday’s Open Thread.

This from Talking Points Memo is by itself, at least for me, more than enough reason to defeat DonOLD at all costs. But it’s scary. If I wanted to illustrate this story, it should likely be witha picture of a projector, because this is all projection. Violence is always from people with an authoritarian stand, It’s neither of the right nor of the left. But here in the west authoritarians have drifted strongly to the right, because a righ wing economy produces de facto oligarchy, which assists establishing authoritarian rule.Personally, I have observed violence at leftist protests, but not from the left. Where it has occurred, it has come from right wing counterprotesters.

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Open Thread May 1, 2024

 Posted by at 6:21 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 012024
 

On Monday, Steve Schmidt’s two related articles got me thinking about the church during my lifetime, in which time there have been 7 popes: Pius XII, John XXIII (the one under whom I became a Catholic), Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and now Francis. Of them, only two IMO were any good: John and Francis (I think John Paul I might have been, but he only lived 30 days after election, so it’s not easy to tell.) “Catholic” is Greek for “universal” or, as we now say, “big tent,” and the bigger the tent, the more likely there will be rogues in it. That’s just a fact. But that’s one of the things the papacy is for – to correct the rogues. Not as was done for so long, by burning them alive, but through counseling. And if that doesn’t work – well, that’s what excomminication is for. Not every Catholic agrees with me on that, and that’s fine – a big tent is supposed to be big. It’s just how I feel, and it may be because I’m more aware of the dangers of – shall we say, allowing poisonous serpents around the house. And stories like this one – well, I’m sure y’all can see where I’m coming from.

Steve Schmidt is pissed, and so am I.  He posted two articles on this, one with more background, the other with more details on this assault.  Grrrr.

I can only hope this “Founders Sing” video (NSFW) about Don Snorleone (AKA the Nodfather) will alleviate some of the sting from the first article.

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Open Thread April 29, 2024

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

Yesterday, Trinete was by. She brought in my mail and took out my trash (and recyclables). We (I only helped a little) dismantled a chair which was broken beyond repair (my trash company doesn’t take furniture, but if we dismantle it andsend it out a little at a tim, it gets taken.) She says “Hi!” to all.

Friday night’s letter from Heather Cox Richardson summarized last week. Much of is is familiar, but there are one or two things which, as far as I can tell, flew under the radar.

Steve Schmidt writes about the new movie, “Bad Faith,” about the rise of Christian Nationalism and how dangerous it is. He provides a link to the trailer, as well as the locations where it can be streamed. It’s meant to be frightening, and it is, because Christian Nationalism is – well, I’ll say demonic. You an ake that as a metaphor or however you wish.

Long, but the length is necessary for the topic

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Open Thread March 18, 2024

 Posted by at 6:31 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 182024
 

Yesterday, Trinette was by again – I didn’t have much in the way of recyclables (I will next week) but I did have a big bag of trash. And she was kind enough to change the batteries in my thermostat. Not that it’s terribly difficult, if I weren’t so short (I used to be 5’5″ but I’m down to 5’0″) and so easy to get off balance. She went home to work on her taxes, and I came back to my “den” to work on this. And maybe my taxes too. I don’t envy her – she has not only her own taxes to do, but her two sons – pne of whom has out of state income and will again this year at least. Me, so much of my income (all of my Social Security) is non-taxable (yes, that means there isn’t a lot of it, but it’s enough) that I really don’t legally need to file. But I do.

This is certainly not good news – but – because it’s a real threat – we need to know about it.

Here’s some good news – where it’s been long needed.

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Open Thread November 1, 2022

 Posted by at 6:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 012022
 

Yesterday, I got an update from Axios that there are now Federal charges against David DePape (he had already been charged at the state level). This does not constitute double jeopardy because federal and state are separate “sovereigns.” This is a good sign. Also Faithful America (you mem remember they recently put up a web page against false peophets) now has a new page – 20 Resources to Resist Christian Nationalism. And, I’m sorry to say, even if we win the midterms in landslides, we are going to need every oone of those 20. Well, at least I gor=t confirmed to see Virgil this Sunday. I really like having the confirmation early.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Civil Discourse – In Praise of the Federal Judiciary
Quote – Judge Berman Jackson unflinchingly defined who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. That’s a line that has become blurred in public discourse as the former president and his supporters make claims about the people who overran the Capitol and engaged in violence that range from calling them tourists to insisting they were patriots exercising their rights. But today Mr. Head heard the truth from the bench about Officer Fanone, and it’s important for all of us to hear it too: “[Fanone] was protecting the very essence of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power after a democratic election. He was protecting America. That’s who Officer Fanone was. That’s what Officer Fanone was doing. You made choices over and over again to go after him and not disengage.”
Click through for essay. Judge Berman Jackson is, sadly, not the entire Federal Judiciary (if only they were all at least as good as she), but she is certainly a fine representative of it. Her name has come up repeatedly this year, and always for something praiseworthy.

Project on Government Oversight – Study Shows POGO’s Oversight Trainings Increase Congressional Capacity
Quote – Designed for veterans and beginners alike, our monthly seminars feature lessons from some of the most accomplished current and former congressional oversight experts and practitioners, and provide opportunities for congressional staff to ask questions in an off-the-record environment. Although seminars are generally targeted toward committee staff, much of the information shared during these seminars is also helpful to staff in personal offices in their investigations. These nonpartisan training sessions are open to Hill staff regardless of party, chamber, or position, and we also welcome staffers from the Government Accountability Office and Congressional Research Service. These seminars feature current and former members of Congress or congressional staffers from both parties, and we do our best to get panelists from both the House and Senate.
Click through for article.  POGO is justifiably proud of their training program(s). It’s too bad that, if the GOP takes over, it will probably have to be scrapped.

Food For Thought

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