Open Thread January 29, 2024

 Posted by at 6:37 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 292024
 

Yesterday, what I mostly did was finish two knitting projects – one fair-sized one on which I’ve been working for some time, and one so small I started and finished it after finishing the large one.  Not exciting, but there it is

Crooks and Liars has posted a video by Cliff Schecter which really points up the difference between the time when the Republican Party had Joe MacCarthy, and now, when all Republicans are Joe McCarthy. And you may learn something about the Illinois loyalty pledge too. It’s under 7 minutes, and if you watch it at C&L you won’t have to pay YouTube to avoid ads.

Margaret Atwood has been using her Substack to share a multi-part history of what the French Revolution (which she calls “The French Revvie”) was really like. This link it to Part IV – subtitled “The Vengeance.” I used to warn that if we didn’t make some corrections – and quickly – we’d have another French Revolution. And, yet, when I saw it, I didn’t recognize it. Margaret did. No surprise that she is smarter than I am.

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Open Thread January 28, 2024

 Posted by at 6:29 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 282024
 

Yesterday, as I said, the radio opera was “Carmen” by Georges Bizet. Though Bizet was French (some of the most Spanish of Spanish music written in the 19th century was written by Frenchmen) evryone thinks “Spain” about Carmen, and it is set in Spain – but Carmen is a Roma. So are her two closest friends. So are pretty much all the smugglers Romani. That kind of hit me in the face when i realized that yesterday was Holocaust Remembreance Day – and theRomani were as much a target of the Nazis as the Jews. Trying to read up in the Roma quickly is a little like trying to collect syrup in your hand – a little sticks, but more slips out. They are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, but they also live all over the world. They have been called “gypsies,” but they are not from Egypt. They have been called “Bohemians,” but they are not from what is now Czechoslovakia. Neither are they from Romania, but originally from northwest India. They have endured slavery along with other forms of abuse. I’m linking to both Steve Schmidt’s Substack – it’s not new material, but a collection of links to his earlier writings on antisemitism – and to The Conversation, to an article which addresses some of the ways in which the Jews and the Roms were linked by the Nazis (I needed a hanky. But it’s all very well to mourn the lost – it doesn’t do too much to prevent it ever happening again.)

Heather Cox Richardson’s Friday night letter did quite a decent job of summarizing highlight from the week, including a couple I hadn’t heard. If you have time, I recommend it.

Over the weekend, someone on DU shared the information that under New York law, you can appeal a civil suit, but if you do, you must first deposit the full judgment plus a small percentage with the court. I don’t know whether the legislators were thinking of interest, or court costs, or justice delayed – possibly all three. But if Trump** is going to appeal the most recent judgment, he will have to deposit $99 million with the court.

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Open Thread January 27, 2024

 Posted by at 6:20 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 272024
 

Yesterday, I didn’t have to prepare for today’s opera – it’s “Carmen” by George Bizet. I’ve heard it a lot of times and seen it several times as well. For one production, I played second violin in the pit orchestra. All the string parts are extremely difficult, mostly because Bizet liked to run very fast scales starting in the basses and running all the way up to the first violins umpteenth position, and then back down again just as fast. I did my best (which wasn’t very good). But even then, I can’t say it was a bad production. There may not be such a thing as a really bad production of Carmen. And today’s radio cast is outstanding. Now, next week will be another story.

This certainly doesn’t surprise me. We have simply got to stop believing everything a Republican presents as fact. They just make things up.

I know there are many Democrats who think that, like Manchin, Jon Tester (D-MT) is useless other than for keeping our Senate majority (which is oretty thin.) I would invite all of those Dems to read at least parts of this article about two Republicans, one of whom will be in the Senate if Tester loses his reelection bid. Sheehy is the crazier of the two, but Rosendale is close behind.

By now everyone will have heard this, because it is, to quote the article’s headline, “a big non-fracking deal.” And it certainly took climate experts by surprise. Bill McKibben said, “[I]f it’s true, and I think it is, this is the biggest thing a U.S. president has ever done to stand up to the fossil fuel industry.”

