Open Thread May 22 2024

 Posted by at 6:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 222024
 

Yesterday, and I can still hardly believe it, I spoke with Lynn Squance  (Squatch). My phone rang, and after 2 rings stopped, and I hadn’t had time to read the full caller ID, but I thought the first two letters were BC,so I checked my call log, and checked my contact list, and it was her number. Except that in my contacts there was one wrong number – I had the last two digits as 81 and it was actually 61. So I called back, and she said she hadn’t called, but was happy to hear from me. She’s fine. All her cats that we knew are at the Rainbow Bridge, but she has another now named Simon who was born the day after her last prior cat died. We haven’t seen her lately because she tried to register at Disqus, and was told she was already registered, and had no idea under what username or password. We talked about ways to get around that – “logging in” through facebook, Xitter, or google – or starting a new profile. She mentioned a couple of usernames, so if she follows through, I’ll know it’s she and will pass that on. The relief is overwhelming.

Today, after a day filled with snark, we have a day with two articles “as serious as a heart attack” (though, I hope and believe, not equally life-threatening – but instead I hope life-inspiring. Although – I have seen the results of one actual heart attack which was amazingly life-inspiring – and life transforming – for the survivor. I’ll have to write about that. It’s quite a story. But not today.)

Robert Reich digs into the possible reasons why so many people are so wrong in their evaluations of Trump** and Biden – and what can be done about it.

Heather Cox Richardson covers Biden’s commenceement speeach at Morehouse College last week, adding some historical background here and there.

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Open Thread May 18 2024

 Posted by at 5:56 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 182024
 

Yesterday, Wonkette informed me about the male-genitals-shaped balloons Trump** supporters had released Thursday outside the courthouse where he is being tried. Most of us outgrow our toddler obsession with genitals at an age much younger than these people have (God knows how) achieved. Also, there was a kerfuffle in the House involving Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Marjorie Three Names. Many people have had something to say about this. My take is that I’m going to the Atlanta Black Star to get some Black folks’ take before I even begin to formulate my lily-white take.  And then, there’s this.  (And no, you aren’t losig it, Jamie is still from Maryland -that was in error.)

This story from Joyce Vance is years old – but she (and the nation) have only just learned about it now. And that fact alone may be the biggest part of the story.

Sigh. I suppose we should have known this was coming – somewhere. And it will probably be repeated. It is well sourced, but I chose this link rather than ne of the sources, partly because I thought there was value in the comments.

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Open Thread April 19, 2024

 Posted by at 6:09 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 192024
 

Yesterday, I had had a pretty good night’s sleep. Of course I had done some stuff the day before – packed and tied four boxes for pickup, unpacked my new (to me and already obsolete) computer and broke up the box it came in, fighting staples and glue, and a couple of other little things. But I felt good enough to take in a small grocery order, and assemble ingredients for a recipe which I can now make. (Don’t get too excited about the computer. I am not going to plug it in until I can also plug in a USB multi-hub, since the place I am putting it makes it very difficult to reach the back.  And I don’t want to move my present 8-port one from where it is.  So I ordered a new one – probably nect week sometime it should arrive.)

Someone has made what I can only call a “mockyoumentary” out of Trump’s** anecdote of the Battle of Gettysburg. Yes, it’s awful, but it’s also short – and very funny in a schadenfreude kind of way.

Mary Trump, as you know, is following Trump**’s cases from a personal perspective. She put together a group of topics from Tuesday’s jury selection, including a list of characteristics on selected jurors which are allowed to be made public.

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Open Thread April 18, 2024

 Posted by at 6:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 182024
 

Yesterday, I arose after a long night with very little sleep (I did rip through a bunch of Sudokus, though.) I’m yawning a little, but otherwise OK – and hoping that staying up will help me sleep better tonight. And also that I get a bunch done.

Andy Borowitz with poll results. I apologize there’s a picture – but it could be worse.

Heather Cox Richardson summarizes a whole bunch of related events here, but I believe that’s a good thing. When one is in the middle of something (and especially if one is in the middle of more than one something), it’s all too easy to forget details which may be critical.

