Joanne Dixon

Open Thread December 18 2025

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

Dec 182025

Yesterday, The hearing with Jack Smith referenced in the second article below was held or at least started. There is of course no transcript, but Joyce Vance got hold of some quote – from which it appears that he didn’t give them hell, he just told them the truth and they thought it was hell (Thanks, Harry Truman.)

The Common Dreams newsletter was really hot on Monday, but I promise this is my last post from it (not that there aren’t others worthy). What was your first thought when you heard or saw the news of the shooting in Sydney? My first thought was “Where is there a Sydney in the US?”) and my second, after looking the news up and confirming the shooting was in Australia, was of the shooting in New Zealand, which hit two mosques (and resulted in massive changes in their gun laws.) This one was at Australia’s best known beach, Bondi Beach (pronounced bond-eye according to the BBC and their Aussie correspondent, and I trust no relation to Pam), at a Hannukah party. What’s next – a mass shooting at a Baha’i temple in Canada? I realize that any and every faith is demonsized in modern society, but the truly sick people are not te ones beig shot but the ones doing the shooting, and, with the possible exception of religious nationalism, the shooters will be disowned by their nominal co-religionists. It isn’t religion but the abuse of religion itself which is a problem, but the abuse of religion to justify evil.

I received this from Joyce Vance early Wednesday morning (not long after midnight.) My immediate reaction was “I hope he takes some security with him. Both physical and legal.” I also would wish he could, directly or through his security, make a recording of the entire proceedings. Today’s Congressional Republicans cannot be trusted. Period.

I must have gone to Huff Post too many times and they cut me off. I had to archive this just to read it (and the archived version may not be complete – it has a lot of blank spaces.) but I thought it was interesting, to say the least.

Open Thread December 17 2025

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

Dec 172025

Yesterday, Malcolm Nance, who was a close friend of the Reiners, published a video eulogy of them on Substack which included advice to both those of us who are grieving them, and those of us who have issues with all or parts of our families. It’s under six minutes. I’d embed it if I could, but I can’t. I can only link to it. And provide a tissue alert.

Also yesterday, I selected the meme just after watching a video about the trial of Judge Duggan, in Milwaukee. for “helping someone evade arrest.” if you want to watch it, here’s the link. It’s under 25 minutes.

This from Common Dreams is an opinion piece, pointing out worship of the rich (for which there should be a word, although I’ve never heard of one – “plutolatry” is a word, but it means the worship of money, not of the people who have it. May I suggest “plusioilatry”? Whatever it’s called, t is as old as misogyny, and every bit as difficult to overcome. In a book written almost a century ago, Dorothy L. Sayers pointed out that no clergyman ever pointed out from the pulpit that a bank president was “an open and notorious evil liver,” implying that such designations were reserved for the poor (especially poor women). And the illusion was far from new then. There’s history in this article. But I have no idea how to break a lie that has been so ingrained for so long it’s practically in our DNA.

If you are upset, and you probably are, with the Poopy-Pants Palpitine’s destruction of the White House East Wing, You will likely also be less than happy about his proposal to bulldoze the Cohen Building and three more buildings in DC, all with historical significance far beyond his ability to comprehend. I saw an article last week from Backbencher about the murals in the Cohen Building, but I didn’t know enough then to post about it. Now that Heather Cox Richardson has written about the four buildings slated for destruction, and the preservationist Mydelle Wright, who is attempting to take the matter to court, I have an excuse to refer y’all to the Cohen Building’s remarkable art – and its social significance. Granted this is not the biggest story of the moment, what with people being tortured and killed by the same government which is supposed to keep them safe -but it is a story about potentially irreparable damage to structures important for artistic and historic reasons.

Open Thread December 16 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:09 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 162025

Yesterday, as usual on Monday, I slept late. I still managed to take in and put away a large grocery order, though. And even do a little knitting (while waiting for the delivery.)

