Mar 142024
 

Yesterday, I really did not want to get up. It might be the fault of the weather. Today and tomorrow, snow is heavily predicted, starting at 2 am today and going steadily through about 10 Friday morning.  We do need the water so I can’t really complain -though the watersheds are where we need it most, and they are at much higher elevations than Iam.

I may be one of the last remaining Americans who actually like Merrick Garland. When I see articles all over Democratic sites blaming him, for example, for Jan 6 rioters getting short sentences (judges do that – not even the same branch of government) or dragging his feet (I do admit to someone not involed in criminal law that it looks like that, primarily because he committed so many of his criomes in broad daylight and plain sight), I find it refreshing to see a different opinion. Especially from someone such as Marcy Wheeler, who has credentials and a solid reputation. The first link takes you to the her main argument, and the second, at her own blog, supplements the first somewhat.

Kerry Eleveld, who is on the staff at Daily Kos, analyzes the shifts in polling produced by the quality of Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. It’s good news.

I’m slipping this in today because I don’t want people to be needlesslay alarmed. (Alarmed is fine if it’s needed.) Wonkette’s style is frivolous butI think handles the story well.

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Jul 062022
 

Glenn – Witness tampering of Cassidy Hutchinson, Jeffrey Clark’s crimes, AG Garland and DOJ’s legitimacy

Meidas Touch – BREAKING NEWS: Kinzinger says NEW WITNESSES have come forward to Jan 6 Committee

The Lincoln Project – Our Country

MSNBC – Biden Announces Presidential Medal Of Freedom Recipients (I didn’t count, but I don’t think all 17 are identified.)

Farron Balanced – Conservative Media Outlets Are Finally Throwing Trump Under The Bus

Beau – Let’s talk about Ohio, Indiana, a girl, and the Supreme Court….

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Jun 222022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Judge Luttig, darling of the right, says Trump “clear+present danger.” Trump proves it in TN speech

Meidas Touch – Real Seniors REACT in HORROR to GOP Plan to eliminate Social Security and Medicare

The Lincoln Project – Juneteenth

Don Winslow Films – #HowToConvictTrump

MSNBC – Why The Jan. 6 Committee Hearings Are ‘Exceeding Expectations’

Beau – Let’s talk about sharks, screens, shifting thought, and Hollywood…. (Beau has been on fire recently. I cut one I had peviously selected, but am still abit behind.)

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Jun 222022
 

Yesterday, I brought up the live hearing, coming in on the testimony of the Speaker of the Arizona House, Rusty Bowers. I then watched the testimony of Georgia’s Raffensberger and Sterling. I had to return later to catch the Georgia election workers Andrea (Shay) Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman. as well as the opening and closing statements. You know, we have been talking about Republicans putting party before country. But with regard to this insurrection, we have been wrong. They were putting prsonal gain – probably in some cases only personal whim – before both party and country. I’ve seen some people on the net saying, “I love it when they eat their oen,” I don’t. I don’t love bottom-of-the-cesspool depravity, and that’s what this is. Disgusting. And also dangerous. If they will eat their own, they will eat anything and anyone. We have also been saying they are moving toward fascism, and by the book they certainly are. But I question whether actual fascism is their goal, or whether tha goal is total chaos – a state with even less predictabiity than anarchy.

When I returned to the hearing at the YouTube link provided at house.gov (to the committee’s channel) I happened to notice that that channel has 29.4K subscribers. I know, not a lot in the scheme of things, but those are only the people who are watching at this channel. That does not include anyone who is watching at PBS, MSNBC/NBC, CBS, ABC, or CNN, or anyone who is watching with The Lincoln Project or Meidas Touch, and that probably does not exhaust the list of sources. Somewhere I also read even Fox is now carrying it (the implication being more than just on Fox Business), but I can’t verify that.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – Here’s What the Insecure Insurrectionists Don’t Get About America
Quote – America was not actually built on unlimited individual freedom, as a shocking number of Americans seem to believe it is these days. The foundation of our nation, the bedrock of its multi-century success, is the philosophy of democratic liberalism: the government will not interfere with your pursuit of happiness unless your pursuit interferes with that of other people.
Click through for more (including a point about the poem “America the Beautiful”), but the quote is the bottom line. I also feel that one verse of “America the Beautiful is not enough. I tend to focus onthe second verse (“God mend thine every flaw – Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law”), but the third verse may be even more important.

CPR News – A Colorado startup wants buildings to suck up carbon, one living concrete block at a time
Quote – His company’s proposed alternative is a “bio-cement” first developed at the University of Colorado Boulder. Inside the Colorado company’s warehouse, sand is loaded in block-shaped molds with micro-algae, which binds the material through the same process corals and oysters use to build their shells. The final masonry units feel like hardened sand castles. While the process takes energy, Burnett said algae absorbs enough carbon to make the blocks 90 percent less carbon-intensive than traditional concrete.
Click through for the interview – yes, it’s an interview, but there’s what appears to be at least a partial transcript. It’s good news locally but appears to have potential – and we need every possible step (and may already be too late.)

