Video Thread 12/7/21

 Posted by at 11:50 am  Open Thread, Politics
Dec 072021
 

Glenn Kirschner – All the President’s Lackeys: Bannon, Clark, Eastman & the Others. Watergate vs. the Insurrection

MSNBC – Biden Breaks Down How Build Back Better Act Will Lower Cost For Families Dealing With Diabetes

Meidas Touch – SCOTUS Poised to Strike Down Legal Precedent from Roe v. Wade

Rebel HQ – Ethan Crumbly’s Parents Face Justifiable Consequences. I’m not sure how long I have been saying “Responsible gun ownners should take the lead in drafting legislation to regulate gun ownership and use – because, if they don’t, the rest of us will, and they won’t like it,” but it’s been since before I was married, an our next anniversaty will be our 38th. It was so long ago that the NRA was still considered a responsible organization.

Really American – Madison Cawthorn Claims Women Are “Earthen Vessels” (but Chip has a good idea)

politicsrus Christmas Greeting (Yes, it’s early, but you’ll need time to get your figgy pudding on)

Beau – Let’s talk about not talking about race…. Most of the time I agree with Beau, and he’s right on the institutional level. But he’s wrong on the individual level. On the individual level, it’s more like, yeah, if you don’t have pancreatic cancer for example, you don’t need to talk about it in order not to be hurt by it. But if you are being eatne away by pancreatic cancer, not talking about it won’t make it go away.

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Open Thread for December 7, 2021

 Posted by at 6:33 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 072021
 

Yesterday also quiet. Not that I got a whole lot done. I was trying to rest, and more or less did.

Cartoon –

Short Takes

Daily Kos (David Neiwert) – Right-wing so-called ‘journalists’ exploit Waukesha tragedy, drawing neo-Nazis there to protest
Quote – Ngo also disingenuously proffered as evidence a post by Brooks he described as “about how to get away with running people over on the street”—even though the post in question was actually written by an ex-Minneapolis police officer who encouraged drivers to run down BLM protesters, and Brooks had posted it as evidence of violent police attitudes. Of course, there is still zero evidence that Brooks ever participated in any BLM march or engaged in any protest organizing.
Click through for details. I am honestly more sick of fake journalists than I am of fake news itself. And don’t think there aren’t any on the left. We have to be responsible for moderating our confirmation bias … because RWNJs certainly will not moderate theirs.

The Nib – Why Are Everyone’s Catalytic Converters Being Stolen?
Quote – But catalytic converters have been round for nearly 50 years. So why is this happening now? The economic downturn caused by the pandemic might be one factor. Another is the soaring price of the precious metals that put the catalyst in catalytic.
Click through. Yes, this is what you might call a “graphic article.” But try to find a non-graphic one which lays out this information so clearly.

The 19th Explains: Women may soon qualify for the draft. Here’s what you need to know.
Quote – Kara Dixon Vuic, who studies gender and the U.S. military at Texas Christian University, said the passage of this amendment would be “huge, though largely symbolic” when it comes to the fight for women’s rights and gender equity in the military. “Right now, the only legal difference between what men and women do as civilians is men sign up for selective service,” said Vuic, who is currently writing a book on the history of military draft eligibility in the country. “It’s not that women don’t have to; it’s that they can’t.”
Click through for the scoop. I have always felt that if one really wants to be treated equally, then one must accept being treated equally. As obvious as that soounds, it seems to be a difficult concept when it comes to feminism. Perhaps that at least partially explains why misogyny is more powerful than racism (as the 2016 election proved.)

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for November 26, 2021

 Posted by at 7:21 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 262021
 

Yesterday was, of course, Thanksgiving Day in the United States. I hope everyone had a wonderful day whether or not you are in the United States. Tomorrow, I will be going to see Virgil. I think I’m ready.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The New Yorker – Could One Shot Kill the Flu?
Quote – For decades, scientists have dreamed of what some call a “universal” flu vaccine—one that could target many strains of the virus. A universal vaccine would save countless lives not just this year but every year; as those numbers add up, it would become one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in history. Until recently, it’s been beyond the reach of molecular biology. But new technologies are extending our abilities, and researchers are learning how to see through the flu’s disguises. Without knowing it, we’re living on the cusp of a remarkable scientific achievement. One of the world’s longest pandemics could soon be coming to an end.
Click through for complications. It’s not a certainty – but it is a possibiity -and that is progress. If you re paywalled out, feel free to email me and I’ll send a pdf.

