Apr 252022
 

Yesterday, I didn’t get up at 5:30 because I didn’t have to. That may or may not be true of Wednesday. When you have jury duty here, at 5:00 pm the day before they analyze what trials are still scheduled, figure out how many people they will really need, and set up a phone line and a web page where you can go and put in your juror number and they will tell you whether you need to come or not. So I can still hope I won’t have to. The lasttime I had to go in , it was February, and I had to fight snow and ice to get from the parking lot to the courtroom in my wheelchair. I escaped frostbite but the mud got all over my coat and I lost a stone out of a ring. At least that won’t happen this week.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Mother Jones – A New List of Crazy Shit Trump Did, According to Fiona Hill
Quote – Last weekend, we were graced with a whole new batch of foibles of the Trump administration, this time from the perspective of onetime adviser Fiona Hill and couched in a New York Times Magazine article titled “This Was Trump Pulling a Putin.” … A good chunk of Draper’s story is about how Hill believes January 6 was presaged by Trump’s policies toward Putin.
Click through for more. Ms Hill testified at the same time that Vindman did, along with two other brave souls. Marie Yovanovich and David Hale. And, of course, many others.

Daily Kos (Community) – This Should Not Keep Happening To Puerto Rico. This Should Not Keep Happening Anywhere.
Quote – Loosely described as an unincorporated Caribbean island and U.S. territory, it has been the subject of much debate, and for its citizens that matriculate into the states themselves, its status as a U.S. interest has rarely resulted in any kind of warmth. In popular culture citizens of Puerto Rican descent have often been the subject of misunderstood and sometimes misanthropic stereotypes and those stereotypes assigned to them have often been a punch line.
Click through for full article. There is a lot in here, and most of is is deeply heartfelt. If you con’t make it therough the whole article, do at least skip to the closing lines.

PolitiZoom – Screwtape Writes Again From Hell Of the Passing Of the GOP Baton From Trump To DeSantis the New John Birch
Quote – DeSantis is a piece of work. It is rare indeed that a man becomes a Real Devil during his brief earthy sojourn in the flesh. Usually, the finishing touches are left when he graduates to a spot down here, and if he doesn’t end up consumed in a feast by us, if we deem that his soul is of such Unspeakable Rot (I can’t describe the fragrance that has, you simply have to experience it for yourself) then he goes on to several centuries of torment in our Perfected Demon course of study and then he becomes a Real Devil. For a mortal man to achieve this while in the flesh is truly extraordinary and as rare as popsicle stands Down Here.
Click through -save it for later if necessary. If you are not familiar with Screwtape, I highly recommend the original book and the epilogue “Screwtape proposes a toast.” Lewis said that they were not exactly difficult – the material flowed freely – but it was stifling to force onself to write of good as evil and evil as good. Ursula Faw, who wrote this parody, has done a bang-up job of capturing the tone … and of course the material flows freely.

Food For Thought

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Apr 222022
 

Glenn Kirschner – As Georgia Grand Jury Investigation into Trump Proceeds, Trump Co-conspirator Eastman Keeps Criming

Meidas Touch – Texan who went viral exposing Abbott’s border scam SLAMS Republicans for trying to raise his taxes

The Lincoln Project – It’s in the Plan

American Bridge Ad Launch featured on MSNBC

Really American – ‘Dark MAGA’ Trump Supporters Plot Revenge On Political Opponents (So nice to see Chip back – a little slower and a little softer language, but still Chip)

Golden Retriever Preps Little Boy For His New Role As Big Brother

Beau – Let’s talk about the US already learning from Ukraine and what we should…

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Apr 182022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Rep. Raskin says J6 committee has evidence of crimes that have “not yet been alleged”

The Lincoln Project – Affinity

VOA News – FACT CHECK: Russia Misrepresents Ukraine Farm Drones as Chemical Weapon

Truth Matters – The Copfather

Robert Reich – How to Stop Profiteering and Get Money in Your Pocket

Mark Fiore – Republicans: Still All-In With Trump

Beau – Let’s talk about the Air Force sending a message…. (and WHAT a message!)

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Apr 132022
 

Glenn Kirschner – J6 Committee Has the Goods on Trump But Debates Timing of Criminal Referral to DOJ for Prosecution

The Lincoln Project – Doctored

Ring of Fire – Ron DeSantis Caught LYING About School Changing A Child’s Gender

Thom Hartmann – How Will America React to Trump’s Crimes (My concerns are quite different from those of the New York Times, as I expressed in the Open Thread.)

Robert Reich – The Best Year to be Born

Liberal Redneck – Herschel Walker and Georgia Politics

Beau – Let’s talk about Trump’s really bad day….

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Apr 122022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Don Jr.’s Deeply Treasonous Texts Make him a Charter Member of his Father’s Election Conspiracy

Meidas Touch – Trump lies at NC rally FACT-CHECKED in real time

The Lincoln Project – Truth Social vs Twitter

Ring of Fire – Capitol Rioter Lawyer DISBARRED For His Behavior

MSNBC – McFaul: The Battle Of Kyiv Will Go Down In History As One Of Great Defeats Of Russian Army

New John Deere commercial

Beau – Let’s talk about CPAC leaving the US and Republicans leaving democracy….

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Apr 122022
 

Yesterday, I pretty much caught up. At least I have two full posts today, and I have thrown a little PSA at the bottom of this one. A couple of people remarked about my “mask extender” project, and since knitting them is like eating potato chips – you can’t stop at one (or two. or six. or more) – I thought I’d make some available.

