Open Thread January 30 2025

 Posted by at 5:51 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 302025
 

Yesterday, I learned from Talking Points Memo’s “Morning Memo” that, apparently, there was a midair plane/helicopter crash over the Potomac River the night before. First responders were not expecting there to be any survivors. I’m not up to it, but someone really should start a list of all the deaths traceable to actions of the Orange Oligarch’s second administration. I’m sure there were more resulting from the first term than we ever heard of, since the only ones that were catalogued were the ones from CoViD. I’ve linked to that Memo, not because it has the last word on the crash, but because there is a whole lot more in it. In any case, today is the first day of Black History Month. I am going to be using as much Black History as I can – and including prsent day articles throwing light on the Black experience. Bit if you are interested in diving deeper, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has you covered. If The Emperor doesn’t abolish it.

As fast as things change under an administration which has no idea what it is doing other than robbing the poor to give to the rich, this from Wonkette may already be out of date. I personally read the Colombian Tariffs news only a couple of hours before reading this.

This by Robert Reich is an analysis, not a news piece. So it isn’t now dated and isn’t likely to become dated any time soon. The problem now is how to get this analysis to people who need to be aware of it … and how to get those people to grasp its truth. Good luck with that.

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Open Thread January 29 2025

 Posted by at 6:08 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 292025
 

Yesterday, I watched/listened to most of a Contrarian interview with Sherrilynn Ifill. Being naturally a better reader than listener, while still listening, I scrolled down into the comments. I noticed a bunch of people complaining about no transcript. Odd, I thought, since the button (not exactly presented as a button but as a word which served the function. I finally came to one which was the last in a thread, so probably a lot of people didn’t see it, which pointed out that before you see the transcript “button” you must click on “Watch now” and it will appear. That may only be true on phones and tablets (those who are complaining who mention what hardware they are using look to all be on phones or tablets), but it’s still good to know. As an unpaid subscriber, I can’t comment, but I can recommend comments, and I recommended that one. Also, the Contrarian does pay attention to subscribers, and from now, instead of sending an email for every new post, or even just the major ones, they will send two a day, morning and evening, which will include a list with short descriptions of of the articles (mostly videos) since the previous newsletter. I hadn’t complained, but that will certainly make my life easier. Also yesterday. the stock market tanked – and Robert Reich knows why.  Today, Happy Lunar New Year!

From Wonkette. You likely know about it – but no one says it quite the way Wonkette says it. And we also all knew it was coming, I expect.

These two articles from PoGo are a lot to read, I admit. And getting Congress to do what needs to be done looks darned near impossible. Those three special elections are looking more important every day. Not that they will solve everything, by any means. But every little victory helps a little. BTW if it looks like either of the two links is done, keep scrolling anyway. One had, at least for me, a huge plug for the newsletter – but there was much more after it.

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Open Thread January 28 2025

 Posted by at 6:11 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 282025
 

Yesterday, I had not only yesterday’s email to deal with, but also Sunday’s and about half of Saturdays still. So what did I do? I attempted to get my sewing machine working, of course. This took most of the day. I had not used it for so many years that I had forgotten how to thread it, both upper and lower. So I went to DuckDuckGo and at least has a stroke of luck with the results. My model number is 3577, and it wasn’t a very popular machine, so no search results showed it. One result showed 3537, and I thought, well, that’s close, maybe they’ll work alike, so I went to that page, by golly, the manual was written for both 3537 and 3577. So I now have a manual. But it then took some time to clean it up – and I didn’t stop to oil it, which I clearly should have. I was able to get two urgent repairs done, but not without breaking a needle, and all the rest will have to wait. And I still need to oil it – but at least this time I covered it. Also most of the email will have to wait.  I’ll do my best to at least

I don’t think Robert Reich says anything here that y’all don’t already know. It does provide evidence that we are not overreacting or imagining the horrors of this administration. They really are doing what the Apricot Antichrist said they would. And yet black people, women, Latinx people voted for him. Oh, and seniors too. And the price of insulin for one senior on Medicare had the price of a month’s supply of insulin go up by $772 from December to January (from DU)

As Heather Cox Richardson says, we have all earned a break from last week. Sadly, it’s a break we are not going to get, or not today. This is why I decided to do good-news-only Sundays – it’s the only way I can think of to give us all a tiny break. But this is Tuesday – so that’s over for this week. Instead, here’s news you’re going to need a break from.

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Open Thread January 25 2025

 Posted by at 4:16 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 252025
 

Yesterday, before I could post, I attempted to restart my computer (because my browser kad kicked me out, and when it does that, it has a blackout on all my autofills, and I have to restart to get them back. But, instead of restarting, it gave me the “missing operating system” error. It'[s done that before, and if I leave it alone long enough, it usually eventually starts. I couldn’t start it last night, and I couldn’t restart it today until now. I occupied myself with untangling all the cords attached to it an/or accessories, figuring I would need help, though the help line was not open. After I made sure everything was plugged back in, I tried again and this time is stated. Since the sun hasn’t set yet, I’ just putting up what I had prepared, and then will start on tomorrow’s. Whew! Please send gratitude vibes to Nameless, who posted a reassurance, and to Trinette, who texted him so he knew to do so.

steveschmidt.substack.com/p/the-big-lie
I am as sure as I can be that there is no one who reads here who needs to read Steve Schmidt’s essay in order to understand where we are. I wish I could say the same of elected Democrats – but I can’t. I do note that a personal letter to an individual is not subject tp copyright law – you can quote the whole thing as long as it’s just in a private letter. Even if that person is an elected official. Just Sayin’.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/what-you-can-do
On thie other side of the coin is this from Robert Reich. I live not in a city but in an unincorporated area, and I absolutely do not trust County officials. I leave my house only to see Virgil or for a medical appointment – neither are places I am likely to observe others’ unrestrained behavior. I have been boycotting X before it as X, and Amazon and Fox for years. There are better people out there – Penzey’s, for example. and everyone eats. Not everyone cooks, but Bill Penzey’s letters are worth the click. And who knows – you might find a product to try. And so on. Bottom line, all the advice is good, not all of is can follow it, those who can probably are already. But keep it in mind for sharing in case you are asked.

