Glenn Kirschner – NY authorities preparing for Trump indictment; Trump’s lawyers says Trump will turn himself in
PoliticsGirl – Must Do Before April 4!!
Ring of Fire – Texas Republicans Push ‘Bounty Hunting Bill’ Targeting Drag Queens
Robert Reich – This One Thing Would Increase Wages By $300 Billion
Spicy Kitten Needs To Be Wrapped in Purrito
Beau – Let’s talk about what went down over Ukraine….
Glenn Kirschner – Michael Cohen testifies in NY Grand jury; Trump refuses to testify in grand jury; indictment nears (Cohen is not a target of the grand jury before which he is testifying. A big difference – which Glenn taught me.)
Farron Balanced – Republican Lawmaker Has Complete Meltdown Over 4th Grader’s Rainbow Drawing
Robert Reich – What Silicon Valley Bank’s Implosion Means for You
Armageddon Update – This MOTHERTUCKER!
Pittie Thrown Away In Trash Does The Happiest Zoomies Around His New Yard
Beau – Let’s talk about an enduring math problem in Ukraine…. (for once, I knew this before he did. I’d call that a scoop!)
Yesterday, I got the email that my prescription is ready, and the verdict from my doctor that (he doesn’t know either, and the) I should stop by an urgent care facility and have them look. So today I will be doing that. So, today, I have a couple of unusual articles, and tomorrow, there may be only a personal update, or maybe a personal updant and a video thread – those are a little easier to put together than the Open Threads. Oh, and I also got the confirmation to visit Virgil this coming Sunday.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Mother Jones – Finally, a Peek Into the Arctic Seed Vault That Could Save Humanity
Quote – The Global Seed Vault in the Norwegian Arctic, which opened in 2008, is closed to the public and shrouded in mystery, the subject of numerous internet doomsday conspiracy theories. Now, to celebrate the vault’s 15th anniversary, everyone is invited on a virtual tour to see inside the vast collection of tubers, rice, grains, and other seeds buried deep in the mountain behind five sets of metal doors. The deep-freeze, designed to last forever, is co-managed by the Norwegian government, the Crop Trust and NordGen, the genebank of the Nordic countries. The seeds could hold answers to agricultural challenges posed by climate crisis, invasive species, pests, changes in rainfall patterns and rampant biodiversity loss are studied, and it opens three times a year to accept new deposits from other seed banks around the world. Scientists say they hope people will learn more about their work through the virtual tour—without running the risk of falling prey to a polar bear.
Click through for story, and for the link to the tour, which is over the words “invited on a virtual tour to see inside the vast” – not highlighted, but there is a thin red underline.
Justice News – Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Trip to Ukraine
Quote – At the Opening Session of the conference, the Attorney General provided remarks in which he discussed, among other things, the Justice Department’s role in collaborating with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General and the moral and personal responsibility he feels in pursuing accountability. “Just over twelve months ago, invading Russian forces began committing atrocities at the largest scale in any armed conflict since the Second World War. We are here today in Ukraine to speak clearly, and with one voice: the perpetrators of those crimes will not get away with them,” said Attorney General Garland.
Click through for this news. I had no idea this happened while it was happening (not that anyone did outside of those with a need to know), but I’m glad it did. The meing included Ukrainian and Polish law enforcement, and possibly others. The print is very small – instead of using the magnifier, since there was so much of it, I copied the text ans pasted it into a blank document where I could adjust the font size.
Food For Thought
From 2021, but very pertinent
Glenn Kirschner – NY prosecutors talk with Kellyanne Conway about Trump’s hush money crimes; payoff of Stormy Daniels
MSNBC – Lawrence: Why were some FBI agents ‘inclined to believe Trump’?
Armageddon Update – Red States Vs. Blue States
Patrick Fitzgerald – Three Times a Failure
The Ginger Tabby Who Fell In Love With A Shredded Box
Beau – Let’s talk about China’s peace plan and Russia’s reaction….
Glenn Kirschner – DOJ declares Donald Trump DOES NOT have immunity for Jan. 6 speech inciting violence at the Capitol
PoliticsGirl – Fox News Viewer?
Thom Hartmann – Putin Reveals Latest Cause Of Ukrainian War
Mrs Betty Bowers – Gossiping with God
Mama Dog And Her Puppies Found Under A Bus — See Them All A Year Later!