Food For Thought

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Jun 192022
 

Glenn Kirschner – GA Rep Loudermilk gave tour on 1/5 to man who threatened Pelosi, Nadler, Schumer at Capitol on 1/6

Meidas Touch – GOP Plot EXPOSED to END social security and medicare (If they are saying the quiet part out loud, I hope everyone is listening.)

The Lincoln Project – Detached from Reality

MSNBC – DOJ Reveals Investigations, Prosecutions In Request For January 6th Interview Transcripts (What a star-studded panel!)

Liberal Redneck – Mike Pence and “Team Normal” on January 6

Beau – Let’s talk about Patterson’s comment on race….

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Jun 172022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Day 2 of J6 public hearings: Republican witnesses prove Donald Trump’s criminal intent

The Lincoln Project – Last week in the Republican Party – June 14, 2022

Meidas Touch – Merrick Garland and DOJ ABSOLUTELY watching Jan 6 Hearings (We knew this I think – but it’s still watchable) Prosecutors will be looking for COURT evidence of course. Incidentally, Tish James also watched.

No Dem Left Behind – Have We Lost Our Way in the Past 20 Years? True Americans Must Stand Against the Treason Caucus

Parody Project – Mark Meadows

Beau – Let’s talk about how political parties determine your health….

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Jun 172022
 

Yesterday, I went to see VirgilWe kissed (we are allowed 2, one coming and one going) and hugged (ditto), and we also, as we didn’t do for quite a few years, played some cribbage – for some reason we find that having something to do with out hands stimulates conversation, though it took us years ti realze that.. How the Department of Corrections handles games and game playing during visits wold take a whole column, and I won’t start on thet today. I passed on all greetings you all exprressed to Virgil, and he returns all with thanks.

After getting home, I checked my email inbox whch had hit almost 150 emai and then turned to the hearings. I had pre-written today’s posts except for this introduction, so after getting home and making dinner, I was able to jump into today’s hearing. Again, none of the actual evidence surprised me – even things I didn’t know had happened were so in tune with Republican morals and behavior they were not surprising. But I did get two non-evidential surprises – first, that I can now see why those who are not totally disgusted with his political positions might actually like Mike Pence (I will never understand that about Trump**). Second, I was surprised to learn there is one Republican who has not only actually read goodly chunks of the Bible, but understands it well enough to come up with a whole chapter that is extremely pertinent (it was one of his former attrorneys, a Mr. Jacobs, and the chapter was Daniel 6 [which could be differently numbered in the translation used by Catholics – I know that book has some extra stuff in it which is not in the Bible most Protestants use].) Again, I used the recording from the house.gov link here.  And then I goofed around a little and went to bed exhausted.

And – I almost forgot – the email telling me my ballot had been received came in at 11:34 am and the one saying it has been counted came in at 5:35 pm.

Cartoon – 17 Mahal RTL

Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – ‘Pack Your Stuff and Get Out of My House,’ Says Patriot Front Member’s Mom
Quote – Amsden said that after her son was released from jail, he told her he’d continue to stand with the group, so she delivered an ultimatum. “I told him, ‘Well, then you can’t live here. You can choose between Patriot Front and your family.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I can’t quit Patriot Front.’ I’m like, ‘Well, then you’ve just chosen. So pack your stuff and get out of my house.’”
Click through for background. Old saying: “desperate times require desperate measures.” This must break her heart (I assume he doesn’t have one) – but I don’t see what else she could have done.

Wonkette – CNN’s New Boss Remaking Network Into Centrist Safe Space For Republicans
Quote – Licht will give existing talent “a chance to prove they’re willing to uphold the network’s values so that they don’t tarnish CNN’s journalism brand.” If they can’t adjust, they’ll presumably join Chris Cuomo on the unemployment line. Axios specifically mentions Jim Acosta and Brian Stelter as being under the partisan microscope[.]
Click through for more. Personally, I would trade Chuck Todd for Acosta in a heartbeat – but I’m not in a position to.

Food For Thought

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Jun 152022
 

Glenn Kirschner – After enabling Trump’s lawlessness for years, Pence did the bare minimum on 1/6. But he’s no hero

Meidas Touch – Michael Cohen ANNIHILATES Trump after second Jan 6 Committee Hearing

Crooks and Liars – AG Garland Speaks On Jan 6 Committee Hearings

VoteVets – Charity

The Daily Show – Having “The Talk” With Trump Supporters About The Police  (Possibly not what you are expecting.)

Beau – Let’s talk about Ukraine, grain, and Africa….

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