Open Thread February 7, 2024

 Posted by at 6:34 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 072024
 

Yesterday, I got to thinking about “The City at the Edge of Forever – Episode 29 of Season I of the original Star Trek, it first aired in the spring of 1967. It made a deep impression on me. Just the thought of having to make a decision like that gave (and still gives) me the heebie-jeebies. But there is also trmendous relief associated with realizing one does not personally required to make that decision. Except that we are. Any election (not just Presidential) in which there is a spoiler candidate requires every eligible voter to make exactly that decision, and do it without the benefit of an omniscient entity who can show us exactly what the future will be on both sides of that decision. I can still hear in my mind the dialogue (Kirk) “But she was right!” (Spock) “Yes, she was. But she was right at the wrong time.” ooking back 57 years, I probably don’t have the exact words. But the meaning is exact. If you want to view it, it can be streamed free (but with ads) here, [You may need to turn on the sound and tell it to restart] or paid at Paramount Plus (you mught be able to get it on free trial) or Apple TV if you use either of those. If you just want to refresh your memory of the plot, Wikipedia is the place – and thrown in you get production history, information on all kinds of production disagreements, history of the music used, and a whole lot more, if you want it. And yes, I deliberately put together this and today’s cartoon.

Not only did the GOP (in the House) kill the National Security bill this week, but the GOP (all of them, even non-elected ones) are working overtime to make sure that security spending stays higher than is manageable. They yell at us for “Tax and spend,” but to me spending money you don’t have, and don’t have any idea how to get, is far more irresponsible.

At least something good happened (besides the Appeals Court verdict)- “The Post-Conviction Justice Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office moved to exonerate the two men after an investigation with defense counsel found the teenage witnesses who testified at trial had been treated as suspects.” No, they haven’t been locked up since 1987, thank God- they were released, one in 2007 and one in 2011, but that’s still way to long, and until now, they didn’t have a citizen’s full rights. And they’re far more gracious about it than I would be.

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Stop the Presses February 7, 2024

 Posted by at 7:17 pm  Plus, Politics
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.

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Open Thread February 5, 2024

 Posted by at 6:25 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 052024
 

Yesterday, Trinette came by (and yes, Nameless, I told her “Hi” from you). She brought in the mail and packages and took out the trash and recyclables. She also started the car (i had been worrying about that) and ran it for a while, then took it out to get filled with gas (which reminds me of a very silly penguin joke).

It was a slow day for email, and there wasn’t much on Black History that I could find. I was attracted to an article in The Root, which was also cited on MSN but not reproduced in full. I’ll share The Root’s link, and hope at least some of you can see it. Its premise was that, while we normally celebrate people and events with praise for the heroes, we maybe should not forget the villains who made the journey harder than it needed to be. I’m old enough to remember George Wallace (shown in the lead photo) and something of Bull Connor, and more recently David Duke and possibly so are some of y’all. I agree with the premise – I think that attempting to change the minds of bigots by convincing them that whoever they love to hate as a group are in no way lesser than they are is non-productive, even counter productive – because on some level they know that, and it scares them more than anything.

Robert Reich turned his Substack over to a guest writer. The title of the column is How to understand the politics of Israel and Palestine? (Query his.) I hope anyone who thinks there is only one side in the current conflict will give it a chance.

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Open Thread January 23, 2024

 Posted by at 6:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 232024
 

Yesterday, I got an update from Carrie. Barry ended up losing parts (only) of two toes. The surgery went well and he was home by late afternoon. He goes back to the doctor Wednesday for evaluation and a dressig change, and after that the dressing changes will be handled by home health care. She also said Barry has been in a great mood (no, she didn’t mention whether the anesthetic used was nitrous oxide, and I would certainly doubt it – I’m just being silly to even bring it up) which is good, particularly since Barry has also been having some cognitive issues, which is always worrying.

Maybe I’m seeing this through rose-colored glasses (though I told my optician “no tinted lenses,” I was ignored.) After all, “Cognitive dissonance” is one of Republicans’ many middle names. But it appears to me that this ruling is good news as the Court takes up Loper Bright v. Raimondo, since that also is a Feds v. lower levels case which the Feds need to win lest we lose a host of protections. At least I’m sure lawyers for the federal government will not miss the connection.

You all have probably seen more about the issue about Fani Willis than I have (especially since I’ve been mostly avoiding stories due to the dearth of facts.) This article still has a dearth of facts regarding what, if anything, happened, but it has plenty of legal facts to bring to bear. It was Robert Hubbell on Substack who refereed the article, and this quote from him is not a bad summation: “Do I wish the allegations were not made or had no basis? Sure! But Willis is legally entitled to continue with the prosecution—and she should.”

