Feb 142025
 

Yesterday, having gotten my Windows 8.1 back on the internet Tuesday with the help of a technician (I knew it was an ethernet cable that wasn’t plugged in, and I even knew which cable but I had no idea where it should go), I went to the 8.1 first to deal with emails. I had 99, and in under an hour I got it down to 44, and that included not just deleting, but unsubscribing where appropriate and signing all petitions – and even adding back in a couple of thanks for signing emails. It is so much faster than the Win10 – and my browser there doesn’t keep bumping me out of the Net. There are a few things I like about 10, like being able to make the mouse pointer both large enough for me to see it and changing to contrasting colors so it jumps out. And there are some things it can do that the 8.1 can’t. But it is so slow. The technician couldn’t get my second and third phone handsets working, but he did explain why (essentially my phone lines are inside the walls) and what I can do about it – several options – and I went with the cheapest and easiest, ordering some new equipment, even though that means I have to wait a bit. It will give me more and better control in the long run. In other news, Josh Hawley said something which was not only intelligent,  but Constitutional, and even moral. To reach it at this link you need to scroll down past the second Aaron Ruper Xeet five paragraphs – the one with the quote begins with “This culminated in…” I think you’ll find it worth it. Hawley said it in a Xeet of his own, and I won’t go there, nor make you go there. Finally, for Valentine’s day, the Holocaust Museum has love stories to share. Here’s one.
https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/the-last-guardrail

This from The F* News is more about Musk than Trump** – and possibly more scary, although that’s close to a toss-up. This certainly lays out the grounds for calling Musk “Dork Vader.” The cartoon below is from Steve Schmidt – I don’t know whether he made it, but he owns it, since he is not just allowing but encouraging anyone who sees it to spread it widely.

Doktor Zoom at Wonkette takes on the confirmation of RFK Jr sardonically, as is to be expected. In a separate Substack, Andy Borowitz advises that the NAFD (National Alliance of Funeral Directors) publicly applauded the confirmation. I don’t know about them (assuming they exist, which, Andy being Andy, is not terribly likely), but I do know and am embarrassed to say that the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) is happy with the confirmation (I unsubscribed when they wanted me to ask my Senators to vote to confirm Bobby. ANH has some good ideas, but also some terrible ones, and don’t know – and clearly a lot of member don’t know – where to draw the line.

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Dec 272024
 

Yesterday, Colorado Public Radio newsletter sent this. A little late. I knew this existed, and the origin story, but there’s more detail in the article. Fortunately there are still enough people who have the Christmas Spirit to keep it going. And enough kids to enjoy it.

I find it difficult to believe that anyone at The F* News would believe in any kind of miracle – and this isn’t one IMO – the 46% he and The Conference Board refer to are all people who voted for Kamala, or would have had they voted. But it’s an eye-catching header. We can hope that it gets widely read and quoted.

Harry Litman of Talking Feds calls this a “change of pace” post, which is certainly an understatement. But I have no problem taking time to recognize that these people to whom we go for expertise and wisdom are also human, and have human likes and dislikes. And he also has a list of podcasts he has made and will be continuing to make, which “dive deep into seven critical areas where Trump will be looking to attack government as we know it.” Four have already aired, but are still available (and I assume transcripts are also. At least I hope so.) The next one, coming up Monday – well, I’m thrilled that he considers my state’s attorney general to be “pure gold.” I certainly do, but what do I know.

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Dec 112024
 

Yesterday, with the bathroom issue fixed (at least for now) I tried phonimg the internet/phone people’s customer support, which turned out to be useless.  I tried to fine an email address, but apparently they only accept on line communication through Fakebook, Xitter, and Instagram, none of which I would touch.  Trying to think of some other way, I added to my draft a paragraph about hating chat and that I would log out as soon as I had posted it, I copied and pasted the letter requested a transcript, and logged out.  I am anticipating having to go to snailmail, and am prepared for that.

Heather Cox Richardson is always thoughtful and knowledgeable, but sometimes she produces a real zinger – stuff from history which is so pertinent to what we are experiencing that it almost makes the hair stand up on the back of one’s neck. IMO this is one of those times.

This from The Root – it’s totally unrelated to the US or to our politics but it’s so upbeat I felt I needed to share it And y’all needed to see it.

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Nov 212024
 

Yesterday, the Riccardis took the song “Who shot the Sheriff” and turned it into “I thought the tariffs” and really covered just about every discouraging point. Well done. I also learned that a 2025 commemorative stamp for Betty White will be released sometime in 2025. She’s one of those people who are/were pretty much universally loved.  I also did a little online shopping – I need to get what I need from China before the inauguration while I can still afford to.

Robert Reich on DOGE. I can’t imagine Trump** has the foggiest notion of the other meaning of the acronym – a term from the Italian Renaissance for an absolute ruler. Most people think first of Venice, but other city states also had them, notably Genoa (Simon Boccanegra was one, though the Verdi opera based on him is not 100% historically accurate.) The word is a now obsolete variant of “Il Duce.” Hiding fascism in plain sight. I’d also point out that destroying “bureaucracy” is not an admirable or a desirable goal. As i learned in MBA school, “bureaucracy” was invented to replace partisan government service which had unfairness baked in with a non-partisan, merit based system which would be unbiased. No human institution is perfect, but I would far prefer and always recommend some form of bureaucracy over any other system for running a large country. You might still get screwed by a bureaucrat, but it wouldn’t be for any personal reason. With Trump** and apparently Elno, everything is personal because everything is transactional. (And that part of Verdi’s opera – the dude saying “you gotta reward me because I made you Doge” – and not getting his way and then poisoning Simon – is quite historically accurate, and appropriate to a Trump** administration.)

Robert Hubbell points out that the “red mirage” has not ended, and that the count is still changing – certainly through this week, and maybe longer. More counts will not change the results, because of the electoral college – but we have already seen Trump** fall below 50% of the popular vote, and we may yet see him slip below Kamala’s popular vote total. So much for the “landslide” that really never was anyway.

I don’t know what to do about this -I tried everything I could think of including re-downloading it from my original source, which by the way is here – https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219725786

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