Yesterday (techncally, although it seems like the day before), I went out a bit after midnight to look at th eclipse I wasn’t expecting much bcause the forecast had been for 86% cloud
cover. However, I was able to get a pretty good view, straight overhead. Impressive. I stayed until it looked like the thumbnali (close to that color too – maybe a wee bit more orange) and then went in as the temperature was close to single digits. And then went to bed and to sleep. And eventually woke up. And came here and posted. And I reached out to the campaign for the NYT gift link, but had already writtrn my remarks, and I didn’t re-do everything. Hope it isn’t too confusing.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Daily Kos (Walter Einenkel) – FBI raids homes of Colorado election clerk and former Boebert campaign manager
Quote – On the morning of Nov. 16, the FBI conducted federally-authorized law enforcement actions into potential criminal activity by employees of the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder’s Office and others associated with those employees. The activity occurred in both Mesa and Garfield Counties at four separate locations. Investigators with the 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Mesa County, Colo.) and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office assisted in the operations. No arrests were made, and the operations are related to ongoing investigations. Per order of a federal court, all documents related to these operations are sealed.
Click through for what details are not sealed. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me.
Mother Jones – Disinformation Isn’t Just a Tech Problem. It’s a Social One, Too.
Quote – The rise of disinformation is the product of long-standing social problems, including income inequality, racism, and corruption, which can be easily exploited to spread false information online. “Saying that the disinformation is the problem—rather than a way in which the underlying problem shows itself—misses the point entirely,” the report quotes Mike Masnick, founder of Techdirt, as saying.
Click through for story – I suppose it’s arguable which comes forst, like the chicken and the egg, but wi need to be fighint on every front, and even then, we will not be able to eliminate the monstr. We may be able to make it controllable.
New York Times – San Francisco’s Top Prosecutor Will Face a Recall Election
Quote (from his email, because I was paywalled out of NYT) – San Francisco voters elected me because of the promises I made: I promised to end cash bail. We’ve done it. I promised to reduce youth incarceration. It’s down by 50%. I promised to release innocent people from prison. We launched an independent commission to ensure no innocent person is languishing behind bars. I promised to hold police accountable. We filed homicide charges against the officer who shot and killed Keita O’Neill — the first time in our city’s history that homicide charges were brought against an on-duty police officer.
Click through for the NYT story with a gift link – which means you are not paywalled out even if you are not a subscriber. And spread the word. Turnout is even more critical in recalls than any other election! And don’t cut the link – all that stuff is needed to pass the paywall.
Food for Thought –
11 Responses to “Open Thread for November 20, 2021”
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Glad that you had a chance to watch the eclipse as did Lona. I didn’t see it, but I did see some pictures of it. Gotta run here shortly. Thank you, Joanne for all you do.
Cartoon: A good act, in that, a buyer must have a waiting period in order to purchase a gun.
DK: Justice prevails. If that had happened to me, re: security breach(s), as a election/campaign manager I’d be worried. Very worried.
FFT: Omg! This is hilarious!!!
This just in: “Johnson & Johnson is building a future where cancers can be cured and strokes can be reversed. Building your World of Well.”
2. Reminder: “A majority of Republicans voted against repairing our roads, bridges, airports, and public transportation system.” ~ The Democrats ~
3. Trevor Noah told Christie that he “hopes” he runs for president in 2024 for two reasons. “One, because you make things interesting,” he said. “And two, because you are one the few people on that stage who are going to say something real to Donald Trump.”
4. “Today, thanks to Democrats, tens of millions of families are receiving another payment of the Biden #ChildTaxCredit as they head into Thanksgiving. Democrats are putting more money in families’ pockets for buying groceries, filling up at the pump & paying the bills.” ~ Speaker Nancy Pelosi ~
5. “Judge Bruce Schroeder has repeatedly come under the spotlight during the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. At one point he was playing Jeopardy with the jury while also dismissing one for making a crude joke about Jacob Blake.” ~ Becky Sullivan, NPR ~
TJI #1 – Sadly, J&J (along with several other big pharma dudes) is splitting its personal products off from its pharmaceuticals, which looks to me (and other watchers) like a ploy to look like they are breaking up the company into smaller entities when in fact they are not doing anything of the kind. We’ll see.
TJI #2 – As they do. And, also as they do, several Republican representatives who voted against it are now trying to take credit for it.
TJI #3 – Trevor is very generous. I would not call Christie “interesting.”
TJI #4 – True that.
TJI #5 – That juror definitely deserved dismissing. But the only Jeopardy which belongs in a courtroom is legal jeopardy. One would think a judge, even one without ethics, would understand “decorum.” One would think.
Comment from Mitch –
Glad you got to see the eclipse.’Toon: the Brady Bill is better than no bill.