I learned about this Sunday evening. All the sane people on the ‘net are reminding all of us that we have very few confirmed facts yet, and that we harm ourselves more than any one else if we speculate – especially out loud – and I 100% agree. So why does the headline read like a confession to me? Also, Mary Trump responded to the Orange Ogre’s garbage – she is clearly angry but accurate. John Pavlovitz responded “Trump Derangement Syndrome Is Real. He and His Supporters Have It.” which I have also been thinking for some time. Joyce Vance also had words – and also provided the meme I have placed below the videos – quite a contrast.

Yes, this is a Colorado story. And I hope and pray it stays that way. Because if it makes it to our current SCROTUS, there will to pay throughout the nation.

There’s no link for this story – it was an email from Tim Walz’s reelection campaign. It made me laugh. It’s short, so I’ll just quote the text in full (without the donate page):
“Normally, when someone is going through a fast-food drive-thru, they’re eagerly awaiting a delicious burger and some crispy french fries. Not Mike Lindell though. When he’s going through a drive-thru, he’s getting his phone seized by the FBI.
“You read that right.
“Mike Lindell’s conspiracy theories caught up to him in 2022 in a Mankato Hardee’s drive-thru, when his phone was seized in relation to a federal investigation into his acts to undermine the 2020 election.
“We can say this for sure: Governor Walz has not had his phone seized by the FBI in a Hardee’s drive-thru. Have you?
If you’re with Tim, and haven’t been surrounded by FBI agents in a fast food drive-thru because you’re being federally investigated — chip in $5 to keep someone who has from becoming governor of Minnesota.”

Open Thread December 15 2025

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

Dec 152025

Yesterday, I saw Virgil and we played cribbage. There were a couple of double double runs of three (or “two double runs of three” as some call it), and a greater than usual amount of two pairs, where the cards of one pair made 15 with the cards of the second pair, even one “full house (if I may borrow a term from poker) where the cards of the triplet made 15 with the cards of the pair. But also a lot of dud hands. Not that any of that matters – we don’t keep a running score, just count each hand separately. In the afternoon, we discovered that the outer soles of my shoes were coming off. Neither of my feet touched the ground, because the inner sole is strong, and it’s nothing I can’t fix with Shoe Goo, but it was a bit annoying. I got home a little before 4:00 pm, and it took me about 20-25 minutes to get to PP and discover that despite the fact that I had done all the work on the Sunday post, I had failed to schedule it, so I then posted it immediately. If you missed it because I was late, check it out. There’s a new Randy Rainbow.

Yes, I’m a sucker for stories about veterans. Yes, I know many of us are MAGA, Christian Nationalist, or both. But they are not the best of us.

This from Heather Cox Richardson is from last week – Tuesday, to be precise. But it’s not news. It’s more like an investigation, or a research project, and that makes the timing less relevant. What is important about this is what is tells us about cable news outlets.

From Huff Post. Discussion of the Senate filibuster of extending ACA tax subsidies.

Open Thread December 14 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 3:19 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 142025

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Andrea Chénier” by Umberto Giordano. It is loosely based on the last days of French poet André Chénier who was a victim of the French Revolution. Not surprisingly, an opera about a poet has multiple arias for the character (a tenor) – four, in fact, of which the best known is “Come un bel di di Maggio” (“Like a lovely day in May.”)The plot is a bit reminiscent of “A Tale of Two Cities,” except that here it’s the woman who takes a prisoner’s place, and not to save her, but in order to die with her lover. Hey, it’s opera. What did you expect, a happy ending? OK, I’m off to see Virgil – will check in upon return.

I’m not the one to comment intelligently on this story referred by The Smile – instead, it is right up Nameless’s alley. (And this story barely scratches the surface.)

Even in darkest Louisiana there are still good humans. This is one. I wish him well. There is a video at the link.

I’m not trying to tell anyone where to shop. However, I know I sometimes find it difficult to find vendors whom I know are not MAGA, so I’m passing on this link from Daily Dose of Democracy in case it will help anyone.

Open Thread December 13 2025

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

Dec 132025

Yesterday, the FDA announced a testosterone crisis (I would agree – Republican men have way too much). House Democrats released some photos from the Epstein estate.

