Jul 162024
 

Yesterday, Trump** announced the selection of J.D. Vance for his Vice President. I’m not sure why people are losing their minds about it. Anyone Trump** selected would have been equally awful, and this selection at least may open a Senate seat in Ohio and give Tim Ryan a second chance {although I admit it does make me want to change my initials). There wasn’t much in my inbox about the Trump** shooting. One petiton asking Republicans who have condemned it to now condemc all political violence. I signed it – but good luck with that. The second half of Heather Cox Richardson’s talk with Secretary of State Blinken has been posted. As I type I haven’t watched it, but by the time you see it, I will have done so. And, apparently, RFKJ is getting Secret Service protection – that, to me, is the worst news – or at least tied with the news that Loose Cannon dismissed the documents case. At least, the factor which pushed the SS to decide this was not a jump in the polls – it was the shooting at Trump**’s rally.

I did get an email from “Oil Change International,” a climate change fighting organization. Their website is here. And here is a source to check how your state is dealing with the issue of “certified gas.” Looking at the map of Colorado, I note that all the emissions events they map occurred in the vicinity of Denver. It’s not clear to me whether Denver (along with its environs) is particularly bad at this, or if it’s just that the population is so much denser there, and so is the usage, that the emissions events in that area are more obvious, more measurable.

This may not the biggest story – but it does, as Ursula says, make a big difference. So I’m posting it in case you missed it. See what you think.

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Jul 132024
 

Yesterday, Robert Reich posted Episode #7 in his DEBUNK series.  Also, the New York Times finally nailed Trump** – in an opinion piece (SMH). At least it was the full board, and I have to admit they did it thoroughly. We don’t need to be told this. But you may know people who do. Not MAGAts, who won’t listen, but “independents” and “undecideds.” And people who have never heard of Project 2025 (Joyce herself ran into one of these a few days ago. She says she didn’t try to convey the full scope of it, but instead focused on a topic close to the person’s heart. This person was a naturalized citizen, so she focused on immigration.)
Here’s the gift link from Joyce Vance

Mary Trump makes some very sound points here. I hope that the American people are not too caught up in the hysteria to hear her message.

Wonkette knows, and AOC knows, that this won’t go anywhere in the current House. But Wonkette also points out that that fact is “half her point.” I personally am more interested in the other half – but that’s me.

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Jul 112024
 

Yesterday, I sent a letter to my Senator, Michael Bennet, who is normally intelligent, but who has apparently been hypnotized by Republican propoganda regarding Joe Biden. I’ll put the full text in a comment sometime today. I also signed up for a virtual fundraiser Robert Hubbell is setting up with DNC Treasurer Virginia McGregor in aboout a week. Also, Crooks and Liars shared a 6 minute video about Project 2025 – perfect for sharing.

I’ve been thinking – a lot – of the Third Reich and all its abuses of humanity. But history has a lot more in it for us to learn from than just that. Heather Cox Richardson looks at the French elections which just happened, and, although their system is very different from ours, she points to the coalition which formed around Lincoln in 1854 and enabled Congress to defeat the Kansas-Nebraska Act (the same coalition which later elected Lincoln to the Presidency.) They had a lot of differences, but they were able to look beyond those and see a real danger. So we have done it before. And we can do it again. (I added the second column because it addresses the same issues that the New York Times does below – but with a whole lot more common sense. Incidentally, it’s probably not coincidence that she refers to Taling Points Memo – which also referred to her.)

The New York Times is really getting unbelievable. Even if dude was there to see Joe, that does not make the visits necessarily about Parkinson’s. My PCP of well over 20 years has a”specialty” of chelation – something which I have never had done.

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Jul 092024
 

Yesterday, I learned that Mary Trump now has some merch. Only one T-shirt at this point, but a good one.  If you’re not interested in that (or even if you are), you might want to read this from her – it’s encouraging.  Also, I baked another batch of muffins.

Every week, Joyce Vance puts out a column called “The Week Ahead.” It generally comes in so late on Sunday that I can’t put it up Monday, and this week was no exception. But I think it’s important to post anyway. After a holiday weekend, y’all may not be expecting an eventful week, but it may be. There are things going on with unpredictable outcomes to watch for. And besides that, it’s one heck of a pep talk.

