Aug 232022
 

Yesterday, I slept in about an hour – again. I’ve been having a glitch or two getting to sleep, so that when the alarm goes, I’m not ready to get up. I do realize this is a self-sustaining thing … but it has happened before and usually resolve within a week. I refuse to fret about it – I only mention it in case anyone has noticed I’m running a little late on comment replies. It’s not to worry.

Cartoon –


Short Takes –

Just Security – Trump Associate’s Stated Plan to Publicly Release “Declassified” Documents
Quote – As this article was going to press, ABC News published a report that weeks before the Mar-a-Lago search, former President Donald Trump’s associate Kash Patel “vowed to retrieve classified documents from the National Archives and publish them on his website.” If that scheme involved Trump himself and the Mar-a-Lago documents, it could have significant legal implications for the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigation. Any plan to release the documents could potentially trigger specific elements of the Espionage Act and other criminal statutes designed with the core purpose of preventing unlawful dissemination of classified and other sensitive government documents. As I discuss below, credible evidence of such a plan also would likely factor into the Justice Department’s decision on whether to bring criminal charges.
Click through for details. “Just Security” you might say is a specialty news website. I’m linking to their mission statement. (I also bookmarked then, since they don’t call attention to themselves – they just quietly analyze.

Letters from an American – August 20,2022
Quote – When former president Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he left the participants to continue without the U.S., which they did as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He also left open the way for a free trade deal in the region dominated by China, called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or RCEP, which went into effect on January 1, 2022. This left the Biden administration with two politically poor choices: try to reestablish U.S. participation in the region through the CPTPP, which would have been hotly contested at home and thus unlikely to get through Congress, or let China dominate the region, with damaging long-term effects. So the administration found a third way.
Click through for background. This is kind of a compliation of who has visited Taiwan from the United States recently, and when, and under what circumstances (not what you probably think from the press coverage.) Also, other recent history, including Trump**’s destructive actions (in my quote).

Food For Thought

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Aug 212022
 

Yesterday, the opera was “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, from the Vienna State Opera. The advance promo described it as a combination of historical drama and psychological study, the main character being “hauned by [thoughts of] the child he murdered to gain the throne.” Well, Mussorgsky may well have seen it that way, and if so, it’s to his credit. But all one has to do today in the US is look around to see that people who will do anything for money and power (especially power) are never hauntes by thoughts of people whom they hurt on the way up.The only thing that troubles them is fear of being caught out and facing consequences. Interpreted that way the opera does, I think, work (and it also helps if one doesn’t know any more Russian than “da” and “nyet.”) I doubt, however, that Putin would be impressed. Fear of being caught implies fear of consequences, and he appears to be pretty well insulated from consequences.

Cartoon –

Short Takes – another “News of the Weird” day

Axios – Denver Art Museum brings back its “Singing Sinks” exhibit
Quote – The faucets — found in the bathrooms of the Sie Welcome Center on Level 2 of the freshly renovated Martin Building — belt out a harmonious chorus of “Row Row Row Your Boat” as you wash your hands. Each sink is equipped with an interactive sound system that pipes in the music through the drain, offering a “voice in the plumbing” effect.
Click through for background. Silly as this may sound, it has won the museum an award for “Best Museum Bathrooms.”

Daily Beast – Bodies Discovered in Suitcases by New Zealand Family Are Children
Quote – Vaaelua said initial postmortem examinations of the bodies revealed the remains found in two suitcases are that of two primary school-aged children. “Early indications suggest these children may have been deceased for a number of years before being found last week,” Vaaelua said in a statement obtained by The Daily Beast.
Click through for story. Very little is actually known, and they are being cagey with what they do know until they can establish a next of kin

Food For Thought

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Aug 172022
 

Yesterday was pretty quiet. And restful. My biggest physical achievement was taking a bag ou to the trash (from the porch) and a bag out to the recyclables (from the house.) I don’t expect to be putting either bin out this week – possibly recyclables next week if I get very ambitious, but I have a lot else going on, so maybe not. Also it was cooler, on account of rain. Lots of floods – mostly fladh floods – all over Colorado. My house has 99 problems, but flash flooding isn’t one of them. I’m on top of enough of a hill thatit’s beyond unlikely a flash flood would flood here. I tried to rest wnough to have more energy today – but we’ll see. Did everyone catch Al Franken as guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live last night? If not, there should at least be some cuts up here. Katie Porter was a guest. How can you top that?
https://www.youtube.com/jkl/videos

Cartoon – 17 Hendrix loaded

Short Takes –

Mother Jones (MoJo Wire) – We Didn’t Deserve Freya the Walrus
Quote – But as Freya’s legend grew, more and more folks wanted to see her up close. As the New York Times points out, the Oslo Fjord is full of water-going recreationists in the summer, and people started swimming with Freya, taking her picture, and even throwing things at her—so much that she had begun chasing off paddle boarders and kayakers. The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries warned the public to stay away from Freya, for their safety and hers. Last week, officials said they were weighing several options, including relocating Freya, but warned she might have to be killed if people wouldn’t listen.
Click through for sad story. Some of us, I think, did deserve her – but those who did not were, and are, out of control.

