Open Thread April 24, 2024

 Posted by at 6:16 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 242024
 

Yesterday, I got an email from Katie Porter (not that that’s unusual.) We all know ahe will no longer be in Congress after 2024 is over. But this kind of makes it real, Since she will no longer be campaigning for herself, but only for her PAC, “Truth to Power,” she is liquidating all of her campaign merchandise. There are Tshirts, sweatshirts, socks, hats, lapel pins, key chains, and other stuff, including an actual whiteboard. I ordered her kitchen kit to remember her by (it’s something I will actually use. I use keychains, but already have so many.)  I expect the store to be open, but with either more general merch, or merch for particular candidates, as opposed to merch tied to Katie.

It’s about time that someone made this so clear that most people should be able to see it. (Of course there are always some who can’t – or won’t.)

Talking Points Memo has done a striking summary of the first day of the trial (do I need to say which trial? I didn’t think so) in several sections. Even if you already know most of it, it’s a good summary (and has good links – the ones which aren’t paywalled.)

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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 17, 2024

 Posted by at 6:07 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 172024
 

Well, I did do a post for yesterday, but the computer ate it.  And I didn’t discover that early enough to try to reconstruct it.  Sorry.

Yesterday, the court in Manhattan managed to select and swear in 6 jurors, includinng the foreperson (which surprises me – I thought the foreperson was chosen from [and by] the full jury. But whatever.)

None of us is completely immune to the belief that “Everyone thinks exactly the way I do.” In people who value the truth and facts, it sometimes presents as “Everyone knows exactly what I know.” None of this is accurate. This article may give you an idea just how inaccurate it is. It really cannot be repeated too often.

This may be just me … but this article starts with the statistic “Internet scammers targeted more than 10,000 Coloradans last year, stealing a total of $187,621,731.” I immediately thought, that averages out to almost $19,000 per victim. Who are these people (who can come up with that kind of money to lose)? I do realize a lot of victims are businesses – but still.

Pat B is having fun with family and company probably the rest of the week. I don’t expect to have a TJI every day, but I thought I should share this one – “The media has wrongly adopted a narrative that views the trial as a proxy for the election. It is not. If we let go of that false narrative, we can observe the trial for what it is—a clunky, imperfect way to arrive at a procedural determination about whether the state has met its burden of proof.” – Robert Hubbell

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Open Thread April 15, 2024

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 152024
 

Yesterday, I came across a new Parody Project video at Democratic Underground, and I’m providing the link to that site (you can easily get to YouTube from it if you prefer.) The poster,, “DFW,” is “The freedom Toast” just as Don Caron is “The Parody Project.” DFW is an ex-pat living in Europe after a lifetime of foreign service. In the one photo I’ve seen of him, he looks a bit like Santa Claus in a dress suit – and that’s probably more than you wanted to know. I recommend the YouTube CC because the white type washes out on some of the light backgrounds – the CC isn’t perfect, but it’s something.

This has taken a long, long time to accomplish, and it’s really only starting, but I for one am glad it has at last gotten this far.

On the eve of a major trial, Richardson takes a look at the other (neglected by the MSM) story of how the economy works, and when it works best, and why. While attending to the Trump** story, we also need to be telling this one.

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Open Thread April 9, 2024

 Posted by at 5:32 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 092024
 

Yesterday, a member of Democratic Underground posted a new Biden-Harris campaign ad there. Wow. I’m going to provide the DU link (embedded YouTube videos don’t have the advertising) but also the regular YouTube link in case you need full screen, CC, and 75% speed, which I did, to fully appreciate it (or you can navigate to YouTube from the embed.) Hanky alert.

After addressing the Key Bridge tragedy and the tragedy for our nation that is Trump**, Robert Hubbell turned this weekend to immigration. If you want to skip the first part, it’s fairly east – it has its own headline, large and bold – “How foreign immigrants support the US economy.” In addition to his own words, he links to an interactive map where you can, if you wish, find ypour own county, possibly even city, and see how may live there, how much they pay in taxes, what their spendinh power is, and how many are eligible voters (naturalized and 18 or over. Just under half of my county’s are in this category.) And some other data as well. You probably already knew that immigrants are good for the country, but this will really open your eyes to just how much and in what ways that is so.

RFK Jr is best known for being Anti-Vax (Off Topic – but another article at the Daily Beast reveals that Anti-Vaxxers are now trying to take over a hospital.) But it appears he is not averse to accepting support from other shady types.

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Open Thread April 7, 2024

 Posted by at 6:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 072024
 

Yesterday, The radio opera was Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” (“The love Potion”) and I’m afraid I slept through half of it. My alarm went off and I decided not to get up. I’m not a big Pavarotti fan, and while there were other major stars of the time, including one with whom I shared a violin teacher (not of course at the same time – decades apart actually) I just wasn’t inspired to get up then. I did get up in time fpre the second act (there are only two). One of the four main characters is a “snake oil salesman” and i see enough of that in real life.

Heather Cox Richardson is an historian, not an economist – but you don’t really need to be an economist to know that “supply-side” economics does not work. You just need to be over 40 and not blind. The Biden/Sanders video she speaks of is the second with Biden’s name on it in the list of Xitter videos below her list of links. Iy’s supposed to have sound, and it definitely has CC.

April, in the South, is Confederate Heritage Month. The Southrern Poverty Law Center find that less than acceptable. So they are pushing for a celebreation of good things in southern history to replace it – or at least alleviate the bad taste of it.

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Open Thread April 6, 2024

 Posted by at 6:25 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 062024
 

Yesterday, I found it refreshing for an earthquake to be newsworthy in some place other than California. (And, since there were no injries, the humor is a nice touch. “The Empire State Building”sent some messages via Xitter: “I am fine.” “I am still fine.” and then another “I am fine.”)  Also I got my lost made of people whom I haven’t yet paid.  There are seven of them, one of them whom I guess I saw twice, so there are eight charges.  When new bills come in they should be easy to find.  Also – the “Phone Call” Robert Hubbell prodived a summary for yesterday – Beau did a video on it  It’s over 10 minutes, so I sdon’t wast to embed it.  But it’s detailed enough i do wany to make it available.  So, here’s the link.

This really is madness. Sadly it’s predictable (and in-character) madness. Russia is not going to be destroyed by migrants. But it very wwell may be destroyed by its own government.

Very often I can’t find a particular story on “Law and Crime,” appaently because there’s so much crime that stories get pushed to the back. This time I found the one I was looking for. A value of $40.000.00 sounds like grand theft to me.

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Open Thread April 3, 2024

 Posted by at 5:38 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 032024
 

Yesterday, I looked up on the HRA website to make sure that a payment of $10.84 was sent to one of the providers involved in my hospital and rehab time. Because they keep billing me and billing me – and I paid it. I did find the proof, with all the details- including the date the check was cashed – which was March 27. So I made no attempt to contact them right away. But I did take a screenshot and circled a few details, and saved it, so if it doesn’t (finally) stop now, I’ll be prepared. After the one I was looking for information on yesterday, I think there are now few enough who haven’t billed me to make a separate list of them in one place so I won’t have to go through 9 MSEs for every bill.

The playbook is straight out of the 1930s. Robert Reich spells it out.

Joyce Vance’s weekly “The Week Ahead” is generally useful,and this week’s appears to be no exception, even a couple of days late.

Now this was just revealed yesterday. You should have heard about it – it’s a story large numbers of people will care about (and get angry. I did see it in The Daily Beast – they interviewed Chef Jose Andrés and got an earful.) DU has the story, but they got it from a xeet from World Central Kitchen. A commenter there found it on Yahoo! news.

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