Open Thread November 2 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 022024
 

Yesterday, I picked up a Randy Rainbow for us – a bit late, but i did manage to remove the advertisinf and the tracing as well – I checked the link of course, and it sode work. I have nothing against Ground News – it apparently works very well too – but as long as I’m paying off the new water heater I really don’t need another paid subscription (I cancellted what i already had), even 50% off. I do wish we’d had this one months ago – OK, some of th details are newer than that, but like six months ago he could already have done a great job with everything we already knew. But better late than never. Also, per the Washington Post, the kids who survived Sandy Hook as first graders will all be voting for the first time this year. But please – there are better ways toachieve full participation in democracy.

Mary Trump nails it. Not that that’s unusual or in any way unexpected. But it does leave me without much if anything to add.

Much as it turns my stomach to even think about it, Hickenlooper is in the right. But I’ afraid his advice to Republicand will fall on deaf ears and blind eyes – if they haven’t detached themselves yet, they’re not going to do it by January.

Not only is it next to impossible for people with the attention span of a gnat to remember all the horrors of the Trump** administratin, it’s probably also impossible for them to stick with Robert Reich long enough to get through a list of just some of them. But I applaud him for trying.

Belle Red Mirage

Dog

Share

Open Thread October 31 2024

 Posted by at 12:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 312024
 

Yesterday, Common Cause reported that the Supreme Court had legitimized Glenn Youngkin’s illegal last minute voter purge in Virginia. That’s huge news, so you probably saw it. You may not have seen, however, that Common Cause is now on the ground in Virginia working to get all of them who are eligible re-registered. Virginia is a same-day registration state, so this is not impossible, just staggeringly challenging. They are accepting donations at commoncause.org. Also, Carrie Burton (NannyCarrie from Care2 and a long time follower here) sent me an email about a program her grandson Peyton is working with about which she is justifiably proud. (This may be a good time to introduce a new emoji I came up with for “tissue alert.”)

TC used to like to say, “The Reich on the left is right,” And that certainly is true of his analysis in general. When he speculates on thinks which might happen, it’s more difficult to assert “he’s right.” But this is certainly a speculation about which I hope,I hope, I hope he’s right. Incidentally, it also contains a photo which immediately reminded me – whay on earth would anyone ever think that white skin is superior to, or even more attractive than, other skin colors? Yes, you may consider that a barf bag alert.

I suspect this, as reported by Wonkette, has been going on for a long time, actually. But now is definitely the time to encourage more of it. And, in this connection, it would not just be for abortion and voting. Nofault divorce is also under attack.

Share

Open Thread October 28 2024

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 282024
 

Yesterday, Trinette came by – besides the normal help with mail, trash, and rcyclables, she also helped with hangin up some drapes which I had finally gotten all the stuff preventing access pout of the way, helpedn me get an old fashined monitor (one of the big ones – remember those?) out of a corner so I can tie it up and put a handle on it, and took in for a refund a product which was an unauthorized substitution (and I already have the email that it’s processing)  I’m short of sleep – but I did mange to lie down for six hours las night and get up without being crippled.  Sorry yesterday’s went up so late in the day.  I’m pretty well useless when I’m not getting sleep.

As a child, Robert Reich had the privilege of meeting Henry Wallace (FDR’s VP in his third term.) He was so young at the time that he didn’t appreciate it them. But he does now. It’s interesting how often in history political figures have been put into place because the inseen party powers believed that those figures could be controlled by them – for good and for bad. Sometimes it has worked, and sometimes not.

At eight days before the election, I’m glad this film (64 Days) in Talking Point Memo‘s report has comeout,but hope it isn’t too little, too late.

Belle gotcha

Cat

Share

Open Thread October 26 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 262024
 

Yesterday, having spent the week hearing about how Trump** wishes he had generals like the generals Hitler had, I think I should throw in my two cents. Hitler’s generals were not competent. This is proven by the fact that they attempted to assassinate him more than once, and failed every time. Trump** and his supporters conveniently forget that detail. Now, if he could have generals like Hitler’s generals only competent, I could live with that. Also, I did sleep in a chair, and even though I’m short on sleep as a result, my back is much, much better. I think I’ll keep doing that for a couple of weeks before trying to sleep in bed again – if as I suspect it is an arthritis flareup, those are supposed to last two to four weeks and then calm down. When my knee flared in 2018 I believe it was, it took the full four weeks, but it did calm down and has not flared since. If I can’t resolve it myself, I’ll seek medical help – but even two weeks should give me a better handle on whether to go to the sports injury center again or just to urgent care.  Also, Robert Reich‘s Election Video of the Week gotposted.

I held this story from The 19th until the weekend because it is so different from anything you’d expect to see in the leadup to a presidential election (but appropriate for Hallowe’en. I suppose the story might anger some people – I’m thinking of anti-trans people who would be upset by a family who love each other this much – and I guess it could also make folks like you and me who respect every other human to be angry at how much they have suffered. But mostly I think it’s sad. I am not trying to pick on Missouri in general nor KC in particular (Tomorrow I’ll be singing KC’s praises). These are things which could happen just about anywhere, sadly.

You probably had no idea you were waiting for Talking Points Memo to publish this opinion piece (though not without facts to back it up) addressing bipartisanship, and the current pressure, especialy on Democrats, to be more bipartisan. But here it is.

Share

Open Thread October 15 2024

 Posted by at 5:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 152024
 

Yesterday, I read Joyce Vance’s “The Week Ahead.” A day late, but since yesterday was Indigenous People’s Day, the week doesn’t start until today. Certainly not SCROTUS’s week – and she includes the SCROTUS week’s calender in her post.

