Open Thread May 10, 2022

 Posted by at 7:11 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 102022
 

Yesterday, I did a little constructive oversleeping. Even when everything goes slowly, any time I drive anywhere farther away than 5 or 10 miles, I stress and get very tired. (When I was in my twenties, I could actually lose weight drving long distances, even when eating as much as (or even a little more than) usual. I’m pretty sure that’s not true any more, but it’s still tiring. Hence the need for a little extra sleep. And it helps – though it probably would have helped more if I had awakened to a happier news day.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Nib – Restaurant for Vultures
Quote –


Click through for graphic article. I like vultures. I had very few plushies when I was a kid, but one day on my mid-teens I saw a lushie vulture and had to have it, and “Nigel” became a beloeved companion. So this story – which is less about vultures than about the many ways we contribute to loss of biodiversity, even when doing things which seem very positive, caught my eye.

Los Angeles Times – Column: Cops, not books? This town’s library may become a police station
Quote – [Frank] Cervantes [Library Associate] didn’t want to give too many opinions, partly because he had a bunch of kids to look after. But he did emphasize the importance of having a library in a small town like McFarland. He himself grew up in the even smaller agricultural community of Mettler, an hour away. His hometown had no library, but his mom was able to take him to libraries in bigger cities. “It was the difference,” he quietly said, “between a bright future and the futures that some of my peers had.”
Click through. I can guarantee tht if they do this, crime (or at least “crime”) will increase. If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

No More Mister Nice Blog – The CDC Really Needs to Look into This Cluster of Right Wing Amnesia
Quote – I think I understand what’s happening here. The right needs to make the reaction to this decision the real story, in order to distract from the decision’s unpopularity and radical nature. Part One of this attempt to manufacture consent was the phony outrage at the leak, which the right blames on liberals, despite lacking any evidence to do so.
Click through for full blog. Right wing amnesia is nothing new But it’s getting worse … and their attacks on public education suggest that it’s currently far from bad enough to suit them.

Food For Thought

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Video Thread 5/5/22

 Posted by at 6:47 am  Open Thread, Politics
May 052022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Georgia special grand jury investigating Trump’s election crimes AND Lindsey Graham & Rudy as well

Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to Leaked Abortion Decision

The Lincln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party

MSNBC – Sen. Whitehouse Joins The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell to Talk Ethics at the Supreme Court (There’s a reason why “borked” now mwans “screwed.”)

The Late Show – The Supreme Court Doesn’t Give A Damn What The Public Wants | How Gullible Is Susan Collins? (Yes, it’s long, but it’s Colbert – it flies by)

Mrs Betty Bowers – Stupidest People in Congress Awards

Beau – Let’s talk about science fiction….

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Video Thread 4/26/22

 Posted by at 11:45 am  Open Thread, Politics
Apr 262022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Meadows had advance reports of possible violence on Jan 6 yet he & Trump did zip to protect Capitol

Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to Shameless Kevin McCarthy Border Stunt!

The Lincoln Project – Former President Obama on Challenges to Democracy

MSNBC – Democrats May Have A New Weapon In The Fight Against The GOP’s Culture War

Cake and war: Ukrainians mark sombre Orthodox Easter (I’ve been to Orthodox Easter services – just Russian and Greek. They are absolutely gorgeous, and a feast for the senses Orthodox Easter is almost never on the same day as it is in the west. This year it was a week after ours.)

Cute Cat Stands Up Like A Person When She Wants Treats

Beau – Let’s talk about Disney and Desantis…. Beau’s take is sound. The branding he describes goes way, way back tobefore Disney World. It was part of Disneyland from its inception. But then Beau’s takes are usually sound.

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Video Thread 4/25/22

 Posted by at 11:31 am  Open Thread, Politics
Apr 252022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Lordy there are Cheney-McCarthy tapes! And they prove Kevin McCarthy is a coward AND a liar.

Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to leaked Kevin McCarthy Tapes!

The Lincoln Project – Ron DeSantis: Bad for business

Ring of Fire – Judge Hits Capitol Rioter With Longer Sentence Due To Pathetic Defense

Really American – Dr. Oz Shady History With Foreign Dictators EXPOSED

Robert Reich – The Solutions to the Climate Crisis No One is Talking About

Beau – Let’s talk about new tools in Ukraine….