And you may find this obituary elsewhere. But elsewhere, it may not be this comprehensive.

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Open Thread January 22, 2024

 Posted by at 6:18 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 222024
 

Yesterday being a slow Sunday, I had plenty of time to beat myself up over not having accomplished anything. I tried not to, but the fact is I really didn’t accomplish anything. I’ll try to do better so that can pat myself on the back next week (hopefully without breaking my arm, as the saying goes.) It’s not just me – my email is down also.

Joyce Vance did a piece on gun control which is IMO quite pointed. Without saying so explicitly, it demonstrates that we have allowed ourselves to be snookered by thugs using our own Constitution into a position where we really can’t do much without repealing the Second Amendment. Yes, there are people valiantly trying, but our best efforts fall into the category of stable door when steed is gone.What we really need to do is to repeal the Second Amendment, and then adopt military rules on gun safety into federal law. Of course I don’t think that’s going to happen. And, what with ghost guns, it may be too late even for that. However, her column will give you enough information on the Uvalde report and the division at DOJ which produces such reports, to realize that there actually are people trying to do something – anything – to help. But it is, of course, an uphill battle. GOP has stood for “Guns Oveer People” for as long as I can remember.

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Open Thread January 21, 2024

 Posted by at 6:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 212024
 

Yesterday, as I expect everyone knows, the radio opera was “Dead Man Walking” by Jake Heggie. I said so much yesterday that there may not be much to add. I was a little surprised no one mentioned Joyce’s own prison eork. Siter Helen was quoted as having said, “No one gets me ike Joyce.” Now, I’m confident that much of that is because Joyce di Donaato is such a consummate artist, dedicated to her calling to the point even the ushers can see it (An usher in Santa Fe told me that, no matter how late the performance ends, she won’t sleep before getting on the phone with her voice coach to improve the next night’s.) But I still can’t thinking those prior esperences – well, let’s say don’t hurt. (And I can see why Joyce would not want them mentioned.)  She may have discused that with Sister Helen (they have become friends) but Sister Helen would never out her. I must say, as emotionally draining as just listening was, I would not trade it. And I would love to actually be able to see it (streaming would be acceptable.)

I’m not ready to pick up with the Erinyes – and may not ever be. Yes, from time to time there will continue to be articles which are both important and sharable in full. And which don’t need the aegis of the Erinyes.  And because there’s no Erinyes, and Nameless is in recovery from surgery, I don’t see the point of an email today.

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/if-congress-can-do-this
For now, I’d like to share this by Joyce Vance – I think she is on to something. Last November, a bipartisan pair of Senators introduced a bill to provide direct and indirect victims of one specific act of terrorism access to view the court proceedings connected with that act. Feel free to drop your jaw shen you see the numbers by which it passed. And it either gave Joyce the idea, or more likely, suggested something fairly obvious which she has been behind for some time – and that is that we need to provide that service to all victims of all federal offenses going through the courts. Read her argument and see what you think.

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Personal Update January 12, 2024

 Posted by at 6:54 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 122024
 

I’m happy to say, and I’m sure you’ll all be happy to know, that my back door got fixed – it no longer opens from the slightest wind and lets in cold drafts – and this just a day before the Polar Vortex is due.

I did see the news when this happened. I didn’t watch the actual video – I think it was on X or something. But it was clear from the screenshot (which was blurry) that he moved very quickly to leap and/or reach across the bench to physically attack. Because he wanted probation, and she gave him some jail or prison time (IMO richly deserved.) No one other than the Atlanta Black Star seems to have even a sliver of this story… which I’d suppose means that the judge is a woman of color… except she isn’t, she’s blonde. It’s the perp who’s black. Well, I guess he’s now in the “Find Out” stage.

 

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Personal Update January 11, 2024

 Posted by at 6:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 112024
 

Am I missing something? I simply do not understand why so many people appear to be so terrified that if Trump** is not allowed on the ballot, or is not elected, there will be violence. Of course there will. And all of it will break laws, and we will be able to do something about it. If Trump** IS elected, there will be far more violence, and it will all be under cover of law (even if they have to make the laws up out of thin air) and there will be nothing we can do about it. I know which alternative scares me less. Why doesn’t everyone?

This is worth at least a glance for the humor. It’s an email exchange between Judge Engoron and Trump**s lawyer, which the judge made part of the trial records “to preserve your appellate rights.” Judge Engoron is not happy. (Mary Trump alsoo had some fun with it in her Substack.)

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