It amazes me that it seems to have taken so long, and so much more evidence, for so many people to see this. I don’t even remember how long I’ve known this, except that it was sometime in his first (and I hope last) term.  I expect Robert Reich has known it for a minute also, but this is the first time I have seen him write about it quite this way.

I think that Wonkette’s Robyn Pennachia does a fine job with this story. She manages to make it both laughable and chilling at the same time, which is not all that easy. I have a bumper sticker – I’ve has it for more than 20 years and have always been afraid to put it on my car, here in Colorado Springs, the crazy Christian capital of the West. And people like the one Robyn describes are why. The sticker says, “Jesus called. He wants his church back.”

Share

Open Thread October 5 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 052024
 

Yesterday, I discovered Brave New Films has released its newest documentary – about the E. Jean Carroll case (They have quite a catalog – the earliest one I remeber them putting out was exposing the Koch Brothers, u they also did one with Ed Asner playing the Fox-owned grandfather. That’s just what I remember. there are lots more.) Also, Robert Reich posted the newest video/article in his current series.

This is not election news, but it is equally disgusting. Since the article is in a local paper, it’s not that specific to where this is happening, but Wonkette, who referred me to it, identifies the district as being in Yotk County, PA. Since we are in the overlap of Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ’s month, I thought I’d share this even without any Hispanic link. My response to this would be a lot of every-thing-proof black paint on the inside (along with protesting.)

Heather Cox Richardson‘s column from Thirsday nigh started me thinking. I am not thrilled by our two party system, yet I fear the formation of a third party because in my lifetime I have seen too many spoiler candidates negatively affect our government. But what if we had four parties, and each one stood for one quadrant of the political compass? I think potential leadership actually exists – Kamala Harris is clearly a strong leader in the lower left quadrant. Jill Stein appears to represent the upper left, and Liz Cheney (along with Adam Kinzinger and Michael Luttig, and likely a lot more who have not spoken out) is clearly in the lower right quadrant. I can think of far too many “leaders” who are solidly in the upper right quadrant, and I expect so can you, and though I would love to make a statrmrnt by alluding to a woman here, I can’t think of one who would actually have that party’s support (Sarah Huckabee Sanders may be the closest.) I doubt whether any one of the four would have a majority without forming a coalition of some kind. It might be fun to speculate who would form a coalition with whom and on what grounds. And it would be much easier to setermine where any given candidate “really” stands. It certinly couldn’t happen in my lifetime. But maybe some day (aessuming we don’t lose the 2024 election.)

Joyce Vance finished and posted here analysis of Jack Smith’s superseding indictment and I, at least, am not disapponted. I hope you’ll think it was worth waiting a day for also. It clarifies the hoops he had to jump through as well as how he did it. When – not if – this comes to the Supreme Court, ALito and Thomas should, of course recuse, but won’t, and can’t be forced to. Although if we get a majority in both the House and the Senate, we may be able to tell them “recuse or be impeached.” If we could get rid ofjust those two, I’d be a happy camper. We’d have a 5-4 majority, and Gorsuch respects tribal law (most Republicans and even some Democrats don’t), and Barrett is a nebbish.

Share

Open Thread September 28 2024

 Posted by at 5:53 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 282024
 

Yesterday, Wonkette referred to this article in America’s Voice. It’s about something which actually happens a lot, yet is always worth celebrating. I mean, of course, the ceremony conferring American citizenship on those who have jumped through all the hoops. It goes right to my heart every time. Did you know a new citizen can change their name legally when naturalized, without having to go to court? I learned that when I was working at USAA and pulled up a piece of mail which turned out to be an N-400. I forget now what exactly he changed it to, but it was clear he was doing so to honor Dr. King. It made my day. Also, Robert Reich posted episode 4 of his current series.I didn’t use number 3 last Saturday – it wasn’t labeled as part of the series – but I did include it in the Open Thread for September 23. I’m still not 100% sure it’s part of the series, but in case it is, you’ll be able to find it.)

The 19th has no intent to disparage the men not of color who have been outspoken on this topic forever. But that’s different from what is happening here. this is a movemet to raise the voices of men of color who have been right all along but have been silent, for whatever reasons.

Well, this is nice. And it’s about damn time. If those children had lived, they’d be entering college and old enough to vote. Since they can’t, the rest of us have to vore for them -not, certainly, by voting multiple times, but by voting for people and initiatives which would have benefitted them, and against people and initiatives which disrespect them.

Share

Open Thread September 7 2024

 Posted by at 6:07 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 072024
 

Yesterday, Robert Reich published his first post in his new series on Project 2025. Also, the names of the two Trump** staffers who accosted the cemetery employee were learned and released by NPR and you can probably find them just about anywhere now. Left Action alreade has a petition to prosecute the one who got physical (Michel Picard – Jen Luc and Patrick Stewart would both be disappointed.) Finally, since Wonkette and Talking Points Memo and others are recommending Joyce Vance as the authority on the meeting in Judge Chutkan’s courtroom regarding the election interference case, the least I can do is provide the link.  Oh, and one more thing — not only is Liz Cheney voting for Harris – so is her father.

Wonkette is not exactly noted for good news, but it was Wonkette which referred me to this story, which made Rebecca (Wonkette owner and editrix [her term]) cry (I don’t know how hard that is – she comes across as pretty tough, but she wouldn’t run the project if she didn’t give a damn about others.) Why can’t all people act like this?

I know everyone who reads here loves animals. This story is something I had not thought about, but now that I know it exists, I can see how badly it is needed. It didnn’t happen in my home – but many substance abusers, including alcoholics become so impossible to live with that human loved ones leave before they hit bottom. And then it’s the animals who are vulnerable.

Share
 Older Entries  Newer Entries