Dogs – Politics Plus

Open Thread November 20 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:06 am Politics

Nov 202024

Yesterday, I received three of my four prescriptions, which included two I was flat out of. I took those two immediatele, and also added them to the three bottles remaining for theis two-week period. The fourth comes from a different pharmacy, and I was on the phone with them the day before, and that one is on its way also. I hate having tp phone for these things, but having done so, I’m glad I did. The last full prescription I had from them, after over 20 years, they sent me only half the pills, and duplicated that error with the stopgap prescription, and I had to call then, twice, to get more. I had hoped a new prescription would fix that, but no. But at lest I caught it this time before they were sent. And I am hoping the call straightened it out. Well, if not, I have 45 days to get it straight. Two of my scrips affect mood, one directly and one indirectly, so hopefully I’ll be in a better mood soon than I have been for a while. Also, I received a grocery order, cleaned up and put away some usb drives (flashm thumb, jump, whatever they are called now) and started putting downloaded classical tunes onto another (2G) for use in the car.

I can’t always find a good ending to a story in the Atlanta Black Star – and when I do, it’s often too little, too late, and at best very long in coming. So this should be no surprise really. At least it’s something.

Heather Cox Richardson posted a letter with a number of “short takes,” and that’s a good thing. It can be a mnemonic for all the stuff that’s going on, must of whuch is so crazy there’s not pont i analyzing it in depth, because it has no depth. I grant it’s tough to read.

Open Thread November 18 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Politics

Nov 182024

Yesterday, I saw Virgil and we played cribbage. It was an interesting visit in that it really showed how unpredictable his mental acuity is – it’s all over the place. There were time I had to remind him how many cards he should deal us. But there was also a moment when I was telling him I had started going through my costume jewelry, including watches, of which I discovered I had way more than I thought of basically disposable watches which I hadn’t disposed of. He asked how many, and I said I hadn’t counted but at least two dozen, maybe as much as three or even four dozen, and he responded, “Wow! You sure had a lot of time on your hands!” All in all it was a great visit, and the drive was good both ways.

Trump’s Not Hitler He’s Stalin. We’re Back In the USSR

This is from PolitiZoom. I don’t know that I 100% agree, but it surely is interesting speculation. When I think of Stalin, I think of anecdote such as Dmitri Shostakovich keeping a suitcase by his front door every night so that then the secret police came to get him in the middle of the night, he would at least be ready with a few small comforts. Definitely something to think about.

https://www.wonkette.com/p/new-zealand-maori-lawmakers-give
Wonkette picked up this delightful story. If the two articles I picked for Sunday did not complement each other so well, I might have kicked this up to Sunday. But we need enthusiasm on Mondays too. The Maori haka is sacred to the Maori. We could use something like that (I’m not advocating cultural appropriation, nd I don’t mean exactly hakas, but something which might function the same way. Doktor Zoom suggests Jasmine Crockett might provide suggestions.)

Open Thread November 15 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:57 am Politics

Nov 152024

Yesterday, I learned that we have one at least one of the so far uncalled House races, and it is the one Katie Porter held but had to resign when she ran for Senate. Her re[lscement is named David Min, and she says he will “be a fierce champion for our interests in Congress.” I also learned that Manchin has signalled openness to helping Biden push judges through. Oh, and “On Monday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore honored one of his state’s most beloved military veterans, Harriet Tubman, by promoting Tubman posthumously to the rank of brigadier general in the state National Guard.” And why. Finally, at a bankruptcy auction, “infowars” was purchased by “The Onion.” We have to take what joy we can get.

From the Atlanta Black Star – this didn’t even happen in the US but in England. What is the MATTER with “white” people?