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Open Thread April 14, 2024

 Posted by at 5:54 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 142024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss Jr (“The Waltz King”). This and “The Merry Widow” bY Lehar are the only two operettas I can think of which are sometimes done by regular opera companies. Both can be described as “zany.” Of course so can Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas – and, really, most operettas of the period. People have always enjoyed far-fetched humor. “Fledermaus” means “Bat,” and the premise is that, a year before the operetta, the lead tenor and the baritone went to a an event together, something between a party, a costume ball, and an orgy, and both got drunk. The baritone, who dressed as a bat, passed out, and the tenor (dressed as a butterfly) left him in a public park to sober up, and he woke to crowds pointing and laughing. This year, he wants revenge – and he gets it. And everyone except the tenor gets amusement and laughs at the tenors expense. When I was working as a volunteer costumer for my local college’s music department (before I got hired and paid by the theatre department), this was one of the shows I dressed. That was even longer ago than when the recording was made which they used yesterday to celebrate the operetta’s 150th anniversary (it premiered in April, 1876.) Also, I heard from Pat, who said her doctor’s apointment went well, and she is greatly relieved.

This is neither political, medical, financial, or helpful in any other way. It’s just interesting in that it reveals issues in the way we think about time (and probably other things as well.)

Many sources are discussing the decision by the Arizona Supreme Court that an abortion law from 1864 can stand. Much of the coverage includes lurid detail about the life and actions of the author of the law, which may be interesting, but really isn’t germane to the merits (and demerits, which outnumber the merits) of the law itself. This (gift-linked) article from the Washington Post doesn’t go there, instead concentrating on the effect of the ruling on the 2024 general election, both statewide and nationwide, and the reactions of Arizonans both in and out of politics.

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Open Thread March 29, 2024

 Posted by at 6:12 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 292024
 

Yesterday, I got up earlier than i had been doing, and got a few things accomplished, including my taxes. It should have been easier than it was had I not somehow lost track of my Social Security 1099, lost some time looking for it, and finally I had to go online and download it. But it’s don now. I even got the email the IRS has accepted it. (As I predicted, no money will change hands either way.)

Johns Hopkins is very proud of this study, and with reason. It’s the first ever To consider non-fatal shootings along with deaths (And it’s like pulling teeth just to get the truth on deaths.)

Yes, I’m doing an all-gun post today. The two stories came out at the same time so although they’re not exactly the same, I feel they are related, and thought I would put them together

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Open Thread March 26, 2024

 Posted by at 6:09 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 262024
 

Yesterday, another uneventful day for me. But not for a number of public figures, one in particular.

Mary Trump would like us non-lawyers all to calm down and take a deep breath. (I’d like that too. Things are bad enough without us interpreting anything we don’t like as a catastrophe. Whych is why I don’t report more on the Trump** trials.)

Now that i’m getting the Borowitz report again, I can share him. And this is a good one. There is only one female character in the Revelation of Saint John. And I can definitely see why he’d think of her.

I was concerned about this – we probably all were – I even included a Beau video (yesterday) discussing the possibility of a veto. Well, we didn’t.

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Personal Update December 23, 2023

 Posted by at 6:15 am  Politics
Dec 232023
 

Well, I did manage to get everything taken care of on the 21st, although it took till the 22nd before I was certain of it.  And of course learned something in the process.  I knew there were such things as FSAs, qhich are funded with contributions from the person who owns the account (and/or their eligible dependents) and must be used or lost each year.  I knew there were such things as HSAs, which carry over from year to year, and I always thought that was what I had.  Not so.  An HSA, like an FSA, is funded by the person who owns it, and by their eligible dependents.  What I have is an HRA, which is funded by a third party, such as a prior employer.  The only circumstances under which I can put money into it are if I have accidently spent some of it on something that isn’t covered (or something that is covered, but I have lost the documentation for.)  Why does it matter?  Because HSA holders are required to fill out and sign documents giving yhe old provider permission to transfer their account to the new one.  Since all the money in my account comes from USAA, USAA can take care of the authorization for me.  What a relief.

Here are a couple of humorous videos.  There’s no new information in either, they’re just for fun.

This was on the Late Show, so you may have seen it. I don’t care. Watch it again. (Sorry the CC isn’t better but the pictures help interpret it).

This one is from Parody Project.    Good CC and high production values.  And cannot come true too soon for me.

And here is a meme which is timely without being seasonal.

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