AP News – Some Capitol rioters try to profit from their Jan. 6 crimes
Quote – Facing prison time and dire personal consequences for storming the U.S. Capitol, some Jan. 6 defendants are trying to profit from their participation in the deadly riot, using it as a platform to drum up cash, promote business endeavors and boost social media profiles…. The Justice Department, in some instances, is trying to claw back money that rioters have made off the insurrection…. Many rioters have paid a steep personal price for their actions on Jan. 6. At sentencing, rioters often ask for leniency on the grounds that they already have experienced severe consequences for their crimes.
Click through for many examples – but they all sound like the apocryphal dude who murdered both his parents, then begged the court for mercy because he was an orphan.

Food For Thought

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Aug 152022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Search warrant shows Trump’s classified documents crimes. It’s time to hold him accountable

Meidas Touch – BREAKING: Top Republicans lie and claim NUCLEAR SECRETS ‘planted at Mar-a-Lago’ and NOT A BIG DEAL

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party Augugt 9, 2022

No Dem Left Behind – The U.S. Economy is Doing Great Globally…

MSNBC – News from Mallory McMorrow – “What Happened In Kansas Is Going To Happen Here In Michigan.”

Beau – Let’s talk about China extending their exercises….

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Aug 132022
 

In Thursday’s video thread, the video from Beau was called “Let’s talk about an important message from New York. In case anyone missed it, that message was “Polio is back.” He goes into much more detail, of course.

 

Glenn Kirschner – Donald Trump takes the 5th, while the FBI takes Republican Scott “Pardon Me” Perry’s cell phone.

Meidas Touch – BREAKING: Texas Paul REACTS to attack on FBI building in Ohio amid Republican Rhetoric

The Lincoln Project – Alike

MSNBC – Trump’s Raid Nightmare: The Feds Indicted The Powerful For Spilling State Secrets

Al Franken – The Case for Prosecuting Trump (Preaching to the choir? Sure.Preaching for the choir to sing louder, add some trumpets, drums, and cymbals to the mix. And take that to the voting booth.)

Beau – Let’s talk about Pelosi’s Taiwan trip….

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Aug 082022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Former US AG Eric Holder says Trump “likely WILL be indicted by the DOJ.” Here’s why he’s right

Meidas Touch – Intelligence Expert REACTS to far-right Prime Minister of Hungry’s keynote speech at CPAC in Texa

The Lincoln Project – Ron Johnson on Social Security

Ring of Fire – Dr. Oz’s Failing Campaign Is Freaking Out The Republican Party

Ojeda Live – NATO is a NECESSITY Against Russia

Beau – Let’s talk about Pat Cipollone’s subpoena…

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Jul 272022
 

Glenn Kirschner – It’s time for Merrick Garland/DOJ to take some OVERT law enforcement action on Trump’s crimes

Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to Media Freakout over Biden Saudi Fist Bump

The Lincoln Project – Courage

VoteVets – Bipartisan MI07 Bipartisan doesn’t have to mean wishy-washy. It can mean getting tings done. At least 5 (all so far, but they may not be done) of the Representatives being featured by VoteVets in this series are women. I picked this one over Elain Luria both because this video os the newest, and because the issue is vital to democracy.

Ojeda Live – New On-Line Video Series: Around the World with Richard Ojeda!

Beau – Let’s talk about the memo, Garland, and Trump…. (volume is low but CC is good0

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Jul 122022
 

Glenn – Trump & Bannon collude in an attempt to give Bannon a bogus defense to his criminal contempt charges

Twitter – Ohio Senate candidate Tim Ryan campaign ad

CNN – Jeffrey Clark raid footage

Ojeda Live – A Recounting of Herschel Walker’s Lies

The Funniest Conversations People Have Overheard In Courthouses (9 min and worth every secod)

Beau – Let’s talk about Sweden, Finland, and NATO….

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