Open Thread March 8 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 082025
 

Yesterday, I started working on setting up my new email inbox with folders and changing the address on all my newsletter subscriptions. Most of them, there is no way without unsubscribing and resubscribing, so I did a fair amount of that (and I’m not done.) Fortunately, I did find a way to change my address for all my Substack subscriptions in one place. That would have been a day’s work in itself. And then migrating my contacts is going to be even worse. But I’m getting closer. In case I didn’t give y’all the new email, it is jvdix@tutamail.com. I’m probably the only one here who would like it, but for me it’s as close to perfect as it gets. Simple, good sized print, white space as needed and not more (he white space they added in Yahoo was more than twice the space of the print.)  I did take a few minutes for sanity’s sake to look at Democratic Underground, where I discovered that a wide variety of Trump** voodoo dolls are now available.

And this from ProPublica contains a number of articles, all of which would be front page above the fold news if it weren’t for us currently having an administration which is a mob under the mob boss President and being supported by the mobsters in Congress, and even by non-mobsters who have no idea how to deal with a mob.

This is from People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch newsletter, so naturally it is outrageous. I don’t like to use the word “demonic” because they fling it so often at us, but on the other hand, we know how how they project, and it really does feel that strong to me.

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Open Thread March 5 2025

 Posted by at 6:07 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 052025
 

Yesterday, The computer I keep the most up to date things on still wasn’t booting. I did some looking up on the other computer, did a little playing around in the system settings, and surprisingly (at least to me) got it to boot. Checking what I did against what I had planned, I hadn’t done too badly. I’m including a few items today which were lost from yesterday, and the rest tomorrow. Thanks for bearing with me. One thing I did fail to mention is that Trinette has been unwell for a bit over a week now – she is getting better, but it’s slow. I’m sure she would appreciate prayers, healing vibes, or however you communicate with the universe (and I would also appreciate on her behalf.)

Heather Cox Richardson from (late) Saturday and including a previously aired interview even older. But some things take time to reveal themselves, and I think this may be one.

Wonkette got the title wrong – it’s clear from the article the correct figure is $2,400 a year. Which makes it even more disgusting that it was blocked. Wealthy people already get a free ride. But they still want even more.

Wonkette is singing my song. Someone should respond to some of these gripes with something like “Tell me you are both ignorant and insecure without telling me you are both ignorant and insecure.” Also, I have noticed (and I never use the phone for anything which can be done by email) that companies are NOT using “Press 1 for English” or anything similar in their menus – haven’t for years. They do have “Press 5 [or whatever] for Spanish,” but it’s clear English is assumed to be the default. If these snowflakes didn’t know that, they can’t be using  phones for personal business much, if at all. Also, with regard to the poster from World War II, I might point out that, in a war, if no one on our side can “speak the enemy’s language,” it is impossible to get any kind of intelligence, which almost certainly will cost lives. That is why the Diné code talkers were such game changers. (It’s pretty easy to tell when something pushes my buttons, isn’t it.

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Open Thread February 27 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 272025
 

Yesterday, I discovered that the reason my Win10 desktop will not run or even load any games is that, though it has a 64bit processor, it only has a 32bit OS. Yes, it took me long enough to figure that out. And upgrading the OS is going to be a time consuming and tedious process spanning multiple (not necessarily consecutive) days. At least my 8.1 will still run them, so I can take my time. Rushing something like this is a great way to lose data. (At least, if I scream a lot, y’all won’t have to hear me. 🙂 Also, here’s a link to a petition which, in my not so humble opinion, should have way more signers than it has, or even than the sponsor is asking for. See what you think.

It’s all too easy, with so much chaos here, to forget that there’s a world out there – and that we are being watched and judged by it. But it’s the case. Heather Cox Richardson looks at it – and at the contrast in the way we were seen in the previous administration, as opposed to how we are seen now. Embarrassing as it is, I think this change is a good thing. If the rest of the world, particularly Europe, were to sound approving of us right now, I’d be far more worried than I am.

Well, it’s here. The 19th reports the first death of a child caused by measles from an outbreak in like 30 years (There was an isolated on in 2018 which may have involved international travel in some way, but there was not an outbreak. Now there is – about 129 kids in west Texas are measles patients.) I think the details are such that your reaction, like mine, will be “Well, we tried to warn you.” I still have all my extra masks from CoViD and intend to use them if necessary.

Yes, a third article, this one from Wonkette. I feel like a broken record saying “We tried to warn you.” But here we are.

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Open Thread February 13 2025

 Posted by at 5:54 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 132025
 

Yesterday, VoteVets sent me an email containing their nickname for Elon Musk: “Dork Vader.” Who says military people have no sense of humor? And I did manage to get through my emails, though I had to speed through a lot of them.

All I can say is that, even if you already thought that ICE was nothing but a bunch of malicious bully Keystone Kops, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. But then, what else could anyone expect from this administration?

Cutting federal funds for medical research is personal to all of us, since any of us could at any time be stricken with some disease or condition which is the subject of research, on which our very lives might depend. But it’s also personal to Joyce Vance in a different way. I’ll let her explain.