DK: Right in your own back yard, no less! Yes, it makes me very happy, too. And the Boebart piece of it is icing on the cake.
MJ: It’s about the rot at the core of our culture.
NYT: Chesa’s grandfather’s law firm Rabinowitz, Boudin and Standard, played a key role in my avoiding the draft, in 1968. My then g/f’s
father, had gone to Columbia with some folks who became big names, back in the day. I believe he knew Leonard Boudin, nd he is
mentioned in a book, “Friendship and Fratricide,” about some of those folks, including Whitticker Chambers-he of the pumpkin
patch tapes- involving Alger Hiss: Friendship and Fratricide, an Analysis of Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss is a 1967 book
by psychoanalyst Meyer A. Zeligs. In his work, Zelig argued that Whittaker Chambers was a psychopathic personality who had
framed Alger Hiss. Wikipedia Chambers was known to be an obsessive liar. My g/f’s father, David Zablowdowski, is briefly mentioned in the book.
FFT: Cindy’s quick response id spot-on. She might have also asked him whether, or not, he is just a sheep from the other side of theroad.
Mitch
Good question – though I doubt he would have understood it.
SoINeedAName UPDATE
Greetings! Back at the library & I’ve got Good News & Disappointing News
GOOD NEWS
I’ve now ordered my new desktop and laptop, after my usual OCD vetting process.
I have never been an impulse buyer, especially when it comes to big ticket items.
DISAPPOINTING NEWS – SEVERAL
The desktop and laptop won’t arrive until around Christmas time – IF I’m lucky. *sigh* But given the chip shortages, I’m not surprised.
While I had no problems ordering Nike’s Chewy cat foods w/ my phone, I had NO luck doing so on the PC & laptop. Makes me nervous, but I ordered them using the library computer.
I will say that 5 years or so ago I froze my credit accounts (Expedia, Experian & TransUnion), so I’m not terribly worried – but who knows.
Lastly, I think my OLD Samsung Galaxy S5 (there up to S22 models now) might be starting to give out. Just what I need – another relatively big ticket item purchase. Not that it’s not past time for me to upgrade – it surely is.
Time will tell.
Otherwise, things are going fine here in the KCMO Metro. I signed up to bring the vegetable dish for our family’s TGD gathering. A shirttail relative from Hawaii & his daughter (22 mos.) are going to be there, so that should be fun.
Take care.
Good to hear from you, even though it is from the library. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving … and we will hope you get back by Christmas – although you know what they say – Hope for the bes, expect the worst, and be prepared for anything.
Hi Nameless, sorry you’re not going to have your computer and laptop till closer to Christmas. I too wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Enjoy your family celebration Nameless and I’d say you managed to nurse your tech well past their typical lifespans. If the chips or equipment are coming via Long Beach, Biden and our Governor have enacted some things where improved speed addressing supply chain issues should soon be seen (e.g., getting empty boats out of the way, etc.–all the fast possibilities as longer term elements get underway as well).
Cartoon: Nice, I just wish they’d pass one prohibiting guns.
DK: Glad to see they’re staying on top of these investigations. The more the merrier for getting closer to prosecuting evil ones.
MJ: Not good at all. Seem to continue going in the wrong direction. When tRump was in the W.H. all he ever spoke was fake/lies, and ever since the rotten R’s, GOPiggies and all other followers of his, practice or display it ever day.
Food for Thought: Wow…I Love her response. Spot on indeed.
Nice you got to see the eclipse happening.
Like I mentioned yesterday, with it not happening till close to midnight, it was way past my bedtime which is 11:00.
Hope you have a nice evening.
Take care. Thanks Joanne
If some dipwad calls you a sheep for wearing a mask, say “A live sheep is better than a dead jackass!”
Glad you could see some of the – terribly long – eclipse. Joanne. It looked quite different from what I witnessed; I got to see a nearly full blood moon, something I’ve never seen before.
DK: I hope these investigations end in convictions and some hefty jail time.
MJ: Misinformation has always existed but disinformation on a scale like we see today is something new and linked to the rise of the far-right. The far-right has learned to use tech for its indoctrination of people through disinformation keeping a downward spiral of disinformation and influencing certain social strata. The chain must be broken and both tech and society need to play their part in doing so.
NYT: My goodness, Chesa Boudin should not be kicked out of a job through a recall election started by those who oppose Boudin keeping his election promises and doing a great job. Every time a liberal takes their election promises seriously and manages to fulfill them, the right comes up with enough signatures for a recall election. I hope the people of San Francisco see through this and vote him in again with a landslide win.
FFT: The small minority of true sheep is so loud and offensive, they have people think they represent the majority. Stupid sheep.