Yesterday, my inbox was packed even more than usual.
Somehow I managed to get it down – not completely, but at least manageable. By the time I scheduled this, I was seriously tired.
Archived from Axios because paywall. Yeah, it happened Tuesday. But though people talk frequwntly about the censure option, and we (Democrats) frequently recommend it to Republicans, it almost nnever happens. That it did now is noteworthy – and that rgw vote was 413 to 2 is breathtaking.
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I’m not convinced that any of these people even know what a conflict of interest is, nor believes they even exist. Their position appears to be something like “No conflict of interest here. Everything I do is in my interest. No conflict there.” Fortunately, we have Elizabeth Warren (for now anyway) to ask the right questions to challenge that – not that the challenges are getting through to the willfully ignorant.
Anyone surprised? I didn’t think so. Of course, the people who need to see this are the Secretariesof State of each state.
At 81, even in a small family, I’ve known some morticians – including away from the funeral home. They are human. Probably no two of then would tell you this in the same words – but they’d all tell you that everything they do is done for the families of the deceased – and also, that dealing respectfully with the remains is at the very top of the list of thingd that are done for the family. Do, when I came across a YouTube channel called “Lauren the Mortician,” it shouldn’t be surprising that I watched a few episodes, and ended up bookmarking the home page. She makes a new video each Monday (which she refers to as “morbid Monday”), and iy sholdn’t be a surprise that this Monday she was all over the Nepal disaster. If you can’t stand thinking or talking about death, ignore this. But if you are open to getting a little better acquainted with the Grim Reaper, this week’s video is here (spoiler – almost no one drowned.)
Referred by VoteVets. Maybe I’m seeing ghosts – but with Tramp [sic] and Kegsbreath shooting off their mouths about how shipboard deplotments shoud routnely be a full year – I can’t help but wonder whether they are being influenced by someone who realizes how detrimental that would be to morale – both to the teoops trapped in that situation and to troops who aren’t there but are scheduled to be up next – and to those who have not enlisted but were considering doing so – and now won’t. Someone who wants to see the US military completely destroyed. It’s easy to say that this regime care no more about human beings serving in the armed forces that they would about a part in a machine – but, honestly, they don’t even care that much. Machine parts wear down and need maintenance too – and without that maintenance the machine won’t work.
Breaking news from Axios when I first saw it. It isn’t good wnough in this regime to agree (or xapitulate) on some things or even most things. It’s got to be everything, or you’re O-U-T, out.
Joyce Vance asks the question we’s all like to know the answer to – especially if the answer contained informatin we could use to get rid of them. I think it is both possible and plausible – although, alas, not presumptive) that he has dirt on them. That’s been an arrow in his MO quiver since he was an apprentice in Daddy’s company. And, for three of them at least, we even have a pretty good idea of what the dirt might comprise. But that is not the only possibility – and there may in fact be multiple reasons, and different ones for rach compromised justice.
Yesterday, Trinette came by solved a bunch of stuff for mw. And Virgil has finally gotten help to find thekind of emails I can send on his tablet. I know that because I got one from him. He phoned, amd I told him how proud of him I amm that he was able to do that. (I realizehe’s going to forget steps from time to time – but now he knows he can do it.
At the time of the history recounted here, the UK had become a constitutional monarchy. Parliament was in the driverb’s seat – and had political will. If we are ever going to summon the political will for thie, Democrats and independents must do it. Republicans have pretty much become puppets. But even among Democrats and independents, there are too many puppets for Congress to do what needs to be done.
Robert Reich makes Dolly Parton an example of the best of us (up to which we have not always lived) and the jerk in the White House of the worst of us (which I probably don’t have to say is in the process of taking over.) The only thing I can come up with to succesfully fight on this level iis to remember, prove, and push the fact that it is virtually alqays lwss expensive to do the right thing. And that is going to be a hard sell – especially to MAGAts, even with mountains of evidence.
Satire! This is SATIRE! “The Duffel Blog” is the US military “The Onion. I stress this because, under the current regime it is believable (and let’s hope no one shows it to him.) So it’s OK to laugh.
Yesterday, the radio opera was Johann Strauss Jr’s “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”) There is no (visible) bat in it, but it is filled with absurdities. It’s a comedic takeoff on the “revenge tragedy” form, but but the revenge is for making the “injured” person look silly by leaving him in the public park dead drunk and still in his bat costume from the party they both attended, so that when the rest of the city woke up, he became a laughingstock. It’s an opera I’m very familiar with, having costumed it for Adams State College when I was working for the the theatre department more than 40 years ago. You can make up your own mind how funny it is, but the Viennese to this day think it is a hoot. It is staged there every New Year. (I don’t know how they managed that during the two World Wars, and perhaps they didn’t, but if not, that was another huge grievance against the Germans.) Austria, and particularly Vienna, takes its light music seriously.) The broadcast [erformance was recorded at the Vienna State Opera, and it was in fact recorded last New Year’s Eve.