Cartoon

Short Takes –

Mother Jones – Exclusive: Leaked Messages Reveal the Origins of the Most Vile Hunter Biden Smear
Quote – Late in the 2020 presidential campaign, trailing in the polls, Donald Trump and his allies worked to make a campaign issue out of a trove of files on a laptop that his opponent’s son, Hunter Biden, had apparently abandoned at a Delaware repair shop. The effort to publicize compromising emails, images, and videos from the device involved prominent Trump confidants including Rudy Giuliani and Steven Bannon. But it also featured an unexpected player: Guo Wengui, a fugitive Chinese tycoon who was working with Bannon to build a small empire of Chinese-language media outlets, nonprofits, and other ventures.
Click through. It never ceases to grab my attention how Republicans are so ready to give America away to anyone in exchange for criminal actions – while they won’t give a dime to American people who are starving, or homeless, or drowning in debt.

Crooks and Liars – Germans Intercept Russian Radio Traffic Discussing Murdering Civilians In Bucha
Quote – The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany’s foreign intelligence service, has acquired gruesome new insights into the atrocities committed by Russian military forces in the town of Bucha near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. DER SPIEGEL has learned that the BND intercepted Russian military radio traffic in which the murder of civilians in Bucha was discussed. Some of the intercepted radio traffic can apparently be directly linked to dead bodies that have been photographed in Bucha.
Click through for details. This may be all I have to say about atrocities. I’m not crazy about gory details. do like solid evidence.

PolitiZoom – Trump Flips Out On Manhattan D.A. After It’s Revealed They Made A New Demand On Trump Org
Quote – Maybe Donald Trump knows something that we don’t, because the New York Times article quoting Alvin Bragg on the current state of the Trump investigation in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office was bland at best. All Bragg said, in essence, was that he had shelved nothing and that he was looking into every aspect of the Trump case. It was also mentioned that a new demand had been sent to the Trump Organization, but that it was a follow up of previous requests. You know how Trump doesn’t respond to discovery requests. That’s why he’s got the state attorney general asking a judge to sanction the hell out of him for every day he delays with respect to that case. So that is what is publicly known as of the past 24 hours. Is that, and that alone, sufficient to trigger this harebrained, maudlin ramble?
Click through for Trump**’s rant. This is getting overripe for speculation – and very interesting.

Food For Thought:

PSA: Here is information on the mask extenders (some call them “ear savers”). They look like this:

The link is here. Download is free, though they will want an email and a password (possibly a name I know they jave my name – and address – becouase I occasionally order.) But no money and no commitment.
There is also a crochet pattern, but it isn’t free. However, it’s so simple I could write you a pattern from the picture. If you’d like that, or if you just want the knit pattern and don’t want to register, email me and let me know which you want and I’ll email it. Or if you want one but don’t want to make one, I can send one of those Heaven knows I’ve made enough – and if you want to put on your own buttons I can send one without buttons even easier. I will need a mailing addreess (PO boxes are fine.)

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Apr 082022
 

Yesterday, I took out a 30 gal trash bag, and then ran the car for about 20 minutes.  It started right up this time.  Once I’m seeing Virgil regularly, I won’t have to worry between trips, since that is plentty driving to charge it for two weeks. even three.  Also, while browsing the web, I found a (free) pattern for what the designer calls a “mask extender.”  It’s just a little strip of knittine abour 3.5″ x 1.25 ” (which of course can be adjusted to the size of one’s head, and also stretches a little) with a button at each end, and it doesn’t actually extend anything – it just takes the elastic off the ears.  Since I wear glasses, the mask elastic on the N95 really does annoy my ears.    I don’t know whether they will allow me to take one in to see Virgil, but I intend to try.

Cartoon

Short Takes –

Daily Beast – DOJ Moves to Investigate Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Stash of Presidential Documents, Report Says
Quote – Sources close to the matter told The Washington Post that the procedures had just begun. The decision to investigate follows Chair of the House Oversight Committee Carolyn B. Maloney’s call for the DOJ to either act or allow the National Archives to disclose an inventory of the boxes so that her investigation into the incident can move forward.
Click through for abbreviated story. The full story (such as it is at this point) is in the Washington Post so I’m paywalled out.

CNN – UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council
Quote – “The General Assembly has sent a crystal-clear message to Russia’s leadership that a government whose military is routinely committing horrific rights violations has no business on the UN Human Rights Council,” Charbonneau said. “Gruesome images from Bucha have shocked people around the world. Victims and their families deserve to see those responsible held to account. Investigators from the UN and International Criminal Court should set the wheels of justice in motion by moving swiftly to gather and preserve evidence of war crimes.”
Click through for story… which is being updated as necessary. Of course the ambassador from Russia objected.  (Anyone know the Russian for “Karen”?)

Robert Reich – Why Republicans are obsessed with pedophilia, gender identity, gay people, and abortion
Quote – Most importantly, a culture war over sex allows Republicans to sound faux populist without having to talk about the real sources of populist anger — corporate-induced inflation at a time of record corporate profits, profiteering and price gouging, monopolization, stagnant wages, union busting, soaring CEO pay, billionaires who have amassed $1.7 trillion during the pandemic but who pay a lower tax rate than the working class, and the flow of big money into the political campaigns of lawmakers who oblige by lowering taxes on the wealthy and big corporations and doling out corporate welfare.
Click through for column and podcast. Would it hurt to start calling them on it?

Food For Thought:

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Apr 072022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump admits: “I didn’t win the election.” How this & other statements will be used against him

Meidas Touch – Anthony Scaramucci: Here’s why Ron DeSantis will LOSE

The Lincoln Project – Serious Times

Robert Reich – How Corporations Could Make Your Life More Dangerous

Now This News – Texas Mom of Trans Son Gives Tearful Speech After Investigation

Liberal Redneck – Tennessee Republicans’ New “Gay Marriage is Bad, Child Marriage is Fine” Bill

Beau – Let’s talk about why Ukraine is getting more coverage…. (see also “FFT” in the open Thread)

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