Women’s Health – Politics Plus

Open Thread November 5 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 052024

Yesterday, I learned that Kamala Harris had appeared on Saturday Night Live’s cold open along with Maya Rudolph. (Yeah, even with the extra hour, I didn’t get through Sunday’s emails on Sunday.) Mitch, sweetie that he is, had sent me a link to the NYTimes article on it, which I did archive, but frankly I don’t much care what the NYTimes has to say about anything any more. So here’s a link to the Cold Open on YouTube. Also yesterday I learned that Quincy Jones died Sunday – and I might not have learned that without subscribibg to The Root’s free enail newsletter, so much has the election sucked the life out of all other news (although in the evening I did hear about it on CPR Classical.)

Heather Cox Richarddson has just returned fro a thirteen month book tour, and is admittedly exhausted. But, while o tour, everywhere she went she was asked the same question – to wit, how she managed to maihtain hope in the face of – well, everything. this is her answer. I’m not adding a tissue alert – I needed one, but I think that’s at least in large part because I’m low on antidepressant just now – and I don’t see this history being taught in red states any time soon. But the history itself is filled with hope.

Joyce Vance’s “The Week Ahead” (also from Sunday evening) may not be as radiantly hopeful as Cox Rixhardson, but it is full if information which should not be missed. What we don’t know about, we cannot defend against. And it’s not all bad. There’s some good news also. (And did you know that chickens can purr? The previous day’s column even had a short video with sound which proves it. I am speechless.)

Open Thread September 28 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon 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.

Open Thread September 25 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 252024

Yesterday – well, let’s just say – did you know there was a new PAC called AntiPsychopath Pac? I sure didn’t. But I certainly welcome it!

The author of this article, Jeremy Mohler, works with In The Public Interest, which is probably the most ambitious opponent of inappropriate privatization of government functions (which IMO means almost any privatization of government functions) in the U.S. today. Why do I say that? Because our government was designed, among other things, to “promote the general welfare.” That’s in the Preamle to the Constitution. Corporations are designed to promote the welfare of their stockholders – not the welfare of all their stakeholdres, which would include the general public, along with the conporation’s employees. If you want to call that Socialism, it follows you must believe that the authors of the Constitution were Socialists. I think not.

This article from the Brennan Center for Justice is a referral from Joyce Vance, who is busy with about 11 baby chicks (all of whom are terminally cute. There are pictures.) If one works in any way with the law or legal issues, one does not want to be on the wrong side of the Brennen Center. And it would appear that John Roberts just got there.

Open Thread September 4 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 042024

Yesterday, Joyce Vance decided that her (paywalled) post from last Friday was “so timely and so important that I’ve taken it out from behind the paywall” and republished it here. I do realize not everyone knows someone in high school, or a parent with a child in high school, or a grandparent. But lots of people do, and even if one doesn’t – I don’t – it’s still good information to have, and good to know that people are working on it. When more people vote, we win.

Well, this was certainly not on my bingo card. But I like it. A lot. I really hope there is a Democrat somewhere who is just goofy enough to run with it who has, or can get, the funding for it. It might not even need to be a very large run. Just one, with the right publicity, would do teh trick.

Robert Reich takes on mergers – and specifically the proposed Kroger-Albertson’s merger. I expect you all already knew this was a terrible idea. But possibly not all the details of just how terrible an idea it is.

Open Thread September 3 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:05 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 032024

Yesterday, I was referred to this article by a poster at Democratic Underground. It’s at Salon, which I have long thought is one of the most, maybe the most in depth organ on cultural issues at least, and often beyond. Actually,that’s a reason why I don’t cite it more often than I do – I don’t have the time or energy to go that deep often, and I don’t expect you to either. But I am citing this one.

There are ways to sugarcoat this – and that’s part of the problem. It’s gonna take a whole lot of votes to offset it. I think the votes are there, but we will need every single one of them. GOTV matters as – well, not as never before because it mattered this much in 2016 and we didn’t succeed. But it matters that much again.