From Wonkette. Yes, this is happening. It’s nothing really new – sciopaths have been doing this forever – the difference is that now it’s mainstream. Oh, and claiming to be Christian. (If they would claim to be Christian Nationalists, and if people dogging on them would call them Christian Nationalists, I wouldn’t have a problem with the. The difference is huge and pretty well understood.) My advice to womwn married to Trump** voters it to get a no fault divorce, quickly, while you still can, because they are going to take that away too. A related article on PolitiZoom reported that the Ambassador from the Phillipines is advising any Filipinos here illegally keave NOW because if one is deported, one can never come back to the United States. That is not in the COnstitution, and I’m pretty sure that once cooler heads prevail, either that Federal Law could be over turned, or Amnesty for families of citizens could be established, but who knows how long it will be before cooler heads prevail?

Open Thread November 13 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:02 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 132024

Yesterday, I didn’t do a whole lot – took in three packages, worked more on the phone issue (turns out for some reason the tech had not set up the modem that is to be ised with thte new carrier, but at least setting it up wasn’t difficult), dug a couple of findings out of all the jewelry-making stuff I had put awar (and managd to get everything back in the box, which was the hard part. I do have a doctor’s appointment today so I may be late respodong to comments (again.)

Normally, Andy Borowitz wrutes funny. Also normally, his Sunday wrtie is closed to all but paid subcribers. Last Sunday was different on both counts. Without further ado, here it is.

This from Wonkette. We need something positive.

I guess it’s time that we need to look at what Steve Schmidt has to say about what happened and what do we do next. I don’t always entirely agree with him, and this is a case in point. But only paying attention to people one agrees with is no way to run a railroad. A no-paywall link to the print article of the video he posts is here

Open Thread November 11 2024

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

Nov 112024

Yesterday, I didn’t accomplish much. Trinette came by and I nad no trash to take out – only recyclables, and not that much of those. But at least I has baked the gluten free oay flour cookies so I was able to share them with her. This Wednesday, I have a medical appointment which I am a bit on edge about, so I may not be as conscientious with typos etc, (and goodness i have enough pf those even when I am doing best conscientious.) After almost 30 years with the same PCP it’s tough to be looking for a new one. I think I’m prepared, but I not even all that crazy about nice surprises, and I certainly don’t want any which are not so nice.

HuffPost may be jumping the gun by a couple of months, but that short time is relatively zero in the scheme of things. Ugly as it is, we need to look at it.

This is from The F-ing News. I have not seen it elsewhere. Feel free to scream.

Open Thread November 8 2024

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

Nov 082024

Yesterday, The 19th (though its editor) ask the question, “What will it take for America tohave a woman President?” You’re probably familiar with the concept of necessary and sufficient conditions. Well, IMO, a necessary condition would be for Democrats to sontrol the standards for primary and secondary education nationall, in all states and territories, wit enforcement, for 40 years (one generation.) But i can’t claim that would be sufficient. The 19th is a Creative Commons source, so I posted it to Democratic Underground. and put my pwn opinion in a comment. By yhe time I posted the comment there was already ne comment other than mine, and by the time I got there to read it there were two more. I must have touched a nerve.

Yes, this leads to a video – from “Legal AF” which is affiliated with Meidas Touch, although if I understand him correctly, it’s now being opened as a seperate channel. Being part of a Resistance is hard, but in the long run not being in a resistance may be harder. I have to add to what Popok says: he speaks about watching blue states go purple, and purple states go red, and by larhe margins, but he doesn’t really address why. The reason is MISOGYNY. As in 2016, misogynists managed to hide in plain sight for months, even years – and then cpme out of hiding in droves. How long are we going to ignore this? Until it kills us, like the cancer it is? I’m providing the link to the new channel, not the main link, but the one to the “Videos” page because that is the page which has all the videos in chronological order (newest first) which makes it possible to follow a complete timeline. I am not going to be posting one daily, though I shall certainly try to be following the channel daily.)

Defending Rights and Dissent sent me an email outlining their plans for the next four years. (Of course it’s requesting donations.) They didn’t provide a direct link to the content, but I’m pretty sure I found the same article. Since we are now the Resistance, you might want to read it and at least know there are places to turn (ACLU is not alone). You know, Audrey Hepburn, when she was a teenager, worked with the Resistance in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. She had health issues for the rest of her life – not I think because of the work, but because everyone was starving. They ate tu;lip bulbs just to survive, for instance.

