Feb 062024
 

Joyce Vance thought this was important enough for an extra dedicated column and email … and I can’t disagree.

Judge Engoron’s Email

Joyce’s column includes a fair-sized photo of the actual email, which is almost as telling in tone as it is in fact.  I’m not sure that anyone other than a trial lawyer would have seen this coming, but, on the other hand, it makes a lot of sense, including the part about who is legally entitled to what information about whom, which would certainly not have occurred to me.  I was aware of “falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus” but it hadn’t occurred to me that anyone would think to use Weisselberg as a defense witness.  As Hercule Poirot would have said (and did say, many times) – it gives one furiously to think.

Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Share
Jan 262024
 

Yesterday, I got up somewhat earlier than I had been doing… which means I also got sleep earlier than I had been doing. But I did accomplish this. And we shall see whether this attempt to change the shape of my day works or not (i expect it will through opera day, and not much if any after.)

OK, this isn’t really news – it’s a recap and overview of the House Dems campaign to make the House Oversight Committee look like a multiple of The Three stooges. Not that that’s difficult, but I don’t know that we have ever seen such a coordinated effort from elected Dems before – and guess who is masterminding it. Three cheers!

Now this really is news, and about GD time too. My link is to Democratic Underground, but this DUer got it from Reuters, so in case you want more detail, that’s where to go.

Share
Jan 182024
 

Yesterday, I didn’t get a lot done. Not that I have to every blessed day, of course.

As usual, Wonkette is pretty snarky, but the facts are solid. Republicans! i can only deduce that they want to prevent kids from growing up and voting. Including their own kids. Come to think, that would also explain all the guns.

The New Yorker had this piece on the separate battles breaking out in the Middle East. Am I being paranoid to suspect that these are not unrelated incidents? Well, if I am, i am not alone. If you can’t access it at the New Yorker, I made a pdf copy, and I can literally forward it in secons.

Share
Jan 032024
 

Well, yesterday I got a lot done. I got my checking account on record for direct deposit with my new HRA custodian, and put in a recurring claim for my Part D premium which is paid automatically on my main credit card.  Then I verified that my new HRA credit card is on file with my new pharmacy so that can get automatically paid as I refill   I brought in packages, two with variius forms of ginger (lozenges, tea, and crystallized), which I’ll be using some at least, alththough i am keeping food down for now – and one with some personal hygiene items.  The exterminator came for the third time, was able to give me something of an update (progress in some areas, inside and out, and in others, not so much) and set the nest appointment for the 15th.  I cleaned and re-bandaged an injury to my left foot which I needed a hand-held mirror to even partially see – don’t ask how it happened because I have no clue.  It is getting better too, but taking its sweet time about it.

I’m not yet ready to commit to a blog every day, but II do want to share this from Robert Reich (Substack of course) :because, though it doesn’t mince words, is nevertheless constructive:

Welcome to (gulp) 2024

What can the rest of us do between now and the election to help save American democracy?

Ten suggestions:

1. Become even more politically active. For some of us, this will mean taking more time out of our normal lives — up to and including getting out the vote in critical swing states. For others, it will mean phone banking, making political contributions, writing letters to editors, and calling friends and relations in key states.

Aside from that – remember Godwn’s Law?  I forget the eaxct wording, but it was something like “In a political argument, the first one to bring up Hitler loses.”  Well, Godwin himself – the Godwin who wrote the law – is now saying we must compare Trump** to Hitler – that failure to do so would be irresponsibe.  Yup.  Thank Crooks and Liars for that bit of truth..

And I’m afraid this cartoon is all too true –

 

Share
Oct 162023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Federal judge “punishes” Rudy Giuliani in defamation suit for “flagrant” violation of court orders

The Lincoln Project – Submission

Thom Hartmann – The Trials of Donald Trump…Will Democracy Be a Victim?

Scared Ketchup – Trump’s Tiny White Balls 2

Pittie Rescued From Highway Finally Wins Over His Cat Brother

Beau – Let’s talk about 2 friends and a question…. (hanky alert)

Share
Oct 162023
 

Yesterday was one of those days I just couldn’t seem to get ahead. Sometimes that happens – but it doesn’t give me a lot to talk about, nor time to talk in. Not being Seinfeld, or one of his writers, I can’t really get any content out of it. Maybe that’s not a bad thing.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks & Liars – GOP Activist Who Couldn’t Wait For RBG To Die Shoots Wife, Kills Self
Quote – Fun fact: Alembik first received national attention after he tweeted that “Ruth Bader Ginsburg can’t die soon enough,” and of course, now he’s dead…. I’m glad his wife was not killed. Btw, we need common sense gun laws. Everyone in his orbit seemed to know that he was struggling with mental health issues — and he had a gun. In fact, he had a concealed carry permit, or at least he did in 2007
Click through for story. Personally, I”m wondering what’s wrong with people who said he was always smiling. That’s not a smile.  (Not to be confused with “alembic,” which was a medieval Arabian still used in alchemy.)