Beau – Let’s talk about Medicaid and what to do if you’re now ineligible….
Glenn Kirschner – Judge unseals order directing Rep. Scott “Pardon Me” Perry’s cell phone disclosed to prosecutors
Robert Reich – Deregulation is Destroying Us
VoteVets – The Line
Patrick Fitzgerald – George Santos (not brand new but PolitiZoom just found it)
Dog Rescued From Side Of Road Gives His Cat Friend Kisses
Beau – Let’s talk about when the boss shows up and photos….
“SLAVA UKRAINI!” – “Glory to Ukraine!”
On the anniversary of Putin’s ill-advised invasion there have been many accolades paying tribute to the resolve and bravery of Ukraine and its people. Out of the many options commemorating this sad day I wanted to be as inclusive as possible. I decided by sharing the many wonderful lightings in Ukraine’s colors of landmarks around the world would be a good format.
But the problem that ensued was where to draw the line. That’s why I’m late getting this posted: It was hard to stop downloading them – and I’m still leaving many out.
Some of the GIFs are of a landmark or landmarks in a single region, while others are of varied locations. I’ll try to very briefly identify them below the GIFs, so look for an easily recognizable one as a marker to determine the order.
Empire State Building
Eiffel Tower
Memphis Bridge, Copenhagen Castle, Denver City Hall, Stenbock House (Estonia), French Embassy and Ludwigsburg Palace (Germany)
Colosseum
Los Angeles: 2nd Street Tunnel and City Hall
(SIDEBAR: The 2nd Street Tunnel has played a pivotal role in many movies: Blade Runner, Flashdance, Terminator, Rocky IV, Lethal Weapon 2, etc.)
Helsinki Town Hall, Kyiv Opera House, Parliament Building – Lisbon, Lviv Opera House – Ukraine, Cibeles Fountain – Madrid, Flinders Street – Melbourne, Metropolitan Opera House – NYC
San Francisco City Hall
UK Sites: St. George Hall – Liverpool, 10 Downing Street, The Eye – London, Trafalgar Square – London, St. Albans Cathedral
Niagara Falls, Oslo City Hall, Peace Tower – Ottawa, Sarajevo City Hall (Bosnia), Parliament Building – Madrid, Sydney Opera House, Toulouse City Hall (France)
Chicago: Chicago City Hall, the Rest Are of Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, Featuring “Art on the Mart”
Washington, DC: Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Kennedy Center and National Cathedral
Yesterday, the radio opera was “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by Dmitri Shostakovich. It was based on a novella of roughly the same name, as unfair as that name is to the protagonist, who is essentially reacting to being abused, not only by her husbamd, but by her father-in-law, and then by an employee of the family business with whom she has an affair which essentially begins with a rape. No, murder is never justified, but it really is not hard to have empathy for her. There is a revised version from 1962, which the composer felt was different enough to rename it “Katerina Izmailova,” but it’s the original version (and the original title) which is usually heard today. The opera is one of many of his works which got him into deep doodoo with Stalin (he used to keep a fully packed suitcase by his front door so that if the secret police came in the middle of the might he’d have some possessions to take with him.) As always, I’ll comment when I get back from seeing Virgil.
Cartoon
Short Takes –
Crooks & Liars – Why Hasn’t Russia Destroyed Even One US HIMARS System In Ukraine?
Quote – The HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) has been credited with changing the trajectory of the war. Though Ukraine only has about 20 of these systems sent from the United States, Russia seems to have no counter. And many have wondered why Russia has not managed to destroy a single one of them
Click through for article and video. I don’t know much about Czech history or culture. I would not have expected this. But, upon reflection, it fits very well with the little I do know. (And it’s most amusing.)
A Jim Crow–Era Murder. A Family Secret. Decades Later, What Does Justice Look Like?
Quote – It’s like “legal archaeology,” Burnham says. The students read old newspapers, travel to Southern towns to obtain court transcripts, and speak with surviving families. “It’s really not enough to say, ‘Those were horrible days,’ and let them pass,” Burnham told the Northeastern Law magazine in 2010. “The details matter. These stories are important, and to the extent these people are still around, their stories deserve to be told.”
Click through for story. I don’t really have words. I’m thankful for this project – but then I look at the complete erasure of reality DeSatan is perpetrating in Florida. I hope these stories do not disappear like the family photographs mentioned.
Food For Thought