I would not call this an unseen problem – anyone who looks at national election results nationall since 1980 (and particularly since 2000) sees it clearly. I would call it an unacknowledged problem, since no one but Democrats (and not all of us) and the National Popular Vote interstate Compact is pointing it put. And why would Republicans point it put? It’s the only way they can win ( almost said without cheating, but, for on thing, it is a forme of built-in cheating, and for another, if it isn’t enough for them, they cheat in other ways, as in 1976.) I do not intend to badmouth decent and honorable Republicans (mostly historical) such as Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, T. Roosevelt, Margaret Chase Smith, Mark Hatfield, Adam Kinziger, and others (mostly historical.) But the few that are left had lost control of the party by 1980. None of this is unseed. It’s merely unmentioned.

Open Thread August 27 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:52 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 272024

Yesterday, of course, the big news was the NPD data breach, and that a security firm called Pentester (pentester dot com) can tell you whether your Social Security number was compromised or not. I looked at the page they put up to notify people whether or not their SSN has been compromised, and I noted that it asked only for first and last name, state of residence, and year (not the full date) of birth. In other words, you don’t need to provide your SSN, and I can see a legitimate need for those four chunks of data in order for them to be positive, but I don’t see it as enough information to compromise you without also having the number. Before requesting, however, I also read three reviews of Pentester on line. One said it’s a scam. The second gave it a rating of 71.5 out of a possible 100. The third said it is absolutely not a scam. I decided not to send the form. If you are worried, I suggest you look up Pentester reviews yourself and make your own decision. Also yesterday, I got an email from “levi + artie”, subject “WOOF!” which started “we are jawn’s dogs.” It went on to say “will you please chip in 10 dollars (we are told they are a form of human treats but you can’t eat them so we are not sure what exactly the point of that is)” The “jawn” in question is Fetterman. I just had to share the chuckles.

Joyce Vance’s “The Week Ahead” this week starts with today, Tuesday, because today is the day Jack Smith appears in Cannon’s court to appeal her dismissal of the documents case. And there are enough possibilities that it would be a challenge just to make a flowchart. Since Joyce knows what she’s taling about, she makes it as simple as possible. Personally, I would love it if Jack would ask to speak to the judhe in chambers and then give her an earful. But, unless it would be the best thing for the case, he won’t.

Well, dang! There are some sane Republicans left in Colorado! Though you wouldn’t know it by, for instance, Boebert. There are enough to vote to oust the state party chair (a JD Vance lookalike – and apparently the resemblance extends to personality). Apparently he is still refusing to step down, calling the meeting where the vote was taken “illegitimate” and “a fake takeover.” CPR thinks the state party is headed for a schism. I’m for it. The story is still being updated as new events occur, so it’s far from settled.

Open Thread June 25 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:56 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jun 252024

Yesterday was the second anniversary of the Dobbs decision. Two effing years. Here’s a link to what Mary Trump and two of her friends, both of whom have worked on the Lincoln Project but have now founded what’s called The Seneca Project, have to say about it. There’s both a 37 minute video and a full transcript.

Heather Cox Richardson on the rconomy compared and consrasted baased on who wins the election. I am not convince that all those “business leaders” are as smart as Heather appears to think they are (I know for a fact that Elon isn’t). but even a few of them that smart would hlp.

Joyce Vance, because the Supremes aren’t finished for the year. In fact, tere are 12 undecided cases to go/ The earliest we can expect another opinion to drop is Wednesday. (As Joyce points out, and as I have often noticed, anything that happens during a President’s term of office, 17% at least will think is his fault. Or to his credit – it works both ways.)

Open Thread June 17 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:07 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jun 172024

Yesterday, I managed to remember it was Father’s Day in time to wish Virgil a happy one. The prison dog’s handler brought him out to say happy Father’s Day to all the visitors. And of course we played cribbage. Two weeks ago the cards were seriusly hot – we were seeing scores up as high as 24. Yesterday not so much. The highest score all afternoon was 16, and there were only 3 hands all afternoon which achieved that score. But who cares – we were having fun.

Before we get too giddy over the Supremes approving mifeprestone (for now), we need to look deeper. Robert Hubell does. There are several topics here, but each has its own large type headline, so it’s not hard to find. And some of the other topics are pretty interesting also.

Yes, it took me a while to get this up. But I try to minimize bad news over a weekend. At least there are influential people who see right through this and are doing their best to spread reality. Unfortunately, the media is not among them.

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