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Personal Update January 8, 2024

 Posted by at 6:21 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 082024
 

Trinette was over today and helped me get a bunch of trach and recyclables out for pickup – more recyclaeles athan trash really, and they pick up trash twice as often as they do recyclables.  Always wonderful to see her.

Jeff Tiedrich, writing for his blog “everyone is entitled to my opinion,” compares the speeches of Biden and Trump**, making his points with far less profanity than usual, and hilarity ensues.  I definitely chuckled over “how do you put on pants?”

By Request –

Also by request –

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Personal Update December 19, 2023

 Posted by at 10:25 am  Politics
Dec 192023
 

I’m having issues getting my HSA moved to a new provider, and with it I’m having issues keeping my part D on track.  I think the Part D is resolved now, but the HSA is going to require a phone call and they say the best times to call are Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. (The Part D required a phone call too, but I was able to make an online appointment with them to call me, which they did.)

I realize this article, with all the comments, is basically an echo chamber of random people who belong to Democratic Underground. But it’s an echo chamber I agree with on almost every point.

This article, on the other hand, is the product of informed analysis and should you happen to be talking to anyone who is rational could be very helpful.

Here is Beau with some reporting from Pro Publica. He says it will get picked up widely, and this is already starting.

God, how I miss real journalism! Yes, ProPublica does it, and they do it well, and I’m grateful to them for it. But I still miss being able to count on it – being able to read a newspaper for facts – or turn on the TV and see Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow and be confident the reporting had been researched and confirmed – and in the rare instance something did slip through, there would be retractions and apologies. Remember those days?

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Personal Update December 14, 2023

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 142023
 

I have a donation pickup coming today and I don’t know when (between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.)  It’s all ready, but I have questions so would like to be there. So I did this yesterday afternoon.

I know I am worried about 2024, and I believe we all are.    I don’t think  this article – “Democrats’ Secret Weapon in 2024” – should 100% neutralize that.  For one thing, it’s based on public information, and is therefore no secret – although the extent to which it has been and is being underplayed by the media may make it seem like one.  for another, it’s from the DLCC – and it’s their job to elect ane re-elect Democrats.  Ane when one wants something that badly, it can be hard to see straight.  But it does makes some good points.  It does NOT mean we can stop working.

If Republicans will not go public with their [lack of] evidence to impeach Joe Biden, then by God, Hunter Biden will.

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Personal Update November 26, 2023

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 262023
 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Mine was pleasant and quiet.  And there was an opera yesterday – Pelleas and Melisande, by Claude Debussy (an imprressionist), based on a play by Maurice Maeterlinck (a symbolist), and by the time those two got through with it – well, there are events – at least things do happen – but it’s all so dreamlike I wouldn’t call it a plot.  The music is pretty and the cast was amazing.  There’s only one more left in the summer series – it’s a 21st century opera by Rhiannon Giddens (not a person one would expect to be writing an opers, but it won this year’s Pulitzer.)  After that the Met takes over, also with a new opera.

I’m still not up to writing (or researching, which is the real time-eater) yet, but I did want to share this – it’s a resource for keeping up with all the cases, and only the cases, where someone or some group or some state is attempting to use Section 3 of the 14th Amentment to keep Trump** off of the ballot – any and all ballots.  Trump** himself is such an attention grabber that he tends to suck the oxygen out of everything else, so it’s good that someone is paying attention to this.

And here’s something from Trae Crowder –

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Video Thread 10/29/2023

 Posted by at 12:03 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Oct 292023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Thus far, DA Willis has made NO plea offers to Trump, Meadows, Giuliani or other top conspirators.

The Lincoln Project – Trump Rally 10/23

Farron Balanced – Boebert’s Reelection Campaign Is Going Down In Flames

Liberal Redneck – New Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson

Woman Becomes Third Wheel In Her Cat And Husband’s Relationship

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden, diplomacy, and parallel tracks….

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