Crooks and Liars – Justice For Ahmaud Arbery: ALL 3 Defendants Found GUILTY
Quote – The jury was not representative of the community, with 11 white and only 1 Black member, which was a concern that even the judge raised. They deliberated for roughly 10 hours and there was concern that this could be a Kyle Rittenhouse or George Zimmerman repeat. But JUSTICE PREVAILED.
Click through for details. I put up a tag Wednesday when this was announced, but I wanted to featureit also. It’s important.

The New Yorker – Peng Shuai and the High Stakes of Business in China
Quote – The post was up for about ten minutes before the state’s well-oiled machinery of censorship kicked into gear and took it down. Comments on Peng’s account were locked. Screenshots of her sixteen-hundred-word post, which were spreading, were scrubbed. Her name disappeared from Internet searches. Emojis and words related to the case did, too. For a while, even the word “tennis” was blocked. Behind the state’s erasure of Peng’s presence on the Chinese Internet was another urgent and troubling question: What would happen to her?
Click through for the story which is not at all simple. I never expected to be looking to “The Sporting Scene” for a short take, but pf coourse, she’s not the first sports woman, and will not be the last, whose life clashes in some way with authoritarian leadership.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for October 19, 2021

 Posted by at 6:54 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 192021
 

Yesterday, I did sleep in,and I feel much more rested. I hope I can translate that into fewer typos – or at the very least, more easily interpreted typos. We shall see.

Cartoon – Another prescient one from 2013

Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – Oath Keepers’ Jan. 6 Trial Delayed Because Evidence Keeps Rolling In
Quote – The federal judge overseeing the Oath Keepers conspiracy case in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection ordered their trial delayed this week, primarily because of the overwhelming amount of evidence still being produced in their cases. Though the delay was expected, its reasons are stark reminders that Jan. 6 will be one of the most complex prosecutions in history and that the investigation remains very active as more evidence piles up. There are likely some very big shoes still to drop.
Click through for examples and more explanation. I know it’s tough. We don’t hear much if at all about people being impatient and frustrated about Al Capone … but if there had been an internet and social media then, I’ll bet we would have.

Buzzfeed – “DANGER WARNING”: WOMEN SAY MADISON CAWTHORN HARASSED THEM IN COLLEGE
Quote – BuzzFeed News spoke with more than three dozen people, including more than two dozen former students, their friends, and their relatives, who described or corroborated instances of sexual harassment and misconduct on campus, in Cawthorn’s car, and at his house near campus. Four women told BuzzFeed News that Cawthorn, now a rising Republican star, was aggressive, misogynistic, or predatory toward them. Their allegations include calling them derogatory names in public in front of their peers, including calling one woman “slutty,” asking them inappropriate questions about their sex lives, grabbing their thighs, forcing them to sit in his lap, and kissing and touching them without their consent.
Click through for story. Like other Republican politicians, this dude is a real piece of work.

Yes, Colin Powell Was Fully Vaccinated. He Was Also Seriously Immunocompromised.
Quote – Here’s another bit of nuance that I haven’t seen anyone really talking about but seems the most significant: The reason Colin Powell died of COVID-19 is that he caught it—which meant that it was still circulating among people he had contact with. This point may seem obvious, but too often we forget that one of the greatest risk factors for contracting COVID-19 is community spread. The more people around you who have the disease, the more likely you are to catch it.
Click through for some truth. I saw one meme or tweet which said “Colin Powell did not die because he was vaccinated. He died because you weren’t.”

Food for Thought –

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Video Thread 10/16/2021

 Posted by at 12:20 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Oct 162021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Steve Bannon Headed for Prosecution for Criminal Contempt. Here’s What Congress Should Tackle Next.