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Open Thread January 27 2025

 Posted by at 6:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 272025
 

Yesterday, I got to see Virgil. The drive down was mostly not as bad as two weeks ago, but I did miss my exit and by the time I managed to get off the interstate I was far enough past where I should be to get lost. I eventually made it though. We played cribbage. I always deal the first hand since I’ve had the cards and been shuffling while he’s be getting to the visiting room. But on the second hand, which he dealt, he got a hand with two double runs of three over the 7 and 8 (the fifth card was a 9) – in the crib. If you’ve ever played, you know how unlikely that is – it’s the highest score I’ve ever seen in a crib. So that set a nice tone for the day. Coming back home was much easier than getting there, fortunately. On the way there the windshield wiper fluid was still frozen. Coming back, I just picked up a handful of snow and rubbed it over the driver’s windshield and ran the wipers. And that was all I needed for good vision all the way.

Huff Post points out that “America First” policy could make Americans physically ill. The CoViD pandemic was apparently not enough for him – he wants to make a pandemic out of patchwork.

Well, this is chilling. As much of the news coming out of ProPublica is. And that’s because investigations is what they do. And in particular the things which have the potential for the most danger. I pulled this one from the newsletter, but there are more. Sigh.

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Open Thread December 18 2024

 Posted by at 5:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 182024
 

Yesterday, I managed to bake a batch of cookies and also a batch of muffins. I used half and half spelt and potato flour for both. I also used more liquid than I use with spelt flour alone, and it really still wasn’t enough. But I’ll do better next time. At least the cookies taste fine (I haven’t tasted the muffins yet.) I added “Craisins” (dried cranberries) to both, and at least in the cookies, those worked out well. Speaking of food, the star animal in today’s video is a porcupine. Years ago there was a a rescue porcupine which the family named “Teddy Bear” who went viral. There was even – may still be – a short mp3 file available to download as a ringtone of the sound he made enjoying a pumpkin. I would never have expected a porcupine to sound cute, but Teddy Bear did. I use the sound on my desktop 3rd party software for pop-up reminders – I’ve assigned it to grocery delivery reminders, since it’s food-related.

From Steve Schmidt, a new “Schmidt Storm.” This link is from the subscribers’ email, but it also contains its own link to he transcript (one of three buttons just below the audio-only and just above the title.)

This is from the New England Journal of Medicine, translated into lay language by Democratic Underground member “Doctoris Extincti.” Every one of us who went through the CoViD-19 pandemic – and that is every one of us – will immediately recognize the protocol and will remember that viruses can travel with humans into every corner of the world. Don’t panic – but maybe have a plan.

I’m not going to do this all the time, but I just found a new Randy Rainbow and am using it as today’s cartoon. I cut all but a second of the ad off the front for us.

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Open Thread December 7 2024

 Posted by at 5:58 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 072024
 

Yesterday, my toilet clogged, and the plumber cannot come until Monday. But that’s not why I made this post entirely about healthcare today. I started putting it together when the news of the murder came out. By the way, the picture at left  is from Pearl Harbor. Besides the videos, allow me to add this extra to lighten up a little.
Andy Borowitz on pardons

I have never worked in health insurance, but I have worked in auto and home insurance, and one thing I learned is that if a coverage dispute goes to court, the verdict often goes to the insured, even if the expense is pretty nearly not covered by the contract. And that is because an insurance policy is a “Contract of adhesion.” That means that the insured has little or no say in what the contract says. It’s not a rule (neither is “tie goes to the runner” a rule in baseball). The jury or judge, like the umpire in baseball, must make the decision. But insurance companies know that the insured often gets the benefit of the doubt. I would think this would also apply to health insurance, which leads me to the conclusion that insureds who need help the most are those financially unable to take a case to court – a conclusion which should surprise no one at all. I couldn’t help but think of Wendell Potter – the Cigna CEO who quit because he couldn’t take the corruption. He is still fighting Big Health, and has a column on Substack (the newest entry is from the da before Thanksgiving, so it’s upbeat, but still very telling.)

Since I have already brought up health insurance, this may be an appropriate time to share this story on Medicare Advantage, which is not to anyone’s advantage but those who want to privatize Medicare. And, it not only doesn’t save money for its insured, but it doesn’t save any for taxpayers either. It’s something only a Republican could love. My advice is, don’t get it, and if you have it, don’t renew it. If it’s too late to drop it this year, don’t renew it next year. You’d be far better off setting up a separate savings account for medical emergencies and putting what the pemiums cost into it.

Incidentally, if you live in any of these nine states: Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia – you need to know about this. Even if it wouldn’t affect you personally, it might stall affect a friend, a relative, or a neighbor.

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Open Thread December 5 2024

 Posted by at 6:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 052024
 

Yesterday, the exterminator came and checked inside and out. He said there was a little activity indoors, which didn’t surprise me because last time he came too early and didn’t check inside. I just need to make sure that either the email specified an afternoon time or else I call to confirm that. Here are a couple of extras –
Andy Borowitz
Richardson on the failed coup in Korea

This is from Driftglass, though I found it through Crooks and Liars. Sometimes a really crude analogy is what is needed to make a point (and this one is about as crude as it gets.)

This is a history from Heather Cox Richardson specifically of how the liberal consensus, which I grew up with and so did many of you, was formed – and of what happened to it. And why we need it back – but not exactly how to do that. In my opinion, it’s a keeper – not that I expect to be able to do much of the work. And I have no children or grandchildren. But those of you who do will want, I am sure, to preserve for them as much of it as possible.

Robert Reich endorses Ben Winkler for DNC Chair, and makes what I would consider a strong case. But, you know, there are a lot of Democrats in leadership positions who would disagree. We’d need to convincing that it isn’t just that we are losing with their mode – it’s that their model is causing the losing trend. (BTW, everyone else spells it “Wikler” so Robert Reich may be wrong in his spelling.

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