It appears to me that this is an excellent idea. Provided no one gets hurt trying it. Those (expletive deleted) are violent, and many are armed. (Of course, turning the tables on them may be so shocking that they could be immobilized.)

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Jul 042024
 

Yesterday, Rocky Mountain PBS advised me (and the rest of their mailing list) that the NOAA is nowchanging the altitude of everything in the US to accomodate rising sea levels. None of our 14,000+ foot mountains will be under 14,000 feet – YET. I think this is a good thing, although it needs more publicity. Applying sea level rise to every place where peole live may help bring the reality home. Also yesterday (I’m calling it yesterday – it arrived in my inbox before midnight, but she dated it July 3, and she’s 2 hours ahead pf me, so it probably was yesterday for her) Joyce Vance published a column answering some of the questions her readers had about the immunity opinion. It may well answer some of your questions too. It starts by answering a question I wouldn’t have been knowledgeable enough to ask, so there’s that. Finally, Rudy Giuliani has officially been disbarred in New York.
here’s a video for you to enjoy. (Xitter embeds on DU work for me, and I hope for you too. But if they don’t, here’s Youtube.)

The New York Times has become so useless that I understand if you are surprised that I am sharing this article (no paywall) – such a long one too. But there are also leaders of Black and Hispanic working class groups saying some similar things. As Democrats, our goal is to make life better and safer for everyone, isn’t it? We will fail and keep failing if we don’t start listening.

Of course they already think they don’t have to play by any rules. And they certainly won’t think they have to play by any new rules. Maybe, if we can be sharp enough, we could lock some of them up. That would be nice.

I’ll let TomCat have the last word today.

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Jul 022024
 

Yesterday, SCROTUS released more decisions, and JOyce Vance is going to have a lot to say. So are others – most everyone I subcribe to on Substack and also many others. And I’m sure all of you will also have opinions. It may take me a while, but I’ll share a few evemntually which I consider the best thought out and worded.

It’s always possible that our altitude might exacerbate this effect (the lowest point in Colorado is between 3000 and 4000 feet. It’s in some riverbed.) But I doubt that accounts for all of these effects. I’d recommend not living near an oil well in any state.

A DU member who received a somewhat detailed summary of the Biden/Harris team’s response to the debate reactions posted it in full. It should be somewhat reassuring. Here it is.

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Jun 292024
 

Yesterday, Robert Reich posted episode 5 in his DEBUNK series. Joyce Vance summarized what happened in SCOTUS Thursday, and what didn’t happen (more important actually). And it’s worth reading her post to the end for a little good news. And, SCOTUS told Steve Bannon to go pound sand (they declined yo hear his emergency appeal.) And then there was this: “Supreme Court guts agency power in seismic Chevron ruling.” And finally, Heather Cox Richardson and Robert Hubbell were the only two in my feed who saw the same debate I saw. I’ll let Heather tell it.

If you are looking for actual information about performance-enhancing drugs (which Joe Biden is not taking), I can recommend Evan Hurst’s article at Wonkette, from which I want to share this quote: “Every Republican accusation — literally every one — is a confession. If they’re talking about things, they’re talking about the things they do, and that’s why they know about them.” This weekend I am trying to keep the reference to either good news or funny/amusing. I for one need that break. We’ll see how it works.

This is short and succinct, and absolutely right on target. It hits literally close to home. It might even influence somebody. (and with all that, it’s also amusing.)

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Jun 272024
 

On Tuesday, Ukraine began official accession negotiations with the European Union. It’s nice to have some good news to offset what came out of the Supreme Court yesterday, and the ridiculous number of decisions not yet decided by the same. Also, I learned that Steve Schmidt has a wicked sense of humor, as is shown by his remarks about the Alan Shepard prayer.

I would think that Pete Buttigieg would be among the very last of white people to think that black lives – quality as well as quantity – don’t matter. I’d advise them to go directly to him. But I do realize that’s not as easy as it sounds.

Of course this is a concern, because bullies willalways look stronger to stupid people than they in fact are, and leaders with genuine inner strength will not look strong to stupid people. But if Joe just does what he did in the latest SOTU (and we know he can, bcause we watched him pull it off), people who are not brainwashed will get the point.

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