Meidas Touch – Ivermectin-pushing doctor cited by far right EXPOSED as a fraud

The Lincoln Project – Dragon of Budapest

MSNBC – Rep. Raskin: ‘Steve Bannon Committed A Crime Today’

Ring of Fire – Lauren Boebert Ripped To Shreds Over Misspelled ‘Imeach Biden’ Effort

Police Scotland – “Don’t be That Guy”

Beau – Let’s talk about Trump’s message to the GOP….

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Open Thread for September 9, 2021

 Posted by at 6:57 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 092021
 

Yesterday, I changed the ink cartridge in my printer, wich enabled me to print out instructions to do something else which I hadn’t beeen able to accomplish because I couldn’t see the instructions and the screens I was supposed to be performing them on at the same time. I still haven’t accomplished it … but I’m getting closer. Incidentally, I do apologize for not mentioning Rosh Hashanah until now when it’s over. But for those who celebrate, I do hope it was happy. And there are other occasions coming soon to observe.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

AP News – Shadow docket Supreme Court decisions could affect millions
Quote – Since Aug. 24, that truncated process known as the shadow docket has moved at astronomical speed, producing decisions related to immigration, COVID-19 and evictions and, most recently, abortion. Those three decisions, with the conservative wing of the court in the majority, have the potential to affect millions of people, in a fraction of the time and outside the normal scrutiny signed opinions can bring. “My memory is, typically, if the Supreme Court was acting in July and August, it was really that quintessential emergency appeal, dealing with something like a death penalty situation. It wasn’t like: What is immigration law going to be in our country? It wasn’t: Will tenants have certain rights? It wasn’t the big substantive questions,” said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School.
Click through for details.

The Hill – Texas abortion law roils businesses
Quote – Still, as of Tuesday afternoon, only a handful of companies have spoken out against the law. Corporate America has mostly remained silent, despite its vocal opposition to Texas’s restrictive voting bill that was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Tuesday. “It’s not surprising because this is harder than a number of other issues,” said Sandra Sucher, a professor of management at Harvard Business School. “Abortion is particularly contentious because we know that it relates to people’s religious views, which is kind of a no-go zone for companies.”
Click through for full story.

The New Yorker (Borowitz) – Abbott Considering Other Measures to Prevent People from Ever Setting Foot in Texas
Quote – Although he acknowledged that new laws banning most abortions, restricting voting, and allowing citizens to carry a gun without a permit or training would dissuade many from visiting Texas, Abbott said that “there’s more we can do…. Just spitballing here, but what if we mandated that every visitor to Texas got bitten by a dog or poked with a stick of some kind?” he said. “I’ll be damned if that wouldn’t do the trick.”
Click through for the reat. Andy doing straight news again.

Food for Thought –

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Video Thread 9/7/2021

 Posted by at 12:10 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Sep 072021
 

Glenn Kirschner – 11 Republican Representatives Join McCarthy’s Obstruction of Congress: Welcome The New Dirty Dozen (I’d call it the “feckless twelve” – “hapless” is too nice, and the original “dirty dozen” ended up accomplishing cleanliness.)

Bonus Glenn: Glenn Kirschner joins Stephanie Miller to talk about the Republican Party. Talk about letting one’s hair down!

Meidas Touch – First Texas… Now Mississippi Set to Deliver DEATH BLOW to Roe v. Wade?!

politicsrus – Texas Abortion

Goose has epic response to humans taking her injured boyfriend0

Update on Arnold – Goose love, in sickness and in health

Beau – Let’s talk about patriotic education, dogs, and civic mindedness….

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Video Thread 8/29/2021

 Posted by at 12:06 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Aug 292021
 

Glenn Kirschner appears to have taken a day off.  He’s entitled.

Don Winslow Films – #TrumpHasAmnesia

Armageddon Update – CoViD-19

Really American – Republicans Terrified of Jen Psaki And Strong Women

Ring of Fire – Even Republicans Are Starting To Realize Arizona’s Ballot Audit Is A Scam

NewsNation Now – RFK-assassin Sirhan Sirhan granted parole (still needs to be approved by full board and governor). Will follow up on this in the Open Thread.

Liberal Redneck – “Spoiled” Little Poor Kids

Beau – Let’s talk about Kennedy, Malcom Nance, and criticism….

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