Western Slope Now – Ouray’s new via ferrata!
Quote – A via ferrata is a protected mountain pathway consisting of a series of rungs, rails, cables, and bridges embracing the rock face…. the via ferratas became a civilian attraction in Europe by the 1950’s and have moved into the USA only within the last decade…. This course climbs 1200 feet across 12 pitches, with trails intermixed between.
Click through for details. Yes this article is lightweight. That’s fine with me. Ouray, named for a Ute chief, is an adorable little town, sadly in a very red part of Colorado. There’s a small hotel where Lillie Langtry once stayed. The website has a short video which includes some lovely scenery.

Food For Thought

Share
Oct 152023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Colorado Judge REFUSES to dismiss lawsuit to disqualify Trump from running for president

The Lincoln Project – Even Fox

MSNBC – Gold Star father Khizr Khan: Trump ‘incapable’ of leading U.S. again

Steve Shives – If Republicans Said the Quiet Parts Loud to Workers (long, but WOW! It hits EVERYTHING. You or someone you know might need it to pass on to make a point.)

Kitten Grows Up Wrestling With Huskies

Beau – Let’s talk about Santos and more to come….

Share
Oct 122023
 

Yesterday, a little-known conversation from many years ago (which was recently quoted by Steve Schmidt) popped up in my mind to haunt me. I can’t say it any better then Steve did, so I’ll quote him: “There is an extraordinary account of a late night meeting that took place between FDR and Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in the White House from Nigel Hamilton’s “FDR at War“ trilogy. The two leaders talked late into the night. King returned to his room and wrote down the details of the conversation. FDR outlined to King his vision for what would come after victory in World War II. He said something chilling from the perspective of 2023. He said that nothing lasts forever, and that included his vision for the future. He told King that he hoped it would endure for as long as everyone who was alive on the day the war was won was still alive. The youngest of those people are 77 years old today.” Well, I am 78, and I’m still here. So is Mitch, whio is a bit older. The rest of us who think here are younger (as was TC). I wish all of us long lives free of world war. Also yesterday, Steve Scalise defeated Jim Jordan to be the nominee for speaker. We shall see whether Republicans can come together on this or any nominee. Oh, and The New Yorker had an article on dizziness/vertigo in their daily newsletter. I haven’t had any symptoms for months, but I “printed” it anyway (to my C drive for now – I’ll copy to a portable hard drive eventually.)

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – ‘Violence-Ready’ Militia Group Says Jan. 6’ers are Idiots
Quote – A male-only movement in the U.S. dressed up as a sports club catering to white men is taking over the right-wing social scene—and promising some dangerous results…. The clubs advertise as sporting groups designated for white-only men, but their real objective, Ritzmann tells The New Abnormal, “is to essentially train a white supremacist militia.”… [Ritzmann] says “Day X” could look similar to the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, but adds of the rioters, “they have [been] discussed as being a bunch of idiots who don’t know how to storm a building properly. And they discuss this in a, let’s say, indirect way, because they don’t want law enforcement to focus on them.”
Click through for details. The podcast the article references is also on the page,. and I listened to the whole thing so you wouldn’t have to. The part which expands on the artile starts at approximately 18:40 and ends at 36:35. I also encourage anyone who has not seen Rachel Maddow’s podcast “Ultra” to look it up (and everyone who has seen it to refresh their memory.) It was not easy then to bring America together to oppose fascism, and it won’t be easy now. When I said we needed Joe Biden to be another FDR this was not what I had in mind. But apparently, it comes with the territory.

Jeff Tiedrich – holy shit, Donald Trump gave classified Israeli intel to Putin — probably more than once
Quote – let’s take a closer look at a thing I mentioned at the end of yesterday’s post. Donald Trump fucking loves to collude with Russia. Trump desperately wants to be Vladimir’s bestie. he does everything he can to stay in Putin’s good graces. why? is it because Donny dreams of opening a Trump Tower in Moscow? is it something more insidious, like kompromat? in the end, it doesn’t matter. what matters is that Donald Trump is a Russian asset.
Click through for article. Yes, Jeff has a pottymouth, but he tends to be accurate in both facts and interpretation.

Food For Thought

Share