Yesterday, Hump Day, I accomplished almost nothing. Fortunately, there are other days.
On the last day of Women’s History Month, Heather Cox Richardson posted a biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (And of Marty, from when they met.) I held it a few days because it’s timeless, as opposed to court and political news.
Thom Hartmann frequently uses clickbaity headlines, but he knows a fact when he sees one – his content is as reliable as possible.
From danarheaelliott’s keyboard to God’s monitor. I will say that some of this is so downright idiotic that people of normal and up intelligence may be confused. Don’t worry about it.
Yesterday, I didn’t do much. I received an order of groceries and for once got everything I ordered and nothing I didn’t. The news was light also, so I’m going with one deep and one women’s history today. When I say deep, I mean both serious and scary. Definitely worth some thought.
Heather Cox Richardson takes Talking Points Memo’s exposure of the SACR (Society for American Civic Renewal) and uses her knowledge of history to compare it to various happenings in our own history, leading up to the Civil War.
This is just appalling – not that the Panthers showed up, but that they felt (with sound reason) that they needed to. Crazy white people are a threat to everyone. I’m not sure who they think thay are, but I’m damen sure that, whoever it is, they’re not.
Yesterday, I got a couple of my hospital stay bills paid (with my HRA credit/debit card.) I haven’t paid them all because I haven’t gotten them yet – the hospital got my address wrong and then passed that on to everyone. I have like 8 MSNs (they used to be called EOBs), many have more than one provider, and one of them has so many providers it’s 14 pages. But the combination of Medicare and an HRA is a real blessing. Incidentally, today is Saint Joseph’s Day. Just two days after St. Patrick’s, and coming asthey do in the middle of Lent, they make a nice little break from Lenten fasting … if anyone is still doing that.
Robert Hubbell provided a link to a transcript of President Biden’s Gridiron speech. Unlike the White Hose Correspondents’ Dinner, video is never released from the Gridiron, so this is all we’ll get. FactBase, who posted it, attempts to provide reactions along the way. Remember, when you see negative reactions, that everyone there is a journalist. My reaction is very positive to thse remarks.
Viktor Orbán is in some ways more dangerous than Trump**. Unlike Trump**, he knows what he is doing and he is good at it. The meeting Heather Cox Richardson writes about was blatant subversion, and a public slap in the face to the United States (though it wpuld have been more public had the media bothered to notice it.)
Yesterday, President Biden sent his budget to Congress – a trifling $7.3 trillion. I wouldn’t count on Congres, particularly the House, to act constructively. Also, I learned VP Harris will visit Colorado today. No, I won’t be there, but I expect to get a report from CPR today or tomorrow. And I found a link to the one-woman show about Ann Coulter. It was made in 2020, and will be available through 2026. It runs abou an hour and 53 minutes. If you have never seen it, you may want to – and if you have seen it, you may want to see it again.
Off topic, but, if you havent, please check out the open thread for March 9 – there’s news about Carrie (not, sadly good).
I don’t doubt this would make a lot of people angry – if they would see it – which they probably won’t. “Le secret des grandes fortunes sans cause apparente est un crime oublié, parce qu’il a été proprement fait” – Balzac – usually quoted in English as “Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.”
If you ever read “The 19th Magazine”, or if you saw this article in their newsletter, you instantly knew I would use it. Women’s History, Black History, even music history, all in one piece – of course I would.
Yesterday, the radio opera was Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino.” If you ever hear someone claim that opera has far-fetched, hard to believe, plots, this may be the one they are thinking of. It starts with the heroine planning to elope, since her father disapproves of her suitor. The suitor is a bit late, and, unfortunately, the father bursts into her room before they have left. He threatens the suitor, who responds by attempting to prove he is not an enemy by disarming. But the gun goes off (in the script he drops or throws it to the floor, which sets it off; this production is less clear about what happens.) And the unintended bullet kills her father, who, as he dies, curses his daughter. I used to say “And from there it just gets more unlikely.” Today I wouldn’t claim it gets less likely – however, it certainly doesn’t get any more likely either. The opera is not performed all that often, not because it isn’t popular (it is), but because the soprano part is at least as difficult as anything in opera, even Wagner’s operas, and Leontyne Prices just don’t turn up every day. There are excerpts from it which are frequently recorded separately – arias for the soprano and the tenor, a male chorus with soprano obligato, a duet with the tenor and the baritone – all of which are in different ways heartbreakingly beautiful.
Just a little exercise in “compare and conatrast” here:
“Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today…. History is watching. If the United States walks away, it will put Ukraine at risk. Europe is at risk. The free world will be at risk, emboldening others to what they wish to do us harm.” [President Joseph Biden, State of the Union Address, March 7, 2024]
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility.” [president Abraham Lincoln – Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]
I did not watch or listen to the Republican response (can you blame me?), and, although some of this article has been “translated,” shall we say, it’s probably all we need to know about it.
Well, this is bad news for anyone with allergies who has ambitions of traveling into space! But I’m sure glad they found it out this way and not in use.
Yesterday, I got another grocery order. I loaded up on fresh fruit and also got some fresh vegetables, one of which is intended to be in ingredient in a new crockpot recipe – so I’ll cut this short and go back to working on it. But P.S. – this is the T-shirt.)
As usual, Mary Trump has a lot to say. This time it’s about the cognitive issues of her uncle. She starts by quoting one of his former White House advisers on what she (the adviser) has seen since 2016. But then, Mary also goes back many years ago – as far back as when Donald got chosen and Fred disinherited. This makes his current state appear even more disastrous.
Axios sent out a news flash that Nikki Haley won the Republican primary in Vermont. Only that one, but it means Trump** cannot clain a sweep. Betcha Biden can. (And I find it hard to believe Bernie’s Vermont preferring Trump** over just about anyone, so it makes sense.)
Heather Cox Richardson picked March 2, the anniversary of US Steel (founded 1901), to write about that and about the policy changes made by Teddy Roosevelt. She writes late, so I did not get it until the 3rd, and today is the 4th, so it’s 2 days late. But it really should never be forgotten.
Tennessee Brando made a video for Meidas Touch about what it’s like to be an addict, active and recovering. He made it in connection with Hunter Biden’s testimony. But I wish everyone could see it. I’m sharing the link to the DU article because you can always get from there to YouTube comments if you like, but you can’t go the other way.
some fresh vegetables, one of which is intended to be in ingredient in a new crockpot recipe – so I’ll cut this short and go back to working on it. But P.S. – this is the T-shirt.)