This link is to the home page of New Mexico Political Report. Which means it almost certainly will not look the same to you reading this as it did to me posting it. But here re the headlines I am seeing (sorry about the all caps. I cut and pasted.):
HEINRICH WINS THIRD TERM IN SENATE
VASQUEZ WINS REELECTION TO CONGRESS IN CLOSELY FOUGHT RACE
DEMOCRATS DEFEND LARGE MAJORITIES IN STATE HOUSE, SENATE
DEMOCRATS WIN 1ST, 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
SECRETARY OF STATE: 2024 ELECTIONS A SUCCESS
They are probably all still findable.
Colorado also could have done a lot worse. We still have one House seat that’s too close to call, but we did well with initiatives. The only big one we lost was trying to outlaw sport hunting of big cats. So, if you are considering to a different state, here we are. I can’t say what our job markets are like, but our prices are certainly lower than California’s.

Open Thread November 6 2024

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

Nov 062024

Yesterday, I deleted 93 incoming emails before 3:00 pm. I moved another couple of dozen to my folders without reading them – I’ll go back and at least look at most of them, but not until we have cerrtifiable election results. I don’t need that roller coaster. I do have the dial tone n my phone back, and about 7 or 8 emails about that – I haven’t read them all as I type, but apparently my old carrier transferred the internet but not the phone, and the new one is now powerless until the old one gets it – stuff – together and gives the new one a solid date. I didn’t need that either. If anyone does feel the need for the roller coaster, there will have been plenty of watch parties both on and off line. Rober Reich promised a handholdimg one at his Substack site, for instance. At least one thing is sure -by the time you read this it will be all over but the counting.

Robert Reich posted this Monday evening, but I think Wednesday morning will be soon enough to read it. We will know more than then we do now, but between crazy MAGAts, red states which will not even begin counting early votes untill the polls close, and irresponsible media, I am not convinced we will know enough to be certain what the next four years will look like. I think there will still be a vacuum into which Reich’s analysis will be a welcome introduction.

The Atlanta Black Star does manage to cover more than black news – the reason that’s so often what I choosef rom them is that no one else will touch it. I wonder how many other news outlets will touch this story?

Belle alphabet

(Not sure this is for real – but it is sweet, even if it’s AI)

Open Thread November 5 2024

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

Nov 052024

Yesterday, I learned that Kamala Harris had appeared on Saturday Night Live’s cold open along with Maya Rudolph. (Yeah, even with the extra hour, I didn’t get through Sunday’s emails on Sunday.) Mitch, sweetie that he is, had sent me a link to the NYTimes article on it, which I did archive, but frankly I don’t much care what the NYTimes has to say about anything any more. So here’s a link to the Cold Open on YouTube. Also yesterday I learned that Quincy Jones died Sunday – and I might not have learned that without subscribibg to The Root’s free enail newsletter, so much has the election sucked the life out of all other news (although in the evening I did hear about it on CPR Classical.)

Heather Cox Richarddson has just returned fro a thirteen month book tour, and is admittedly exhausted. But, while o tour, everywhere she went she was asked the same question – to wit, how she managed to maihtain hope in the face of – well, everything. this is her answer. I’m not adding a tissue alert – I needed one, but I think that’s at least in large part because I’m low on antidepressant just now – and I don’t see this history being taught in red states any time soon. But the history itself is filled with hope.

Joyce Vance’s “The Week Ahead” (also from Sunday evening) may not be as radiantly hopeful as Cox Rixhardson, but it is full if information which should not be missed. What we don’t know about, we cannot defend against. And it’s not all bad. There’s some good news also. (And did you know that chickens can purr? The previous day’s column even had a short video with sound which proves it. I am speechless.)

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