This sure sounds like good news to me. A pricey crop that doesn’t require rivers for irrigation is just what Colorado need right now.
Not news – but a whole lot of fun for those of us into medieval history. At one time I thought of joining – I only got as far as picking a name, which was Fontaine d’Artois. (There are – or used to be -a respectable number of Artesian wells in the San Luis Valley, where Alamosa is located.)
I’m always ewluctant to say “The kids are all right,” because there are always some who aren’t. But clearly these young women in Alaska are just fine, thank you.
I’m always ewluctant to say “The kids are all right,” because there are always some who aren’t. But clearly these young women in Alaska are just fine, thank you.
Yesterday, I got up a couple of hours before sunset, which doesn’t sound like much, but will help me get back on track.
I watched Frank Figliuzzi’s “Frank Friday” broadcast in which he uses the adjectival definition of his name (not that he doesn’t always do his best to be frank but yeah – this time he delves deeply into a couple of legal cases which reek to high heaven – a proposed sale of land within Yosemite to a private developer, the destruction of government databases which have taken real administrations decades to build, actions of DOJ employees at primary polling places in Wyoming, and more. I’m sure you can find it all elsewhere – but not all in one place – and not presented with Frank’s attitude.
I realize you all know that the meeting occurred, and would like to know what was said at it. This from Common Dreams doesn’t have that except a couple of snippets. The article is mostly about the backlash to the meeting.
This is the civil case regarding the Orange Ogre’s attempt to illegally use the Postal Service. Joyce Vance goes into detail.
Wednesday, I went to bed around sunrise, and got up around sunset, and stayed up. On Thursday, I did the same, and finished and posted this in real time, around sunrise. That won’t last too long. The opera is tomorrow, and Trinette will be coming over Sunday. By Tuesday at the latest I should be back on a schedule which, if not exactly normal, is at least normal for me.
ttps://harrylitman.substack.com/p/the-other-side-of-dojs-corruption
I am not saying, and I don’t think Harry is saying, that this is entirely due to this DOJ having thrown the presumption of regularity out of a fiftieth story uindow. But I can’t help but think it does play a part. And so does sheer incompetence (something which affects every aspect of this regime, not merely the DOJ.)
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/revisiting-can-federal-troops-be
It always surprises me – and, frankly, feels false – when the Mango Moron is described as using a “trial run.” simply because I don’t think is intelligent eough – and I do think he is too vain – to believe he needs one. However, he does have lackeys who are knowledgeable enough to recommend trial runs to him, and possibly glib enough to get his approval. Of course, a trial run on his part may also become a trial run on our part – or, at the very least, a telegraphing of the nature of the attack before it occurs. I’m very glad Joyce Vance is doing the analysis so that I don’t have to – she is SO much better at it than I could possibly be.
https://thefuckingnews.substack.com
I expect the Guardian has all of these stories, and a lot more respectfully at that. Somehow, to me, the tone felt exactly right.
https://www.confrontthehate.com/p/the-american-caesar-why-extremists
Well, here it is at last – the truth that, if we become a fascist nation, it won’t happen or at least not completely, from our being careless and just sliding into it. We will have been deliberately dragged into it by people who know exactly what they are doing, and want it to happen, because tthey think it will allow them to get everything they want. It won’t. But by the time they figure that out, since they are wealthy and think wealth will buy everything, i will be far too late for all of us. So much for “most of us just want the same things.” The people who want the power they believe a monarchy will give them re totally different. They are a minority, yes -but they are a larger minority than normal people can begin to comprehend.
Yesterday, I missed my morning appointment because I got royally lost. That’s a humiliating confession from someone who was habded a road map when I was 5 years old and told that I was the navigator, but it is what it is. Other than that my plsn worked well. I got to the ultrasound appointment a bit early having done the prep they recommend. They have certainly made progress with ultrasound equipmentin the 35 years or so since I had one before surgery to remove an endometrioma – something which runs in the family on my mother’s father’s side. One of Mom’s aunts (my great aunt) pretty clearly had one – they are pretty obvious when not removed, and she refused surgery. Considering this was around the time of World War I, that was probably a wise choice. My mother didn’t have one, but she did have an ectopic pregnancy, which has a similar cause but is much more dangerous. But she survived it, thanks to a creative OBG, and lived to age 93.
They just can’t let anything natural be without finding a way to mess with it – usually to ruin it. They really do think they are Masters of the Universe – or Gods. Spoiler – They aren’t.
This from Morning Memo speaks for itself pretty eloquently
Trust Joyce Vance to be right here to explain the ramifications when the same crime (or tort, if a civil suit) – and a single act can be both.
I guess I’m lucky. I don’t know whether my gas and electric is public orr private – but I do know they can’t change rates without first holding a well-publlicized public hearing. My water and sewer I do know is public, and cannot change rates without putting a measure on the ballot in the next election -and then getting a majority of those voting to vote for it. My fire department is also public through a special district (this is very common in Colorado). And my utility rates have not gone through the roof – yet.