The Slaughter case was heard on Monday, but at least as of yesterday, no verdict had been released, so Harry Litman‘s analysis is still timely – and we can still hope.

I know, “Why are you posting about dolls when there are people being physically harmed – killed, starved, kidnapped?” Well, there are a couple of reasons. One is that dolls have been used for so long to belittle women (think MAGA Barbie), but this shows that they can also be used to empower girls and women – to strengthen pride in their heritage. But also, this resonates with me because in my way I am doing the same things – character dolls representing powerful women. It’s slow, because I have real people to knit for, including myself. But I do have some finished. The most recent one was Nancy Pelosi (specifically on the day she left the White House having read the Apricot Antichrist the riot act. And I finally have a decent photo of that. Look, this country has s problem with misogyny which is holding us back from progress. Anything we can do, even if the action seems trivial, to combat that is worth doing.

Common Dreams reports on a new executive order which “instructs the US Justice Department to establish an AI Litigation Task Force with a single mandate: sue states that enact AI laws that the administration deems “onerous and excessive.” I suppose it’s a little related that Bluehost is pushing me to attend a webinar or something about using AI for this blog. Ain’t gonna do it. If Nameless wants to look into it when I’m gone, that’s fine.

Dog

Open Thread December 12 2025

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

Dec 122025

Yesterday, yet another Grand Jury refused to indict Letitia James. A (probably “the”) Democratic Congressman from Rhode Island, in a Hearing, confronted Kristi Noem over a deported veteran. Al Green introduced new Articles in the House to impeach the President. And then there’s this. Also, kudos to Missouri.

It’s no news that the Orange Ogre likes to kick people when they are down (it’s easier that way.) But sometimes we need to take a hard look at just what that looks like.

Archived from The New Yorker. No longer can one get even one free article per month. For those of us who believe in the Constitution and don’t want to, or can’t, leave the US, this is anything but good news. Not the obstacles to leaving, but the numbers of people who are in fact leaving, and therefore will not be here to vote.

Jasmine Crockett made a public apology to immigrants (and citizens kidnapped by ICE) for the government. I expect “the government (the Executive Branch) could not care less if they tried with both hands for a week, but it’s good to see someone speaking out. There’s a video at the link.

This has to be one of the best campaign announcements I have ever seen – maybe the best. I wish him a solid victory.

Open Thread December 11 2025

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

Dec 112025

Yesterday, I found in my inbox and archived a Huff Post article on the civil suit that three Representatives have brought against the Apricot Antichrist. (I didn’t get all the money-asks out, but it is much easier to read than I found it. There is a good deal of white space and multiple photos. so it’s longish to scroll.) The lawsuit is not new, but it’s news to me that is it still ongoing. Generally, the websites of Representatives will not accept contact forms from non-constituents, and I have not checked to see whether any of these three is an exception to that. But if you are mailing Christmas (Hanukkah, Diwali, whatever) cards, and can spare three, this might be a good way to use the spares to send gratitude. Also, I saw the results on the special election in Georgia (we won) and the Miami mayoral election, not won by a Democrat in 28 years. One source said that we lost the most recent prior election by 9 points, but won this one by 67 points. That is quite a flip. I’ve seen different numbers since, but all the numbers show striking flips.

This from the 19th does make a kind of very ugly sense – “Wombs are essential to ethnic nationalist movements.” It’s a natural consequence of fear of immigrants to be worried about the birth rate. If they could only relax and allow (and empower) government to do what it is meant to do, like “promote the general welfare,” the birth rate would manage itself. Not everyone is competent to be a parent.

I am NOT recommending that anyone try this from The Root. As someone implied in a response, it needs “a special set of skills.” But it gave me a smile – even though I don’t trust “Mike” as far as I could throw Rhode Island.

This from The F* News, suggests to me that we need to work much harder to demonstrate that the modern Republican Party is actually a death cult. The lead story can be Exhibit A. When we run out of letters, which sadly won’t take long – we can start over with AA, and so on.

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