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Video Thread 4/24/22

 Posted by at 11:59 am  Open Thread, Politics
Apr 242022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Don Jr. to meet w/J6 committee; Alex Jones wants to talk to DOJ prosecutors BUT demands immunity

Meidas Touch – Judge STORMS OFF after Rudy Guiliani unveiled as The Masked Singer

The Lincoln Project – Kevin McCarthy is a Liar

Farron Balanced – Florida CRT Math Book Panic Based On Fake Image From Twitter (Of course that isn’t really why. The real reason is a sweetheart deal between DeSantis and the approved books’ publisher But this is quite believable if you ddn’t know about the money.)

Really American – Marjorie Taylor Greene PANICS about ‘Nasty’ Press Allowed to Cover Her in Court

Robert Reich – How We Stand Up to Putin and Stop Climate Catastrophe

Beau – Let’s talk about a new law Tennessee about homelessness….

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Video Thread 4/23/22

 Posted by at 12:16 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Apr 232022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Rep Jamie Raskin: Public Hearings Will Show, “Trump Launched a Coup Against VP Pence and Congress.”

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party

Meidas Touch – Texan HUMILIATES Ted Cruz for Disney Furry Porn Fetish

Really American – Fox Host CALLS OUT Desantis’ CRT Math Claims On Air

Crooks and Liars – McCarthy Denies He Said He’d Ask Trump To Resign. Maddow Has The Tape. (McCarth is a liar. In other news, the sun came up this morning.)

Armageddon Update – The Arrogance of the Left (I don’t think “arrogance” is the right word – but it might as well bem because everything else in the rant is correct.)

Beau – Let’s talk about Mallory McMorrow and identifying with the bad guy….

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Video Thread 4/22/22

 Posted by at 12:29 pm  Open Thread, Politics
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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Open Thread April 21, 2022

 Posted by at 6:49 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 212022
 

Yesterday, it occurred to me that one of these days,  am going to set up and schedule an Open Thread where the top of the post just says “Yesterday,” and nothing else.  Fortunately, today is not that day.  But I’m sure it will come.  When it does (maybe more than once), don’t worry about me.  If I managed to get everything else up, I’ll be fine.  I just meant to fill that in early, got scatterbrained, and forgot to go back and finish it.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Democratic Underground (Smackdown 2019) – Hawley needs to reconsider!
Quote – Cease and desist order was given to Senator Hawley last month and he has yet to comply over copyright infringement laws. What might be the issue? A national media photographer took that famous picture of the Senator with his raises fist before he was to vote against President Biden win over Trump. That photo is being sold by Hawley.
Click through, and do scroll down the comments. There is a variant on that photo in one comment which needs to be seen. Accidental violations of copyright can be atoned for … but copyright and other forms of intellectual property shold not be messed with.

The 19th – ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills aren’t new. They’ve just been revived.
Quote – [Logan Casey, senior policy researcher and adviser for the MAP] said the bills are relics of the AIDS crisis, when panic about homosexuality dictated school curriculum. It also dates back to the infamous “Save Our Children” campaign led by activist Anita Bryant in the 1970s to overturn anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people in Miami, Florida. “Once the HIV epidemic came into the picture, then a bunch of states started considering and enacting laws that banned instruction on sexuality and homosexuality in public education, channeling this ‘Save Our Children’ campaign energy and the fear and prejudice during the HIV epidemic,” Casey said.
Click through for more history. “Republican lawmakers say the new spate of curriculum bills allow parents to decide what their children learn about sexuality at a young age,” which is incredibly naive. It will aactually insure that children lean fictions from their peers rather than facts from responsible adults. (It will also make them more vulnerable to sexual abuse.)

Trump[**]’s Nightmare Song Should Be “Georgia On My Mind”
Quote – You’ll notice that there is a dead month from May 30 to June 1st, when the panel will begin hearing testimony. But it isn’t really a dead month. Willis will be able to use it to present evidence before the grand jury to obtain search warrants and subpoenas. This will empower her investigation to move farther, faster. But Willis dangled a little bit more.
Click through for both the background and the new teasers. This is good news. Glenn will be talking about it also – I’m not sure when that will pop up on the Video thread, since I try to keep his videos consecutive.

Food For Thought

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