Belle Rosa Parks

Dog

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Open Thread January 6 2025

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 062025
 

Yesterday, Joyce Vance‘s “Civil Discourse” addressed Trump**’s potential sentencing, and why it matters. The Readers Digest version is that the judge and the prosecution are looking to history in the future. As the only state which has currently achieved a jury verdict of “guilty” in a criminal case, New York is in a key position to make or break history here, and a;; involved on the right side appear determined to do what they can to make it. But for us non-legal people it’s going to be disappointing. Joyce explains it better then I can, so I hope you’ll at least skim it through.

Heather Cox Richardson on Friday (technically Thursday night, but it reached my inbox at 6 minutes to midnight, which would be after midnight Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii time, and do many people really stay up east of me until 10 or 11pm to read political posts?), after discussing the Presidential Citizens Medals which President Biden awarded Thursday, took a deep dive into what Republicans are saying and doing to distract us from their actual goal of robbing the poor to give to the rich. (I didn’t post this yesterday because this year I will be trying even harder to reserve Sunday for good news. We will be severely needing needing breaks.)

Robert Reich is optimistic here – but not optimistic enough to post on Sunday, And also, there’s all that depressing history to get through first.

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Open Thread December 30 2024

 Posted by at 6:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 302024
 

Yesterday, we lost one of the only two Presidents (of my lifetime – because I wasn’t the ones before that through good chunks of their lives. I have thoughts but no evidence.) whose entire lives were marked by a deep love of, and an equally deep commitment to, pure goodness. I’m just not able to process it yet. Nameless, however, has posted an In Memoriam – you’re on the home page just scroll down one post, and if you are on the page which allows comments, go back one post with the direction under the comments section. (And, after that, do whatever you did one more time to read a new  “Sound Off” by Freya.  I’ll try to send a letter out but don’t know whether I’ll be able to. As nearly as I can tell, he died while Virgil and I were playing cribbage (and enjoying it immensely.) I don’t believe he would have minded that one little bit.)

I do wish Robert Reich would take a look at The Political Compass. Yes, I realize everything is linked – but for those of us not as smart as Robert (and I am certainly one), looking at them all at once is distracting. And, frankly, the pictures help. I would have no problem to adding civic morality to economic systems and government style to make a three dimensional graph – which I guess Windows can now do that. (Adding personal morality would alienate far too many Americans.) Also, I disagree with myth #11. I’m afraid that one’s true. I grant they may not have been ignorant before they started following Trump** – but having done so for eight or nine years – they are ignorant now.

h
Christmas is over, but Hannukah continues, Kwanzaa has begun, and New Year’s Day awaits. So it’s still the holiday season. (And Robert Hubbell also has a surprise holiday gift in the astrophotography today.)

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Open Thread December 28 2024

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

Yesterday was another day I didn’t do much. I enjoy being idle, but I’d also like to get more done. Oh well, if I don’t, then I’m the one who has to live with it.

Robert Reich – the reich on the left – is right. How right is he? So right that I feel the need to emphasize it by meming a quote from it for today’s cartoon.

Christmas Eve is past, but, as Joyce Vance points out, this is too important to ignore. I suspect some (not here, but elsewhere) may be thinking that at least he’s turning his crazy on someone besides us. But at a veteran, I have to point our that out military IS us – and when you include the families and colleagues and friends in whose circles veterans, active duty military, and those now considering enlisting live, that involves a lot of us.

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 16: Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich testifies before the Joint Economic Committee January 16, 2014 in Washington, DC. Reich joined a panel testifying on the topic of “Income Inequality in the United States.Ó (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Open Thread December 15 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 152024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Grounded” by Jeanine Tesori, a new (2023) commission from the Met. I’ve linked to the Wikipedia page on it – I won’t even try to summarize it – but I would love to know what Tammy Duckworth would think of it, if she were to watch it or listen to it – though I would not be surprised if she didn’t want to. The music is very listenable, which should not surprise anyone, as it is from the composer of two Tony-winning Broadway musicals plus “Shrek the Musical,” as well as other operas. Alo, I suppose I should say something about the drone sightings over New Jersey, NYC, and Connecticut, but sine I don’t know any facts, I don’t have anything to say. I can say the Cory Booker is concerned and pressing for information. So now I’m off to see Virgil, and will check in when I return.

Straight from The Root, a piece of good news for a Sunday.

This is Part I of Robert Reich‘s analysis of how we need to develop our messaging (Part II follows below). He may be right – I’m a great believer in the power of story – but the proposition bothers me because, although to of the tories lead to care for others and to justice, two lead to hard hearts and injustice.

Robert Reich Part II. A couple of comments are shown in the free version, and one of them points out that some Democrats have no difficulty with properly identifying the “rot at the top.” The commenter cites Sanders and Warren, but my first thoughts upon reading the subtitle were for AOC, Katie Porter, and Jasmine Crockett.

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